week 41

About a month ago we were walking away from a house and this man at the end of the street started waving at us, which NEVER happens. And it wasn't a member we recognized so we quickly went up and talked with him. 

 

Turns out he is a member of the church and hasn't come in almost 5 years. He has a brother on a mission in Texas. He asked us where the local congregation met, and we told him and then he promptly ended the conversation and walked away. I didn't think much of it for whatever reason.

 

As we walked away back down the street I had these sudden prompting of, "You just let that Elder in Texas down! He's praying that his brother will come back to church and you just let him down!!" So I turned to Sister Harper and said, "we're going to go talk to him and set up a return appointment, RIGHT NOW".

 

He was walking pretty fast and he had gotten pretty far so I made Sister Harper run. She kept saying, "What got into you!?" 

 

We approached him and I said, "Look, I'm going to tell you what just happened. We were going to let you go easy, but I had a very strong feeling that your brother loves you and is praying that you will go back to church and we can't let him down!". He looked at me half shocked and said, "I know he's praying for me".

 

Over the next couple minutes I was extremely bold with him but due to trips and school, he didn't have a time that he could meet with us for the next couple weeks. So I told him that if he promised not to ignore our calls that we would set something up later, he agreed. 

 

Well we FINALLY met with him this last week. He's agreed to take the lessons again and figure it out for himself. He's not doing it to please mom and dad anymore, rather he really wants to know for himself. 

 

He told us he promised his brother to wave at missionaries if he ever saw them. He sees the missionaries on USF campus almost every day, but has been too scared to wave, so when he saw us, he felt like he HAD to. And then he was completely taken aback when we chased him down. But he said, "Ever since you came after me, I've started reading and praying again". The lesson ended with him saying, "You have no idea how happy my mom would be if she knew I was meeting with you right now". 

 

I can't even begin to explain what an incredible experience it is to be on this end of helping answer others prayers. The Lord truly leads us to those that need our help.

 

Love you all!

Sister Mal

how close can you get to a gator??

happy november... we made a sandman!

exchange with Sister Foderaro last night... the woman's bathroom was locked, so one of us stood guard and we quickly used the mens. cheers to mission life.

week 40

A couple weeks ago, the sisters that we were living with decided to hand out 14 copies of the Book of Mormon one day, just because. When they got home they told us about how incredible of a day they had and all of the sudden Sister Harper and I got all these ideas... 

 

Would if we handed out 22 copies for my 22nd Birthday? Would if I wrote my testimony in each one of them? Oh and why not also mark 22 of my favorite scriptures in each one? 

 

Over the last couple weeks I have written my testimony in 22 copies of the Book of Mormon. They were each addressed to someone different: a mother, a father, a child of God, a stranger, a friend, etc. And they had at least one of my favorite scriptures marked in every one. 

 

So on Friday, we ran around like crazies and successfully left 22 keys to heaven all over town. 22 random people that I have never met before received the Book of Mormon, and let me tell you- it was the most incredible birthday ever.

 

The lady at the gas station, Joseph (the grilled cheese eating man), the pre-teen washing the truck, Luis and Loran who spoke in tongues after we gave it to them, Noah's grandma (a little boy we met outside his house), the Amaya family (who we will be going back to teach this week), an awkward tween, a young girl who had tye-die socks, a larger black woman who loves Jesus, another Jesus loving woman that had over sized sunglasses on, our waiter at dinner, Christian (the pro soccer player), a French woman at the French bakery, a lady who told us "I will probably need this later tonight!", James (a man with headphones in that looked very sad), a man who was waiting for his wife and told us he had read it before and would try it again, two spanish men who were in a fiery conversation when I interupted, a man speaking insanely fast in an un-known tongue on the phone, a worker at the sunglass store in the mall (it's a good place to hit a lot of people), a couple that was speed-walking past, and then we ran into our Bishop... who pointed to a man, who received the 22nd copy of the Book of Mormon, at 8:56... we still made it home by 9. 

 

I really can't even begin to explain the miracles that we saw come of it. It was the most amazing thing. About half of them noticed the note in the front of the book and the other half gratefully accepted it. On a day that is so normally focused on you- we did our best to focus it on the Lord and it was AMAZING.

 

This work is good, even on hard days, it's wonderful to be apart of. 

 

Love you!

Sister Mal

Birthday package 

week 39

sister harper has been so stinking sick all week, and it's provided for an interesting week. we were in all day thursdayand then have been doing half days since then. she's doing much better now, all is well in zion!

 

on a happy note! we attended an incredible young women's lesson yesterday with our investigator, Ashley. In the middle of the lesson, the teacher completely paused the lesson and said, "Do you feel this right now? Everyone, just stop for a minute. Do you feel the spirit that is in the room right now? That goodness that you are feeling is the spirit. You know you're doing what's right when you feel this way". 

 

as missionaries, we were pumped that she took the time to point out the spirit, not only to our investigator, but also to all the other girls in the room.

 

right after church we had a lesson with Ashley and addressed some of her concerns. we've been trying to get her to set a date for baptism and she's told us multiple times that she wants to keep praying about it. so yesterday, we told her that we were all going to pray about it together.

 

we were in a random little sunbeam classroom and the three of us knelt down on our knees and she asked the Lord if He wanted her to be baptized on November 21st. That same feeling, that was in the lesson earlier, filled the room. After the prayer we asked her how she felt and she said, "I feel the same way that I did in that young women's lesson. I feel that goodness".

 

sister harper and i both had to restrain ourselves from screaming, "THAT'S THE SPIRIT!!!!!" to her.... but we got the message across. and she agreed to November 21st. she's 15 and honestly seeking God's plan for her. she's a sweetheart and we love her dearly. pray for her?

 

love ya!
sister mal

 

p.s. it's november 2nd and there are people sunbathing at our apartment pool RIGHT now... WHAT IS THIS?!

melissa... she pulled clothes out of the dress up box and created her own witch costume

Trunk or treat with the youth! me, sis harper, marcus (the clown), alec, sophia, victor, connor and ashley (one of the girls we are teaching). everyone in this picture but the missionaries and ashley are cousins.

more trunk or treat. maddie and marissa (we just started teaching her and her family).

week 38

Happy Halloween! this is at one of our favorite member's house last night. they had all their halloween costumes out when we went to do a book of mormon read with their son... and we couldn't resist getting a picture.

I think I might have said something about Book of Mormon reads with the youth before... but here's a little story for you. We've been given permission to start teaching the Book of Mormon how to really READ the Book of Mormon in 10 minutes. We sit down with them, set a timer for 10 minutes, address a concern or question they currently have and start reading for the Book of Mormon. Every single time, they get answers and they are always amazed. We then committ them to reading the Book of Mormon like this every day for the rest of the week, and then they get hooked to the fact that the Book of Mormon is almost like their own personal magic 8 ball and their testimonies start. We love it.

 

So last night we went to do just that with a young man in the ward. He's 17 and planning to go on a mission next year because he's always wanted to serve. As we thought about his lesson throughout the day, my companion and I decided we wanted to take a different spin on it. 

 

We started talking with him and he immediately pulled out his phone and started texting, so I pulled the phone.

 

Suddenly he realized we meant business and I think we kind of freaked him out.

 

We talked about the next year and how close his mission really is and we asked him about the Book of Mormon and he said, "Yeah, I have no idea if it's true. I just tell people it's a good book, but do I have to read it before I go on a mission?" 

 

We dug deeper. And then he said, "How do you even gain a testimony? Like how can I know if the Book of Mormon is really true?" At this point, we couldn't resist smiles. 

 

We opened to the introduction of the Book of Mormon and read one sentence with him, " We invite all men everywhere to read the Book of Mormon, to ponder in their hearts the message it contains, and then to ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ if the book is true". We called a timeout.

 

He looked up at us and said, "WOAH! I HAD NO IDEA THIS WAS EVEN IN HERE!! WHAT THE HECK?! Man, where have I been?" 

 

So then we asked, "What do you need to do?"

 

His response, "Read and ask God if it's true".

 

Folks, that's what he will be doing from now until he leaves on his mission. We got him to agree to reading for just five minutes every single day and asking God every time he reads, if it's true. We set an alarm on his phone to remind him so he won't forget. As we kept talking he said, "You won't be here until I leave, you'll have no idea if I actually do it!" I told him that he better believe he will be receiving a call from me on his 18th birthday... which is next August, asking him to bear testimony of the Book of Mormon to me. He laughed and said, "Deal".

 

Children really are the largest group of investigators we have and they are off to change others lives, are they prepared?

 

Love you all!

Sister Mal

week 37

sooo we had a surprise MLC this week... and Elder Soares showed up! It was very short, but the spirit was so strong in that meeting and you could feel just how much that man loves the Lord.

 

He talked to us a lot about how our job as missionaries is to invite EVERYONE to come closer to Christ. Or in other words, no one is exempt from our invitations. At the very end of the meeting he shared the story from the end of Luke 7, of the woman who washed Christ's feet. Go re-read it if you have no idea what I'm talking about :)

 

He focused on one line, "Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much". v.47

 

And then he said, "The Lord will consider every action you do in love for other people at the judgement day". Truly, love is the greatest thing we can offer to others in this life. For the last couple months, I have found myself really trying to better understand how to show my love for others: whether they be people I meet at the door, or the sign flipper lady on the corner, or other missionaries I serve with, or members of the ward, or the less-active family that we just want to come back to church.

 

The only thing that I have found to work for me is to pause for a moment and ask the Lord to help me see just a glimpse of who they are, through His eyes. I have found myself embarassed time and time again at my first judgement of them. I have found myself asking the Lord for forgiveness because I forgot that everyone around me is a child of God. 

 

Everyone. 

 

That mean guy that flipped you off in traffic yesterday, the kid in school that gave you a mean glare. The ward member that said something that offended you. No matter who it is, or what they have done, they too are a child of God. And if you really understand just how much God loves you, then it really opens your mind to think He loves these other people just as much as He loves you. So why don't you love them too? 

 

My goal? To act in love, motivated by my testimony of God's love for me. Elder Soares promisd us that if we did so, that we would be able to overcome the natural man within each of us. Try it with me :)

 

Love you!
Sister Mal

sister de jesus is fascinated with halloween- so us americans tried to give her a true halloween. it was our last pday all together so we carved a pumpkin. we attempted to convince her that its tradition to lick the stem... it didn't work. we got a good laugh though

this little friend jumped into our house last night. we kept him long enough to take a picture and then let him be free. it's taken 9 months for a frog to come into my apartment... THAT my friends is an accomplishment.

week 36

we work in the jungle. this path is literally in the MIDDLE of a neighborhood.

"When you leave a Book of Mormon is a home, you leave a key to heaven" (one of our zone leaders in district meeting this last week said that)

 

We have been working so had on leaving keys to heaven all over the place and let me tell you, the Book of Mormon is truly a key to heaven. 

 

We tracted into a woman named Tina and she invited us in. We prayed with her and talked a lot about the spirit. She told us all about the Pope and invited us back to share more of our message. 

 

So we returned and she soaked everything up. At the end of that lesson shes said, "My grandson NEEDS to hear about this! Come back and he'll be here!" 

 

So we returned and Trey was there. We read from the Book of Mormon with them and they both soaked it ALL up. At the end of that lesson Trey said, "My mom NEEDS to hear about this! Come back and she'll be here!" 

 

So we returned and Tracy was there. We read from the Book of Mormon and taught them all about the Plan of Salavation and all three of them soaked it ALL up. At the end of that lesson Tracy said, "My brother NEEDS to hear about this! Come back and he'll be here! Also, can you leave another one of those books, because he needs to start reading it this week!"

 

We are seeing all of them this week. And Tina and Trey have baptismal dates set.

 

After we taught them yesterday, we got a call as we were headed home last night from Tina, the grandma and she said, "Sisters, I just want you to know how grateful we are for you. We can't stop talking about everything you've shared with us and we all read the Book of Mormon together this evening. You've brought so much love into our family through this book, I can't even thank you enough". 

 

We didn't bring the love, the spirit did. It's through the Book of Mormon that this entire family is finding greater peace and happiness. When we read Moroni 10:3-5 with Tracy she was ASTOUNDED that we were encouraged to ask God if the book was true. Having gone to catholic schools all growing up, she had been taught to never question anything and she couldn't believe she could actually ask God for herself. Who knew I've taken that for granted my whole life?!

 

The Book of Mormon is true. It's as simple as that. You don't have to read all of it to know it, the spirit can testify to you in one verse. Pay attention to how you feel and the spirit will make it known to you as you ask God.

 

Love you!

Sister Mal

week 35

I'm a little sad that conference is over and that we have to wait another 6 months.... but this weekend was amazing. It's incredible to me that the Lord truly answers our prayers and questions when we seek His guidance. The church is true!

so Mad pointed something significant to me today. On October 9th she will have been home from her mission for two years. Well one year ago on October 9th, I received my mission call.

One year ago I had no idea what in the world I had gotten myself into and I had no idea how amazing a mission really would be. I often think about the fact that I thought so long and hard about a mission and yet I got here and really had no idea what it was going to be like. Surprises came left and right and up and down. I remember telling Bishop Williams and President Oyler that I was done waiting and that I just wanted to submit the papers even though I wasn't sure if it's what I wanted to do. Now I look back and I just want to yell at myself a year ago and say, "DO IT DO IT DO IT! You will never regret it. I don't care how scared you are now, just trust the Lord and do it!" 

I was looking back at my journal from the night before I got my call and it ended with this, "It's been 3 weeks since the papers went in and I would say that each day I come closer and closer to the ultimate comfort that I've been searching for, for over two years. Moral of the story- move forward with faith when the time is right. The Lord might still hold us back when we move forward because the timing isn't quite right -- wait patiently, but be on your toes, always ready to move towards Him".

The next day I opened my call and as I read, "Florida Tampa Mission" I knew that it would be a place that I would hold close to my heart for the rest of my life, and I can honestly say that it has done just that. I love this place and every experience I am having. It's hard, don't get me wrong, IT'S HARD. But I wouldn't change it for anything. 

So if anyone out there is wondering whether or not to go, take it from someone who thought about it for well over two years... Do it, it's worth it and you will never regret it. 

I love you all!

sister mal

Eating in between conferences!

Maddie and Merrick... our favorite young women. They looked back at us during young women's this week and made these precious faces at us. I love them!

shout out to auntie Tamara for providing conference treats for us
all. You're the best!!