Happy Monday! I can barely remember what happened this week, but it definitely was a week with a lot of ups and downs. Honestly, I think God is really testing our diligence and (I hope) preparing us for miracles.
On Tuesday, we had a district meeting, and it went well. Right now I'm in a district called "Suchiapa." We talked a bit about Charity, which is a topic I love because, as it says in the scriptures, "Charity never faileth." However, the direct translation from Spanish is actually, "Charity never stops being," as in, it lasts forever. We will stop existing before charity does because it's the pure love of Christ (Moroni 7:45-48 or 1 Corinthians 13.) That's pretty cool! We visited an investigator who gave us some handmade baked tortillas (tostadas) from Teopisca (a little town in the mountains) which was amazing. They were the best tostadas I've eaten in my whole life. Plus she gave us earrings of the tree of life. So cool!
On Wednesday, Hermana Cristina went on visits with us, which was awesome. Plus, we organized a service activity for one of the older ladies in Relief Society to help clean her house. It went well! The women in the Terrazas Ward Relief Society are seriously the best. They supported us a lot this week and left with us to go on visits.
On Thursday, we had our weekly planning session and then ate lunch in a taxi, as we traveled to Real del Bosque for intercambios (exchanges). I think I've mentioned before that this area has a series of hills set on a hill and that there is actually no shade. I was dying, but it's all good! I was with Hermana Feiloaiga, and we had a lot of appointments that fall through, but it all turned out okay.
On Friday, we finished intercambios and visited around.
On Saturday, we had a rough day... it all started with us realizing that we hadn't paid the electric bill and that they were going to cut the electricity. The thing is it's a literal cut. As in you have to buy new wires or whatever after because they quite literally cut off your electricity. But, we set out and taught Morony division, who is a 10 year old recent convert, and pushed the problem to the afternoon. We ate with a member who has 2 twin daughters, and they asked us if we were also twins... haha. We then had to find a place to pay our bill. A lot of things were going wrong, and then they asked for more money than my bill stated, and the whole thing was a mess.
Afterwards, we helped a less active member hang up her clothes to dry and then tried to contact people. Literally everyone we tried to contact rejected us. Everyone! We did find a less-active member of like 20 years. I don't know how many times we've walked past him without talking to him, but we were talking with EVERYONE this night. When we came home we didn't have electricity, but it wasn't our fault. The light was out for the whole street. We were dying of heat and sitting in the dark with light from the mini dvd player and our cell phone. It eventually came back on though right before we went to sleep.
On Sunday we had another rejection filled day... we walked around contacting people for actually 4 hours, and no one wanted anything to do with us, or they lived far away. Some wanted to teach US "the truth." Ugh! We were super thirsty though, and it was Sunday, so we couldn't buy water, and so I prayed for someone to offer us water. Within, like 5 minutes we contacted someone who rejected our message but did offer us water. Small miracles are wonderful! We contacted a super less active member that we didn't know about and he gave us bread. We also went out with the Dominguez's (Ward Missionaries) and that went well. As I said, we had lots of ups and downs this week! But, it's necessary. I told Hermana Arellano that I wanted to take a nap but that I also wanted to see miracles. She asked me which one I wanted more because I could only choose one. It's true! Missionary work requires sacrifice, but it's worth it. Honestly, the lows are very low but the highs are so high! :o) Thank you all back home who support me and the other missionaries in the field. I really appreciate it!
Con amor, Hermana Dangl
On Tuesday, we had a district meeting, and it went well. Right now I'm in a district called "Suchiapa." We talked a bit about Charity, which is a topic I love because, as it says in the scriptures, "Charity never faileth." However, the direct translation from Spanish is actually, "Charity never stops being," as in, it lasts forever. We will stop existing before charity does because it's the pure love of Christ (Moroni 7:45-48 or 1 Corinthians 13.) That's pretty cool! We visited an investigator who gave us some handmade baked tortillas (tostadas) from Teopisca (a little town in the mountains) which was amazing. They were the best tostadas I've eaten in my whole life. Plus she gave us earrings of the tree of life. So cool!
On Wednesday, Hermana Cristina went on visits with us, which was awesome. Plus, we organized a service activity for one of the older ladies in Relief Society to help clean her house. It went well! The women in the Terrazas Ward Relief Society are seriously the best. They supported us a lot this week and left with us to go on visits.
On Thursday, we had our weekly planning session and then ate lunch in a taxi, as we traveled to Real del Bosque for intercambios (exchanges). I think I've mentioned before that this area has a series of hills set on a hill and that there is actually no shade. I was dying, but it's all good! I was with Hermana Feiloaiga, and we had a lot of appointments that fall through, but it all turned out okay.
On Friday, we finished intercambios and visited around.
On Saturday, we had a rough day... it all started with us realizing that we hadn't paid the electric bill and that they were going to cut the electricity. The thing is it's a literal cut. As in you have to buy new wires or whatever after because they quite literally cut off your electricity. But, we set out and taught Morony division, who is a 10 year old recent convert, and pushed the problem to the afternoon. We ate with a member who has 2 twin daughters, and they asked us if we were also twins... haha. We then had to find a place to pay our bill. A lot of things were going wrong, and then they asked for more money than my bill stated, and the whole thing was a mess.
Afterwards, we helped a less active member hang up her clothes to dry and then tried to contact people. Literally everyone we tried to contact rejected us. Everyone! We did find a less-active member of like 20 years. I don't know how many times we've walked past him without talking to him, but we were talking with EVERYONE this night. When we came home we didn't have electricity, but it wasn't our fault. The light was out for the whole street. We were dying of heat and sitting in the dark with light from the mini dvd player and our cell phone. It eventually came back on though right before we went to sleep.
On Sunday we had another rejection filled day... we walked around contacting people for actually 4 hours, and no one wanted anything to do with us, or they lived far away. Some wanted to teach US "the truth." Ugh! We were super thirsty though, and it was Sunday, so we couldn't buy water, and so I prayed for someone to offer us water. Within, like 5 minutes we contacted someone who rejected our message but did offer us water. Small miracles are wonderful! We contacted a super less active member that we didn't know about and he gave us bread. We also went out with the Dominguez's (Ward Missionaries) and that went well. As I said, we had lots of ups and downs this week! But, it's necessary. I told Hermana Arellano that I wanted to take a nap but that I also wanted to see miracles. She asked me which one I wanted more because I could only choose one. It's true! Missionary work requires sacrifice, but it's worth it. Honestly, the lows are very low but the highs are so high! :o) Thank you all back home who support me and the other missionaries in the field. I really appreciate it!
Con amor, Hermana Dangl
Handmade tostadas from Teopisca (soooooo good)
DISTRITO SUCHIAPA. They are missing one companionship of sisters that was sick. We have some serious girl power in our zone!
Hermana Arellano trying to knock some fruit down from a tree for a snack.
The Relief Society crew at the service project.
Hermana Arellano, Hermana Silvia, and Hermana Dangl
Hermana Arellano, Hermana Ruth, and Hermana Dangl
Hermana Arellano, Hermana Cristina, and Hermana Dangl
Hermana Arellano, Hermana Alicia, and Hermana Dangl. (We cleaned her house for the service project.)
Sweeping and mopping!
Service Project
In the car with Hermana Cristina when she went out with us on visits.
Tree of life earring that an investigator gave to Hermana Dangl.
We can tell by the way you face multiple defeats that the Lord can count on you! Thanks for your wonderful example!
ReplyDeleteMark & Jenifer McLaughlin