Family!
Holy smokes so much happened this week I feel like you're all soo far behind!! Well to start out we met with Pilar this week! She is an old investagator so the hnas before had been teaching her, and she knew EVERYTHING! She has been going to church for about the past 6 months but her parents never gave her permission until... NOW!! She is getting baptized THIS Saturday! She is literally like Mana from Heaven! WE had orginally planned to put the date the 21 of march, but while we were in the lesson I got thinking and looked at our calender and saw that our temple trip was scheduled for the 7 of march and she could go, so without saying anything to my companion I invited her to be baptized the 28 of febuary. It kind of shocked my companion cause that was only about a week and a half away. BUt once I explained the temple trip to Pilar everyone got on board, and Pilar is so excited! So she will be baptized this saturday and go to the temple next saturday! Start with the end in mind! End being the TEMPLE! Thats what president keeps telling us and I finally understand how true that is! Im so excited! Pilar is incredible! She passed her interview with flying colors. Yesterday in sacretmeeting she was so neat to watch, she was praying and just doing it right. ha, Hna Peña passed me a not that said ´Ella es tan escogida¨ SO TRUE! Then last night we watched the restoration video with her and afterwards she bore her testimony that she knew this church was true and that joseph smith was true, and just kept going even including that our bishop of the ward was true. haha so cute. Her parents are giving her permission but not super supportive and she just keeps saying they will follow one day its not thier time. So much faith this chica has! I just looove her so much!! So thats what will be on my mind all this next week. Baptism then temple!
Next Frine had her BABY!!!! early sunday morning!!! Its a boy and his name is Andre! We havent been able to see her or him but they said she is doing good. Also about frine, last week we were talking to her about her accident. I knew it was from working in a bread shop but she explained in more detail this time and I was just in shock. This poor woman. Some guy she worked with was not being responsable and left a gas tank leaking or something so when she walked in and put the flame the whole room was in flames she fell back she couldnt scream because her face was in shock from being burned she was all alone and had to crawl out on her hands that were all burned towards the door. She then went on to say that sometimes the pain was soo bad she just wanted to die but she knew she couldnt leave her kids. I felt so bad. This was last june or july. SHe has been suffering for so long. Also she wont be able to take care of her baby because of her hands so a hermana that lives in Lima is taking her baby. She basically has to give up her baby. And who knows how long she says proabably about 2 or 3 years. Its so sad. I love her so much though!
The next fun thing that happened is we ran into a chineese man who was some sort of preacher. And he was not nice at all. He came up to us asking us questions and was getting all up in our face yelling at us saying our book was false. And he wouldnt let us leave, so we finally just walked away with his still yelling at us. It was in front of a huge crowd too so we got lots of stares, but too bad that wouldn't do anything to weaken my testimony of the book of mormon. Hna peña is so cute every night she prays for all those who rejected us or wouldn't let us in to their house that they will be forgiven and have another opportunity. She even prayed for this man. She is a huge example to me.
So something I came across in my studies this week was D&C 50 22-23 Wherefore he that preacheth and he that recieveth understand one another and both are edified and rejoice together. And that which doth not edify is not of God and is darkness. I love it cause I've experienced this a little in the past month. I'll be teaching a lesson and I feel im talking to myself or that what im saying in what I needed to hear. Its like im teaching both of us! Things I didnt even know I knew or understood. THats when I know I have the spirit because its guiding my words so both I and the reciever who im teaching are edified. Its the coolest thing! Then I love the next part. I can think of so many songs or movies or social media that do not edify. So that means they are darkness and we want to avoid all forms of evil or darkness. So I made some goals for after mission life to really be aware of what Im listening too or watching to see if its edifying me and if not then I need to change. It hit me pretty hard.
Other then that I just looove looove being a missionary. It was a great week and Im sooo happy!!! I love working! I completely understand now what Amber meant by I can't remember what NOT being a missionary feels like. Its so foriegn to me now. This is my life. And I'm loving every moment!!
Love you guys tons and hope you have the best week ever!
GOOD LUCK CODY!! THIS IS YOUR YEAR! ILL BE PRAYING FOR YOU!! !LOVE YOU!! I will admit hearing cody and the fab 5 playing thier last home game jammed a pin in my heart a little.That was always the day I couldn't wait to see, all of them playing together thier senior year. It was defiantly a sacrifice to miss that, but it was well worth it. I'm happy im here. PLAY WELL COCAMO!
Love,
Hermana Nielsen
ps, if you didnt get the chance go watch the family discovery day! It was soo good! I stole my letter title from it! :)
Mi companera! Hna peña!
Pictures from the center, The heart of ayacucho
