The Fruits of our Labors

This week, I have had the wonderful chance to see many fruits of my labors here in the mission.

I got the chance to see a sister serving right now in my old area. I began asking how Braian was, how the bishop was, and then how the investigators I had left were... I tear up just thinking about what she told me. 

"Hermana, I just want to thank you. The bishops parents were baptized, As was Henry´s mom. The family Mallco was rescued. The referrals you gave the elders, that you and your comp started teaching cause they changed the area limits? Two of the families got baptized, and one is gonna get baptized this week. That was the busiest part of my mission, And they all miss you. Thank you for planting seeds in them to help them get their feet moving." I broke down in tears. The people i loved so much have all felt the Love of their Father! I dont say this to boast, only to show, that we dont know what we do. We dont know what our words can do... Ammon didn´t baptize King Lamoni´s father... but he did plant the seed. What are we worth if we dont plant seeds in the hearts of someone else? 

Just when i thought my joy couldn't get greater, I had the chance to see someone me and Hna Garcia had talked to one day. 

We were waiting for a member, outside her home, and we notice a young man pacing back and forth in front of her door... who in the world....? 

We go talk to him. Ronald is his name. We ask him some questions, which he doesn't answer. Instead, he says that  he is waiting for Ari, who happens to be his ex girlfriend... The member we are waiting for. They had some problems, and he ended up in the hospital after trying to take his life. he had just gotten out when we saw him. He shared with us a few things, And me and hna Garcia felt the need to open up 1 Nephi. we read him some verses that we hoped would help... and Ariana came out. we heard little else from this.... just a few things about him going to church.

This young man has now completely changed his life around. He felt something with us, as we talked in the street. About a month later, he began thinking about what we shared with him. He said 

"Hermana Arave, My life changed when I realized that what you guys had shared with me was true. Something in the words "I have thee engraven upon the palms of my hands" stuck with me. and Now, i´m getting baptized. I´m enrolled in Mission Prep, and i want to leave within a year from my baptism. thank you for sharing a simple testimony with me." 

I can hear his voice over and over again, telling me this. How great is my joy. 

I AM A DISCIPLE OF JESUS CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD. 

I have no greater joy than to hear that people are coming to know their Savior in a very personal way. We cant always see the fruits of our labors right away... in fact, almost five months have passed since I've seen my last area, and a few months have passed since we met Ronald, but God puts people in our path, and puts us in their path, so that he can bring to pass Their Salvation. I am so happy to be here as a missionary. I am so proud of my sister, who will be joining the ranks this week. 

I hope you all have a wonderful week, full of opportunities to share the gospel. 

I love you all, 

Hermana Arave

Prayers and Angels

Dear Family and Friends!

This week, I have a lot to share, and not enough time to share it all. I want to start out with an experience we had that changed my whole perspective of a lot of things….

SO we all ways hear about experiences where missionaries have been protected by angels. I know that is true… I have felt it many times in my mission. This week was no exception. After being sick, I still didn’t have a lot of energy to work. But I had the desires, I prayed with faith, and the Lord, each day, gave me the energy each day that I would need to finish the day. I got home whipped each night, barely filling the area book and writing a short bit in my journal before completely crashing. I was so exhausted each day. One day came this week, FULL of appointments of new investigators, people about to be baptized, and less active members. From 10 AM to 8:30 PM we had appointments. It was going to be a great day! And every single one of them fell through, even after confirming all of them the night before. We walked soooooo much. I was not prepared for the toll it would take on my worn out body, or my feet. I felt like my feet were breaking into a billion pieces. The roads in my area aren’t made out of asphalt. They are made out of rocks, that they mix cement with, and just pour out… my feet were in bad shape haha. About 7:30 came, and me and my companion, still new in the field and not used to walking so much, were almost completely without energy. I was so tempted to just sit down and rest. To just stop, take a small dinner break… or SOMETHING. I said a prayer, asking forgiveness for my great desire to rest a bit, and asked the Lord for strength just to go find a small park to sit down in. As I closed my prayer, and opened my mouth to suggest to my companion that we go take a break at the such-and-such plaza, I suddenly felt as if I was no longer walking on the street. Confused, I looked down, to see that my feet were still planted on the ground. I was still walking on Bolivian roads, but I didn´t feel anything. I felt as if I was being carried. In my shock and humbled moment, I failed to realize that my companion had started to cry. I looked at her, crying as well, and she just asked, “Did you feel that too?”

I have no doubt in my mind that angels were with us that day. That a power beyond earthly power lifted out feet, and eased the pain we felt.

Then, yesterday in church, a young returned missionary got up to share a missionary experience (our ward does that each Sunday, the last five minutes are dedicated to someone to share a missionary experience. We are doing this in hopes that our ward with catch the energy of missionary work.) As he shared, he said something that caught my attention, and had me thinking on it all day. He said “I don’t, and won’t ever, pray to change God. To change his plans or change his mind. I pray because I need to be changed.” How great is our need to be changed! To be perfected, even as He is perfect! That is why we should pray!

I also want to share my testimony of the reality of the eternity. I know that families are meant to be forever. I know! This week there has been an attack against families among the people here that I love. And it has been the most heartbreaking thing to see families being torn apart, hearing stories of already torn apart families, of divorce, or fatherless homes… I know that marriage is ordained of God between Man and Woman. I know that the children should be born into the bounds of marriage to loving parents… Satan is trying so hard to ruin families... And if we listened to last General Conference, we know it is because Satan will never have his own family. I know that the family is so important. I love my family

Also, I want to give a huge shout-out to the World’s Best Dad! I hope your father´s day passed wonderfully! Also a huge shout-out to the World´s Best Mom! Today is my mom´s birthday!! So everyone go wish her a happy birthday! J I am so blessed to have the family that I have. Thanks to all who have helped me become who I am, and most importantly to my Father in Heaven and His Son Jesus Christ, who made it possible to change and be better. I have an eternal debt to them. I love this gospel. I know it is true.

I hope you all feel the Love of your Savior this week.

Love, Hermana Arave

H1N1 anyone?

So, First I want to ask forgiveness for not sending a letter last week. At midnight between Sunday and Monday, I got the most horrible pain in my back, and all the muscles clenched up in my body, and I got a horrible fever. I stayed that way for five days

This happened just two days after the bishop mentioned to us at lunch that Swine Flu was back in Bolivia. 

 

We aren't sure if it was swine flu or anther disease here that is beginning to spread... but whatever I was, it was horrible and I don't want to live it ever again and i´m fine now! :) haha. each time I begin praying even more for patience or humility... I get sick. Oh dear...

These past two weeks have been great! Being in bed this week gave me plenty of time to count how many days I had left... Today marks 100 days left of my mission. Just a fun fact

Last week, we found a new investigator named Mario. He is about as young as my Grandpa, and has his whole posterity that lives in this house. They are such a great family! In the first lesson we had with them, we brought along a dear woman, about the same age, Named Mercedes. Mario took one look at her, and said "I know you from somewhere." To which she replied "Well, I live right around the block! Maybe you have seen me in the street somewhere!" They both agreed that must be it, and then began conversing back and forth... I Love Mercedes, but when she gets to talking.... it is VERY HARD to get her to stop. But this time, it didn't bother us.... Because as they were talking, she said something about her mom, who was such a great example of service! Mercedes shared, 

"I remember being very little, maybe four or five, when my mom came home crying one day after work. I didn't know why, so I just dried the tears. But for a few months after that, a young boy, about my same age, would bring his little sister, just barely born, and my mom would give her milk. My mom too had a newborn, so sharing milk wasn't a problem. Then, the little boy stopped coming. But I´ll always remember the way he handed over his little sister, saying "please, she is hungry!" Ill always remember my mom´s selfless service..."

Mario sat in silence for a few seconds, then asked, "What was your mom´s name?"

"Maria Julia"

Mario´s eyes filled with tears instantly, and the tears began streaming down his cheeks as he said "I was that little boy. Your mom saved our lives, and saved the life of my sister. Our parents had just died in an accident, and we were left without anything. Your mom was our only lifeline."" 

God works in funny ways to bring to pass the salvation of his children. Mario has received the missionaries before, but this time it is different, and I know it is because of the connection that was made that first time. I know God has a  plan for us. I know He lives, I know he loves us. Mario is more than willing to do whatever the Lord asks him, and He and his family is being blessed beyond words. 

This gospel is true. This work is the Work of Salvation. Please, this week, pray to invite someone to participate in the joy we have. I promise the Lord will put people into your path! 

I love you All! 

Hermana Arave

The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ

Wow, it was really hard to type that subject in English! I¨m so used to Spanish now!
This week was great! Sarah is progressing really well for her Baptism! She is so excited! Satan is working hard, but he wont win! jaja

 

This week, I had a cool experience! I was studying in PMG about the Book of Mormon, and as I was reading and studying, I began to feel something hot and burning in my body. It filled me with such excitement and joy and happiness, a feeling that i have felt many times in my life. I am so lucky to have the Book of Mormon! This book has changed my life! It has helped me know my errors, it has helped me repent, it has helped me remember the Sacrifice of My Savior, it has helped me understand more of what God wants for me.. I LOVE THIS BOOK. It isn't enough to just read it, but we need to study it, put it into practice,  live what it teaches! If we do that, we will be humbled, we will receive the Divine Light of the Everlasting Gospel in our lives, and we will be able to overcome whatever trial we are faced with. we will be able to have a greater