Week 60: La Rosa

Hola hola!

This has been quite the interesting week. We had a lot of departure activities with getting Sister Storm ready to go home, had to put out some fires (figuratively, of course) with our sisters, and experienced an abnormal amount of rain for Southern california!!

Last Tuesday when it was raining, we decided to go to the Slater Slums. We had a lesson scheduled there later that night with Caesar. We spent about two hours contacting people who lived around there who had been taught previously and streetcontacting the few brave souls who were walking in the rain. 

We were 100% soaked (empapada) by the end and freezing cold but it was fun!! On our way walking to the 7:00 lesson, we met this cool guy named Pedro and shared a scripture with him. Then when we showed up at Casar's house (hoping that Maria Elena and Jesus would be there too), no one opened the door...:( BUT on our way walking out we had a strong prompting to to turn around and knock in the neighbors that live below them. The mom, Nallely, opened the door and allowed us to teach her about the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And the best part is she has a FAMILY!! We're going to go back tonight. Please pray that she is there and everything goes well:))

When we were on exchanges with Sister Cook in the YSA area on Saturday, we taught this girl named Lily who is so cool! She came with Dane (a member) to the YSA/La Rosa soccer activity and from there started meeting with Dane and the missionaries. When we taught her the Restoration, it was so incredible!! We didn't teach particularly well, but the Spirit was felt. Dane shared a strong testimony and at the end, Lily said that she has just felt like she was missing something (the gospel of Jesus Christ)!

Another update from this week...Omar (our friend who is on date to be baptized April 15) canceled our lessons this week. When we stopped by on Thursday, he said "tengo muchas dudadas (doubts)," which we said we would answer on Sunday and when we called him to arrange a ride to go to church, he said "ya no estoy interesado..." We still haven't been able to have a good conversation with him to figure out what his questions is but please keep him in your prayers. 

Other than that, it was definitely one of those weeks as a missionary you just have to have the faith to keep going! Almost all of our lessons fell through. But we have faith to keep working to find people who are prepared and ready to progress!

For the last six weeks, I have been studying and thinking a lot about covenants. Covenants are promises that we make with God. For example, when we are baptized, we promise to keep His commandments, take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ, and serve Him to the end. As we keep our promises, God gives us many blessings including the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost, the remission of sins, spiritual rebirth, and eternal life. After baptism amd reception of the Holy Ghost, we have the opportunity to make more covenants with God in the temple that prepare us for heaven and help us through the challenges of life.

When Jesus was on the earth, he taught: "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30). 

Elder Bednar explained:"Making and keeping sacred covenants yokes us to and with the Lord Jesus Christ"

What a Beautiful truth!! We are YOKED to Jesus Christ through covenants. That means He is pulling with us!!

One promise that we make both at baptism and in the temple is obedience. It is an act of love and faith for our Savior that changes our nature and helps us to become like Him.  

I really loved Anthony Sweat's BYU devotional "The Need for an Endowment." He taught:

"While a common refrain today might be “You do you,” Christ’s covenant call is “Be like me.” There is power in covenanting that we will obey the laws of God and not merely walk in our own way after the image of our own god." 

To my younger siblings and cousins who will one day go on missions: one of the greatest tests as a missionary is to choose exact obedience. You will serve with other missionaries (a loud minority) who will rationalize the standards or even make fun of the obedient missionaries. Choose now to be the type of missionary who keeps covenants and chooses to be obedient like the Savior. 

Anyways, love you all so much! Have an amazing week!

Hermana Dudley

PS Transfer news: I'm staying in La Rosa with Hermana Echeverria!! Yay!! 

1. Cena con los Stewart

2. President and Sister Platt outside the temple (they always take pictures with the missionaries after their departing temple trip but when we went to pick up Sister Storm, they let me take one with them too because they're not going to be there when I go home)

3. Hermana Margarita Sanchez. Soooo sweet!

4. We did service at the Friendship baptist for 3 hours and it was so fun!! It's the church right across from the Yorba Linda Temple site

5. Went to Boba for Hermana Storm's last day

6. Last HB Zone Council feat. Elder Wheeler

7. Working in the rain

8. Soccer

9. HB End of transfer Zone Devo

10. Hermana Amezquita and Hermana Rivera came to visit!!