Doing the Work - February 11, 2017

Hey Everyone! Well this week was an excellent week once again. We were able to participate in our own zone conference in Monte Alban and able to learn for ourselves. But the other part that has been crazy about this week is the splits that we have been doing with everyone. Elder Caballero and I were talking this week about what we need to do to continue to help the mission. I love Elder Caballero because we hardly ever talk about anything other than missionary work, and it has helped us to recieve guidance more fully in these past few weeks. While we were talking we really felt like we were here another change because there was something unfinished we needed to be doing or teaching the missionaries. We decided to analize who the missionaries were that we felt needed a boost more than anything in their areas and to be able to go help them so that they were able to more fully learn and grow as missionaries. So we put a rigorous schedule for the next few weeks to do splits nearly every day. There will only be 3 days that I will be able to work with Elder Caballero because he or I will be in a different area according to the needs that those missionaries have. This week we started that after the zone conference and it was hard. I realized that 5 changes in Casa Blanca has me feeling like I am at home and it was hard to have to be going to a different area each day. In each area there were very few investigators to teach so we knocked and knocked on doors trying to find people. The Lord really blessed our efforts in all that we did. We were able to find several new investigators in each area and I think I was able to learn a lot more than I was able to teach. So here is a resume of the week that we had. On Tuesday we were able to go and do splits with Elder Mares from Guatemala and Elder Jimenez from Mexico. I was with Elder Mares in his own area and he pushed me so hard. He has only been here in the mission for 8 weeks and I have never seen a new missionary work so hard. At the end of the night we were both exhausted yet he was so willing to still serve everyone that he could. It was an amazing example of humility in the service of the Lord and he helped me to learn that it was something that I needed to apply. We didnt teach the most lessons but we were sure at the end that we gave it our all and that there was a potential there in that area. On Wednesday we had our Zone Conference, I know that I talked about it last week so I wont spend a lot of time with that, but afterwards I had the chance to go to Casa Blanca with Elder Sosa. We havent been in our area for so long that I found ourselves in the same situation. Very few investigators to teach. So we began looking and the Lord literally prepared people for us to teach. We would literally be walking in the street and people would come out and tell us to come in and teach them a lesson. It was a really neat experience to have. At the end of the night we were able to go visit Maria and her family. It is hard because they are progressing so good yet her landlord wont let us come in. She has to sneak us in sometimes or we need to ask for permission to get in. So Maria is trying to find a different house where we can keep teaching her. But her testimony is growing so strong along with her family and I love seeing the progress that they are making. On Thursday and Friday we did splits with Elder Orrock from Highland and Elder Seanez from Ciudad Juarez. The same thing happened, we ended up contacting for the whole time in their area and it was a huge test of patience and love for the people there. But Elder Orrock helped me to learn that lesson and in the end I feel as if I am coming and trying to be more like our Savior. It is something that we have been stressing here in the mission. To apply the gospel to our lives rather than just teaching it, trying to be like Christ rather than just explaining it. I feel like all of our studies have been focused on being able more than anything to take the Sacrament each week and make it the priority of our week. It is the way that we recieve the Holy Ghost, who can strengthen us and help us to recieve our Heavenly Fathers love. I know that it is something that we all need, and when we make the sacrament the priority of our week then we realize that the Holy Ghost is also working constantly for us to recieve these blessings. This is what our mission is focusing on and I have felt the Holy Ghost in my life and in my testimony. He has strengthened me in this hard schedule, and helped me to go on when I have been emotionally, physically, and spiritually exhausted. I know that comes from the Sacrament and I invite all of you to make each day a preparation for the sacrament this week. It will bless you. I know this work is true and I am more than grateful to be here. These are pictures of our adventure to Tiotitlan, a place that makes handmade rugs and fabrics. Here is what we found!!