Okay, so it's been another busy week, and a LOT has been happening.
Sis. Lopez and I are still working like crazy. The two new sisters
that will be taking over the other area here in Maringá still haven't
arrived, due to health problems and other complicated
situations. They're supposed to be arriving today, but I don't think
anybody really knows exactly what's going on with that... haha. For the
time being, it's just been Sister Lopez and I, which is fun. :) Raisa
hasn't been able to work with us at all this
transfer, so we've had to rely a lot on maps, buses, and our own two
feet. Hello, Missionary Work. It's been an experience, frustrating,
hectic, and exhausting at times...but I'm really grateful for Sis. Lopez
and all the work she does to make sure we find
our way to lunch appointments, lessons, and back home again at the end
of the day... even if we occasionally get a little bit lost along the
way. :) We're slowly learning the area - the streets, the bus
schedules, where all the members live, stuff like that
- and also realizing what a blessing it was to have the help of Raisa
last transfer... haha :)
We had quite a few people that we were teaching at the beginning of
the transfer, and a few that I really thought were progressing
amazingly well - Carol and Silvia. Carol is 21, and a referral from a
recent convert. Silvia is 19, and we met her and
her family while knocking on doors (aka clapping at gates). :) I don't
remember if I've mentioned them in a previous email or not, but they
both were really interested in our message, really quick to learn and
keep commitments, they were reading the Book
of Mormon and coming to church...really, seemed like golden
investigators. The hardest part of this week was when each of them told
us that they didn't have any interest in continuing with the lessons or
coming to church. Sister Lopez and I were both shocked,
and a little bit discouraged... it was hard. But Sister Lopez shared
something that she's learned on the mission - moments of rejection are
part of the mission. We'll all face them ... but even during these
moments, we will ALWAYS be able to feel the love
of the Lord. His mission wasn't easy - He too was rejected and
suffered more than we can comprehend - so why would we expect ours to
be? And I know that He'll be with us, and that if we continue to do our
best, the blessings will come. :)
Conference was definitely a blessing after the discouragements of the week. I felt the Spirit
so powerfully, during each of the four sessions. During the
first few talks during the first session of Conference, they weren't
able to get the transmission in English to work for the 7 or 8 us
American missionaries, so we watched in the cool chapel
with the rest of the stake, in Portuguese. The translators speak really
fast, and though I understood more or less what was happening, it wasn't
easy. I found myself hanging on to every word the prophet said,
desperate to understand, not wanting to miss anything that was happening
- and then the thought came into my mind, "Do
I value the words of the prophet this much when they're in
English, easy to understand?" I think sometimes when things are easy
for us, we start to take them for granted...but I realized just what a
wonderful thing it is to hear a prophet of God speak
to us.
The rest of the conference was amazing as well, and I
can't wait to be able to read all the talks again when the Liahona
comes out. So many talks on discipleship, missionary work, following
Christ...definitely a theme of the conference.
It made me really appreciate the experience of a mission, the blessing
of being a missionary. I'm SO grateful to be here, so grateful to be
able to serve!!! I know it's going to change my life forever, and I'm
so grateful for that, and for everything I'm
learning here. For the person I'm becoming here. :) And YES,
everyone here is so excited about the changes for missionary age
requirements!!! SO many more young women will have the opportunity to
serve now that they can leave at 19. What a blessing. :)
The work is really going forward, and this change is only going to
move it along faster and faster! Can't wait to be able to train a 19
year old sister. ;)
Well, that's all for this week. I hope you all loved Conference,
and enjoyed basking in the spiritual feast as much as I did. :) I love
you all so much, and think about you often! I'm so glad you guys are
focusing on Mission Prep - it's really going
to make such a big difference when your time comes to serve! Let me
know what things you're learning and practicing! :)
Until next week,
Love,
Sister Melissa Gee
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