Emma

HOLA. 

I hope everyone is having a fabulous LABOR DAY. 

This week has been such a blur and I feel like nothing happened, but I will do my best to report. 

Thank you all for the lovely emails. Emails make a missionary's DAY. Es la verdad. 

So funny story, my first day in the field Hermana Aguilar and I street contacted this one guy named Jesus and he was both YSA and Spanish which is like the best thing ever. We talked with him, gave him a Book of Mormon, but he didn't seem interested. He did however, give us his phone number. A few days latter we called the number and his mom answered and was like "Im a Jehovah's Witness ...blah blah blah ..something rude" and then hung up. So we decided that was a no go. However, this week we have been focusing on finding more people to teach, so we decided to go to this random neighborhood and knock on some doors. The 2nd door we knocked on this woman answered the door and was all  "Jesus no esta aqui." 

Hermana Aguilar and I looked at each other super confused. I was thinking she that she didn't want religion so she was saying "Jesus isnt here"... or something? After a few minutes of us standing at the door being really confused she said "I talked with you guys on the phone awhile ago, are you not looking for my son, Jesus?" IT WAS THE JEHOVAH WITNESS LADY. hahahahaha 

The spirit is so true. We didn't think we would ever find Jesus again haha. So we started talking to his mom and she was actually way nice (wasn't expecting it). And then she started talking about me to Hermana Aguilar because she thought I couldn't understand her. She definitely said "Oh my son thinks the gringa is cute" I felt soooo AWK. Then Jesus pulled up in his car and the look on his face was priceless. hahah he got out of the car and said "I didn't think you guys would find me again" HAHAHAHAHA I DIED. Classic missionary moment right there. He still wasn't interested but that is okay!! I don't know why Heavenly Father sent us to that house, but it wasn't a coincidence.  

Milagro. 

On Wednesday all the new missionaries got their iPads. We were all able to sit together without our trainers with President Jenkins for about an hour and talk about the struggles of a new missionary as well as asking ourselves "who are the missionaries we want to become?"... and how it isn't going to happen overnight. IT WAS WHAT I NEEDED. I told him about my problem with being too self critical and how it has been really hard to tune Satan out sometimes. I think I just needed to hear that it is NORMAL. I still sometimes feel like a lost puppy and have no idea if what I'm doing is right, but that meeting reassured me so much :) 

haha It's funny, when I tell people I'm going to Argentina the members all kinda sit up in their chairs a little higher and say " CHE? CHE. CHE CHE CHE!" hahaha I think it is so funny but also at the same time freaks me out that I'm going to have to get used to a whole new accent soon so then I don't think about that. The President of our branch, his two sons served in Argentina, so they have been giving me a little bit of the low down. 

Yesterday a lot of people were out of town so our small branch of about 50, was down to like 30 people. I'm pretty sure every family bore their testimony. It was probably the best testimony meeting I have ever been to. First of all, I had the gift of tongues or something for that hour because I could understand EVERYONE. Second, everyone gave such a pure and simple testimony of gospel truths. It was perfect. I also bore my testimony and it was kinda funny because I am so used to only saying my like 5 things I can say...so that was my testimony and then I think it started to sound like a prayer....hahah I dont really remember but I'm glad I did it! 

I know I feel the spirit, but I have been having a really HARD time trying to figure out when the spirit is trying to tell me to do something. One morning this week I not only prayed for the spirit but that I would be able to recognize it. Later that day we were driving in our car and there was this woman walking her dog outside. We drove past her and I had the thought you should proably go talk to her, but in my head I was like no that is so weird to pull over and park and go back. Way out of my comfort zone. But then I got that feeling in your heart when you know you are supposed to bare your testimony or do something and then the thought came "this is a spiritual prompting. you can choose to act on it or not" So I said to hermana Aguilar "can we turn around" and she said "to go talk to that lady?" and I said "YES." hahah she was feeling it too. 

Turns out the lady has a son who converted and is now a member but she was so Catholic and wanted nothing to do with the church, but invited us in gave us water and cake and talked with her for about 30min just about her life and it was nice. She wasnt open to hearing about the gospel, but maybe she just needed someone to talk to? or maybe I was one of the seven? or maybe it was just an experience that God gave me to learn what a spiritual prompting is. I know Im probably feeling the spirit all the time, but during lessons it just feels not as good as it did in the MTC...like the spirit isnt there as much. I'm learning and Ill figure it out. I think that is one thing I want to have down at the end of my mission....I WILL BE ABLE TO KNOW WHAT THE SPIRIT FEELS LIKE. Gah. So many things to learn. But what a great time to finally strap in and find out. :)

The most spiritual experience I had this week was on Saturday. Remember Julio? The guy that randomly came to church one day without taking any of the lessons? Well on Saturday we FINALLY were able to sit down with him and teach him the Restoration and it was not a pleasant experience. He was kinda angry because we couldnt come inside because there was no woman in the house, so I think he got offended. Then he kept interrupting us to ask random questions that had nothing to do with what were were talking about. I'm pretty sure he had the intention of just teaching us and he said "if you had a woman with you I would show you this 2 hour long video...blah blah blah" It was the first time someone said to my face that Joseph Smith was false. That he didn't even exist. Wasn't a real person. It took all of our energy to not defend ourselves, but we just sat there and listened and tried to get through the end but he wouldnt listen. I left feeling really sad.

Right after that appointment we had planned to meet with a new convert, Lucia, from the YSA ward to watch the Jospeh Smith movie at the Visitors Center. I just love that movie. I felt the spirit so strong. I even received some personal revelation on things I can do better. The one thing that really stood out to me was just how much Joseph Smith trusted God. Trusting in God is something that I have completely needed to rely on since being on my mission. It is getting a lot easier to trust Him. I think it is because I have looked back on some experiences on my life where I had to trust him and I have always come out of those experiences HAPPY. Maybe it is easier now because of those experiences and probably also because I have been reading The Book of Mormon like never before and praying so so much. 

After the movie Lucia shared her conversion story. She is such a strong and active new member, I would have never have guessed her story. She is amazing. I am just surrounded by so many amazing people all the time. The world is full of goodness and good people. We are so blessed. 

I love you all so much. I am so happy here in Mesa, Arizona. Time is flying by! 

Please keep my investigators in your prayers. LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH. 

Be Brave Little Champions. 

Hermana Allen

Hermana Allen Celebrates Her 2 Month Mark