All you need is a Mustard Seed: What Am I Grateful For?

Hermana Davis and I had an amazing week. We always have good weeks as missionaries! It's the best calling in the world! I love my mission.

So many adventures this week ... where do I begin? Well, first, Monday was awesome. We have this less-active we've been trying to visit and her parents aren't members. It's been really hard to see her, but the crazy thing is that as soon as we invite a member, the Lord allows it to happen! We invited Hermana Dávila from our ward and Itzel, who's the same age as our less-active and they were home! We all sat down around the Christmas tree and we shared a message about Christmas. It was really spiritual. TURNS OUT that Itzel, the member we brought was EFY companions with our less-active! So they knew each other! Inspiration. It was so nice. I felt the Spirit so strongly in their home, by the tree, feeling the Spirit of Christmas. I love this time of year and I love these people! Gaby really felt the need to come back to church and she said she's going to put forth the effort to start coming! Her mom even said that she's going to come, too! WOW! The Lord really guided us on that one!

On Wednesday we had some extra time so we went around an apartment complex before our next appointment and we were sharing the Christmas cards from the church with everyone! We shared one with this guy named Cristian. He's 18 and he was awesome! He believes in God. We didn't feel like he had too much knowledge about Him. We asked if we could share a message with him and he said yes, so we got to talking about the Gospel and how the Savior loves us and was born this time of year so that we can be free. He liked the message and said we could come back! He's from Honduras! So we planned to see him Saturday night, but he ended up canceling. We called him anyways and invited him to church on Sunday and he said sure! HE CAME! Our ward mission leader picked him up and brought him and he loved church! He knows who his teachers in his classes are and he kept asking so many questions about the Book of Mormon! It was really cool. He's never been baptized, but said that he would like to! So we're working with him now to get him on that path! It was an awesome miracle! We also taught a family of 6 after seeing him! Her name is Rosie and we taught her and her kids the Restoration! She was super intrigued! We went back to see her on Saturday and she had been reading! She said that the Book of Mormon was really interesting to her! So cool. Huge miracles!!

On Thursday we had a visit from Elder Donaldson and Elder Hill from the missionary department. They taught us so much. It was one of my favorite meetings I have had on the mission. They came to make sure our new mission president was doing well and guiding the mission and they said he's doing a FANTASTIC job and I completely agree. President Hall said ,"They also provided some feedback that can help improve our VISION and, in turn, move our focus and energies in the right direction. Their visit and an unexpected letter I received from Elder Corbridge confirmed the revelation I had received; do our missionaries have a VISION to BAPTIZE and do they understand why this is our purpose?" I have often felt over these last many months that we want to invite others to come unto Christ, help them understand the most important thing and see them at the waters of baptism, but is this truly the desire of our hearts? It was a really good meeting that changed my vision of missionary work and I wish I had that meeting in the beginning of my mission!

Thursday night was eventful. EVERYONE CANCELED. We got a little discouraged, but made some plans and went out to execute when ... MY TIRE POPPED. I was so frustrated! I was thinking "What else could go wrong?" AHH, it was so hard. But as we were walking our bikes to Target to buy a new tire, we thought of 5 things each that we're grateful for. It changed our attitude and we kept going. As we were walking to target, there was a lady putting stuff into her car, and I thought to myself "I'm going to share a Christmas card with her, despite my popped tire because there's a lot to be grateful for." So we did, AND IT WAS THE MOST INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE OF MY MISSION! Her name is Virgina. She's a recently converted Seventh-Day Adventist, but I could tell she was interested in our message. We talked about Christ and she then opened up and said that when she was converting, she was choosing between 3 churches, the Seventh-Day Adventist, the Jehovah's Witnesses and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She said that she had gone to our church once and LOVED the spirit she felt. We shared a Book of Mormon with her and she grabbed it out of my hands so fast because she was so excited. Before we left she said "I know God put you in my path and I know there is a reason you were here." I AM SO GLAD MY TIRE POPPED! Whatever the outcome, we planted a seed and she needed the message we had to share about our Savior. It was really cool. I learned a lot about changing my attitude in a tough situation. What am I grateful for? That was my lesson this week.

Saturday was the Pulga. We got permission from President Hall to set up a booth and play the Christmas video. Our ward mission leader, Relief Society and bishopric put it all together because we wanted it to be more the members rather than the missionaries. We had a sofa and a flat screen TV where the people that wanted to watch the video could sit and have free cookies! Many gave us their information and took copies of the Book of Mormon and pamphlets. We handed out over 600 Christmas cards! It was so awesome! Definitely a success. We have about 15 members show up and all of them were proselyting with us. THIS WARD IS AWESOME, I love it soooo much! Get the members involved, increase their desire to share the Gospel and the work will progress! Great idea, lots of success.

We got a call on Sunday about this investigator who lives in our area but went to the wrong church and she wants to learn more! So awesome! Be obedient, work hard and the Lord will provide.

Did I mention I LOVE THIS WORK?

Have an amazing week!

Sister Sanchez