Gift of tongues and Christmas music

Hi familia!!

How is everyone doing??

This past week was a slow and hard week. Our motivation was running slow and unfortunately many appointments got cancelled, but it was still a good week for missionary work like always because the Lord is hastening his work :)

Monday after p-day festivities we had dinner with the Parra's and Pedro came for dinner and guess what?!! He picked a BAPTISMAL DATE!! He picked the 6th of December :) we are so excited for this day because it is the day he picked and feels ready for. This has been a long awaited decision. 

Tuesday we ate lunch with a less active couple in the ward, the Alvarez's. They are from Chile and they are just so old and cute! haha. But we had some Chilean food that was really good and then we helped Hermana Alvarez with her family history work and she loved it! She was so intrigued by it. It is so true how the spirit of Elijah can turn our hearts to our ancestors and help us regain that testimony we have about the gospel. We then had a lesson with the Juarez family and we watched the Restoration DVD and they really liked it and we asked them what they feel is was so important that Joseph Smith prayed. And something that one of the kids said was, because he wanted to know the truth and we can only do that through prayer. How real that is! God is the source of all truth and if we want to know something we must do what is says in James 1:5 to ask God. I know that this is true. I know the our Heavenly Father answers our prayers and the Spirit can testify of truth to us. We then had dinner with Rosemary, her family, her friend Dara (who we are now teaching) and the members that live across the street. It was fun! We then had a family home evening with them and read 3 Nephi 11 and talked about the importance of having daily scripture study both as a family and individually. That night we met with a member and got a referral of someone they want us to teach.

Wednesday we had a chiropractor appointment in the morning and we say that other sisters in our stewardship there! haha. We then headed and contacted the referral we got Monday night and talked with him for awhile. He wasn't really interested in learning right now, but we know that his friend who is in the branch will help him come and learn. We then ran to our lesson with Rosemary and Dara and we taught the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ and Dara really understood the purpose of prophets and about the apostasy. It was really cool. And she is really interested in reading the Book of Mormon. I love those we start teaching who have that great desire to read and learn about this. It is just so incredible to see!! That night we did the activity with the primary age girls and we made thankful turkeys! It was a blast! And then we stopped by a member in the ward.

Thursday we started planning a bit early and then we had to go back to the chiropractor for Hermana Lau's shoulder. We then did some more planning...yay! And then we had a lesson with Maura's mom Rosaura, and I still can't believe how this lesson went. So we come in and we start talking to her and telling her what we do and she tells us she is catholic and how she doesn't understand why we are teaching her daughter. So we read the introduction to the Book of Mormon with her, but then she starts asking us questions. Okay let me give you some background...she is straight from Mexico and staying here with her daughter for a couple months, so Maura told us to come read the bible with her mom while she is at work...so that is where the story picks back up. We are trying to understand her Spanish and her questions and so we start reading some more scriptures to answer her questions...the scriptures have better Spanish than we do! But then she asks us more questions. She has had a rough life and lost one of her sons, and so she has been asking us questions about this and so we start teaching her the plan of salvation (more about the spirit world) and half way through the lesson she says "so for me to see my son again and talk to him I need to learn about what you are teaching my daughter," and we were like "yes, this can bring you so much joy and you can see your son again and live with your son again," and the next thing that she said was what really hit me...she said "when can you come back?... FREAK. 1) the gift of tongues is real...she understood what we were saying and the spirit told us what to say, and 2) this lady went from "I am only catholic"...to "when can you come back". The gospel is real!! It is so cool the difference it makes in people's lives.  After that we ran to a meeting we had with Presidente Rojas and all the missionaries in the branch because 5 of them are new to the branch. After dinner we planned for some STL things this transfer like exchanges and meetings and all that jazz. 

Friday we had district meeting and that was really good! New district leader who has some really good plans to help us, our companionship and the work move along. After that we had had a lesson with Chris and we taught him about the amour of God and he really liked that since he is looking for that amour to put on every day. And something that Hermana Lau and I have noticed is that what really, truly protects us are the things we have been saying since we were in primary - read your scriptures, pray, go to church, be a good example, have good thoughts, love others, etc. They all work because it is the GOSPEL! After that lesson we ate lunch and then headed over to have a lesson with Tony, but he wasn't home. So then we contacted a bit and then picked up a member for a lesson with the Garcia family, but sadly they were not home either, and the most sad part is we think they are avoiding us. They don't ever answer the door any more, or text us back, or are home for appointments. We don't know what happened :/ So we then ran over to Rosemary's and we read a bit with her out of the Book of Mormon. That night we had a lesson with the Morelos family and we taught the Plan of Salvation...dang did all that teaching of the Plan of Salvation pay off!! haha. 

Saturday we finished some planning and then headed out and contacted potential and former investigators, but no one was home. For dinner we went to a Chinese restaurant where Chris works, and then we had correlation. After we headed to the adult stake conference session, and guess what...our stake understands missionary work now!! It was so exciting to see them catch the vision of the Lord! This is what we have been waiting for!

Sunday we woke some people up and then headed to stake conference! It was really good also. Some good talks about not being afraid to do missionary work, and how to fortify our homes which are with 1) family prayer 2) family scripture study, and 3) family home evening. We then stopped by and found Miguel home! So we had a lesson with him. And then we had some studies and then headed out for dinner with Presidente Rojas and his family and we invited Miguel, and he came! We taught a short lesson about the Articles of Faith. We then stopped by the Alvarez and had some abuelita hot chocolate and shared the articles of faith with them too. 

oh...so about Christmas music...I broke down and we started listening to Christmas music...too early for it? I think NOT! :) haha

Well I love you all! I hope you have a wonderful week...in the snow! hehe.

prayer list- Pedro, Miguel, Maura, Rosaura, Rosemary, and Dara

Love you!!

Hermana Aase