All in the Tag: Week 30! "Believing Christ"

From 8/25/14

We had our 3-month interviews with President and I just remember beaming up at him from across the interview table. I expressed how happy I was and how blessed I felt. I didn`t even know what to say, but I`m pretty sure I felt the light of happiness emanating from my eyes and filling the room jaja. Oops. I couldn`t help it, it`s just how I felt I guess...

Also, something funny happened last Monday. We had a family home evening with a GIANT family of 12, along with some less active members of the church. Bishop`s family was there along with the Relief Society President`s family and the less active family we were visiting. There were a good 35 or so people in attendance.

Bishop gave the message. It was really good; everyone paid attention. Then Hna L and I were in charge of the game at the end. Well, I don`t know if any of you`ve ever played it, but basically we divided the room into 2 big groups. Everyone had to grab the hands of two different people within their own group and basically create a giant human knot with our arms. The object of the game is to see which of the two groups can undo the human knot first.

As I tried to explain this, I announced that the purpose of the game was "para ver quien de los grupos pueden ....desnudarse...primero." Nudo in Spanish means "knot", does is not? So, it naturally made sense that to undo that knot, it would be "desnudarse". Not so, my friends, not so. As soon as I said it, I realized that what I had actually said was, "whoever of the two groups that`s gets naked first, wins." Oooppps. But luckily, the RS President`s husband is gringo, and he quickly found the correct word for "untangle". Ohhhkay. I`m still learning Spanish here. Have mercy on me. At the end of the game, he proudly proclaimed, "And nobody even had to desnudarse!" o_0

We are teaching a young man of about 22 years old. His name is "J L" [Tiffany wrote about J L and his friend, "A" in last week's email]. This kid has got my heart. He lives with a member friend, "A", who is 21 years old. They live in a one-room house. Rent for them is 70 dollars....and they fight to pay it. They are living within a 2-dollar budget. This is no exaggeration.

One would think that it would be an intimidating task to teach the commandment of tithing to 2 young gentlemen who have only enough to get them through day by day. But, something super chevere is that, I felt the opposite. I think of the blessings my family has received by paying tithing, especially when times are rough. I think of the story in the bible of the widow`s mites. And I think of the Lord...how He fulfills His promises....And I was super excited, even thrilled, to teach them about the law of tithing. I knew it is what they need.

Sunday morning, we stopped by their house to teach them about tithing. I shared a story I remember about when Mom and Dad were young and had very little to provide for the family...And Hna L and I shared our testimonies of the power of the tithe. And the Spirit was there, with conviction.

"A" started crying. He is usually a very spunky, happy little guy. But I see in their faces how they have suffered. He cried as he shared how bad their situation really was...how they had started to collect bottles off the street every night just to sell them for a dollar and have something to eat. And how he gave his old, beaten down laptop to the owner of the property just to let them stay a little longer and pay the rent. And how, the night before, they were collecting bottles when they got cornered by a group of jovenes who patted them down for money, but, upon seeing that they had absolutely nothing, let them go. "A" cried as he explained to us that, just that morning, he was doubting whether he could actually pay his tithing or not. They both looked at each other with expressions of incredulity and commented to us that, that`s when we showed up to testify of tithing.

A few nights before that, on Wednesday, we invited them to a noche de hogar (FHE) at the church with other missionaries and investigators. They walked 1 and 1/2 hrs to get there from where they had spent the day further up north. They said that they were scared to go home because they were afraid the house owner would ask them for the rent, but they had nothing to give him. So they decided to find at least temporary peace at the church that night.

Surprising, yet not so surprisingly, that night the person in charge of the lesson showed a video called, "Un cantero" or something like that. It`s about a man who, apart from losing his legs in an accident and constructing another out of wood, walked 22 miles every morning for 20 years to help in the construction of the Salt Lake Temple. It was a message of faith, dedication, and sacrifice...just perfect for them. They walked out of it a little more inspired, and a little more hopeful.

Just last night, Hna L and I had planned to make a few visits after mission correlation. But we had the idea that we should bring some slices of banana bread to J L and A instead. So we went home, gathered the bag of bread (which the Relief Society made initially for another activity, but our ward mission leader said we could take to them), and made our way over to their house.

We knocked on their door on the 3rd story terrace. They opened, rubbing their eyes. They had been sleeping. Their eyes lit up as they greeted us, "Hermanitas!" they said. We gave them the bread and explained that part of the deal was that they would have to give 4 of those slices of bread to different people whom they can contact and get as references for the missionaries. They agreed. They didn`t know we were coming by with bread.

They said to us, "We were going to go out looking for bottles, but we decided to stay here, because we knew you would come, and we wanted to make sure we were here when you did."

Wow. The Lord knows everything. Then they burst out with so many wonderful things that have been happening in their lives lately. They said that one member of the ward spoke with the bishop and had offered to pay for them to go visit the temple with the ward in October. And that the bishop spoke with A so that perhaps he can baptize J L this Saturday. And that, aside from all the difficulties they have been going through, they feel the Lord`s love for them more now than ever.

They said that J L had been taught by other missionaries before, but that when we came, J L felt something different from us from the very first visit....he said that he felt our CONVICTION. That hit me. He said it was because of our conviction when we shared the gospel that made him want to change. And that helped him to see that the church is true. Whew, I was not expecting that.

They continued to speak to us as we stood there outside their door. They said, "No one has ever taken the time to actually show that they care about us. And you two have helped us to feel that we actually matter..."

These two guys, J L and A, are so humble, so thin, so young...and they have NEVER asked anything from us. We just feel some special need to take care of them. I don`t know what it is, but the Lord has helped us to feel the need to be their advocates. And their story has reached our hearts. I wish I had a picture with me of them now, because you can see in their faces their struggle, and their sincerity.

J L is preparing to be baptized this Saturday. As we were going over the baptismal interview questions with him, I asked him, "So, J L, why do you want to be baptized?" And he answered, "Because I have felt so much opposition since I started listening to you and going to church. But, right after the opposition, there always comes a blessing right when we need it." And, he said, he knows it is because this is true.

And many many more things with these two....they are worthy of a longer email than this. I know that their story is one that is very divinely involved. And I am grateful to be a part of it!

Also, Bishop gave me and Hna L a bag of fruit at Consejo de Barrio last Tuesday. It was a surprise...he didn`t have to do that. But he did. Only for us. I asked him for the name of a less active member last night, and he texted it back with a little extra comment that we weren`t expecting, "Las amo."

I love the work of the Lord. There are blessings in every day. So many little details that I might never have the opportunity to write down...but when the Lord says it`s time for one of His children to accept the Gospel...He makes sure it is done. And, being the imperfect little missionaries that we say we are, He has still managed to trust us with a very special part of this work.

That is what happens when we believe Christ. When we believe His power, believe His promises, and believe His word. (there`s a book about this...I read it before the mission. It`s called, "Believing Christ". There`s a difference between believing Christ and believing IN Him. And that difference in faith is what leads to conviction.)

I love being a missionary.

Love you all!!! Have a great week!!!! :)

Hna Fernelius