Hola de Hermana, 28-1-13

Hola mi famila asombrosa!

I just talked with Elder L from the office, and he says the only two Hermanas that are headed home in March are Hnas K and M! I am so happy!  I am so grateful to know for sure that I still have more time.  It is still easy to wonder what on earth will happen after this transfer with Hna W, if by a miracle we´ll stay together or if they´ll take me out... but I´m so grateful to know that I do have more time.  It also may be that ALL transfers in this mission will be seven weeks long instead of six...  So my last transfer may end April 16 instead of April 9!  Good grief! So I have little idea of what will happen, solo estoy esperando that we find out more details in the next couple weeks.  

We worked hard this week!  We did divisions again and had a more or less breakthrough with Eusevio. we finally realized that one reason he hasn’t been progressing is that he didn’t understand that the lineage of prophets in this last dispensation didn’t end with Joseph Smith, but has continued until today with Pres Thomas S. Monson.  That blew his mind!  We also learned that Carmencita has been hesitant to accept the baptismal fecha because she was already baptized in another church.  

I love you all so much!  Please keep praying for our investigators!  We´re praying that Carmencita and her sons will be able to work it out with their bosses changes in schedules so that they can come to church los domingos.  And we need your prayers that we can help our other families and young adults progress too.  Please pray for Kevin and Ivan, two young adults, that we can help them gain testimonies of the Atonement.

I testify that when we decide to do hard things that Christ makes it possible through His Atonement.  I testify that He blesses us with the strength and capacity that we need, and sometimes the humility.  And I testify that there are tender mercies all around to help us keep our heads up and enjoy life as we live it.  And that truly every minute counts.

LOVE YOU TONS!  Never forget that you are sons and daughters of God! And thank you for all your emails this week, those mean so much to me!

Hermana Ivy [-]

Hola de Hermana, 21-1-13

Hola mi familia asombrosa!

Well, just now I have a kind of doom and gloom feeling that I will be coming home early.  Hna W told me that she had had the feeling we would finish my mission together, and if this means I come home in six more weeks instead of April, then I think I may go into death throw efforts to finish off strong.  I’ll have a good cry and then work as hard as I can before I see you all in March!  If I come home this transfer it ends March 2.  

And its amazing because this week was so incredible.  We did divisions for the first time and Hna W taught a new investigator The Restauration with a returned missionary.  I’ve told the president she could start training tomorrow if needed.  

Last night we had another lesson with Carmencita, Kevin and Anthony.  At the end Anthony asked, Hermana H, por cuanto tiempo estara aqui?  And I get felt quiet. And tears came up, and I told them that I honestly don’t know, that it could be just six more weeks or it could be until April.  But I think in that moment I knew it wouldn’t be for much longer.  I testified to them how much we love them, and we truly are working for their salvation and exaltation because we love them.  If nothing else, missions are the portals to true and pure celestial love, and if for nothing else, every member should be a missionary to feel that love.  

I love you family!  I testify that we are doing the work of the Lord!  Every minute truly counts!  And if I get sent early, these next few weeks I’ll be learning how to use minutes the way the Lord wants them used.  Enjoy every last moment of this January, because soon we will be in Spring and Summer (I wanted to remind you that the garden seeds should be planted soon).  

I LOVE YOU TONS!

Hermana Ivy [-]

PS Dad, you could look up Do It Yourself projects on the internet to do with the scouts.  I bet they{ve never built a mud oven and baked pizza in it.  Jaja

Hola de Hermana, 14-1-13

Hola mi familia asombrosa!  

Estamos muy bien!  These week has been blessed.  After feeling humbled from the week before, we were very grateful that five investigators came to church yesterday.  And the family we thought we had lost we found out just needs many more questions answered.  and for the family referenced by the stake president, we are finding more and more members to help us with visits.  

Wednesday was a day of miracles.  Initiated contact with a man waiting for his car to be fixed, and it turns out he lives in an aldea (village) two minutes away from the grandparents of our convert Edy, and we had maybe the most inspired fluid lesson of the Restauration I´ve ever taught in my mission, and he told us he wants to be baptized, and he wants missionaries to visit his family and neighbors because ¨there are many people who don’t assist a church.¨ We are trying to get our leaders to send missionaries to them, but it sounds like they would need to open the area. 

That same day we had also gone to the chapel to teach a street contact the first time, and when he didn´t come, two former investigators that have been in Honduras for the past month hailed us!  And we were able to put visits with them!  That same day we were also able to meet up with the street contact at a different time and we didnt have a member.  But we also have a rule that we cant visit by ourselves with men, and we needed a member.  And I told Hna W, Ësta bien.  Vamos por la capilla, y el Señor nos dara una miembro.  And as we were walking to the chapel a returned sister missionary drove up on her motorbike!!!  BLESSINGS!  

Today we were driving back from the ruins and Hna W turned to me and asked if it´s allowed to get up and preach on the buses...  And I told her yes, it is, and I´ve almost done it a couple times.  I told her if she wanted to she had two minutes before we arrived to our stop.  So she got up, talked briefly with the bus driver, turned around and announced that we were missionaries with a very important message that God has restored his true church, and would anyone like to learn more?  Well nobody spoke up, I got up and said we also answer questions and we would be happy to help them.  And while nobody talked with us, immediately after we got off the bus we ran into the father of a pàrt member family we´ve been trying to contact for three weeks, and he said we could visit them tonight!  I told Hna W we got that blessing because she got up and spoke up on the bus.  She inspires me to be the bold missionary I always dreamed about being.  Saturday in a lesson with a very educated refined and dedicated Catholic woman that we just love, Hna W told her and her son that the Catholic church is a church of traditions, and later told me that in part of her conversion she hadn’t wanted to leave the Catholic church because she loved the traditions, and a friend told her that ordinances and covenants with authority, and not traditions, would save her.  Hna W is amazing.  I told her we would practice so that we can both testify the next time we are in a bus.  

I love you so much family!  I cant believe I´m going to see you in just three months!!!  Know that you are all doing great works, and that the Lord qualifies who He calls in His service.  

LOVE YOU ALL TONS!

Hermana Ivy [-]

Hola de Hermana, 7-1-13

Hola mi familia asombrosa!

I AM SO EXCITED!  I actually shrieked when I read about Anna´s engagement!  And when I read about Dad´s new calling I gasped and am so grateful you are all there to support each other!  One of the most eye-opening parts of being a missionary is working closely with ward leaders, and I am so grateful you are all so close and supportive! 

Thank you so much for your emails, cards, and packages!  I´m sending notes in the mail and hope they get there soon!  I´m using my new pillowcase of loves from home and love it to pieces!

I feel like this week was a week of humbling.  We didn´t get close to putting all the baptismal fechas we had wanted to put or getting as many new investigators as we had wanted.  And for the first time in many months we didn´t have a single investigator in sacrament meeting because we had just baptized Cleidy.  So we´ve made plans for how to change so that we can better help our investigators progress and prepare for baptism.  Im also grateful for the techniques of teaching I’m learning from Hna W.  Things like how to tutor people into learning for themselves and not just talking and talking. 

The baptism was really nice.  Hermana W and I sang Come Thou Fount in Spanish, Fuente de mis Bendiciones, and it was beautiful.  But my favorite part was Cleidy and her testimony, and that she was able to share her experience with all her family members, her mother and two siblings, who haven’t wanted to learn with her. 

I can hardly believe we only have one more week of this transfer!  That means I´ll be home in just three months!  Family, I am so excited to see you and give you all hugs!  It’s almost unreal.  But I am focusing on the work here, and I need your prayers that I can continue changing and becoming better so that I can come home without regret.  Sometimes I feel like my body is just wearing down and I want to give it my all these last three months. 

I testify that you are sons and daughters of our perfect Heavenly Father!  He knows and loves you!  I testify that his angels surround us and that as we do all we can to do His will and be obedient we have his protection with us.  And that we have a great work to do, and He is there waiting to answer our prayers to help us do so. 

Random bit, after 15 months I can finally make a spanish ¨L¨ sound!!!  Hna W thought of making the chicken clucky sound where the tongue goes from the top of the mouth, slaps the bottom, and comes back up, and now I can actually do it too!  No one had ever thought of that method to teach and learn it, and I am so grateful!!! 

I LOVE YOU FAMILY!  Thank Hermana V for me for sharing Guatemala with you and give her a hug!  I can’t wait to meet her!

LOVE YOU ALL TONS!

Hermana Ivy [-]