Monday, April 30, 2012

4-30-12

Dearest Family,

If this email makes you tired just reading it, think of how very exhausted we are! haha... in a very, very good way!!! 

This week, we had:

2 baptisms
1 confirmation
2 interviews with President (one each)
Zone Conference
7 investigators in church
District Meeting
And a whole lot of FUN!!!!!

Woo! What a week! We are a bit tired but 100% happy! 

On Saturday, Jessica Micaela Enrique was baptized BY HER DAD!!!! It was such a beautiful baptism and a wonderful thing to see the whole family come together and especially that her dad baptized her! So wonderful! Then on Sunday, she was confirmed and received the Holy Ghost, also performed by her DAD! So great! That day, her mom also got called to be a young woman´s teacher. So neat to see this whole family come back! 

Then, right after church on Sunday, Andrea Micaela Leal was BAPTIZED! It was also a great baptism. She was a bit nervous and the water was a bit low, so it took 4 tries before she finally went all under, but she was a good sport about it! haha. I am so grateful to see this baptism. She is also pat of a part-member family that we are slowly completing. Also, she invited a bunch of friends to her baptism and three of them accepted baptismal dates for the 19th of May! So great!

We also had interviews with President this week and it was WONDERFUL! During the zone conference that was attached to interviews, we talked all about how when we ourselves understand more fully the Atonement, we will be better missionaries and that we will teach with more power and authority. We talked about retaining a remission of our sins and "singing the song of redeeming love." It was a really powerful experience to think back about the times that we have felt the power of the Atonement and using that to testify. We talked about how we have to retain that remission of sins and always remember the joy of repentance. We talked about how we have to repent daily to have to power and how every day, every single person makes mistakes and we have to become better. Then we learned that those who "sing the song of redeeming love" have love in their eyes, are more focused on others, teach with more power, and can really apply the Atonement. Then I went into my interview with President and it was really great! We talked about how the Lord is fulfilling promises in my life and how He is preparing people right here, right now to receive us. We talked about the vision that I have received from the Lord for my mission. Then, President looked in my eyes and said "Do you know that you are singing it?" It was such a powerful moment and I was so grateful to have experienced it. I know that i have much to improve on and that the Lord is counting on me. 

Things with Hermana Dunn are great! She is really awesome and we are loving working together. She is a go getter and has a great vision of the work and how it can and should be. I am grateful for the chance that I have to learn and grow with her. She is an awesome missionary! 

This week, we also found out that FINALLY the TEMPLE is reopening!!!! Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!! After THREE YEARS without a Temple in all of Argentina, we finally have an official date. The open house starts the 4th of August and the rededication is the 6th (I think) of September!!!!! We could not be happier! What a blessing!

Oh! Random awesome quote from President this week. He was talking about sometimes he hears from missionaries who say that they don´t know what they are supposed to be learning in their new area, to which he says,
"What made you think you´re here to learn?!?! You are here to SERVE!!!" 
I loved that! He shared it with our zone and I really liked it!


Quick note to my friend, Terrance who I know reads the blog...
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so proud of you and so happy for you! Congrats on your call! England! That is so wonderful and I know that you have been called by God through His prophet on the earth today! What a great experience you are going to have. The mission is the best! You will love it!

Elder Shelley,
I am so excited that you get to work with a native companion. You will love it! You truly learn the language and the culture. Use every minute to learn from your comp. And no matter what you hear about a person, if you go into it with the idea that they will be the best companion ever, they will be. Help him to know the missionary that he can be. Always look at your companions as the person that they can be and you will see miracles. 

As for Mother´s Day, still no news on the time. It for sure won´t be Monday because we have transfers that day. We are trying to find a web cam so that we can do it on Sunday in the church, but I will just have to let you know. I am very sorry. If it is Saturday, I will make sure that it is after 2 your time... is that late enough? With the 4 hour difference, it is just a bit hard much later than that. I am hoping for Sunday anyways. 

I am so grateful for this time to be a missionary! I know that the Church is true. I know it with all my heart. There are so many things completely unique to our church because it is the ONLY that has the plenitude of the restored gospel. I know that the Savior lives. I know that we have been sent to earth at this time to prepare all for the 2nd coming of the Savior. I know that we too must prepare ourselves and that we can do so by living the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that the family is eternal and that we will all live together again some day. I love you all dearly and am so grateful for all your support!

Sorry no pictures, we are trying a new internet place and it´s kinda slow... 

WIth love and prayers,
Hermana Shelley 

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