Monday, April 23, 2012

well hey there everyone.

 Its another week here in Oran. and guess what?!?!?! this week wasnt really that hot! Its starting to get cooler. and by cooler is down to normal colorado late summer/early autumn. its so nice. and I love it. I love not sweating and being able to use a sweater if i want. and not smelling gross.... haha

So heres a cool story for the week... We have been visiting this old lady, Nilda, and i love her but really she wasnt really progressing. She always talks about the same thing as she gives us food.... soo much food.  But usually its Her and hermana rojas talking about her problems and prayer as i talk to her daughter Kayla.  And Kayla is special something happened about 20 years or more ago and she got hurt in an accident and now is mentally handicapped and in a wheel chair. Shes fun. But she always asks me the same questions. and hey Michael... Theyre all generally about you.  you have a friend here in Oran.  But she asks me the same set of about 5 questions about 20 times every visit. She doesnt really talk to hermana rojas.  :) 

But so finally one day we gave Nilda a Book of Mormon. and assigned her to read 3 Nephi 11.  And left. So yesterday we went back to visit her and she told us that she had started to go to the church to attend and her son went to find her and bring her back because the house keeper didnt know what to make for lunch (oh nilda is about 80.)  But Nilda had started to read the Book of Mormon.  and she said she just couldnt stop reading. She read one night until 6 in the morning!!!! and she showed us where she ended up at and it was the end of Moroni. and she was planning on reading the dictionary thing we have at the end of the spanish book of mormon.  But she talked about how clear it was and how much she loved reading it. and it was sooo amazing. so amazing.  Im really excited to teach her. Aand her other house keeper (at night) usually is very cold when we come, she is very... active in her church... and doesnt really want anything to do with us, but last night she was different. She listened to us and i could tell she felt the spirit and she gave us kisses when we left (okay clarification about the culture here. no one really hugs. ever. the way you greet people and say goodbye is with a kiss on the cheek. well only the women for us..  so its not weird) normally she just says bye with her arms folded. and she listened and it was cool...

The spirit is sooo cool. When it is strong it changes hearts.  And im learning ( ive still got a long way to go...) that the only way to get it strong is to be obedient and to follow it when i feel like i should say or do somethign. Do it. Even when it seems weird, like asking to sing a hymn in the middle of a conversation because i feel a little bit of contention.  Its really amazing. I was reading about the stripling warriors this week and they were pretty cool. The reason they had success is becasue they had confidence in the Lord and when they could, they brought the fight to where they could control what would happen (thats when they drew the lamanites out of their city to come fight them on fair grounds) nad we do that through the Spirit, when the spirit is there, they change. When its not, they dont and we end up arguing a little bit.  but yeah that was something cool i learned this week. Dont doubt and bring the "fight" to where we have the upper hand. Where we can control what happens. And reallyt he investigators feel more comfortable when the spirit is present.

So it was a good week not terribly excitign but good for me. I hope it was good for you guys

Les quiero
Hermana Applegate

Monday, April 9, 2012

Hey there everyone!!!

Felizes Pascua!!!!  Thats Happy easter in spanish.... I hope everyone had a great easter.  Really mine wasnt any different than any other sunday... But i did get up and make a breakfast for everyone. And it was actually not to bad. but it wasnt really how i wanted it to be and the other hermanas had to leave so we all ate at different times. and then as i was moving all of the food over towards hermana Rojas´ plate (we all always sit in the same seats all the time its a little odd....) but i dropped all of the food on the floor and broke the plate!  I felt so bad! i wanted to cry and laugh at the same time!!! what a way to start a day. hehe

So in church we had 3 confirmations! and honestly i think confirmations are better than the baptisms now that weve had the whole elizabeth situation.  (she still hasnt come to church to get confirmed...)  But i realized lately that the baptism is just one part of the whole thing. The more important part is to be confirmed. Thats when we get the gift of the Holy Ghost and recivie the blessings of baptism.

But we baptized hernan saturday!!! he is the husband of Adriana who we baptized 2 weeks ago.  It was a MIRACLE!!!! he was unsure for a long time and had some problems with the word of wisdom. But this week he told us that he was ready and made the changes completely!! WOOO HOOOO:  I am soo stinking excited for them.  We confirmed both of them yesterday as well as the little bo y we baptized the week before. :) it was the best easter ever!!! I cant wait for them to go to the temple. And oh my goodness i want to be there when they get sealed together. Hopefully.... If the buenos Aires temple is finished in a year nad they decide to go there, and it happens to be right as i get off my mission and if president levrino says its okay..... (they dont know im planning/thinking about all of this.. haha) but if it all works out just right. i might. just might get to go. Oh my gosh i love them so much. Its like they are a part of my family. Or i guess more like im a part of theirs and ive known them forever. I love to just listen to adriana talk she has a lot of different experiences that have made her how she is.

and then we went to work and we found this girl - well shes 24 but i dont know how to classify that anymore-  But her name is Noelia (i love that name by the way) and she has a little 5 year old boy and we taught her and i dont know. There was nothing too distinctive about the lesson but the spirit was there and it was a sweet sweet spirit. And i could tell by the look in her eyes that she felt that what we shared was true. Im excited to be able to visit her again and teach her more.

And then we visited Antonia. And shes great. Shes this old lady. and she saw us coming and when we came up she was pulling out chairs for us to sit in and talk. And she read the pamphlet we left and is praying and wants to come to church next week (she couldnt this week bec she had just gotten back from Tucuman) but she is a fireball and LOVES TO TALK. A lot. Im pretty excited for her too. she said shes gonna read the book of mormon a lot. :)

I love easter. So here they have this weird catholic procession thing. but all of the people ask what we do for easter. and my companion says "really we dont do anything special for easter in church because we remember the sacrifice of our savior every week in church" which actually really bugs me... but its true. we didnt do anything special in church. we didnt even sing easter hymns.... Nothing was really out of the ordinary but i tried to take the time to remember my savior. and talk about him. and i should really be better about remembering him every week. in everythign taht i do. Ive started thanking Heavenly Father for this in my prayers. For the Atonement and the great blessing we have to remember that he suffered and died for all of our sins. and this has helped me use this more in my life and feel my saviors love in all times, all things, and all places. (im still working on that but it has helped me be a lot better) and so everyone.. Will you pray and talk to your heavenly father? thank him for the atonement? And use that wonderful gift everyday of your lives?

I know that He knows exactly how we feel and he loves us.  I love Alma 7:11-12

 11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and aafflictions and btemptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will ctake upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.
 12 And he will take upon him adeath, that he may bloose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to csuccor his people according to their infirmities.
I know that this is true!!! i know that he knows how you feel and he loves you. I know that Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father know you personally.  They have spent time with you because they lived with you before you came to this earth. And you can know that too. You just have to ask. I lvoe in Joseph Smith prophet of the Restoration.  when the old lady is asking him about the church (after complaining to his mom abotu the mormons...)  she says "what makes you so certain mr. smith that God even cares." and he said " he does care. and you can know it. You only need to ask"  And i know that tahts true. You only need to ask. and he will answer. 

Well I should go!! Happy Easter everyone!  Remember who you are! and remember your savior and your Heavenly Father.

Les quiero
Hermana Applegate.