Hi Family and Friends,
Wow....what a week. Seriously, this week has been a roller coaster for me and Hermana Nokes but it is very interesting the peace we feel through it all.
So lets start with the craziness of Thanksgiving.
This thanksgiving I didn't have your normal rolls, turkey, ham, and mash potatoes....Latinos do it differently...very differently. This thanksgiving I had (drumroll please!)....Cow head. Literally! No joke! I had meat of a cow head!!! and they wrapped it all up in a sandwich. Anyone who knows me, knows that I have a really weak stomach...really really weak so as soon as I found out that it was Cow head, I headed to the bathroom and hit my knees. Basically my pleading went like this...."Lord please let me be able to shove this down my throat without barfing all over their table!!" ...I am a witness to you that the Lord answers prayers... hahah!
Also, Daniel got baptized! My cute 11 year old investigator from North Sac! I was able to go to the baptism and see him enter into the covenant with his heavenly father. Though I think the best part was his testimony. He was super shy about doing it so I told him I would go up with him and his little hand grabbed mine and we walked to the front. He bore the simplest but purest testimony. One of a child who had complete faith in his Heavenly Father...yep. I totally cried.
Okay last thing before I run out of time. After our monday dinner...we got a call from one of our less active member, whom we were teaching lessons to her kids because they are recent converts, and she was telling us that she needed to come to the hospital immediately. Turns out that her second oldest daughter was crossing the road when a car came by and hit her She ended up being rushed to the hospital and on the way, she died in the ambulance. So this women called us begging us to come to the hospital to be with her. She really needed support and we were the only ones close enough to the hospital at the time so we went. When we got there we were asked to come and say a prayer over her body. I have never seen a dead person before so quite honestly I was terrified. I wasn't sure if I would be able to hold in all my emotions in front of this family so we quickly said a prayer and then we were led to the room. Interestingly enough it wasn't as scary as what I originally thought it would be...it was actually kind of peaceful. She was just lying there with her eyes closed as if she was sleeping. Honestly if I didn't know better I would of thought she was really just sleeping but then again there was an emptiness about her. It was the strangest experience but at the same time the most beautiful.
I am seriously so grateful for the knowledge of the plan of salvations and the fact that we can have our families forever. What comfort it is to know that death is not the end but the beginning of exhalation! Just another step to our eternal progression. We went by their house last night and through her tears, this sister asked us "Will I ever have my daughter again?" I felt the power of the spirit as we quietly testified to her that she would indeed have her daughter again.
I am truly truly grateful for the gospel. It gives me so much hope. I have hope.
I love you all,
Hermana Paredes
Monday, November 28, 2016
Monday, November 21, 2016
Even in the rain and cold
Dear family and friends,
Soooo we got hit by a cold front this week...along with tons of rain...and we got to bike in it....oh yeeeahhhh. 😎 haha! It was actually pretty fun even though we were soaked from head to toe. We got to get a few good contacts in and then arrive to our Ward party rocking our soaked dresses...we looked so good! Haha!
So our ward had a thanksgiving dinner and wow...so much good food! So much! And the members here are so determined that we eat well here so don't worry. I never starve.
I seriously love the members in this ward! They are all so funny and just very very very involved in our missionary work. This week alone we got three referrals! Three! That is more then I usually get in a transfer! They all seriously rock my socks! 🙃 they also like to come out with us on lessons which is super nice and they always ask how our investigators are doing! Makes me so happy!
We did tons of service the other day and we have this special opportunity to work with some refugees! Super super cool experience and you can feel the spirit so strong there. I think it is because the sincere desire that everyone one has to help them. The love of God just blooms there.
Funny thing I found out this week. The more you focus on other people...the more you can feel god's love for yourself. Kind of cool that way right? 😊
Well I am now out of time but I will send some pictures to make up the lack of my email.
Love you all!
Hermana Paredes
Monday, November 14, 2016
Rely on Grace
Okay this is going to have to be a really fast email but a summery of this week is that I had to rely a lot on the Savior's grace to make up everything I lacked.
Basically I got called to be a new leader like a week ago, then I went to a training with the other leaders and the mission president, and then I was expected to turn around and train the other missionaries. I already get stage fright so I was terrified out of my mind!! I seriously in the planning session for the zone training and I realized I had no idea what I was doing! And then the time came around to fast and I just about froze up and died when it was my turn to speak. I kept giving my companion silent SOS signs with my eyes and she got the hint and jumped in and helped. I kept feeling so inadequate and so helpless because I seriously had no idea how to train a bunch of missionaries let alone be a leader. My heart and mind were just being overwhelmed by this feeling of desperation and sinking when all of the sudden a peace fell over me and a thought came to my head, "You may not have this but I do, trust me." And all the fear left. It came around again for my turn to speak and I found that my mouth was filled. My heart was so full it felt like it was going to burst. I love the power of the atonement and how it makes up for everything that I lacked. It was kind of amazing that the spirit wasn't pulling random words and putting it in my mouth to say but rather he was pulling from different experiences I had had and ideas. He was basically enhancing me. I found that to be such a tender mercy. The lord is really aware of us and our needs and in his infinite mercy, he reaches out his hand and guides us along.
Everything that has happened this week has really taught me a lesson is one way or another. For example, we were knocking doors and we accidentally knocked the door of another religions missionaries...or maybe it wasn't an accident. For missionaries, these type of missionaries can be really tough because they know their bible inside and out (something I really admire about them) but they also like to use it a lot to bible bash. Most missionaries usually walk away discouraged but I am grateful for every encounter we have with these missionaries because every time they strengthen my testimony. This particular encounter, she was trying to argue with us about the perfect government and she pulled out Daniel 2:44 which talks about god will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed. I nearly laughed out loud because we know through modern day revelation that that scripture is about the true church of Christ! The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints! I just love that the scripture that she was trying to use to prove us wrong, was actually proving us right. It prophesied of a church that would be built up and that would never be destroyed and that it would go out to all the world...well it was kind of standing in front of her. Living proof of that prophesy! We are missionaries for that church that is God's Kingdom on earth that will never be destroyed, and we are spreading it to all of the world. So she was basically trying to destroy the church that God himself had said that would never be destroyed. Kind of ironic right? Man I love modern day revelation and even though we did not even get a word in, I am so grateful for that experience. I had been looking for an experience that would help me build my faith and that did just the trick.
We also had many lessons this week were the spirit was really working with us. There was was one lesson in particular that really built my faith. It was with this lady named Juana and she is someone who had not been keeping her appointments or her commitments. We were kind of at this point that we felt like it would be better to just release her so we went into this lesson with that mentality. Kind of funny how this lesson went from being a release lesson to a spirit filled lesson about the Holy Ghost. Somehow we got talking about the spiritual experiences that she and her husband had had in their lives. For example, her first communion...she had felt something warm fill her, and for him, every time he prays he says that he feels an overwhelming peace. We were able to witness to them that this was the Holy Spirit that witness of truth and that if they truly searched out this message, they would feel his influence again in their lives. So we recommited them to read the Book of Mormon and then to ask Heavenly Father if this message was true. They said they would so I really hope that they do.
I am so grateful for this church and for living day prophets. I am so grateful for the Book of Mormon and the convincing power it contains! There is seriously nothing more beautiful then this gospel! This is truly the true church of god and it is our right and our privilege to make it know to the world.
I love you all,
Hermana Paredes
P.S. We biked 18 miles this past Saturday...I am so saddle sore!!
Basically I got called to be a new leader like a week ago, then I went to a training with the other leaders and the mission president, and then I was expected to turn around and train the other missionaries. I already get stage fright so I was terrified out of my mind!! I seriously in the planning session for the zone training and I realized I had no idea what I was doing! And then the time came around to fast and I just about froze up and died when it was my turn to speak. I kept giving my companion silent SOS signs with my eyes and she got the hint and jumped in and helped. I kept feeling so inadequate and so helpless because I seriously had no idea how to train a bunch of missionaries let alone be a leader. My heart and mind were just being overwhelmed by this feeling of desperation and sinking when all of the sudden a peace fell over me and a thought came to my head, "You may not have this but I do, trust me." And all the fear left. It came around again for my turn to speak and I found that my mouth was filled. My heart was so full it felt like it was going to burst. I love the power of the atonement and how it makes up for everything that I lacked. It was kind of amazing that the spirit wasn't pulling random words and putting it in my mouth to say but rather he was pulling from different experiences I had had and ideas. He was basically enhancing me. I found that to be such a tender mercy. The lord is really aware of us and our needs and in his infinite mercy, he reaches out his hand and guides us along.
Everything that has happened this week has really taught me a lesson is one way or another. For example, we were knocking doors and we accidentally knocked the door of another religions missionaries...or maybe it wasn't an accident. For missionaries, these type of missionaries can be really tough because they know their bible inside and out (something I really admire about them) but they also like to use it a lot to bible bash. Most missionaries usually walk away discouraged but I am grateful for every encounter we have with these missionaries because every time they strengthen my testimony. This particular encounter, she was trying to argue with us about the perfect government and she pulled out Daniel 2:44 which talks about god will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed. I nearly laughed out loud because we know through modern day revelation that that scripture is about the true church of Christ! The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints! I just love that the scripture that she was trying to use to prove us wrong, was actually proving us right. It prophesied of a church that would be built up and that would never be destroyed and that it would go out to all the world...well it was kind of standing in front of her. Living proof of that prophesy! We are missionaries for that church that is God's Kingdom on earth that will never be destroyed, and we are spreading it to all of the world. So she was basically trying to destroy the church that God himself had said that would never be destroyed. Kind of ironic right? Man I love modern day revelation and even though we did not even get a word in, I am so grateful for that experience. I had been looking for an experience that would help me build my faith and that did just the trick.
We also had many lessons this week were the spirit was really working with us. There was was one lesson in particular that really built my faith. It was with this lady named Juana and she is someone who had not been keeping her appointments or her commitments. We were kind of at this point that we felt like it would be better to just release her so we went into this lesson with that mentality. Kind of funny how this lesson went from being a release lesson to a spirit filled lesson about the Holy Ghost. Somehow we got talking about the spiritual experiences that she and her husband had had in their lives. For example, her first communion...she had felt something warm fill her, and for him, every time he prays he says that he feels an overwhelming peace. We were able to witness to them that this was the Holy Spirit that witness of truth and that if they truly searched out this message, they would feel his influence again in their lives. So we recommited them to read the Book of Mormon and then to ask Heavenly Father if this message was true. They said they would so I really hope that they do.
I am so grateful for this church and for living day prophets. I am so grateful for the Book of Mormon and the convincing power it contains! There is seriously nothing more beautiful then this gospel! This is truly the true church of god and it is our right and our privilege to make it know to the world.
I love you all,
Hermana Paredes
P.S. We biked 18 miles this past Saturday...I am so saddle sore!!
Tuesday, November 8, 2016
First sister AP?! (clickbait)
Hola amigos y familia,
So.....I received a call this this past Tuesday....and I have been called to be the first sister Assistant to the President...JK! I've been called to be a Sister training leader.... Still in shock and it is a week later. I still have no idea what I am doing but I am sure that I will get the hang of it soon! Haha!
On top of that I have also been transferred. This week was kind of on the sad end. I had to say a lot of goodbyes to people I had grown to love so much, especially my recent converts. The both of them are amazing. Juan is just plowing through the Book of Mormon and is growing in his faith in Jesus Christ. Lorenzo is blooming under the influence of the gospel and he is one of our most active members. Also this past Sunday he got up and bore his testimony during sacrament meeting....I totally bawled like a baby. I was crying so much that the little girl sitting in front of me turned around, took one look at my face, and said very loudly, "Mom, she is crying!" Haha! She is so cute! She got me a tissue and all. Sweet girl.
I'm going to miss North Sac so much. This was probably one of the hardest areas to leave because it was the one that I've stayed the longest in and it has all of my recent converts but I have perfect confidence that Hermana Zaugg and Hermana Scott will take good care of them and the area. Plus I will be back for Daniel's baptism! Whoop! Whoop! They stayed together and now I am in East Sac with Hermana Nokes. She is a doll! I love her! She just makes everyone laugh when she is laughing...and trust me she laughs a lot.
I'm definitely going to miss my sweet companions. We all got along so well and I grew so much with them. Probably the most of laughed ever! But it will be alright. I'm excited to start this new adventure. Hopefully I will have more to tell you all next week!
Love you all!
❤️ Hermana Paredes
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