Week 33! "Tithing Rocks!"

From 9/15/14

Well, this week was great. Hna L and I are working hard. Obviously, there`s room for improvement. But personally, I don`t have any regrets. One thing I like about us is that we naturally look for the blessings of every day. And we honestly want to prove our faith to the world. Even when things don`t turn out like we planned, we feel out what the Lord expects us to glean from it and continue pressing forward.

Remember our recent convert, "J L", and his friend, "A"? They shared a very neat experience with us this week. They have been paying tithing on the very little that they have, and lately have been reaping the promised blessings from it. Why is it that some of the BIGGEST miracle blessings come as a consequence of paying tithing? I don`t know, it just does. Maybe because it`s a very solid commandment.

On Monday, J L and A went to a different ward noche de hogar (FHE) and shared their personal testimony among the group of people there. Afterwards, one lady went up to them and asked, "Do you collect bottles?" They replied that they did...it`s how they make some money. She told them that she had a few bottle at home she could give them. They ended up with 5 giant bags of bottles. They were very grateful, and thought they`d be able to make a good 15 dollars off of it. Not so, my friends.....They sold the bottles and made 40 dollars!! As they shared this experience with us, the miraculousness of the experience filled me. The Lord is so good!!! They experienced this miracle because they earned it. The Lord always keep His promises, and sometimes in very simple, but miraculous ways.

I love the commandments. They are a sure way we will earn blessings. Why take a chance on our own talents and luck when we can count on the Lord to provide for us? That`s my question. Some people are so content with their life that they close off any chance of exerting themselves...and any chance of spiritual progress. Why not exert ourselves? The consequences are unmatchable.

"Buenas tardes Presidente!

This week we no longer have people with fecha currently.

It was so weird this week. We have been putting "family contacting" on the priority list of what we do every day, and have been much more successful with all the practice we`ve had in finding families. We were also able to do a lot of seguimiento and have a handful of people who were super solid. We were so sure that we were going to have a family progressing this Sunday. Sunday, no one came! What? So weird. Once we made a couple phone calls to find out what was going on, we found out some unbelievable things:

1) 'J', a taxista, was making his way to church with his wife, 'Ja', and 4 year old son, when suddenly his car broke down. It was raining, and apparently it made something stop working on his car. When we called, they were in the middle of the street trying to get it fixed and didn`t think they would make it to church.

2) 'F' is the husband of a less active member. He is 18 and so very receptive! During a lesson with him last week, he looked like there was something bothering him, itching from the back of his mind. Then, as we began the lesson, he suddenly spoke up, asking, "Is it okay if I call my mother in here so she can hear, too?" "Of course!" we answered. He asked us to "not forget him" and to keep coming back to teach them the charlas. He wanted to come to church so badly, but when we only saw his wife there, we asked what had happened. She explained to us that that morning F`s cousin fell from the third story terrace (because he was drunk), and F had to make sure he was okay.

WOW. Hna L and I were stunned. What had happened? We don`t even know. But I love Hna L's attitude. We were both disappointed but felt that we should say a prayer and continue with the day. Somehow, we both feel that this is the Lord telling us to 'just wait' and He will bless us with fruits of our labors in due time. I feel that this statement is true. Especially now that we are reading the Book of Mormon and highlighting passages that describe what it means to be diligent, I feel like the insight I`ve received from it is what gives me more conviction to keep working diligently. The story of King Benjamin`s diligence was a huge inspiration of what it looks like to keep working, wait out the trials, and receive peace, a clear conscience, and the fruits at the end.

I love the Book of Mormon! I know this work is not in vain, because it`s all true. And I feel that the blessings are there. Although we can`t see it with our eyes, we can see it with our faith. And I feel confident that the blessings are there, because of our diligence."

Love you all!!! I have to go for now, but P-Day was super good today and I feel good with what I was able to write! :)

Have a great week! :)

Hna Fernelius


Flattened rat. That`s greeeeeat.

I was still hungry after lunch one day so I bought the cheapest but most satisfying thing I could find: a chocolate mini cake and carton of strawberry milk. Hna L is my friend because she accepts me and my inconspicuous ways...What does inconspicuous mean? It just came out...I don`t know if I actually used it right. But anyways, I walked down the street and even rode a bus drinking from this carton of strawberry milk....satisfying :)

Today I got to be a hobo who sat on the front corner of the bus with all my compras (buys). It was a long bumpy ride from Cumbaya (where we had our zone activity). It was great. Did you all notice that my hair is long enough again to do make shift buns and ponytails?! My hair is so good to me. Even when it doesn`t look good.

A part of our sector. Mean dogs live here.