Week 3 in Florida

I'm not sure how much longer I'll actually be a trainee, we've been going through the training program pretty quick, we just started doing stuff for week 5! But that does NOT mean that I'm ready to take charge or anything. I still don't understand half the people when they're speaking Spanish! Hna. Russell is gonna have us only speak Spanish for the week, so I think that'll help a lot. I'm excited!

We have 7 progressing investigators right now, and we have plans to give them all a baptism date this week! We've asked them all to be baptized, and they all said they will think about it, and that they need to learn more. Which is perfect. There's a brother & sister, an older couple, and a family that we want to be able to be baptized next month! I'm really excited to ask them all, and to keep teaching them all, and for them all to be baptized, and then go to the temple, and live happily ever after!!!! We realized when we were planning all this, that if we aren't exactly obedient, something could go wrong, and someone might now accept the date to be baptized, or might stop progressing, or something else. It's so important to be obedient!

Obedience brings blessing, but EXACT obedience brings miracles. It works in your lives too! I promise! It's such a great responsibility to know that if we mess up, it's not just our lives that are affected. In all honestly, my choices right now can affect generations, for my family, and for others'. So I'm trying my best to be a little better everyday.

For the family that is progressing, we taught them about the Restoration of the Gospel. Hna. Russell shared the First Vision, and after I asked them how they all felt. It was the mom, her brother who lives with them, and her 11-year-old daughter. The uncle said "I think it's true....No. I know it's true." And then the daughter said "Yeah, you just know it's true because of the way you feel." And then the mom said "You said that with so much power that it was as if you were there!" AHHHH!!!!!! That was so awesome!!!! Usually people are just like "oh, wow. That sounds incredible." Or " I guess that could be true." They are going to be baptized for sure! I don't know when, but someday! I've already seen the blessings in their lives from reading the Book of Mormon, and taking the lessons. I love it!

This weekend was Stake Conference. It was such a great missionary opportunity, because there are 2 meetings that people can go to. We have a less-active couple that joined the church in Mexico, but when they moved here (20 years ago) they stopped going. They haven't been back to church because the wife works Sundays, and the husband doesn't care too much. But we told them about the Saturday meeting, and then they came!!!!!!!!!!!!! We talked to them after, and the husband said he had some questions for us! We stopped by Sunday night, and they weren't home, so we still don't know what the questions are. But we'll find out soon! They looked so happy to be back! I think that helping a less-active is just the same as a convert. Less-actives, a lot of the time, may not have had a real testimony of the Gospel to begin with, or it was weak. When you can help them come back, it brings back the testimony they had, and then some! 

The mission is starting a new thing called "To the Rescue". Our focus for the rest of the year is to get less-actives to come back. I don't know about all of you, but I know that Hood River ward had a lot of less-actives, that most people don't even know about! If you could ask the missionaries in your wards who are the less actives, and then go out with the missionaries to meet them, I know there would be a huge difference. They are just as lost, if not more, than the people who have never heard about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and they deserve our love and attention too. I'm really excited to get started with this, I think it'll really help my ward here.

Well, I think that might be about it. No puedo pensar que mas. Esta obra es muy importante. La conferencia de estaca tenia muchas cosas sobre la obra de misional. Por favor, ora para tener oportunidades para ser misioneros. Se que bendiciran sus vidas. Nuestro proposito como misioneros es para invitar. Es muy sensillo. Habla sobre sus vidas en la iglesia. Invita personas a las actividades en la iglesia. Pero lo que mas importante, tiene la luz de Cristo en sus ojos. Las demas pueden ver las. 

If you didn't get all that, or if my Spanish is not correct (which is very likely), I'll just sum up: Our purpose as missionaries is to invite. That's pretty easy. Of course out in the real world, there are worries about losing friends or being judged. But if you can just ask people if they want to know more, if they would come to a ward activity, or something, they can say no, and nothing about your relationship has to change. If you can keep the Light of Christ in your eyes, other will see it. Every member a missionary is a real thing, don't ever forget that. We all have the responsibility to share the truths, love, and happiness that we enjoy every day. Some day, after this life, do you want someone to come up to you and ask "why did you never tell me about all this?" I sure don't want that. I know that it's scary, but I also know that your confidence is only as strong as your faith in Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father. Hna. Russell always tells me, He's not going to let you say or do something that's going to ruin their salvation. And that's true. He loves when we help Him in His work, and He will be there will us 100% of the time. Have faith, and sige adalante (continue forward).

Les quiero muchisimo! Thank you for your prayers and emails!

Hermana Despain

P.S. I don't have anyone's address, because I told everyone to write to me first. So if you want me to write to you, you have to write me! Also, if you do it soon I won't have a million letters to write, and there is a good chance I will be able to write you back the same week I get your letter!

This is us with our Sister Training Leaders, Sis. Davis and Sis. Kenagy. They are so awesome!!! I love them a lot.