Looks like its going to be a short one this time folks- as its one of those "slow internet days" that so often plagues missionaries in Perù. A brief summary-
-Elder C. Scott Grow is amazing, and we´re so blessed that he´s over our mission. He did a great job of talking to the members, and to us as missionaries, and we really got the feeling and "caught to wave" that the Lord is hastening His work, and that we need to also hasten ours. It was so good. Made me think a lot about the faith that I have, and I realized that I have to sit back and think..... "when I pray, do I really believe that my prayers can make a difference?" and, although I'm sorry to say it, the answer wasn't one befitting of someone that has been raised in the church, so all this week, Ive been praying with " real intent" not only praying because I know God exists, but praying because I know that when I pray- my faith in Him allows Him to work miracles in my life. Faith really does precede miracles- and the very minute that I decided to develop my faith- miracles started happening. J just fell into our lap and is getting baptize on the 26th, A changed his habits and will probably be the week after that- N and L have decided to get married on the 10th, and F and L are on their way to marriage as well. I can see the difference, not only in our area, but in myself, when I really do put my faith in HIM. I cant believe that its taken me this long to trust Him so implicitly, but better late than never, right?
-I got the sweetest Christmas Card from Emily Olsen! Tell her thank you for me, will you? It was so nice of her. And also please send a shout out of thanks to Bryan and Audrey, for the awesome, unexpected Christmas package, that had Christmas sweets and a water bottle from all these pictures of the Leavitt reunion! Its so cool, and is now clipped to my bag.
WE ARE GETTING A NEW NURSE IN MAY! That means I only have to wing it until she gets her, then Ill train her, and then, although I do love office work, I don't want to be there my whole mission- and president said for my last little bit hell send me to all the cool, huge areas outside of the city, with only fields and fields, or he´ll send me to Ilo the ocean city. All I know is, the future nurse better not get married before she gets here.
Alright, sorry its not too long or detailed, but I hope you know that I love you all, and will be thinking about you lots on my birthday. They crack eggs on your head and pour flour on you. So that will be fun.
I'll put the email I sent to Rachel (who is lucky enough to give the ward a report on my mission) on here, to give it some more meat- I love you all so much!!
"...wait... you seriously have to talk about me on Sunday? Whaaaat? When did they start doing that?! That's weird. Cant they just wait for me to get back? Hahaha, no, that's fine, Ill answer your questions as best as my limited time allows me to do-
A funny story that has happened......... ah, I cant focus, im in this internet cafe and these kids are playing this virtual game and screaming at each other and its bugging me. Yeah, okay, something funny...... one time, I was sitting on this bus next to this little boy. His mom was the person who takes the money and screams out the open bus door where the bus is going, and his dad was the driver. So I was just sitting there next to him, when I saw him looking at me out of the corner of his eye. So I looked at him, and then he would look away, and then he looked at me and I would look away, and then he tapped me on the shoulder and said "Hey. You're different. You don't look like the rest of us." And I told him " I know, its weird, huh?" and then he said " are you from space?" and I said " Yep." And then I just waited for his reaction, but then he pretended to fall asleep- then he woke up, and then he tapped his mom and gave her some invisible money, and said "Baja Chile" which means "Stop at Chile" and I said "Poque estas bajando en Chile?" (why are you getting off at Chile?) and he said " To get away from you, because my mom always says that there´s no more space in Chile, and that's why we moved to Arequipa." His face was so serious and the whole thing was so cute that I laughed so hard I started crying, and so did his dad, and his mom, who had been listening to the whole thing. Then when I tried to pay- she wouldn't let me, because she said I had given her something to laugh about for 10 years.
Favorite experience so far? Ahh- so many to choose from! I would say... inviting Junior to be baptized. I was so nervous, and we had already invited him earlier in the lesson, and he said no, but I could just feel the spirit so strongly after the prayer was over to just say "Hey, wait a minute" and then I bore my testimony with as much power and Spanish as I could muster, and then I put the baptism date, the 22nd of December, for him to accept. And there was like a minute of pure silence, and my heart was beating so fast, and you could feel the spirit so strong- and then he accepted!
What have I learned that I didn't know before my mission? Like half of the Gospel, is what I feel like sometimes.... but something specific.... I learned from Jesus the Christ (the book) so much! Like that Christ came to the Americas 6 weeks after he died. Somehow I always had it in my head that he came sooner. I also have learned more about the healing nature of the Atonement. Its not just for sins, but for injustices as well.
My testimony of missionary work... well, I don't have too much time, but something that I have been learning from the recent visits of general authorities, and counsel from my president, and the direction that the church is taking, is that we are all involved in the work of salvation. Its not just missionary work or member work, its really everyone working together to save Children of God. And we can see that the Lord truly is hastening His work. The Second coming is closer with every passing day, and there's not a better time in the history of the world, to be involved in the work of Salvation, and to be a full time participant in that is one of the greatest blessings that I have ever received.
And those are your questions- good luck! Don't make me out to be too good of a person or missionary alright? I'm far from perfect and still have so much to work on. But I know that you'll do me justice. :)
Love ya big baby!"
Hna Leavitt
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| Me and Hna Pug at the office. That's right- workin´girls. |
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