I can't believe it's already a new year! This week has been CRAZY busy for us. We have had lots of meetings and we have been traveling to other Hermana's areas to help them out. So we haven't been able to work as much as we would have liked to in our area this week. Our numbers were the lowest they have ever been but as Preach My Gospel says, Success isn't determined by numbers! And our purpose is to invite others to come unto Christ, which was definitely the case this week, even if it was more with the missionaries than anyone else!
We had our last lesson with Ines this week and now she is back in El Salvador. We sent her information in so hopefully the missionaries there will take care of her. :)
We worked lots in our Hermana's areas this week. We went on lots of splits and it was fun to help them out in their finding this week. On one of the splits we contacted a guy who answered the door only in a towel.. which is now the second time that has happened to me. haha Hopefully the last! We also helped a companionship out in their weekly planning who were having trouble making decisions together and aren't too fond of each other. It just made me super grateful for the wonderful companion I have! Hermana McGlothin is the best - I'd probably fall apart without her! Life as a missionary is stressful, and then caring for other hermanas is tiresome as well. I love serving in this calling but President Hall had to remind me this week that I can't carry other people's burdens for them. The only one who can is the Savior! He is the only one who is cable and strong enough to carry the load. The Savior said, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). I am so grateful for Jesus Christ! I know He lives and I know that He is the only way to truly find rest.
This week for New Years Hermana McGlothin and I made pupusas! And they actually turned out well! We want to continue perfecting the art of pupusa making though so that when I get back I can make you some good food from El Salvador. :) I love being on my mission here and tasting all the wonderful foods from every Spanish country! I'm extremely lucky that I get to take part in all the different cultures and traditions!
This week we had Missionary Leadership Counsel (MLC). Since it is a new year, we were talking and brainstorming ideas for our new Mission Training Plan for 2015. It is going to be so awesome! I am so excited to get it out to the rest of the missionaries once it has all the final touches by President. It's going to be called, "Be a Preach My Gospel Missionary." It focuses on multiple aspects of Preach My Gospel but the one that I really like is a category called "Become." We need to become the missionaries that the Lord would have us be (so in other words be the missionary that He would be). I am so excited to really internalize His attributes into my life in order to truly become who Christ would have me become. I'm so excited for the missionary work here in the Great California San Fernando mission! This year will be a year full of miracles!
Speaking of miracles, Angel Corona is finally going to get baptized this Saturday! I am so happy for him and his family! :) Pictures to come! :)
This week we also had Zone Training Meeting. As the sister training leaders we had to train along with the zone leaders. Since we are covering 2 zones right now, we could only go to one and decided to go to El Camino for ZTM. It went really well and I could see for the first time in a while how much my Spanish has been improving. I was able to train in Spanish and so that made me really happy! One part that we trained on was our purpose as missionaries. We had everyone stand and say our missionary purpose and most had forgotten in since the MTC! haha So we made them do it over again. But the words in our purpose are so powerful. "Invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end." I love this and it always reminds me of the great and wonderful mission I have! I am so grateful to be a missionary and to share the gospel.
This week we taught Marili and Rosie! I know I say this every week but it's because I really mean it: I love those girls so much! We taught them about and read with them in the Book of Mormon. Then we watched a Mormon message from the youth about reading the book of Mormon. (It's called The Book of Mormon: Messages from Heaven) At the beginning, President Thomas S. Monson speaks and Rosie asked, "Wait who is that?" Marili responded, "Shhh it's the prophet! Listen!!!" My heart melted! Marili's testimony continues to grow stronger and stronger everyday! (PS she loves the For Strength of Youth pamphlet!)
The Soto Family has decided to read the Book of Mormon as a family every night, one chapter a day. Let's just say the smile on my face couldn't be wiped off after they told us their goal!
In other news, I dreamed in Spanish last night! I was teaching a family the Restoration. So I guess missionary work is getting to my very core. haha. I hope this family I dreamed about is real and that I can find them.. because they were super awesome. ;)
Also, Heavenly Father protected us this week! We were driving down the road when all of the sudden a car was driving toward us! It was dark and there were no street lights so it wasn't until the car was pretty close that we realized that it was in our lane! I pulled over into the shoulder and the car whizzed past us while the driver obnoxiously honked his horn. At first I thought I was going the wrong direction and then got scared! But I looked up at the stoplight and was indeed going in the right direction. I am just super grateful for the safety we had! And hopefully the car got back in the right lane....
Being a missionary is the GREATEST thing on earth! But even though it's the greatest, it's also the hardest! I'm growing and learning so much right now. I had an interview with President Hall this week. He is so great and truly loves and cares for all of his missionaries. He helped me to realize the eternal perspective. When we have that eternal perspective, we have hope. The prophet Moroni taught, “Whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God” (Ether 12:4). I realized that is why we need to attend the temple regularly, in order to be reminded of the eternal perspective and be filled with hope. When we understand the Plan of Salvation, that we really do have a Savior to help us return to live with our Heavenly Father, we can have hope. And so, this week I am filled with hope! And I hope you can find hope this week as well. ;)
I love you so very much! I love hearing all of your missionary experiences!
Recuerde que nuestro Padre Celestial nos ama tanto! Y que El tiene un Plan de felicidad y salvacion para todos. Es por medio de ese plan que podemos recibir la felicidad, la esperanza, y el amor.
Con amor,
Hermana Buxton