HOLA MI QUERIDA FAMILIA :)
Bugs: 1
Hermana Ehlert's legs: 0
shoot. winter is definitely ending and it's definitely getting a lot hotter here. Their winter is literally like 1 month. So the warmth.. means more bugs. yuck.
1. There is a member here that read the Book of Mormon in 90 days!
2. Liz got baptized and confirmed this week!
3. I'm leaving La Paloma!
1. So. LIE. I love everyone in La Paloma.. truly. We have the most amazing members here. But remember the picture that I sent you of the lady butchering meat? Her name is Hermana Rosa.. and goodness I love that lady with my whole heart. She doesn't have it super easy in her life.. and some days it just seems like she is carrying her entire family on her shoulders. Anyways.. background info. This past transfer the first counselor in the district presidency (it would be like the first counselor in a stake presidency because we aren't big enough to be a stake).. anyways.. he gave the challenge that everyone read the Book of Mormon in 90 days. So we calculated it out, and in Spanish.. to finish the BOM in 90 days you would have to read 7 pages a day. So we made little guides for all of the members and handed them out and explained the challenge. Well.. Hermana Rosa understood wrong.. and thought that you had to read 7 CHAPTERS a day. And goodness.. if this woman was ever determined to do something, it was this challenge. When we found out a few weeks ago that she was reading 7 chapters a day we quickly told her that she didn't have to read that much.. but she pressed on anyways. She ended up reading the Book of Mormon in 32 days. It was amazing. Everytime we passed by her little store we could see her reading her book of mormon at the counter. You guys.. honestly she changed so much. And the funny thing is.. my very first day in La Paloma.. it was a Friday I think.. and we passed by her and asked her if she was reading.. and she said "no" and that she has read it all before and that she didn't need to read it again. Well.. that quickly changed. She has completely changed, and is now on track to finish the Doctrine and Covenants in no time flat. I love her so much. She is such an amazing example. She told me a few weeks ago, that whenever she is having a hard day, she just reads and she automatically feels better. I love her so much. She is such an example to me. She was the first in the district to finish the challenge. many other members are doing it and completing it, but they are just reading the 7 pages a day. Goodness.. I love that woman so much.
2. LIZ. TRUTH. She got baptized this week! Ah.. we were travelling until Wednesday and then got back Wednesday night so we only had 2 days to prep her and get her ready. We had some scares though.. and Satan was definitely working hard on her. So Liz.. she is 17. She is actually the niece of Hermana Rosa.. who I just talked about.. and is living with her and her cousins. She is also living with her sister in the same house, who was just baptized a year and a half ago. We had some problems with getting her parent of LEGAL gaurdian to sign for her, and allow her to get baptized. (She will be turning 18 in 6 months).. so it was quite a scare.. and kind of long and complicated to explain over email.. but needless to say, our entire district of missionaries fasted for her on Thursday that something would be able to work out. Man.. I have never fasted and prayed so hard in my life. I was literally sick to my stomach.. and so nervous. Friday came around.. the day before the planned baptism.. and we went by with a prayer in our hearts. She ran up to us and told us that her aunt (Hermana Rosa) now had the legal right over her and could sign! AH!. Miracle. It was so RELIEVING you guys have no idea. woah. It was so awesome.
SO YEAH. Saturday rolled around. And she got baptized at 7:00 in the night. She was at the church at 6 and nervous and ready and excited. She was glowing. And then when it came time.. she came up out of the water just glowing. Hermana Finlinson and I went into the bathroom with her to help her get changed and stuff.. and she was just so happy and smiling. It was so amazing to see. The whole service was so spiritual and I couldn't stop smiling. Hermana Finlinson and I sang "How Great Thou Art" which is her favorite hymn at the end.. and I was just completely overwhelmed with the Spirit of peacefulness and happiness. Wow.. this is what missionary work is about.This is what we are here for.
The next day she got confirmed in Sacrament. She was so happy.. and so ready. Goodness. I love her so much. SO MUCH. She did amazing.
I learned that during hard a long days.. I need to remember that night. And remember how happy she was.. and the change that I saw in her.. and then work as hard as I can so other people can feel that happiness too. To feel that love and that cleanliness and to feel fresh and to start a new. It was a great night. AH.
3. So yeah. Truth. IM LEAVING LA PALOMA. And some other news. I will also be training and doing a white wash. My new area is still in Paraguay.. about hours from La Paloma by bus. It's called Hermanadarias. It's right outside of a big city which will be a big change from this tiny little town. So yeah.. white wash. For those of you who don't know.. a white wash is when two missionaries come in without knowing the area. They are brand new to the area. I will have a new missionary to train.. and then also to come into this area. There has only been Elders in this area until now.. and President thinks it's time for a change and is now sending me and my new companion to open up as an area for Hermana's. So yeah.. basically I'm scared out of my mind. I can kind of speak Spanish.. and we have to get to know this new area.. and basically just start over. So yeah. Woah. I am SO anxious and nervous and scared. But at the same time very excited. I'm full of faith and know that this next area is where the Lord needs me. I'm going to just keep hanging on and having faith and GO TO WORK. I want to help this new area the best that I can.
I'm also SO SO sad to leave La Paloma. It's my home. It's all I've known up until now.. and I'm going to miss the members here more than anything. They are my family. They have been with me from the beginning of this journey.. and yeah. I think the saddest thing is.. is that I probably will never see them again. That's maybe what's the hardest. But THANK GOODNESS for Facebook! What a blessing modern day technology is. But yeah. We will say our goodbyes tomorrow.. and then we will travel to the mission offices in Posadas Wednesday! Hermana Finlinson is going to be training too!! So we will pick up our hijas together and then back we will come to our new home.. where everything is new! WOW. Isn't that insane? So yeah.. basically it's going to be the greatest adventure. Pray for me okay?
So when I got to the field and started my mission, I started reading the book of mormon from the beginning. Very first page to the last. It's been the coolest thing. I have been reading it in Spanish.. and so it's been kind of a slow process.. but I'm now in Ether.. and I was reading about the Brother of Jared. Ah.. so fitting. I love this story so SO much. Just a quick thought I had this week about those people. Maybe when they were in those little boats.. they might have wanted to complain. And ask "Lord, why the wind? Why the waves? What the heck do you think you're doing?" They might have asked these questions in the short-sightedness.. or atleast I might have... but something that I thought of while I was reading.. is that those waves and that wind were NECESSARY for their progression toward the Promised Land. They NEEDED those waves and the wind.. and that resistance to get to where the Lord wanted them to go. Does that make sense? I hope so. It's hard to express over email.. but sometimes we may look to the heavens in frustration and say "WHY are you doing this to me? I don't need this?" But really.. the Lord is all knowing.. and we just have to trust in Him. He can do a lot more with us and our lives, than we can do alone.
Luckily those people and the brother of Jared, we read, didn't do this at all however. They never forgot their God. They sang praises to Him. and always gave him thanks. It was a profound study.. and I've been thinking about it a lot. And something else.. the Lord PREPARED THEM. He didn't just send them out unprepared. It says they had light at all times. Under the water and above. Yeah.. it was awesome.
Hopefully I can have the faith that they did going into this next transfer.
One more scripture from the bible that my companion read to me this week that I loved: "But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of they hand". Isaiah 64:8. Love that.
Anyways! I hope that your week is FANTISTIC. As Liz would say, SPECTACULAR!
I love you all.
xoxoxoxox
Hermana Ehlert
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| My awesome zone! |
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| this is the daughter of a woman we are teaching. I love her so much. Her name is Ana Carolina.. and when we are there.. she is attatched to me at the hip. She is darling. (excuse my chubby face.. working on it. shoot.) |
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| This was today in Saltos! A city just 30 minutes away by taxi... and of course.. HAD to take a picture! Jesus is coming! You have to prepare! hahah.. we laughed.
I LOVE YOU ALL.
You're in my prayers. pray for me too!
xoxo
Hermana Ehlert
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