This transfer is already half way over! That's so crazy. I feel like
Hna. Melchor just got here!
Well we had a pretty fun week! We started with exchanges, and Hna.
Melchor got to stay in the area and take over! She was pretty scared,
but she did awesome :) I left Naples! This was the first exchange I've
had where I actually had to leave the city I was serving in. The
sister training leaders live in Ft. Myers, I got to go up there, it
was fun :) We went and served with Habitat for Humanity, it was fun!
That program is awesome! I hope we can hook up with it here in Naples
somehow.
We weren't able to get a hold of Shantrell, who's suppose to be
baptized this Saturday. We think her grandma is screening our calls,
and then she didn't make it to church. Her grandma told us last time
to not stop by as a surprise ever again, and we don't want make it any
worse. So we're kinda lost as to what to do with her :'(
We started a quit smoking program with Alberto. It last 7 days and
totally cleans you out of nicotine and the desires to smoke. It's
amazing! And it totally works. It was created by a couple missionaries
serving in Scotland in the 80's, where and when my district leader's
dad was serving! If any of you know someone who wants to quit smoking,
hook them up with the missionaries. If your missionaries don't know
about it, tell them to request a copy of the program at
ldsstopsmokingprogram.org. It says it has to be taught by missionaries
or church leaders. Anyway, Alberto is amazing and hasn't smoked for a
few days now. He says he feels great, and he always calls us his
angels :)
The Lobaton family hasn't been to church now for a couple weeks! The
mom, Ana, has to work except for maybe one Sunday a month, and their
dad doesn't understand at the girls need to go to church, and they
aren't too apt to tell him what to do... But we visited them last
night, and talked more about the sacrament, and how it's an ordinance
that they need as often possible. It also doesn't help that they don't
feel welcomed in Young Women's. But! We told them we're gonna do
Personal Progress with them! I'm so excited! It's gonna be so good!
They got excited too! We told Ana she could do it with us and she just
laughed and said, I don't have a future. But maybe she'll get on board
later on :)
Speaking of ordinances, that's what we focused on yesterday. Bishop
spoke in church, and talked about us all getting to the next
ordinance, even if all we have left to do is take the sacrament every
week. I wish that all the less actives could have been there! And then
we had a ward council training for the stake. Elder Thompson, the area
70, and Pres. Cusick did the training. They also talked about those
ordinances. Elder Thompson asked one of the bishops what the home
teachers usually take around to teach, and he told him the first
presidency message from the ensign. Elder T said "well that's good.
Let's see how the missionaries plan lessons." He asked a couple, and
they explained how we use study time, the spirit, and Preach my Gospel
to plan out lessons. Each lesson is catered to what the person needs.
He told us that we have been blinded by tradition, and we are becoming
lazy. We have to be better! Another bishop made an awesome comment
about hastening the work. He said we can over analyze it so much, and
get no where, or we can simplify and personalize it. He said, "simply
change it from 'hasten the work' to 'hasten YOUR work'." There's so
much more that each of us can be doing, even me a a full time
missionary. Focusing on getting people to the next ordinance will help
us focus on what they need, whether is baptism for a non-member, the
sacrament for an inactive, or the temple for a recent convert. It
really is that simple! I love it!
Oh man, i just love this work. I really can't think of anything else I
should be doing with my life right now. I can't imagine my future
without the things I've learned out here.
Los quiero muchísimo! Cuídense mucho, y que los vayan bien :)
Hermana Despain
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