First of all, I am sorry my emails have been so long! I have decided
that I will summarize my week instead of writing what happened each
day :) then it will save your time and my time :) si? Happy day!
Let me update you on Camila. We went over to her house to teach her
about fasting (even though she has done it already),tithing and to
also review the baptismal questions. Let me just tell you this, she is
awesome :) she said she will keep the law of tithing, will fast once a
month, and pay fast offerings! She's just great. And guess what? She
passed! She's so ready for the interview and we cannot wait for her
baptism! She also told us about how she has talked to her mom about
her decision. She said she was scared to tell her. According to
Camila, her mom has a strong personality..and can be stubborn. But she
said her mom was okay with it and that she will be there for her
baptism :) how wonderful is this?! Like super wonderful!
We also visited a less active named Silvia. She's from Guatemala. She
was baptized when she was a teenager. She's the only member in her
family. When she moved to the US she started to go to our branch (this
was many years ago). She liked it and would attend at least sacrament
meeting because she'd work a lot. But then she stopped going. We
randomly went to see her once and she opened up to us. She told us
some of the reasons as to why she stopped going to church. Her mom
passed away along with a couple of other family members..in the same
year. She was very close to her mom. So Sister Keele and I talked to
her about baptisms for the dead! She said that she had heard about
that and that her cousin has been wanting her to go the temple with
family member's names :). So we set up another appt with her so we
could talk to her more about that. Two weeks later, we went back. We
talked to her about temples and the importance there of. But then she
opened up to us. She told us more reasons as to why she has stopped going
to church. She shared with us something that I think was very
personal..and we are ok with that because that means she trusts us.
Long story short, unfortunately she will not make it to the temple by
June 28th :( but she did say she will start coming to church :D but
she never came :(. It's okay though, we are going to visit her this
week and do our best to help her come back to church :).
We got two new investigators this week! One of them is named Alena :).
Alena lives above Eliana. So went to visit Eliana like we had planned
to do. But they weren't home..we called her and she said she forgot
and was grocery shopping with her family. Meanwhile, Alena has letting
us come in upstairs to hang out with her while we wait :). Then she
said, "well it looks like Eliana won't make it tonight, so why don't
you guys teach me what you were going to teach her?" We were like ya! We
didn't teach her what we had prepared for the Eliana's family but
we taught her the restoration instead. She
liked it! Had a few questions (like most interested people) and Sister
Keele was on fire! (not literally) but she just kept answering them
without hesitation and Alena understood a lot :) it was a good night.
So she asked, "when can you guys come back?" Woot! woot! She wants to
keep learning! We are so excited! She's so great! Can't wait to go
visit her again :).
Elder Nelson from the quorum of the 70s came to the mission and gave
us a wonderful talk. Him and his wife are just so nice and totally
look and are cute with each other :)! I love the way he treats his
wife..like a prince would treat his princess (cheesy I know but so
true). His wife talked about how we need to balance our emotional
side, physical side, spiritual side, and social side. She understands
that those things are hard to keep balanced in life not just in
the mission field but if we want to keep going..we've got to have a
balanced "wheel" so we won't have an "imbalanced" ride :) ok..she said
it better than I explained it haha but I forgot my journal where I
took notes so I won't be able to write it exactly how she said
it..sorry! Elder Nielsen talked about how it takes time to grow. Many
missionaries expect themselves to learn and grow in their 2nd or 3rd
transfer..and that is not how it works. Great things take time to
grow. Obedience plays a huge roll in this too. You can't be
disobedient and expect great things to come. He also talked about how
we need to learn the gospel first before we go out to preach it. The
Holy Ghost will help us but..it's kind of like taking a test..we can't
pray and hope for the answers to come to mind if we haven't
studied..it wouldn't be fair. He shared a cool experience before he
started with the topic he was assigned to talk to us about. He was
asked to choose where missionaries will be serving The Lord's mission
at. He was so nervous about this calling..even if it was for a day. He
got together with Elder Cook (from the quorum of the twelve apostles)
to do what he was asked to do. He has never done anything like this
before so he was sweating bullets. Two or a year and a half serving
The Lord is a life changing opportunity so..he was worried he was
going to send them to the wrong state or country! So Elder Cook
started: he did 10 names in less than 20min..Elder Nelson was left in
awe. Elder Cook asked, "are you getting this Elder Nelson?" Elder
Nelson's response was ummmm no. So the way they do it is by looking
at the picture of the girl or boy, they read a little bit about them,
they read what their bishop has said about them, and what their stake
president has said about them. They have a map right next to the
screen and with a pointer they'd point where the missionary will go.
The it was Elder Nelson's turn. He tried..he failed. He tried
again..and that time he got the country right but not the city :/.
Elder Cook told him that the spirit will tell him where the missionary
needs to go. After trying for a while a picture of a boy he knew
popped on the screen. He gasped, he said. Elder Cook asked if he knew
the boy, and he replied yes. After reading about this boy and what the
bishop and stake president said about him he calmly chose the place
where that missionary needed to be, and elder Cook agreed..and then he
moved on :). They do 320 names a day..how crazy is that?! I just loved
that story so much. Elder Nelsen shared more stories and taught us
more but this paragraph is getting too long. Just know he's awesome
and so is his wife :).
We had another opportunity to visit my aunt and taught her the
restoration. It went well! She had questions, and the spirit had
answers :). So remember how I mentioned we have two new investigators?
Well our other investigator is my cousin :). She came home after we
had finished the lesson with my aunt so we asked her if she would be
interested and she said yes! So we taught her :). Se liked it and said
she would be there next Friday for the next lesson..yay! They're
great! :)
Another miracle happened. Let me start with a little bit of background
though so I won't confuse anyone..including myself. Sister Keele is a
convert. Her dad got baptized when he was 14 years old but became
inactive when he was 16. When Sister Keele made the decision to be
baptized her parents were against it..so against it that her mom even
cried. They went to her baptism though, but they were still mad about
it. Her family decided that they were not going to help her when she
decided to go on a mission. She was heart broken, but worked hard to
save up money. Her departing day was getting close and she
still needed more money. She prayed and asked for help. One night she
went out to dinner with her family and her dad told her he was going
to pay for her whole mission. Wow, right?! Another thing, 6 months
after she joined the church she was at a mutual activity and it was
about family history. She went home that night and asked her mom if
she could help her with her family tree so she could do baptisms for
the dead, her mom got mad and said no. A week ago, I encouraged her to
try again, since her mom had changed a lot, maybe she will help her
with her family tree. So she asked her mom and her mom said yes :).
And what's even more awesome is that Sister Keele asked her mom if she
could explain to her what baptisms for the dead is. Her mom said sure
and we got to Skype with her and taught her the plan of salvation. It
was awesome!!!!!!! Not too long ago her mom wanted nothing to do with
the church and now..she let her daughter teach her (I did too..but
that doesn't matter as much). It was a neat opportunity. Sister Keele
said that she knows her mom felt something. I know it too..the spirit
was for sure there testifying to her about the truth. Sister Keele
asked her mom if she would want to learn more?..her mom hesitated and
we just told her to think about it and she said she would. What a neat
experience! Sister Keele and I have had the opportunity to teach our
families! Can The Lord be more merciful? :)
I will have the opportunity to teach my brother, his girlfriend, and
my dad over skype hopefully by next week. I'm so excited!
I called my dad again to see if the sisters came by to teach him but
he said they didn't. I was like ok. But I knew there was something
wrong. I wasn't sure what to do, so when we got to our apartment I
headed downstairs to my desk where my scriptures and everything I need
were at. I knew he needed to be spiritually lifted but I didn't know
which "tool" to use. So I prayed (best tool ever by the way) and next
thing I knew the spirit took over. What another neat experience. Words
just kept coming to mind and without thinking it twice I let them come
out of my mouth. He opened up to me and told me things that broke my
heart. He wasn't only my dad while I was on the phone with him but he
was brother Vasquez..another son of God who was in need of help. I
left him with a couple of challenges and promised him that as he does
those things he will find peace in life..and in his heart.
Brothers and sisters, The Lord is in need of our help. Actually, no,
He is willing to give us that opportunity to help. He knows and we
know He can do it himself but He wants us to be part of His marvelous
work so we can learn and grow from such a wonderful experience. He
wants us to feel that happiness we get to feel when we help others.
Don't we feel joy during and after we help our brethren? I think so
:). You don't have to be a missionary with a tag, you can serve
anywhere you are. And you can also serve in many different ways! Let's
be grateful for the love our Heavenly Father has for all of His
children..including you because you are His child. He is willing to
help us in any way possible, we've just got to ask and let Him help
us. In return, let's keep learning more about Him, communicate with
Him, serve His children, and follow our His Son's example. Let us all
be reminded that the atonement is there for EVERYONE. Jesus Christ
didn't suffer through all that He suffered for kicks and gigs..He did
it because He loves us and is really wanting us to use His Atonement
so we can live with Him and our Heavenly Father again. Please, let's be
kind and loving towards other people. Let's not judge them until we
know their story. Be a friend. Don't give up on others, including
yourself. "Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God;"
(D&C 18:10).
In the name of our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, amen.
Saturday, June 21, 2014
Sunday, June 15, 2014
Families United: June 9, 2014
On Monday an appointment fell through so nothing exciting happened.
On Tuesday we met with Camilla (don't worry we didn't have more of her "underwear" sandwiches..haha) and we talked to her about baptism and confirmation. It went well and she can't wait for June 22nd..which is
the day of her baptism! Then we went to Eliana's house. Her sister in law came and joined us when we were talking to Eliana. Well first I'll tell ya this: when Eliana was making dinner for her kids, and Sister Keele was helping Destiny (the daughter) with her homework, I went and sat on one of her kitchen chairs. I looked set her and asked her, "Eliana, from friend to friend tell me, whats up?" It took a bit, because she wanted to finish the kids food, but then she opened up more than I thought she would. You see, she has gone to church twice but hasn't for the past 3 weeks. She and Danny say they will come but then they don't show up. Eliana really wants to go back to the temple but there are some things first she's gotta change..and she knows that. I'm not going to lie, I thought (when she first started talking to me about what was going on) she was going to ask us not to come back. I thought she was leading up to that which made this dumb feeling in my heart difficult to go away. I just stayed quiet while she talked. Ok to be honest, I was crying my eyes out. She is having some family problems..problems that I understand are difficult to solve. So when she's feeling stressed or frustrated she chooses to do things that "help" her head ache go away and what not. I'm not trying to make myself sound like a saint because I'm not, ok? When I care about someone deeply and they're going through something really hard I just wish I could carry their burdens for them. I wish I could just have that problem of theirs and not have them suffer. I know, I know be careful what you wish for.. When it was time for me to say something, gosh it was so hard because I was trying to hide my tears from her, the words came out without even editing what I was thinking. Ok ok I know that happens all the time for me..but I'm sorry I guess that just makes me..them..right? Haha. I said, "when I first made the decision of serving a mission I knew I would meet people with trials I wouldn't have even imagined they existed. And I couldn't shake off the fear I was not going to be able to help out at all.
One day, a friend of mine named Macen said 'that maybe I don't need to understand everything they're going through. It is the Saviors purpose, not yours, to understand and help with their trials.' When he said that to me, I'm not going to lie, it was a hard pill to swallow. But he was right. I am being truly selfish right now because I'm just caring about myself and feeling sorry for myself for not being able to help you. I'm sorry. But here's what I know NOW. The Savior came to the world to call upon those who are in need of help, no matter if it is little help or big help. What is important to you is important to Him. He is waiting for you to come to Him so He can help you. He is here for you. The atonement is there for you! He wants you to use it as much as you want to. Pray to Him with real intent. Ask and He will answer you. Please don't give up, we need you. There are people who come to church but none of them are Eliana." I told her more but I can't remember all of it. So during that talk her sister in law, Alena, came downstairs and joined us. She asked us a lot of questions. Questions that have been answered before by other missionaries but when sister keele answered some of them she was like wow. Haha! All three of us kept answering all of her questions. She had more but unfortunately it was time to go :(. So we set up a new appt with Eliana and her for that following Thursday so we got excited over that. Alena from Colombia and shes living with Danny's brother named Michael. And they have an adorable 4 year old daughter named Angelina. I know Eliana is a strong woman. She has told us also that when things are falling apart she goes to the only thing that never changes..and to the man that doesn't either..she goes to her scriptures and our Savior. We are not going to give up on her. She's worth it. For The Lord has said, "Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God;" (D&C 18:10)
On Wednesday we met with a family we have been working with for the past 2-3 weeks. They want their daughter to be baptized because she is 8 years old now so they have asked us to come and teach her to prepare her for baptism. Ashley is the name of the little girl we are teaching. She is great! Good learner and super cute! So this family wants to enter the temple. They've never been to the temple so..we are going to prepare them to go do baptisms on June 28th. We know they can do it so we can't wait! They'll have a lovely experience..we just know it! And guess what?! The dad (Juan) knows my cousins and my aunt who live here in NY!!! I just found out last Thursday about it! Haha small world, ya? Ha. The mom (Rosio) is very creative! She makes cute bracelets and bows! She makes them for both kids and adults. I've seen her collection and they're so cute! You are welcome to check out her page on Facebook! I'm friends with her now and I also like her page so check it out if you can! Also, the dad is from Peru! So he has that Peruvian accent I've missed so much haha it's great!
On Thursday we went back to Eliana's but Alena wasn't able to make it :(. But we spent a good time with Eliana and we watched a church movie with her and then we read a talk we gave to her a few ago she hasn't read yet and yep it was great! Then we went and knocked on some doors. The first house we went to they were Jehovah's Witnesses..awkward..haha she was nice though so it's all good. Then, oh man, the second house we went to an old man opened the door and flippidy dap we talked for ages! I'm sorry, correction: HE talked for ages! He's 78 and was a history teacher. So when we told him we were missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints he was all like, "oh! You're Mormons?" We were like..um yes!! Then he went off about how Brigham Young was a "violent" man and how he hired man with guns for whatever reason and what not. He bravely gave us time to preach. He would be like ok teach me about your religion and so we started with the restoration and............interruption after interruption......we couldn't teach him much. He would even interrupt our testimonies to tell us stories of things we couldn't understand. We weren't impatient with him..we would just laugh because old people have so much to say! It is not bad, not at all. Can you blame them for living that long? Nope. After maybe like an hour we left. Good man that old man :). Very skeptical, though. Sister Keele said something that I really liked about this whole situation with the old man. She said, "now it for sure makes sense that Heavenly Father had to go to an uneducated 14 year old to be able to restore the gospel. If He would have gone to an older man, it would have been difficult and I think we would have kept Heavenly Father and His son in the woods longer than expected." We both laughed, and I couldn't agreed more.
On Friday we went to visit Jenni! Oh she's so flippin nice she made us lunch! She made a yummy Peruvian food named Papa a la Huancayina, so good!!!!! She told us that this past week has been a blessing! First she found out that she can get her citizenship without having to pay a cent. She went and took the test, even though she thought she did poorly, at the end she passed and got her citizenship diploma!!! How exciting! And to top it off she found out she is having another boy! She'll have three boys totally! I have a feeling she's going to be well protected by those sons of her haha and her lovely husband! We taught her the 5 principles of the gospel and it went well! She keeps feeling that good/peaceful feeling whenever we go to teach her. So good! It's hard for her to make it to church though, because her husband has the weekends off so sometimes they go to queens or they just go out and spend time with the family. She also hasn't had time to talk to him about this religion but she says he will support her with whatever decision she makes. Next time we go visit her we're going go ask her if her family can be taught. Then her husband can learn more about the church and what not :).
Then later that night we continued knocking on some more doors. We met some good people who were interested but didn't have time at that very moment. Most of them were English speaking people so we gave their names and address to the English sisters. Nothing exciting happened, but it for sure was a lovely walk! The trees were so green, the neighborhood was safe looking, and the temperature was perfect! Good afternoon :).
So our plan is to reactivate some less actives and take them to the temple. I thought of my family tree and how I haven't done baptisms for them yet. I wanted to confirm the info I already have of my family from my dad's side. So I asked Sister Keele if I could call my dad for reassurance because neither my brother or my dad use the internet so I wouldn't get info that way. Then I also remembered the sisters who are serving where my brother and dad live have been teaching them so I wanted to know how that was going. So after making sure it was ok to do, I called my dad. My brother answered and told me dad wasn't home. We talked for like 30min. He told me they have met with the sisters. They invited my brother to go to church and he went with his girlfriend. He thought it was weird and didn't get a vibe from the people there. He said he has no intentions of being baptized but that he'd be happy to keep learning about our church.
Here's what the sisters have done with my brother:
On Saturday, we went and did service for a member in our branch. It was fun :)'we got to go to the dump! It was so stinky..but super fun! Then he took us to McDonald's for lunch! So nice of him. Then we went and taught a woman named Belgica. She's an older lady from the DR. She's super nice and man she totally has a super strong testimony! It's awesome! We taught her about the 5 principles of the gospel. She loved it! And even thanked us for making her day! And then I had "the" feeling to ask her about baptism. It was the first time I've ever felt prompted to ask her. So I did. She said if she did she would have been baptized 3 times. Once as a baby, two for that one church she's been going to, and three the church of Jesus Christ. She told us some other things, but I just told her to pray about it and that we will be praying about it as well. She's great! I hope her answer comes soon :). All at the Lord's timing..all at the Lord's timing :).
Then later that night we went to an investigator's house for a north day party. It was so much fun, and there was good food too! We had cake and shared some good laughs :). I have missed so much Hispanic parties..if you have a chance to go to one..go!!! They're worth it :D!
When we got home that night, I called my dad. He was home this time. I had to tell him that I couldn't talk about personal things, that it was a missionary call. He was fine with that. I got the correct info about some family who have passed away. Then I told him what I was planning on doing with those names. Without even thinking twice I told him I was going to take those name to the temple and be baptized for them. I told him our religion believes in baptisms for the dead.
Oops.
He was silent for a bit.
I asked, "did I freak you out?"
He answered, "A bit."
So I had no choice but to explain the plan of salvation to him. I didn't want to because it was going to be over the phone. But I can tell ya this: I have never felt the spirit so strongly than I did that night with my dad. I didn't have any pamphlets on hand or anything on me that could help me explain the plan of salvation. I have been teaching it for a bit now but I always use a pamphlet or something that will help me teach. But this time I had nothing. I prayed so hard in my heart, and began to teach.
The words, in Spanish, came to me so smoothly. I had no problems thinking of how to say something in Spanish. The lesson came to me so easily. I had no need to pause to think of what was next. It was an incredible moment.
When I was done, I asked if he had any questions, comments, or concerns. All he said was, "ok." I waited for a bit, and I couldn't feel anything but peace. You know how I'm a loud person and was born without a filter and always have to crack a joke at a serious moment? Well, let me tell you that the spirit had put his hand on my shoulder and told me to wait silently. For the first time ever, I did. And It was worth it.
I bear testimony to you, that I know this church is true. I know our Father in Heaven loves all of His children. He knows them and is willing to do anything for them. "..the worth of souls is great in the sight of God;" (D&C 18:10). Our Savior, Jesus Christ, gave His life for us. We have the atonement He wants us to use everyday. He came to world to save us and to set up an amazing example. He wants us ALL to come back to live with Him and the Father. The scriptures are also the word of God and they are there to guide us to Him. Our awesome prophet, Thomas S. Monson Is our latter day leader and I'd there to also help us go back to Him. We have temples where we can do work for those who are anxiously waiting for a baptisms, confirmation, endowments, sealing, and more! God has giving so many tools to help us build a "ship" to sail back to Him. And also to help our brethren. What more can we ask for? He cares! He loves! He waits...
He believes in us, our Savior and Father believe in US! How wonderful is that! Do what you can to keep strengthening your faith. Don't give up on others, including yourself. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
My dad and I, I'm sorry, brother Vasquez and I had a wonderful conversation about the gospel and the love both the Savior and Father have for us. I told him, more than once of course, to pray and to ask. To read and to learn. To go to church and find out for himself. Both him and my brother will be in prayers. More than ever now.
Who is next? Yes, my sister.
Let me make this clear now though, I am allowed to do this because it is missionary work. I can teach friends and family who are interested about the church through phone calls, email, Facebook, and Skype. So if you can think of anyone who is spiritually hungry and Thirsty don't hesitate to ask them if they want to learn about the church through the missionaries and if you want to we can be their missionaries :).
So finally on Sunday, we went to church, yay! Before church though we went to see if our investigator, Paula, was home. And guess what? She was! And guess what? She came! And guess what? She thought it was a tiny bit weird..she had to go after sacrament meeting because she things to do. We are going over next Sunday either before church or after church. We told her we'd come and get her but that she's free to say no if she doesn't want to come. So we will see what happens. She did have a friend there though, a guy who used to rest part of the house she lives at..so we are going to talk to her so they can come together :).
Also, guess who came to church?! Danny and Eliana!!!!!! Ah!!!!!! I couldn't help it I was so excited I almost cried! It was so flippin good to see them all there! What a blessing, I'd say :). Both of them looked so handsome and beautiful :) I was a proud "mom" :D. Love my kids, yo. They stayed for the whole thing! They liked it too. They said it was good to be back :). Oh! So president Mejia (branch president) came and got us from relief society and took us to his office. As we were walking there I whispered to Sister Keele if she knew where Eliana was and right when I said that we got to the office and bam! There she was with Danny :)..I was a bit embarrassed haha. So we got called there to ask us about Destiny and where she is at on the lessons. So we have 3 more lessons to teach Destiny so she may be baptized in a month! We will find out what Danny and Eliana think by next week. We are so excited! And I also told Eliana about the temple trip we may be taking this month on the 28th and she said she will think about it and talk to us about it soon :). Please keep her in your prayers so she can make it! It'll be so good for her :)! She deserves to go.
Nothing exciting happened after church. We went home for dinner, after went to look up some referrals (we have appts with them this week), then visited a family that Sister Keele and her ex companion Sister Powell used to visit. That family was so nice! I heard they were being taught and the daughter had a baptismal date but the dad started taking to the Catholic Church and what not so eventually they decided it was better to stay catholic so there wouldn't be any commotion, you know? Our purpose is to keep families together not destroy them so the sisters dropped them. We are going back to visit them and leave them with encouraging words..they want/need that.
So that was my week :)
Love you!
Keep being awesome, and know that He does listen and cares!
Be strong and of good courage,
With love and respect,
Hermana Vasquez
On Tuesday we met with Camilla (don't worry we didn't have more of her "underwear" sandwiches..haha) and we talked to her about baptism and confirmation. It went well and she can't wait for June 22nd..which is
the day of her baptism! Then we went to Eliana's house. Her sister in law came and joined us when we were talking to Eliana. Well first I'll tell ya this: when Eliana was making dinner for her kids, and Sister Keele was helping Destiny (the daughter) with her homework, I went and sat on one of her kitchen chairs. I looked set her and asked her, "Eliana, from friend to friend tell me, whats up?" It took a bit, because she wanted to finish the kids food, but then she opened up more than I thought she would. You see, she has gone to church twice but hasn't for the past 3 weeks. She and Danny say they will come but then they don't show up. Eliana really wants to go back to the temple but there are some things first she's gotta change..and she knows that. I'm not going to lie, I thought (when she first started talking to me about what was going on) she was going to ask us not to come back. I thought she was leading up to that which made this dumb feeling in my heart difficult to go away. I just stayed quiet while she talked. Ok to be honest, I was crying my eyes out. She is having some family problems..problems that I understand are difficult to solve. So when she's feeling stressed or frustrated she chooses to do things that "help" her head ache go away and what not. I'm not trying to make myself sound like a saint because I'm not, ok? When I care about someone deeply and they're going through something really hard I just wish I could carry their burdens for them. I wish I could just have that problem of theirs and not have them suffer. I know, I know be careful what you wish for.. When it was time for me to say something, gosh it was so hard because I was trying to hide my tears from her, the words came out without even editing what I was thinking. Ok ok I know that happens all the time for me..but I'm sorry I guess that just makes me..them..right? Haha. I said, "when I first made the decision of serving a mission I knew I would meet people with trials I wouldn't have even imagined they existed. And I couldn't shake off the fear I was not going to be able to help out at all.
One day, a friend of mine named Macen said 'that maybe I don't need to understand everything they're going through. It is the Saviors purpose, not yours, to understand and help with their trials.' When he said that to me, I'm not going to lie, it was a hard pill to swallow. But he was right. I am being truly selfish right now because I'm just caring about myself and feeling sorry for myself for not being able to help you. I'm sorry. But here's what I know NOW. The Savior came to the world to call upon those who are in need of help, no matter if it is little help or big help. What is important to you is important to Him. He is waiting for you to come to Him so He can help you. He is here for you. The atonement is there for you! He wants you to use it as much as you want to. Pray to Him with real intent. Ask and He will answer you. Please don't give up, we need you. There are people who come to church but none of them are Eliana." I told her more but I can't remember all of it. So during that talk her sister in law, Alena, came downstairs and joined us. She asked us a lot of questions. Questions that have been answered before by other missionaries but when sister keele answered some of them she was like wow. Haha! All three of us kept answering all of her questions. She had more but unfortunately it was time to go :(. So we set up a new appt with Eliana and her for that following Thursday so we got excited over that. Alena from Colombia and shes living with Danny's brother named Michael. And they have an adorable 4 year old daughter named Angelina. I know Eliana is a strong woman. She has told us also that when things are falling apart she goes to the only thing that never changes..and to the man that doesn't either..she goes to her scriptures and our Savior. We are not going to give up on her. She's worth it. For The Lord has said, "Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God;" (D&C 18:10)
On Wednesday we met with a family we have been working with for the past 2-3 weeks. They want their daughter to be baptized because she is 8 years old now so they have asked us to come and teach her to prepare her for baptism. Ashley is the name of the little girl we are teaching. She is great! Good learner and super cute! So this family wants to enter the temple. They've never been to the temple so..we are going to prepare them to go do baptisms on June 28th. We know they can do it so we can't wait! They'll have a lovely experience..we just know it! And guess what?! The dad (Juan) knows my cousins and my aunt who live here in NY!!! I just found out last Thursday about it! Haha small world, ya? Ha. The mom (Rosio) is very creative! She makes cute bracelets and bows! She makes them for both kids and adults. I've seen her collection and they're so cute! You are welcome to check out her page on Facebook! I'm friends with her now and I also like her page so check it out if you can! Also, the dad is from Peru! So he has that Peruvian accent I've missed so much haha it's great!
On Thursday we went back to Eliana's but Alena wasn't able to make it :(. But we spent a good time with Eliana and we watched a church movie with her and then we read a talk we gave to her a few ago she hasn't read yet and yep it was great! Then we went and knocked on some doors. The first house we went to they were Jehovah's Witnesses..awkward..haha she was nice though so it's all good. Then, oh man, the second house we went to an old man opened the door and flippidy dap we talked for ages! I'm sorry, correction: HE talked for ages! He's 78 and was a history teacher. So when we told him we were missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints he was all like, "oh! You're Mormons?" We were like..um yes!! Then he went off about how Brigham Young was a "violent" man and how he hired man with guns for whatever reason and what not. He bravely gave us time to preach. He would be like ok teach me about your religion and so we started with the restoration and............interruption after interruption......we couldn't teach him much. He would even interrupt our testimonies to tell us stories of things we couldn't understand. We weren't impatient with him..we would just laugh because old people have so much to say! It is not bad, not at all. Can you blame them for living that long? Nope. After maybe like an hour we left. Good man that old man :). Very skeptical, though. Sister Keele said something that I really liked about this whole situation with the old man. She said, "now it for sure makes sense that Heavenly Father had to go to an uneducated 14 year old to be able to restore the gospel. If He would have gone to an older man, it would have been difficult and I think we would have kept Heavenly Father and His son in the woods longer than expected." We both laughed, and I couldn't agreed more.
On Friday we went to visit Jenni! Oh she's so flippin nice she made us lunch! She made a yummy Peruvian food named Papa a la Huancayina, so good!!!!! She told us that this past week has been a blessing! First she found out that she can get her citizenship without having to pay a cent. She went and took the test, even though she thought she did poorly, at the end she passed and got her citizenship diploma!!! How exciting! And to top it off she found out she is having another boy! She'll have three boys totally! I have a feeling she's going to be well protected by those sons of her haha and her lovely husband! We taught her the 5 principles of the gospel and it went well! She keeps feeling that good/peaceful feeling whenever we go to teach her. So good! It's hard for her to make it to church though, because her husband has the weekends off so sometimes they go to queens or they just go out and spend time with the family. She also hasn't had time to talk to him about this religion but she says he will support her with whatever decision she makes. Next time we go visit her we're going go ask her if her family can be taught. Then her husband can learn more about the church and what not :).
Then later that night we continued knocking on some more doors. We met some good people who were interested but didn't have time at that very moment. Most of them were English speaking people so we gave their names and address to the English sisters. Nothing exciting happened, but it for sure was a lovely walk! The trees were so green, the neighborhood was safe looking, and the temperature was perfect! Good afternoon :).
So our plan is to reactivate some less actives and take them to the temple. I thought of my family tree and how I haven't done baptisms for them yet. I wanted to confirm the info I already have of my family from my dad's side. So I asked Sister Keele if I could call my dad for reassurance because neither my brother or my dad use the internet so I wouldn't get info that way. Then I also remembered the sisters who are serving where my brother and dad live have been teaching them so I wanted to know how that was going. So after making sure it was ok to do, I called my dad. My brother answered and told me dad wasn't home. We talked for like 30min. He told me they have met with the sisters. They invited my brother to go to church and he went with his girlfriend. He thought it was weird and didn't get a vibe from the people there. He said he has no intentions of being baptized but that he'd be happy to keep learning about our church.
Here's what the sisters have done with my brother:
- They taught him about the Book of Mormon
- Invited him to church without explaining to him what testimony meeting is and what the sacrament represents.
- They told him that they have a baptismal date (they told him the date)'and that he should pray and start preparing himself. Um...que?
On Saturday, we went and did service for a member in our branch. It was fun :)'we got to go to the dump! It was so stinky..but super fun! Then he took us to McDonald's for lunch! So nice of him. Then we went and taught a woman named Belgica. She's an older lady from the DR. She's super nice and man she totally has a super strong testimony! It's awesome! We taught her about the 5 principles of the gospel. She loved it! And even thanked us for making her day! And then I had "the" feeling to ask her about baptism. It was the first time I've ever felt prompted to ask her. So I did. She said if she did she would have been baptized 3 times. Once as a baby, two for that one church she's been going to, and three the church of Jesus Christ. She told us some other things, but I just told her to pray about it and that we will be praying about it as well. She's great! I hope her answer comes soon :). All at the Lord's timing..all at the Lord's timing :).
Then later that night we went to an investigator's house for a north day party. It was so much fun, and there was good food too! We had cake and shared some good laughs :). I have missed so much Hispanic parties..if you have a chance to go to one..go!!! They're worth it :D!
When we got home that night, I called my dad. He was home this time. I had to tell him that I couldn't talk about personal things, that it was a missionary call. He was fine with that. I got the correct info about some family who have passed away. Then I told him what I was planning on doing with those names. Without even thinking twice I told him I was going to take those name to the temple and be baptized for them. I told him our religion believes in baptisms for the dead.
Oops.
He was silent for a bit.
I asked, "did I freak you out?"
He answered, "A bit."
So I had no choice but to explain the plan of salvation to him. I didn't want to because it was going to be over the phone. But I can tell ya this: I have never felt the spirit so strongly than I did that night with my dad. I didn't have any pamphlets on hand or anything on me that could help me explain the plan of salvation. I have been teaching it for a bit now but I always use a pamphlet or something that will help me teach. But this time I had nothing. I prayed so hard in my heart, and began to teach.
The words, in Spanish, came to me so smoothly. I had no problems thinking of how to say something in Spanish. The lesson came to me so easily. I had no need to pause to think of what was next. It was an incredible moment.
When I was done, I asked if he had any questions, comments, or concerns. All he said was, "ok." I waited for a bit, and I couldn't feel anything but peace. You know how I'm a loud person and was born without a filter and always have to crack a joke at a serious moment? Well, let me tell you that the spirit had put his hand on my shoulder and told me to wait silently. For the first time ever, I did. And It was worth it.
I bear testimony to you, that I know this church is true. I know our Father in Heaven loves all of His children. He knows them and is willing to do anything for them. "..the worth of souls is great in the sight of God;" (D&C 18:10). Our Savior, Jesus Christ, gave His life for us. We have the atonement He wants us to use everyday. He came to world to save us and to set up an amazing example. He wants us ALL to come back to live with Him and the Father. The scriptures are also the word of God and they are there to guide us to Him. Our awesome prophet, Thomas S. Monson Is our latter day leader and I'd there to also help us go back to Him. We have temples where we can do work for those who are anxiously waiting for a baptisms, confirmation, endowments, sealing, and more! God has giving so many tools to help us build a "ship" to sail back to Him. And also to help our brethren. What more can we ask for? He cares! He loves! He waits...
He believes in us, our Savior and Father believe in US! How wonderful is that! Do what you can to keep strengthening your faith. Don't give up on others, including yourself. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
My dad and I, I'm sorry, brother Vasquez and I had a wonderful conversation about the gospel and the love both the Savior and Father have for us. I told him, more than once of course, to pray and to ask. To read and to learn. To go to church and find out for himself. Both him and my brother will be in prayers. More than ever now.
Who is next? Yes, my sister.
Let me make this clear now though, I am allowed to do this because it is missionary work. I can teach friends and family who are interested about the church through phone calls, email, Facebook, and Skype. So if you can think of anyone who is spiritually hungry and Thirsty don't hesitate to ask them if they want to learn about the church through the missionaries and if you want to we can be their missionaries :).
So finally on Sunday, we went to church, yay! Before church though we went to see if our investigator, Paula, was home. And guess what? She was! And guess what? She came! And guess what? She thought it was a tiny bit weird..she had to go after sacrament meeting because she things to do. We are going over next Sunday either before church or after church. We told her we'd come and get her but that she's free to say no if she doesn't want to come. So we will see what happens. She did have a friend there though, a guy who used to rest part of the house she lives at..so we are going to talk to her so they can come together :).
Also, guess who came to church?! Danny and Eliana!!!!!! Ah!!!!!! I couldn't help it I was so excited I almost cried! It was so flippin good to see them all there! What a blessing, I'd say :). Both of them looked so handsome and beautiful :) I was a proud "mom" :D. Love my kids, yo. They stayed for the whole thing! They liked it too. They said it was good to be back :). Oh! So president Mejia (branch president) came and got us from relief society and took us to his office. As we were walking there I whispered to Sister Keele if she knew where Eliana was and right when I said that we got to the office and bam! There she was with Danny :)..I was a bit embarrassed haha. So we got called there to ask us about Destiny and where she is at on the lessons. So we have 3 more lessons to teach Destiny so she may be baptized in a month! We will find out what Danny and Eliana think by next week. We are so excited! And I also told Eliana about the temple trip we may be taking this month on the 28th and she said she will think about it and talk to us about it soon :). Please keep her in your prayers so she can make it! It'll be so good for her :)! She deserves to go.
Nothing exciting happened after church. We went home for dinner, after went to look up some referrals (we have appts with them this week), then visited a family that Sister Keele and her ex companion Sister Powell used to visit. That family was so nice! I heard they were being taught and the daughter had a baptismal date but the dad started taking to the Catholic Church and what not so eventually they decided it was better to stay catholic so there wouldn't be any commotion, you know? Our purpose is to keep families together not destroy them so the sisters dropped them. We are going back to visit them and leave them with encouraging words..they want/need that.
So that was my week :)
Love you!
Keep being awesome, and know that He does listen and cares!
Be strong and of good courage,
With love and respect,
Hermana Vasquez
Monday, June 2, 2014
Eating Calzones and Teaching Family
So this week was another great week :)
There's a girl named Camilla. She's from Colombia and is very tall and nice :)We went to visit her last Tuesday. We taught her the law of chastity and the word of wisdom. Since she has been going to church shes been going to gospel principles and learning a lot about the gospel. She studies on her own too! So when we taught her the word of wisdom she was willing to keep it along with the law of chastity. She's beyond amazing! She's always willing to learn and be obedient.
Last Thursday she invited us to her family home evening. She was going to teach it for the first time :). She did an amazing job! She even made us "underwear" for refreshments! Ok let me explain this: in Colombia they have these sandwiches called "calzones". Calzones means underwear.. haha so all night long everyone was like,"we are having Camila's underwear" .. hahahah we thought it was hilarious. We had so much fun with her and her family.
So she has chosen to be baptized on June 22nd. Its been a rough journey because her immediate family (who are in Colombia) are not happy with her decision. It's funny because she came to the US for only 6 months to learn English for a university program she wants to get into. But she can't unless she learns English. She had no idea that this trip was going to change her entire life. She's awesome, she has chosen to be baptized in June so her family, who are coming from Colombia, can be there. She fasted yesterday (Sunday) for the first time ever. She knows that through prayer and fasting she'll be able to gain strength and more reassurance about her decision. Let's keep her in our prayers and hope that when she goes back to Colombia she'll continue to strengthen her faith :).
Also, there are these two new guys who will be coming to our branch for the summer because they're doing summer sales. They both went to Argentina for their missions so they'd like to attend a Spanish branch :).
Anyway I met them yesterday, and they're very nice! So one of them sat next to Camilla in Sunday school and, my goodness, they looked so cute together! I got so excited that I turned around and raised my eyebrows to Camilla jokingly and she turned red (she's white for a Hispanic so she can change colors) and then he raised his head up and I just looked up to the ceiling and was like is that a spider..? It worked. He looked up to see "the spider" and I quickly turned around. Then after class I said to Camilla, "I think you should go after him." She laughed and told me to go away. My tiny mission was not accomplished yet though. So I went up to him and his friend and asked them questions and one of them was, "so..who are you guys dating in these latter days?.." They laughed and found out he's flipping engaged! Bummer? No..he ain't married yet so who knows what can
happen...jk. Sorry I had to try.
The elders had a baptism yesterday. It was awesome! The spirit was strongly felt and it was just great. His name is Jose Ruiz and he is so nice. We are happy for his awesome choice and hope and pray that he will continue to strengthen his faith and keep developing Christ like attributes. His testimony was also powerful..he's an incredible man :).
Oh yes! Man, here where I live there are so many squirrels! Squirrels here squirrels there..squirrels everywhere! I have started to like them more than I thought I would! They're so flipping cute when
they're running around :D.
Also last night we went to visit an investigator named Maria. This is funny: so we went to visit her (she was a referral from the elders) on day and we knocked on one door (she lives in an apt
building) and they were like oh yes she lives across the hall, and we were like ok! So we knocked no one was home. Came back another time and we knocked on the same door and the lady was like, "she lives across the hall." We were like oh..ok! Thanks! So we knocked on the same door we did when we first got to the apt building. A lady opens the door and we asked, "is Maria here?" She said, "no she's not here right now, I'm just watching her kid." Then we asked for her name and she said her name was Marcella. Then Christopher (who's 8 years old) and said hello to us and then said that the lady that was with him was Maria.. his mom! Man was I embarrassed for her. I freaking love kids, they're always telling the truth! So we re scheduled to come back on Saturday at 7. We went back and no one was home. Then one day we decided to randomly show up. When we got there she
invited us inside and she had company over..we felt awkward. Their names were Silvia and Hugo. We shared with them a little bit about our religion and talked about having faith in Jesus Christ. It went well, we thought. She told us we could come back on Saturday at 730..and so we did..and she wasn't home again. So we decided to show up one Sunday night, with a member this time. She was home (Maria that is) and her cousin Silvia. We talked to them about the Book of Mormon. Silvia looked interested but Maria..not so much. Again, we thought the lesson went well. We offered to teach them English too and they were so down. We went back two Sundays ago and she wasn't home. Hermana keele texted her and she said we could come back on Sunday at 730. So we over last night and her husband answered the door. He said she wasn't home, that she had gone to the city. We were bummed. He was nice though. So as we were walking away, their son (Christopher) ran to us and said hi! Then he was like, "hermana keele, ask where his mom is. So she asked and he was like, "she's upstairs!" Haha. So we gave him a pamphlet of the restoration to give to her. This situation doesn't make me frustrated, bitter, or annoyed. Instead, it makes me laugh but It also makes me feel sad. Things do happen for a reason. Maybe Maria is not ready to hear about the gospel. Her husband is atheist, which could make things difficult for her..? I don't know but we are not going to give up on her or on Silvia (even though we do not have her info). Now, all we have left is prayer. Through prayer, we can ask if the spirit will guide us and let us know as to what to do next with Maria. Christopher is adorable, I cannot imagine a boy like him growing up without any religion. Kids do
need the gospel just as much as any other person. We will pray and ask as to what He wants us to do next.
So, I cannot remember if I mentioned this but my mom and I are the only members of the church. When I was called to serve in the south area of New York I remembered my aunt (my moms cousin) lives in New York. I asked her where she lived and awesome enough she lives 20min away from Patchogue (where I'm currently serving right now). I have taught her twice already. Last Friday we went over and she was having a rough day. Things are not going well between her and her son. It's
sad. So we went with the purpose of teaching her the restoration but of course, most of the time, nothing goes according to our plan, it always goes according to our Father's plan. We ended up teaching her about faith. That brought peace to her heart. We called the elders who serve around that area and they came and gave her a blessing :) and you know what's even more awesome? Her daughters, who are usually busy, came over just in time, without calling them, and were present for when their mom received a blessing. I don't know if they'll be baptized, but all I know is that Heavenly Father is aware of all His children and we got there (she even forgot about the appt) right when she needed spiritual strength. I am happy to be sharing the gospel with a family member. And I am happy that she still wants to keep learning about this gospel :).
All is going well here. I know I am not perfect but if I strive to be better everyday, then I know everything will be ok. I miss my Utah peeps including my family but I know I've been called here for a reason, and I can tell ya now, that at least 9 people (so far) here in Patchogue will be part of my life..and my eternal life. Heaven is not heaven without the ones you love, right? Well I'll make sure all of these peeps make it there :D heaven deserves awesome people like you all, my new friends and every single child of God :).
Anyway, I love you and thank you so much for helping me out with things for my Patchogue people here! they are in need. I know that one picture of the savior can make a difference, so thank you for willing to do that for me! best present ever!
Let me know if you are in need of anything, I am always here to help!
Love and miss ya so much!!!!
Remember: to never give up on anyone, including yourself.
Be strong and of good courage
With love and respect,
Hermana Vasquez
There's a girl named Camilla. She's from Colombia and is very tall and nice :)We went to visit her last Tuesday. We taught her the law of chastity and the word of wisdom. Since she has been going to church shes been going to gospel principles and learning a lot about the gospel. She studies on her own too! So when we taught her the word of wisdom she was willing to keep it along with the law of chastity. She's beyond amazing! She's always willing to learn and be obedient.
Last Thursday she invited us to her family home evening. She was going to teach it for the first time :). She did an amazing job! She even made us "underwear" for refreshments! Ok let me explain this: in Colombia they have these sandwiches called "calzones". Calzones means underwear.. haha so all night long everyone was like,"we are having Camila's underwear" .. hahahah we thought it was hilarious. We had so much fun with her and her family.
So she has chosen to be baptized on June 22nd. Its been a rough journey because her immediate family (who are in Colombia) are not happy with her decision. It's funny because she came to the US for only 6 months to learn English for a university program she wants to get into. But she can't unless she learns English. She had no idea that this trip was going to change her entire life. She's awesome, she has chosen to be baptized in June so her family, who are coming from Colombia, can be there. She fasted yesterday (Sunday) for the first time ever. She knows that through prayer and fasting she'll be able to gain strength and more reassurance about her decision. Let's keep her in our prayers and hope that when she goes back to Colombia she'll continue to strengthen her faith :).
Also, there are these two new guys who will be coming to our branch for the summer because they're doing summer sales. They both went to Argentina for their missions so they'd like to attend a Spanish branch :).
Anyway I met them yesterday, and they're very nice! So one of them sat next to Camilla in Sunday school and, my goodness, they looked so cute together! I got so excited that I turned around and raised my eyebrows to Camilla jokingly and she turned red (she's white for a Hispanic so she can change colors) and then he raised his head up and I just looked up to the ceiling and was like is that a spider..? It worked. He looked up to see "the spider" and I quickly turned around. Then after class I said to Camilla, "I think you should go after him." She laughed and told me to go away. My tiny mission was not accomplished yet though. So I went up to him and his friend and asked them questions and one of them was, "so..who are you guys dating in these latter days?.." They laughed and found out he's flipping engaged! Bummer? No..he ain't married yet so who knows what can
happen...jk. Sorry I had to try.
The elders had a baptism yesterday. It was awesome! The spirit was strongly felt and it was just great. His name is Jose Ruiz and he is so nice. We are happy for his awesome choice and hope and pray that he will continue to strengthen his faith and keep developing Christ like attributes. His testimony was also powerful..he's an incredible man :).
Oh yes! Man, here where I live there are so many squirrels! Squirrels here squirrels there..squirrels everywhere! I have started to like them more than I thought I would! They're so flipping cute when
they're running around :D.
Also last night we went to visit an investigator named Maria. This is funny: so we went to visit her (she was a referral from the elders) on day and we knocked on one door (she lives in an apt
building) and they were like oh yes she lives across the hall, and we were like ok! So we knocked no one was home. Came back another time and we knocked on the same door and the lady was like, "she lives across the hall." We were like oh..ok! Thanks! So we knocked on the same door we did when we first got to the apt building. A lady opens the door and we asked, "is Maria here?" She said, "no she's not here right now, I'm just watching her kid." Then we asked for her name and she said her name was Marcella. Then Christopher (who's 8 years old) and said hello to us and then said that the lady that was with him was Maria.. his mom! Man was I embarrassed for her. I freaking love kids, they're always telling the truth! So we re scheduled to come back on Saturday at 7. We went back and no one was home. Then one day we decided to randomly show up. When we got there she
invited us inside and she had company over..we felt awkward. Their names were Silvia and Hugo. We shared with them a little bit about our religion and talked about having faith in Jesus Christ. It went well, we thought. She told us we could come back on Saturday at 730..and so we did..and she wasn't home again. So we decided to show up one Sunday night, with a member this time. She was home (Maria that is) and her cousin Silvia. We talked to them about the Book of Mormon. Silvia looked interested but Maria..not so much. Again, we thought the lesson went well. We offered to teach them English too and they were so down. We went back two Sundays ago and she wasn't home. Hermana keele texted her and she said we could come back on Sunday at 730. So we over last night and her husband answered the door. He said she wasn't home, that she had gone to the city. We were bummed. He was nice though. So as we were walking away, their son (Christopher) ran to us and said hi! Then he was like, "hermana keele, ask where his mom is. So she asked and he was like, "she's upstairs!" Haha. So we gave him a pamphlet of the restoration to give to her. This situation doesn't make me frustrated, bitter, or annoyed. Instead, it makes me laugh but It also makes me feel sad. Things do happen for a reason. Maybe Maria is not ready to hear about the gospel. Her husband is atheist, which could make things difficult for her..? I don't know but we are not going to give up on her or on Silvia (even though we do not have her info). Now, all we have left is prayer. Through prayer, we can ask if the spirit will guide us and let us know as to what to do next with Maria. Christopher is adorable, I cannot imagine a boy like him growing up without any religion. Kids do
need the gospel just as much as any other person. We will pray and ask as to what He wants us to do next.
So, I cannot remember if I mentioned this but my mom and I are the only members of the church. When I was called to serve in the south area of New York I remembered my aunt (my moms cousin) lives in New York. I asked her where she lived and awesome enough she lives 20min away from Patchogue (where I'm currently serving right now). I have taught her twice already. Last Friday we went over and she was having a rough day. Things are not going well between her and her son. It's
sad. So we went with the purpose of teaching her the restoration but of course, most of the time, nothing goes according to our plan, it always goes according to our Father's plan. We ended up teaching her about faith. That brought peace to her heart. We called the elders who serve around that area and they came and gave her a blessing :) and you know what's even more awesome? Her daughters, who are usually busy, came over just in time, without calling them, and were present for when their mom received a blessing. I don't know if they'll be baptized, but all I know is that Heavenly Father is aware of all His children and we got there (she even forgot about the appt) right when she needed spiritual strength. I am happy to be sharing the gospel with a family member. And I am happy that she still wants to keep learning about this gospel :).
All is going well here. I know I am not perfect but if I strive to be better everyday, then I know everything will be ok. I miss my Utah peeps including my family but I know I've been called here for a reason, and I can tell ya now, that at least 9 people (so far) here in Patchogue will be part of my life..and my eternal life. Heaven is not heaven without the ones you love, right? Well I'll make sure all of these peeps make it there :D heaven deserves awesome people like you all, my new friends and every single child of God :).
Anyway, I love you and thank you so much for helping me out with things for my Patchogue people here! they are in need. I know that one picture of the savior can make a difference, so thank you for willing to do that for me! best present ever!
Let me know if you are in need of anything, I am always here to help!
Love and miss ya so much!!!!
Remember: to never give up on anyone, including yourself.
Be strong and of good courage
With love and respect,
Hermana Vasquez
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