Not gonna lie, this week was super trunky...SOOOOOO trunkyyyy!!!! But mainly because we had to kill Hna.Ireland who is probably landing in SLC as we speak!!! Our goal was to have to give her all and work her hardest this week, which she did, to the point where she went home with a cold...poor thing. But it`s like Elder Holland told us when he spoke to our mission last november, we need to go home in a stretcher because we gave everything we had! I think I`ll be going home with amputated feet they hurt so bad, I pray every day and night that the Lord may bless my feet with the strength to get where we need to go. Another reason this week was trunky was because yesterday I had my last Zone Conference and so I had to bare my farewell testimony to the missionaries. I had been pondering and praying about what I should say so that my words could sink into the hearts of the missionaries still in the middle or just beginning their missions and have a lasting impression and motivate them to continue in so great a cause. It was bitter sweet having to do it, especially since I still have another transfer left so I don`t feel like I`m leaving anytime soon whatsoever!!! But The spirit spoke through me, their hearts were pricked and my testimony was the spiritual punch I wanted it to be. So enough trunky talk, now for the rest of our power week!
We visited our investigator who`s GOLDEN- Maria Pinto! She went to church this sunday and shared with us in our appt that no instead of going home and watching TV she reads the Book of Mormon. She shared with us an incredible experience of how the house she`s building in Valparaiso near the beach was left abandoned with the doors opened. She was super anxious and worried that her things would get stolen so she opened the Book of Mormon and read a verse that brought her so much peace, she said it was a burning in her bossom, something she felt only once before when a family member passed away and she prayed for them. We testified it was the Holy Ghost and asked her if she felt she received her answer- she said yes, I know the Book of Mormon is true. Music to a missionaries ears!!!
Our other investigators have been dealing with a lot of opposition...nothing new...Eli had an accident at her job and a iron rod penetrated her hand and she had to get stitches. She`s been taking very poewrful pain medications that make her loopy so she hasn`t been able to read her Book of Mormon or go to church yet, but I have faith she`ll get there!
We had a powerful lesson with Enso on the Book of Mormon. We watched Elder Holland`s testimony on the BOM and then testified ourselves of its truthfulness. He still hadn`t received his answer so we read Alma 22 where King Lamoni prayed fervently to know if the gospel was true and invited him to kneel and pray with us. The spirit invaded the room...when I opened my eyes after the "amen" he was still moving his mouth and praying in his heart, his eyes were scrunched, there was such real intent in his face. He opened his eyes, red with tears. I asked him what he felt in that moment, he said "a lot of peace and emotion...I feel the Holy Ghost" and we testified that it was his answer. But it blows my mind how after such a powerful spiritual experience satan attacks. That weekend Enso didn`t go to church. We saw him yesterday, but when I saw his face there was an obvious absence of light...an absence of the light of Christ. There was darkness in his eyes, and it was such a strange feeling, something I`d never felt or seen before in a person. He was bizarre during the appt. We went over the baptismal questions and he was being bery sarcastic and said he had doubts about Joseph Smith, didn`t want to commit to keep the law of Chastity, and said he still wasn`t sure about the Sabbath day. My jaw dropped...WHAT?! After all the immensly powerful lessons we had to resolve his doubts where he felt it was the truth he was denying it all. Then he confessed that that weekend he went to "carretear" meaning party and drink and smoke with his friends.Then I knew, I knew why there was an absence of the spirit in his countenance. Something like that had never been so evident to me before. It was a sad realization, he has the desire to change, but lacks the will so we`ll see what happens.
Today for P-day Hna.Thomas and I went to an ancient art museum that had artwork of all the indigenous tribes in Latin America which was pretty cool! It`s weird being only 2 again, but it`ll still be fun fersure! Things are going great over all and just jumping over every hurdle the Lord throws at me. This week I`ve been reflecting a lot on my change as a missionary. No doubt I`ve come a looooooong way since I first began, the spiritual mountains I`ve climbed and conquered have been great...but have I changed enough? So starting this week I decided to work on the Attributes of Christ listed in Chapter 6 of Preach my Gospel, one for every week I have left, it`s perfect! I know I am so much more like my Savior now than I ever was before, and I just want to continue to change more and more, do my all, so the Lord can make me who he wants and needs me to be.
spiritual cookie: "For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and joy." The joy and glory of a missionary are his converts -1 Thesalonians 2:19-20
xo,
Hna.Ibarra
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