All in the Tag: Week 39! "A Story of Conversion and...Transfers!!"

From 10/20/14

Hna L is staying, she`s just moving over to the other companionship :P So she`ll be able to keep tabs on the Elders who are coming to work in our sector. This will be the first time they have Elders in years in this ward. I just hope they take care of our conversos! :) It usually doesn`t happen where both of the missionaries leave and two completely new ones come in to whitewash to area. So it`s weird that this will be the second time in a row that this happens to this sector. I trust President Richardson, though, and I know it`s inspired :p

Well, GOOD NEWS. Yesterday I received the package :D Full of surprises! Good thing Halloween is coming pretty soon or else I wouldn`t have a good enough excuse to be eating so many goodies jeje :) THANKS DAD!!! And...the music was just.....WOOOHOOOO! :D That was a surprise, and a very thoughtful one, too! :) THANK YOU!!

I listened to music on the way to my new sector :)

SO MUCH TO TELL:

"J Y" was baptized Saturday!! (Remember I told you I`d share a little more of his story today :)). He (like his brother "C") avoided the missionaries like the plague. He is a smiley, goofy guy who didn`t hide his reaction that he thought this whole "religion thing" was just ridiculous.

I remember him being very flirtatious, especially to me and my companion, during the first couple lessons. We almost thought we were 'wasting time' with him. One week, we taught his recent convert brother C about fasting, and decided to fast that weekend with him. We decided to fast for J Y. C was very skeptical. Well, as you should know, C is very pilas (awesome and witty) and J Y is, well...J Y. But, we did some...edifying...and suggested that C could exercise some faith jeje.

The next few visits with J Y we did everything normally, inviting members to accompany us (mostly to keep him more focused, etc). And we began to see fruits. Unexpectedly, J Y began reading the Book of Mormon on his own. His prayers were heartfelt and...awesome. Really. He was looking for a true confirmation and testimony. Then...he accepted a baptism date!! After a couple times of already inviting him to prepare for baptism...he finally accepted a true blue fecha. I must admit, I believe in cambios de corazòn, but I even wondered a little bit if he was going to actually follow through with it! ...(I`ll repent. jaja)

J Y kept progressing. I don`t even know what motivated him to do so. Although he is 24 and has many friends (he can`t walk down the street without coming across at least 5 people that he knows), he accepted EVERY COMMANDMENT like *that* (as I snap my fingers). I actually got a little nervous because it just seemed TOO easy. I even brought it up to the zone leaders, and they came with us to a cita to visit him. And...they said he was good. So. Sweet.

Well, Saturday he was baptized. He shared his testimony beforehand and included us in it saying, "Thank you to the Hermanas who pursued me." jajaja Whelp. Now that's how it´s done :P jaja.

J Y´s conversion is still a wonder to me! jaja He really has changed in his heart. He is such a goofy guy. One Sunday when we were running late to church, we took a taxi. Out the taxi window, J Y said hi to a friend. When the friend asked what was up, J Y yelled out the taxi window, "Hey!!!! I´m on my way to church!!!! You should come!" And the taxi kept going. He is such a character. But, you know what? - His change is real. And it amazes me, in a good way :)

This week is also the start of a new cambio [transfer]. For nearly two cambios, I have faithfully kept my part of a covenant. I mentioned this "covenant" before, but I didn´t want to talk much about it until I had fulfilled what I was looking for. Anyway, basically I made a deal with the Lord that, if I would wake up at 6 every day (or earlier) to study and get other necessary things done during that time, that He would bless me with an added measure of energy and attention throughout the day, and the ability to help my investigators to always progress. There are a couple cool experiences that go with that as I strived to keep my part:

We didn´t always "technically" have people in our weekly numbers who were progressing, but we DID always have investigators who were spiritually coming unto Christ. One day, when I was on divisions with one Hermana M in another area, I didn´t bring my alarm clock. I prayed with faith the night before that, without saying anything to Hna M, I would be able to still wake up at 6 am. The next morning, when I opened my eyes, it was 5:30 am. I closed them again, getting in as much sleep as I could (jaja). And although quickly falling into a deep sleep again, I opened my eyes out of no where and looked at my watch...6:00 am. I thanked my Heavenly Father for helping me keep my side of the covenant, and got up to start my day.

We have been a covenant-making people from the beginning. And, it was a very interesting experience that, as I made and kept a personal covenant with the Lord, He was able to help me in keeping my side of the covenant when I asked for it. In my head, I try applying that principle to bigger, more special covenants we make with Him...baptism...in the temple, and just feel such awe for the way the Lord works. And the way He listens.

This week was super good! So many wonderful things that we get to experience as missionaries :) Yesterday was also our primary program. In our primary there is a mixture of children who speak Spanish, Portuguese, English, and German. It was inspiring to see these little bitty children who had been practicing for weeks, speak their lines and share their testimonies. Many in broken Spanish.

I am sad to leave my sector. I could be happy my entire mission there, I really loved it that much. But now, I am serving in....

...a very rural area, although it's an area that is still very much city - with my new companion, Hna Q. Hna L is so farrrr awayyyy...jaja. And I saw one of my former companions (Hna U) writing to President in a cyber just now.

"Buenas tardes Presidente!

I loved my previous area. I could spend my entire mission there and be happy!

This Saturday we had the baptism of J Y! He bore his testimony and it was amazing! He has such a funny character and many of the members were able to be there to support and get to know him better. His conversion story is unique. As he shared in his testimony, when we first started teaching him, he was avoiding us and didn't believe what we had to say. But, as he put it, he saw the change in his brother and wanted a change for himself:

'I want to keep going in this,' he said, then bore testimony of Joseph Smith and living prophets.

He`s come so far. When he was confirmed Sunday, he was blessed with the ability to have an influence on his friends and family...and that fits him perfectly.

As I was in camino [transit] to my new area today, I was able to read a little more of the story of Helaman and the stripling warriors. In chapter 57, Helaman stands in awe at the courage of these young men. In a major battle between the Lamanites and a small, tired group of Helaman`s men, Helaman describes the soundness of these jovenes [young men] (vs 20-21, 27):

'As the remainder of our army were about to give way before the Lamanites,...those 2,060 were firm and undaunted. Yea, and they did OBEY and observe to perform every word of command WITH EXACTNESS; yea, and even according to their faith it was done unto them...'

Their minds were firm. And they trusted God perfectly...doubting nothing.

I thought about all the times throughout the mission that I would 'look back,' wondering if I had done enough, and what I could have done better. I think about what could be, and what I would like to be. But, in reading this, I thought about what it means to have perfect trust in God. I realized that a firm mind and sound, convicted resolve is a result of completely trusting consejos of our leaders: hearing and responding immediately to cambios, advice, and direction you and other mission leaders receive. These jovenes didn`t waste any time wondering if the advice they received was right or wrong. They knew they had a righteous leader and a righteous purpose, so they received counsel, then soundly and diligently obeyed. And the results were astonishing.

I am excited to start this new cambio. The Lord always confirms to me that I am where I should be. Now, in following the example of the stripling warriors, I hope to have a firm mind and determination in spreading the gospel here :-)"

Take care family! I love you!

Hna Fernelius

The hands we made a while back....but DRY! This was last week when we went back to see how they turned out. Not. Too. Shabby. If I do say so myself :) jejeje