Monday 7 October 2013

September 30 E-mail, Letter Sept. 30 and October 7 E-mail

9/30/13
Everything is good! The work is starting to pick up since Hermana Jensen got here. We work really well together, and we are raising our vision for the area. We had a great week with lots of lessons and success. We are teaching the man named Publio and he's awesome. He says he'll be baptized but he hasn't accepted a date yet. He knows though that this is what he needs to be doing. His life is a novella (a Spanish soap opera) and he talks a lot about his life but he's hysterical! So funny. He sang in choir with us yesterday! Everything is really good. I've decided not to worry about my visa anymore-- I'm not going to think about it or dwell on it at all. I need to focus on the work here. Whatever He wants to happen will and that's awesome. We did go to the broadcast and a dinner it was great! I loved it so much! Thomas S. Monson truly is a Prophet of God! I hope everyone is doing well! I love you Mom! Oh thanks for the cookies they're a big hit!!
Hermana Arntsen


Letter received 10/4/13
I have a cool analogy for you.  So at the beginning of every transfer our Stake President, President Maxfield, feeds the whole zone and then just talks to us a little about the work.  This week he told us a very profound story: “There has been a lot of flooding in Colorado, and right now is the time that farmers usually harvest their crops.  Now their harvest sits in several feet of water and the farmers can’t get to their harvest.  In the Stake I am confident there are at least 5,000 people ready to accept the Gospel but you as missionaries can’t get to them—they’re buried in water.  The only people who can reach them are the members.  And just like the crops, if they are not harvested, they rot.  So, please help teach the members their duty so we can get to those people.”  I love this so much!  
Thank you for everything.  I love you!
Hermana Arntsen

10/7/13
My conference weekend was fantastic!! The talks were a-mazing and so direct and straightforward. There is no way to not understand what they are calling us to do! I love it so much! My favorite part though was a piece of Elder Holland's talk (we got to watch him in English!). He was talking about a woman who had children or grandchildren (I don't remember exactly) who strayed and why that happened because she was a good person. He said that she received an answer: "I gave him to you because I know that you could and would love him no matter what he did." I definitely don't have posterity yet but I have been comparing this to my trials as a missionary,and I can see the hand of the Lord in them and can almost hearing Him tell me "I gave you this trial because I knew that you could and would love it no matter what happened." And I feel blessed and special.
The work is going really good! We have been doing so well with our goals the past couple of weeks and the work is really progressing!

We are teaching this woman Maria and her husband Armando. Maria finally came to church the week before conference with her two sons: Armando, 8, and Leonardo, 5. We weren't sure if she liked it or not-- she's a thinker. But when we talked to her about it she said that she definitely felt good there and that she liked it. And that she wants to go back. Armando also said he wanted to go back! We are so excited.

Also we stopped by Elvira's house. She is the miracle from a couple months ago. She actually didn't end up getting baptized because of a situation of offense with one of her daughters in Mexico and told us that she wasn't going to change. So we hadn't seen her for quite a while, but we stopped by last week and got to see her. We could see the loss of the Spirit in her and she admitted that she was sad. We did though resolve a couple of her concerns and she still calls us her "angelitos" (little angels). Not sure what will happen in the future with her, but I think she will regain that desire soon. People can feel when they miss out on blessings and that helps them realize what they need to do.

With the faith of us as a trio we are starting to realize the potential of the area and the work is progressing!

I pray that you will make the Lord's work a bigger priority in your life. There is nothing to lose and everything to gain!

Love,

Hermana Arntsen

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