"You wake up Ugly"

This week was great. We have been having people slowly progressing, which makes me happy, even though I sometimes get disappointed I don’t have recent converts I realize we are preparing our investigators for bigger and better things.   I was feeling a little unmotivated one day this week and it was awesome because I prayed for a answer Then I followed the advice from my president and his wife to read and study conference. The priesthood session , Elder Tad R. Callister said = With Increased vision comes increased motivation. This was my answer. I thought and wrote a journal entry about my vision, the Lords vision for me here and how I can increase this vision. It’s amazing to me how personal our revelation can be when we really search and pray with all our desires.

We had some really spiritual lessons this week with our investigators. We invited one investigator to general conference with us and he wants to go. We had sung La oracion del profeta and he felt the spirit so strong. We talked about prophets and I think he understood how important it is. Our biggest challenge is still getting people to come to church but we have been having different investigators attend. They like it, but are too busy. So we will continue to fortify their reasons for attending church. Along with our Less active, who is really progressing. I was happy because she was at church even though her daughters didn’t go with her. 

This sector is really growing and its been awesome to have the six missionaries here. =it was 80 degrees on Tuesday. I loved it. We had another sister sleep over at our house...with the other hermanas and there was the quote of the day. “Wow Sister Nokes, you wake up ugly in the mornings. Your poor husband. hahah.” Also. Two or three people this week said they loved my green eyes . Hmm. I always thought they were brown. haha.

We taught one investigator the law of chastity. It didn’t go too bad. We had some practice before. That was my first time. We gave him a “for the strength of youth” and he was intrigued. He’s a hoot. I hope he can be converted and serve a mission.

One more funny story. Someone was speaking in church and said MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS HOW MANY BLESSINGS HAVE WE RECEIVED... a little one year old girl, yelled out EIGHT: EIGHT. Count your eight blessings. Name them one by one. She knows how many she has, but I know that my blessings are countless. I’ve received stronger affirmations of my testimony every day this week and know that I have been chosen to come here. Sometimes these people affect my life more than I think I affect theirs.

I love Villa El Sol and am happy for the things I have learned here. I know that people have been taught and hope that their little daily improvement and daily fortifications of their faith will strengthen them for a future conversion. We had some strange conversations this week with 2 investigators, but that strengthens my testimony even more that if we speak our words won’t be confounded before men and they ended up feeling the truth of our testimonies.

This, my friends,  is why I am so grateful for the restoration. I know who God is. And what his purpose is. I know that these silly conversations were turned into testimony meetings because our words will not be confounded before men. I know that the church is true and the more trials I receive the more I pray and the more I know my heavenly father knows me personally, what my needs are and how I can help other people know this.

I am so happy to be a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I know He lives and I know God lives and directs his church. I know that He blesses us in so many ways and trusts us so much. I have seen His arm become barren in my life and know that He answers our prayers.