Querida Familia,
I love getting family emails and pictures (even if they make me cry!) :)
Well, it has been a week of miracles. Before I felt like the Lord was really testing our patience by prolonging the fruits of our labors, but this week He has blessed us WAY more than we deserve! That's how it works right? We always end up reaping more than we sow (whether it's a good seed or a bad seed...)
We worked a lot this week down in little Columbus. We knocked doors down there probably a total of 10 hours this week and it was SO successful! We found 7 new, GOLDEN, investigators! It was amazing. We'd knock and almost immediately they would let us in. Then we'd have a really good lesson, extend a baptismal date (which they would accept), set up a return appointment, and walk out shaking our heads in disbelief. Then we'd go to the next house and the same thing would happen! Miracles happen AFTER hard work. Walk, knock, talk, teach. Errday:)
We had an exchange day with the other sisters in our branch and we had a great day full of laughs. One of the investigators we visited (Jose -21 and Isabel -19 and their newborn) were so funny! Jose kept saying he wanted Thomas (the prophet) to come marry them - "I'll write him a letter - 'Thomas, please come marry me and my girlfriend so we can be baptized. Jose'"
Last Monday we visited the Renterias and read the story of Samuel the Lamanite with them. Afterwards we played "Who Can Hit Samuel the Lamanite with a spit-wad" It turned into a spit wad war and was super fun! Then on Thursday they asked us to teach the Ten Commandments. AND JOSE (the dad) SAT IN ON THE LESSON!! Lupito was so funny. We were teaching #6 - Don't kill - and he says, "So don't do like Jackie Chan" as he does some matrix move while shooting his guns. I have so much faith and hope for this family!
We played the flour game at our Branch President's for our dinner message one night - BLAST. We related the flour game to families - with each cut one family member did something contrary to the gospel, taking away from the strength of the family unit. President ended up losing and we were all cracking up as he tried to get the penny. My abs were sore the next day:)
We started teaching a guy - Giovanni (yes, he's Mexican. weird I know:)) - who has been taught by missionaries for TWO YEARS. He's addicted to smoking and has a hard time committing when he feels like he can't keep his word. But he told us he knows it's all true and still comes to church. It's crazy how much I love him already! It's interesting how all people we teach have a different obstacle to jump over - fore some it's Joseph Smith, Book of Mormon, living day prophets, etc. But I've never taught anyone before that knew without a doubt that the church is true and still won't get baptized. We will find his hurdle to jump - even if we have to pick him up and lift him over it. I am really excited to keep teaching him and pray I can help him progress.
MISSION CONFERENCE! We woke up at 4:30 in the morning to leave to Benson, AZ for a mission conference with Elder Paul V. Johnson. Sacrificing two hours of sleep was worth it - it was a conference of revelation, teaching and upliftment. It's amazing that all we have to do to become a better missionary is become more like Christ. Simple, but SO hard. But I have a renewed vigor and desire to try harder!
Yesterday we woke up to find a good 5 inches of snow on the ground!!! I'm pretty sure that by accepting my mission call I didn't know I was signing up for freezing weather. 120 - yes. 30 - definitely not....haha Knocking in this was really fun - park the car, pray, book it to their door and knock, then book it back to the car (because it's Thanksgiving break and everyone is in Mexico...) to try someone else! It was SO cold! We also visited Salvador in the gas station and he said, "Stewart, I have a present for you." He grabbed a pecan roll off the counter and tried handing it to me for free. I did my best to refuse it but he said, "You can't say no to a Mexican." TRUTH. So I got a free pecan roll:) He's going to be a member one day.
We went to church in Columbus yesterday and because of the snow we had a total of ONE member at church! But because one came, we had church! haha Afterwards we came back to Deming to find 17 of our investigators at church!!! The Renterias, Sandovals, Geovanni, and Barajas all came! I was SO ecstatic (I think I was driving Hermana Magnusson crazy with how happy I was haha). I even shed some tears of thankfulness. It was the perfect start to a week of increased thankfulness! But I'm trying to remember to stay humble because, "Gratitude is twin sister to humility; pride is a foe to both."
Happy Thanksgiving to my FAVORITE family! I cannot express in words how much love there is in my heart for you all. Heavenly Father knew I needed you. You give me more support, help, and love than I deserve and are such amazing examples to me to lift me up and help me strive to be better. I am so thankful that you are mine forever! :) Eat an extra homemade roll or two for me (one of the things I miss the most) and Sara, you're going to have to start the burping contest this year;)
I love you all! And I love being a missionary!
Con Amor,
Hermana Stewart
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