I am not so excited about transfers. I really really REALLY want to be here for another transfer! But I will try to be happy about anything that happens. I just really love Pamplona. Hna. Rodriguez and I bought San Fermin shirts...from 2009. They were 2 for 3 euros! What a steal. I will have to send some pictures.
We are still looking for new investigators but really focusing on working with the members- I am glad to hear you are marking the Book of Mormon to give away. I have realized more and more on my mission that I had many opportunites to share the gospel that I did not take. Little by little- and there are even people in Idaho who need the gospel. We had lunch today with a family who was here in Pamplona when there were only 10 people- now there are over 300 in this ward! It is amazing the change and happiness the gospel brings!
We are still looking for new investigators but really focusing on working with the members- I am glad to hear you are marking the Book of Mormon to give away. I have realized more and more on my mission that I had many opportunites to share the gospel that I did not take. Little by little- and there are even people in Idaho who need the gospel. We had lunch today with a family who was here in Pamplona when there were only 10 people- now there are over 300 in this ward! It is amazing the change and happiness the gospel brings!
I am copying my letter to President Hinckley- It has a little more information that I do not usually have time to write in these emails.
President Hinckley,
I wrote a beautiful letter but it looks like it got lost in the vast expanse of the internet. I will try again!
We have a couple of investigators, but it has been rather hard to set citas with them. They all have crazy work schedules which makes it a bit more complicated. This week we are going to set at least two firm citas with each of them, so that we can have more constant contact with them! Lusia and Patricia, a mother and daughter, are great. They have agreed to read in the Book of Mormon...plus they both said that when they read they feel a peace in their hearts. Exactly.
I think the moment that most stands out to me this week is when we were teaching the Restoration to one of our menos activo families. The daughter, Melany, is 11 and does not much like the world right now. One week excited to see us, the next no. We had decided to teach the first lesson because we realized that they did not remember much about the basics. Start at the beginning. I have been teaching more and more with Hna. Rodriguez, so I started with 'God is Our Loving Heavenly Father'. I talked about how God is the Father of our Spirits, how he loves us, how he gave us prayer so we could communicate with him. This is not new to me but Melany was looking at me so intently, I focused in on her. And I realized that maybe she did not know this or did not understand,that she had a Heavenly Father who loved her. I could feel the love that Heavenly Father has for her, that he loves her so much. I am think she felt that love for just a moment. I want that feeling to be in every lesson. I want her to know, not just this once, but all the time that God loves her. I am going to work harder on having the Spirit so that every person I talk to can feel the love of God.
I feel like our relationship with the ward is getting better and better. On Sunday, I decided that I was going to try and talk to more people. I still have a little bit of fear when talking with people in Spanish. But I talked to many people and was able to carry on conversations! Without Hna. Rodriguez to save me. Everyone I talked to said how much better my Spanish has gotten and one even commented on my accent...that it was good. And the love just keeps getting bigger! One of the members approached me and told me that we could have a noche de hogar with our investigators, whenever we wanted to, at their house. Another member asked for a pamphlet and said she was going after church to give away a Book of Mormon!!! YES!! I love this ward, I LOVE these people. I am so happy to be serving here. They are incredible!
I am a little worried about Isabel, our recent convert. She is struggling because she has not had work in over 3 months. She thought that when she joined the church everything would be fixed. But it did not exactly work like that. She has not come to church for the past two weeks. We are going to be visiting her more, reading in the Book of Mormon with her, to help her with her testimony. I know she has one, it just needs a little help.
I love serving in Pamplona. Hna. Rodriguez and I are getting working hard together, working hard to find investigators, strengthen our recent converts and menos activos and improve the relationship with the ward. I learn something new from her every day. She helps me so much- to have more animo and love for this work. I love her.
I have been reading in Alma. There is a verse I love about how God uses those small and simple things to bring about great and marvelous works. I do not feel like I have much power but I am seeing as I work on the small things, being more obedient, working more with the members, having more love for everyone, that great things are happening. Little by little. I guess sometimes we have to wait for the great things. But I am learning to be an instrument in the hands of God, even if I am weak by myself.
I love Pamplona! Here is to another great week in the beautiful miraculous PAMPLONA!!
-Hna. Roberts
I wrote a beautiful letter but it looks like it got lost in the vast expanse of the internet. I will try again!
We have a couple of investigators, but it has been rather hard to set citas with them. They all have crazy work schedules which makes it a bit more complicated. This week we are going to set at least two firm citas with each of them, so that we can have more constant contact with them! Lusia and Patricia, a mother and daughter, are great. They have agreed to read in the Book of Mormon...plus they both said that when they read they feel a peace in their hearts. Exactly.
I think the moment that most stands out to me this week is when we were teaching the Restoration to one of our menos activo families. The daughter, Melany, is 11 and does not much like the world right now. One week excited to see us, the next no. We had decided to teach the first lesson because we realized that they did not remember much about the basics. Start at the beginning. I have been teaching more and more with Hna. Rodriguez, so I started with 'God is Our Loving Heavenly Father'. I talked about how God is the Father of our Spirits, how he loves us, how he gave us prayer so we could communicate with him. This is not new to me but Melany was looking at me so intently, I focused in on her. And I realized that maybe she did not know this or did not understand,that she had a Heavenly Father who loved her. I could feel the love that Heavenly Father has for her, that he loves her so much. I am think she felt that love for just a moment. I want that feeling to be in every lesson. I want her to know, not just this once, but all the time that God loves her. I am going to work harder on having the Spirit so that every person I talk to can feel the love of God.
I feel like our relationship with the ward is getting better and better. On Sunday, I decided that I was going to try and talk to more people. I still have a little bit of fear when talking with people in Spanish. But I talked to many people and was able to carry on conversations! Without Hna. Rodriguez to save me. Everyone I talked to said how much better my Spanish has gotten and one even commented on my accent...that it was good. And the love just keeps getting bigger! One of the members approached me and told me that we could have a noche de hogar with our investigators, whenever we wanted to, at their house. Another member asked for a pamphlet and said she was going after church to give away a Book of Mormon!!! YES!! I love this ward, I LOVE these people. I am so happy to be serving here. They are incredible!
I am a little worried about Isabel, our recent convert. She is struggling because she has not had work in over 3 months. She thought that when she joined the church everything would be fixed. But it did not exactly work like that. She has not come to church for the past two weeks. We are going to be visiting her more, reading in the Book of Mormon with her, to help her with her testimony. I know she has one, it just needs a little help.
I love serving in Pamplona. Hna. Rodriguez and I are getting working hard together, working hard to find investigators, strengthen our recent converts and menos activos and improve the relationship with the ward. I learn something new from her every day. She helps me so much- to have more animo and love for this work. I love her.
I have been reading in Alma. There is a verse I love about how God uses those small and simple things to bring about great and marvelous works. I do not feel like I have much power but I am seeing as I work on the small things, being more obedient, working more with the members, having more love for everyone, that great things are happening. Little by little. I guess sometimes we have to wait for the great things. But I am learning to be an instrument in the hands of God, even if I am weak by myself.
I love Pamplona! Here is to another great week in the beautiful miraculous PAMPLONA!!
-Hna. Roberts
I love you a million San Fermin shirts...for an incredible steal!
Love, Melissa the Beautiful
