Monday, November 3, 2014

November 3, 2014 Moving forward after transfers and prayer

Um, how in the world is it already November! (my question mark key doesn`t work...I know, it`s bugging me too...) I am blown away! How can time fly by so fast! When I was little time went by sooo slowly.... and now I am getting older and it is just flying by like nothing! And the worst part is, it`s only going to get worse with age, just like everything else haha. But it`s alright, I just need to work super hard for the short amount of time I have left and I need to enjoy every moment of it! Do you realize that next month is my six month mark...!(question mark)!!(question mark)! Ah! I can`t! That is so so crazy...  This month on the 25th I am turning 5 months old...ah...

Ok well enough of that (even though that`s probably a lie because I will probably randomly freak out again later on in this email, who knows.) So, we had changes and I stayed here and that is super awesome because this area is great! The ward is huge and supportive and full of the nicest people on the planet! The food is fantastic and I know the area so that is always great (especially for someone as directionally challenged as I am...). I got a new companion and...SHE`S TOTALLY MEXICAN!! WHOOOO!!! I am really happy about that, if you couldn`t tell ;) Now my spanish can hopefully get a whole lot better! :) My comp is named Hermana Lara and she is from a part in Mexico that is really hard for me to say...and even harder to spell....but it is like, in Tampico where Elder Sampson is serving so that is pretty cool. I don`t know if it is part of the mission or not but I know that it is close to Tampico :) She is really sweet and funny. She always jokes around and despite the language barrier, we get along really well :) She has...wait for it...15 months in her mission!!! She`s practically dead ;) that`s what people say here anyway haha. She is probably going to finish her mission out here in La Joya :) Hermana Kraczek is now in an area called Atlixco in a part named Tulipanes. Apparently it is super beautiful there especially around Christmas time, and there are tons of flowers so that is pretty cool for her :) Her comp is Hermana Sanchez who actually came with me and the three other missionaries from my district. She is in my generation, whoo whoo! She speaks spanish and English fluently and she and I sat next to each other on the flight here to Mexico so that is something pretty sweet :) 

Alright so....this week was a little crazy because it was my first week "alone" like being the only one who knew who people were and where we were going so that was an adventure! But we made it through! The only bad thing was that our numbers this week were a little bit sad....but it`s ok because we can always improve and become better and the Savior can help us accomplish our goals and become the missionaries and people that He wants us to be so we don`t even have anything to worry about. This week we had an appointment with a lady that Hna Kraczek and I contacted on the street but Hermana Lara and I couln`t find her. We asked a ton of people but no one knows who she is...we didn`t know her last name so that presented a bit of a problem haha ;) but apparently she doesn`t exist.... but it worked out because we contacted like five other people while looking for her and we even knocked on a door and this cute little old lady answered and when we asked if Guadelupe lived there she actually said yes! How incredible right (insert question mark here :) ). She told us that Guadelupe was at work but that we could come in so we did, and we taught her part of the first lesson, taught her to pray, invited her to come to church with us, told her we would pass on Sunday for her, and picked up a new investigator! yep, that´s right. We are pretty awesome missionaries ;) haha yeah sorry, I am a tiny bit weird today so sorry if some of this doesn`t really make sense.... Well, we passed for her on Sunday but she wasn`t there so that was a little sad...but we have an another appointment with her on Tuesday so let`s hope she can come with us this Sunday :) 

 Oh! so something interesting...on Saturday we went to an ofrenda :) it´s like an offering that the Catholics do for the dead because it was día de muertos :) So we saw the picture of the person who died (their grandma) and there was a sign that said "Bienvenidos Abuelita Anita" with flowers all around it and crosses and stuff and there where two really huge candles by the sign too. Behind all this stuff there was a huge display of food and drinks that Anita loved while she was living and they also put out mole (mole-eh) and rice and stuff like that. There was seriously so much food! Tons of fruit and coke and candy and just a ton of food. They also have inscence burning too so that there is a...a...smell...haha I can`t think of the right word in English... oh! aroma! :) so that there is an aroma for the dead to smell and follow to their ofrenda. 

It is so interesting how there are so many different beliefs here on the earth and so many different religions... I am really grateful that we have the knowledge of the restored gospel here on the earth and that we know the plan of God; that we have the plan of Salvation and that we can live again after this life with our Father in Heaven, our Savior Jesus Christ and our families. This truly is a huge blessing that God has given us and it really does bring so much happiness in our lives! I am grateful for the chance I have to be here as a missonary, a representative of Jesus Christ, to share this message with the people here so that they can revel in this great knowledge as well and receive more peace and hope in their lives. I know that the Lord is preparing the hearts of many people right now for me and my companions to teach. I know that He has a plan for each one of us and that it is unique and  catered to our individual needs. Each plan is perfect and beautiful and designed to help us reach our full divine potential. And that is also something that is super amazing! God has given us the tools to become perfect. He had given us everything. All we need to do is ask for direction. I love the first book of Nehi in the Book of Mormon because Nephi has so much faith and it blows my mind to read about it! I really can`t wait to meet him and the other prophets of old after this life. But I love the story when he is asked by the Lord to build a ship because Nephi doesn`t ask "How am I supposed to build a ship (QM). How do I even start (QM)" He instead asks the Lord "Where do I go to find the tools to make the ship" Or something like that...I don`t remember his exact words. But basically, it is so incredible that he asks the Lord to help him make the tools so that he can then make the ship. He has no doubts in the Lord`s abilities or in the things that the Lord asked of him. We need to do the same thing. We need to ask the Lord to help us see the good in things when we are having a bad day. We need to ask him to help us see what it is that we need to learn when we don`t understand why we have the trials we have. We can also ask Him to help us achieve our divine potential so that we can be the sons and daughters that he wants us to be. It is so important to ASK the Lord, in all things. He commands us to pray always that we may conquer Satan. How incredible is that promise! If we pray everyday in the morning when we arise and in the night before we retire, and also have a prayer in our hearts and minds throughout the day, we will be able to CONQUER Satan. That is such a beautiful promise! Who wouldn`t want to conquer Satan? Who wouldn`t want the power and promise of the Lord that the Devil will have no power over us because we will be able to win every battle? 

How important is prayer if God, the creator of the universe, has asked that we communicate with Him? Pretty important I would say. Prayer is a commandment. I hope we never forget that. Pray everyday so that you can conquer the storms of the adversary. Your prayers are your life jackets while you are sailing your ship along the ocean of life. When the storms hit, you don`t want to take any chances. Put on your life vest every morning and never falter. Never undo those precious buckles by forgetting to pray because it will only make it that much easier for Satan to drown you when his storms beat upon you.  

I know that this is true, without a doubt. I know that prayer is power and that it works. I know the Lord answers our prayers and that everyone is important to Him. He knows us all individually because we are His. He cares about us all and cares about what we go through. Everything that happens to us, good or bad, is important to Him and He wants to help us; He wants to hear about our lives. He wants to be a part of them. "Pray always that you may conquer Satan..." Be firm in the faith everyone and continue to be awesome sons and daughters! I know that we as latter-day Saints have the power to change the world for the better and we have a calling to spread the gospel to all the world. Keep looking for all the miracles the Lord puts in your path, keep praying fervently for strength and guidance and the ability to become who the Lord wants you to be. I hope that all this made sense and that you have a fantastic week! I love you all so much and I thank you for your love and support. It means a lot :) Until next week!

Love,
Hermana Walker

Here is a photo of me and Hna Kraczek on the car ride to changes...yes, those are tears in our eyes...


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