Word of the Week: "Estoy enferma" (I'm sick)

We had quite the full week here in San Rafael! The week started out great and by Wednesday, we had already found 6 new investigators and put baptismal dates with 5 of them! Then...Wednesday...the plague moved into our companionship. Wednesday night around 3am, I had a fever of 102 and slept about 20 minutes over the course of the entire night. By Thursday morning, Hna. Anderson had the same symptoms. We made the executive decision to stay in bed since we hadn't slept and since we physically couldn't get out of bed. So, needless to say, we spent a couple of days fighting some sort of flu or food poisoning...we still aren't sure. Either way, it was miserable, but we survived while still suffering some of the aftermath. But, that's over and done with and was bound to happen at least once over the course of an 18-month mission in a foreign country. Tuesday, the Lord richly blessed us to find a 17-year old girl named Andrea who let us right into her home. We were looking for a less active woman who apparently lived at that address. While the address for the less active woman ended up being incorrect, it led us to someone who was willing to listen. Doesn't the Lord work in mysterious ways??? Tuesday we also taught an older woman who had been taught by the missionaries years and years ago. Again, we were looking for someone else and when we couldn't find them, we asked to visit with whomever came to the door. As we started talking with Asencion and her life, we started sharing the Book of Mormon with her. In the course of explaining what it is to her, I included a small statement without really thinking much of it, but which in turn, changed the lesson completely and helped us really tap into her needs. I was explaining how the Book of Mormon includes the account of when Christ came to the American continent after he was resurrected. "We know that because Christ was resurrected, we too will be resurrected and live again." (I said something to that extent. I normally don't say anything like that when explaining the Book of Mormon, but I did for some reason). To which Ascencion replied, "well, that's where I have a doubt. I believe that everything ends after this life." As we continued listening and testifying to her, she expressed what might be closer to the heart of her issue, being that she has never received an answer from the Lord, that she prays and prays and He never responds. We testified to her that there is life after death, that God has a plan for all His children, and that she is well known by the Lord and He is listening to her. It was a wonderful lesson to me from the Lord and a testimony that the Lord will literally put the words in your mouth when you are on His errand. Then to see the power in listening and really trying to reach the needs of the people and not just reciting a lesson to a cookie-cutter investigator. Who knows if she will progress, but we shared our testimonies with her and the Lord taught me that He is leading us every step--and every word--of the way. Wednesday we taught a first lesson to a woman who is spiritual rather than religious and when we had her read in Moroni 10:4-5 and then asked her what she understood about receiving answers from the Lord, she silently closed her eyes, put her hand delicately over the verses and just hovered there for what seemed like an etermity, but what was probably 20 seconds. There Hna. Anderson and I sat. I was trying hard not to crinkle my forhead in confusion...and then she opened her eyes and said that "the answers are inside you...". Uh...thanks...hmm...not quite what I asked, but also insightful. She has great faith and a lot of her personal beliefs are right in line with ours, but she threw me for a loop with the whole osmosis process she was doing with the Book of Mormon. I know a lot of early morning seminary students might pull a similar trick...but...I don't think it really works that way. Anyway, I thought that was a funny story to share. Maybe you had to be there. The real miracle of the week came on Saturday afternoon. After not having worked for 2 days, we were behind with our weekly goals. I knew that we had been diligent all week and worked very hard to reach our goals and then had gotten sick out of the blue. So, with only 2 working days left in the week, we set out to catch up on our goals. We were still not quite back up to 100% working speed, but I was sure counting on the Lord to help us. Plan after plan was falling through and we kept ending up at addresses that didn't exist, but in asking for help by knocking on the doors where the addresses should have been, we ended up teaching 5 new people in one afternoon! I have only seen that happen a couple of times in a my mission...I'd say that the Lord was watching out for us. We set baptismal dates with all of them and the lessons really helped re-energize us after a hard few days in bed. It's amazing what you can accomplish by righteously setting goals with the Lord, doing all that you can, and then trusting in Him. Why is this so hard to repeat....? Ha...I guess if it were that easy, we would have advanced to the next grade and ended up with Enoch and his city...I guess I still have a ways to go! Happy wintery days my North American loved ones. Hopefully a healthier week is in store for me! :) Love you, Hna. Pelton