Bad Decisions Make Good Stories (Week 5 In San Juan)

September 29, 2014

HOLA :) This week was wonderful! We worked hard and are continuing to find those that are prepared to accept the greatest gift known to mankind--- this gospel! This week is full of... STORIES :) Because who doesn't love that?

 

 



LEAF LOVE

So... I'll kick off this email with a crazy insane experience from last Monday. SOOO... we finish P-day and are on our way to an appointment when we get a call from the Black Canyon elders telling us that one of our investigators (Maria Damian - who we hardly ever see) told her neighbor (who is a recent convert of the Black Canyon Elders) that she needed a blessing over her house. We didn't get much more information but that so we call up the san juan elders and we all head directly over to Maria Damian's. We get there and Maria is bringing groceries into the house from her car. I had never met her before because she hadn't really shown any interest in the gospel in previous transfers. SO I meet her and she immediately starts telling us about what had been going on in her house. Long story short, apparently her son (16) had been asked by several kids at school to play wiji. He said no several times of course, knowing that messing with wiji boards is bad news. So, he brushed them off.

 

Well, fast forward about a month or two later, her other son wakes up one night at like 1 or 2 am to go outside and smoke a cigarette. He gets to the front porch, opens the door, and there is a wiji board sitting on the front porch. He throws it into the dumpster across the street and goes to bed. Well, the next morning, Maria goes outside and the wiji board is on the porch. Super sketchy. She asks the son if he played and he tells her no. The next night, same thing happens as the night before. The son was so scared that he made his mom come and sleep in his bed with him.

 

Well... we all know that wiji boards and all of that are direct pathways to Satan. So she finishes telling us the story and the elders arrive and we step into her home for the elders to bless it. I kid you not, the moment we stepped in, I felt as though I was suffocating. We could all feel the presence of Satan so strongly. Elder Penuelas felt out all of the rooms and decided that the boy's room was where the blessing for the home needed to take place. The blessing was wonderful and Maria was in tears after. As soon as we walked out of the house I felt like I could breathe again and that the holy ghost had returned. We went back the next day to check on her and she just broke down crying and thanked us for what we had done. The priesthood is so real. Hard to explain, but it was by far one of the most drastic moments I have felt the direct blessings of the holy ghost and the priesthood in my life. 

On a happier note, we saw a miracle on Tuesday! We were headed to meet an investigator, Lola. She wasn't there and we saw a girl getting out of her car across the street, so of course, we run over to talk to her. Her name was Carolina and turns out she was actually a potential investigator that we had surveyed a couple weeks prior. We taught her the first lesson in her home and she loved it. She said in her prayer at the end that we were the answer she was looking for and that our message gave her hope. We taught her again the next day and had the same great response. She is SO prepared and ready to accept this gospel. She was a direct answer to prayer! We hope to set her on date for baptism tonight :) 

 

 

Me and little Ivy

Then, on Wednesday, we also set our other investigator, Karen (19) on date! Her baptism date is Nov 2. She is currently living with her boyfriend and they have a kid together so we need them to get married first... but, she is learning a lot and always receives us well. We were so happy that she accepted and we are moving forward with the lessons. She is gaining a testimony and will hopefully see what a blessing this gospel is to families!

On Thursday we had a great district meeting. Our District Leader, Elder Penuelas, is great. He serves in San Juan with us and is so inspired. We had a training about all of our specific investigators and how we can help them and resolve their concerns. Afterwards we were able to play a fun get to know you game with the whole district and then we all went and hit open the pinata that Lindsay Cline sent me :) (Thanks so much Linds!) It was hilarious to watch! That night we had another lesson with Blanca (On date for Nov 2) in Delta. She is starting to resolve her concerns with the BOM and after our lesson she came to Montrose with us to the Relief Society activity! She got along great with all of the women and we were so grateful she was able to come! Members really do make all the difference! Go be a friend to those that are seeking truth! It can change their life and their outlook on the gospel completely! 

 

 

Hermana Noakes and I at the Relief Society activity.

Soooo... THEN, FRIDAY. Wow. Crazy. After we finish dinnner that night, we are driving to go tract in a trailer park. At the end of one of the cul-de-sacs there was this area to turn around with an open field behind it. Well, of course not wanting my companion to have to get out and back me up, I decide to go pull through the grass/dirt area that is made of Alkali. Normally all of the alkali is ROCK SOLID here. So, thinking nothing of it, I start to go through, with ease. Well, we get to a dip and I begin to doubt if our little chevy Malibu will make it through. BUT, (not knowing it was straight mud), I turn to Noakes and say, "Idk if Mallers (our car) will make this, but let's try anyways!" Needless to say, Mallers did NOT make it. We were stuck. In a ditch. Of alkali mud. With absolutely no way out. The car was completely stalled. So, I, being the intelligent young woman I am, get out to see if I can push the car. Nope. Wouldn't budge. All I did was get my shoes stuck in a pile of mud. So... as we are sitting there, debating whether or not to call the Elders and admit embarrassment, a nice old man (who just so happened to be a less active member) comes out of his trailer and tries to push us out. He couldn't get us out, so of course, we had to call the elders. After explaining the situation and Elder Penuelas complaining that he was "wearing his new suit pants" they came and the four of them pushed us out of the mud and we were home free. It was quite humorous and to say the least, definitely something that would only happen to sister noakes and I hahahaha. #worstcartroubleever The only two things that made it okay were that 1) It made a great story later on and 2) Elder Penuelas had done the same thing 2 weeks prior ;)

 

 

 

Our little Chevy Malibu...stuck in the mud and wouldn't budge an inch!

 

 

 

My muddy shoes!

Sunday was fast and testimony meeting and it was awesome!!! We were few in numbers (under 30) but the spirit was sooo strong. Our branch is really starting to pull together and we are expecting great things to come in the very near future :) 

So that is basically all of the fun things I have to share from this week. It was a great week though and Sister Noakes and I are super sad that this could be potentially our last week together :( There are rumors flying that I may be training next transfer, so we will see. However, we are hoping that Sister Noakes and I get to stay together for one more transfer :) We will find out Saturday! I love this mission I have been given to serve the Lord for 18 months. It is the biggest blessing I have ever received and I am so grateful to be here in Colorado! Thank you for all of your continuous prayers and words of encouragement. I love you!!!

 

 

Our favorite sign! I don't know why...it just is!

 

 

xoxo

Hermana Pierce