ONE DAY MORE IS ONE DAY LESS

I guess some people read my shout out for more friend updates... MY FAMILY.

But I love hearing from you all thank you for the inspiring motivational emails. This week was lots better.. I´m experiencing lots of anxiety. If you remember the 5.5 months before I left to come on this crazy ride, I was a mess. I didn´t want to leave and I was scared to death. The same thing is happening to me. I´m a mess. I miss home but I´m scared to death and I don´t know if I can leave. But prayer works and the Lord is helping me everyday.

My companion helped me through my anxiety attack... so we are better friends now. She´s still selfish. Which was causing me to be a little more selfish but I learned this week that my behavior shouldn´t depend on the behavior of others... So I am just going to try teaching her by example. And it´s working. She washed my dishes today. AND she didn´t take all of her laundry to Hermana Vega. Selflessness. :)

I almost went to Brazil today. LIES. It´´s out of the boundaries so we can´t go. But I did get pretty close. :) Lourdes took us to el centro. Holy it´s how I picture New York. Only instead of hearing Chinese and Spanish.. It´s Portugese and Guarani.

I couldn´t find any helium this week. So I didn´t send any balloons to heaven. BUT I did find our favorite Mark scripture randomly. I had forgotten where it was.

¨Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright; for the end of that man is peace.¨ psalm 37:37.

I hope that you all had a stupendous week.

The ward is struggling. They are SUPER LAZY. But we worked our bums off getting people to church yesterday and we saw success!!

We had 6 investigators come to church and a million menos activos. Basically we woke up early and begged Andres to take us around to pick everyone up in his big van. And it worked!! Ward converence was a success and everyone felt the spirit. Our ward missionaries are stepping up to the plate and teaching principios so that we can run around and look for everyone. Will came and he loved it!! He is the greatest little 15 year old ever. He has so many questions about life and he loves His Heavenly Father.

I love his little sister Rita. She says the best prayers.

Richard comes on his own now. There has been a complete change with him. 

We have lots of fun plans to get people to do their visiting teaching. I never understood how important that was before. MOM don´t hide from your home teachers anymore. They are important. Even for active families.

Yesterday, the stake president talked a lot about how we must be truly converted. Honestly, I wasn´t before... But I feel like it´s coming. :) I have greater desires to be a better desciple of Christ.

Some important qualties of a true convert

1. Always desire to do good

2. Don´t rebel against the Lord or His church.

3. Share the Gospel

4. Be full of Love

Some scripture study: 

Enos 1:26

Alma 5:46

1 COR 2:3

Mosiah 5:2

4 Nephi 1:2, 15-16

Mosiah 5:15

Mosiah 27; 25-26

Romanos 8: 6-8

May we be truly converted!! If we were all truly converted, there wouldn´t be so many members that don´t go to church!!

I love that now we are eating with a different family every day. Instead of the same ones every week. Only, I´m getting fat. REALLY FAT. So long six months to sexy.

I know that the Lord hears our prayers. He has sent me lots of little reminders this week that He is very aware of me and of every little struggle that I am passing through.

Meet Aida. Mother of 6. Member of 15 years. Recently lost her daughter in a freak accident. Basically her doctors killed her.

We´ve been visiting Hermana Aida for a while now. Her husband is SUPER anti anything. He is mad a God. They all are.. for taking their daughter. Her name was Milagros.

And Miracles are what we have seen with Aida. 

When I first met her, she was SUPER iffy about receiving us. Like she didn´t want anything to do with us because her husband had kicked the missionaries out before. But she let us in and she told us her story. She keeps going because she has to for her family. They go visit Milagros every Saturday. And even though, deep down inside, Aida knows that she will see her daughter again, she can´t help but be a little frusterated with the Lord for taking her so soon.

As we have taught her. And helped her to remember more about the Plan of Salvation, She has been striving more and more to acercarse more to Christ. She struggles praying but she knows that Heavenly Father listens.

Her earthly father lives right around the corner. It literally takes 5 seconds to walk to his house. He is Andrea´s dad too.. and we asked him if he had visited Aida lately. But sad thing, he never goes to visit Aida. Ever since her daughter passed away, basically no one visits her.

Until this week.

The highlight of my week was walking past Hermana Aida´s house and seeing her dad sitting with her chatting away. My heart melted.

In that moment, I realized that although I am not doing much here, the spirit is, through me. It is honestly so wonderful that the Lord loves me enough to have sent me here to only be a small tool in His hands in bringing His children closer to Him.

And I am so happy to be here doing it.

Hermana Rupe

Strengthening the Less Active
The Divine Call of a Missionary