Easter

The biggest highlight of the week: CRISTINA AND SHADHA!!They are getting baptized this weekend. Cristina is totally rocking it. She totally testified to the new lady going to rent her little room that this was the true church. And that we never talk bad about other churches and that we actually do what we preach and we serve. That was neat to stand there and listen to her. Luis Catzin is also getting baptized…as long as he can remember everything. J

We did back to back exchanges again. That was crazy. I don’t love doing that but we had to. I went on my first exchange to another Spanish area. These Spanish sisters pink washed (took over) where elders were previously. They are doing great!  It was so much fun to teach in Spanish but in someone else’s area. That has never happened to me.

Random side note, I am really trying to eat more veggies and managed to consume and entire bag of spinach in one week! J Pretty proud of myself there.

We helped put grass in Cristina’s yard this week. She is such a cutie! She is so excited for her baptism. She told the elders twice, “Don’t forget about my baptism.” She told us some sad things from her childhood, BUT she also has a friend that she wants us to talk to…can anyone say member referral? Boo ya! The AP’s and zone leaders helped us with the grass. That was fun, except no one would let me do anything… because of my back. Susana and her family were gone ALL WEEK! But yesterday when we stopped by, she was so happy to see us. She said that we are always there when she needed us.

Saturday was amazing!  Mary is so happy right now in the gospel. We texted her and told her Happy Easter and she said, “I love you too! Thank you for being in my life.” I love her. This Sunday was the first Sunday she couldn’t make it since she started coming. I do not blame her one bit. She started work at 3 in the morning.

The best part of Saturday was going to Cristina’s with Jesus. She is amazing! She is so excited about her baptism. She also retold her life story. She married an Islamic guy and showed us a picture of when she was covered for two years. I couldn’t believe the pictures. She looked so different. It really made me emotional when she talked about how we truly were like her daughters and that she wants Shadha to be like us (Sister Fallentine is definitely included here...she kept mentioning her). What I loved too was hearing more of her past. SO apparently about eight years ago, she had a friend/schoolmate who was Mormon. She invited Cristina to meet with the missionaries and she did. But she said it wasn’t her time and that she needed us to come when we did now. I was really thinking of Sister Fallentine during that time, because she and I went through a lot with these sweet girls. She said that we were very persistent, that if she wouldn’t answer the phone, then we would come over. She said that helped her learn that we truly cared about her. And then all of the service we have done for her has made a huge difference.

That made me think about how when Sister Fallentine and I were together, people just thought we were super tall, but now being with Sister Gubeli again, people (if they don’t know my name) say, “Am I speaking to la Hermana grandota?” Haha good times!

We met with Armando again. We didn’t get anywhere. It was a pretty cool experience that I had just studied something he brought up in the Bible. He is just so against us, but I really do feel like Jasmine was listening. She is in the middle right now and it doesn’t help that her husband shows and tells her anti-Mormon stuff every day of her life. It is really sad. We were able to share Joseph Smith’s story. When we aren’t talking about religion, we all get along SOOOO great. We really like him. After dinner we shared something very neutral and I should have left it at that. Then I said, “Well we studied the questions you had for us”…BIG MISTAKE! Well maybe not. I just felt the Spirit leave sadly. I am still learning a ton, and trying to follow the Spirit the best I can.

I hope your Easter was amazing. J SURE LOVE YOU ALL!