Week 65
Hola a todos!
Sorry I couldn't write much last week! Our zone did service at the Friendship Baptist church food pantry and then spent the rest of pday at Downtown Disney!
This week was another crazy week. As missionaries, we can expect the unexpected.
Updates:
-We had follow-up Zone Conference! My favorite meeting. Basically, it's where half the mission, the Platts and the assistants get together instead of having Zone Council and have a pump-up meeting to keep pushing for the remainder of the transfer. My favorite part of that meeting is President and Sister Platt's testimonies and singing the song As Sisters in Zion/We'll Bring the World His Truth
-I went on exchanges with Sister Ritchie in the Pleasant View area, which means we biked A LOT. But it was so fun! Sister Ritchie is such a kind missionary. I loved learning from her. We taught a few lessons to members and in each lesson, we could see that the Spirit sweetly touched the members hearts as truth was shared of the calling of the Prophet Joseph Smith and the coming forth of the Book of Mormon.
-On exchanges, we learned that Hermana Romero's grandpa passed away. Please pray for Hermana Romero and her family as well as Hermana Romero's companion, Hermana Garcia.
-We spent Saturday morning doing service with our congregation for the community that we serve. Almost every day, we end up teaching in the Hispanic community off of Beach and Slater. That community has a small library. We spent the morning gardening, weeding, and picking up trash! It was so fun! And some of our neighbors in that area came and served with us!
Milagros:
-Although Carlos and Heydi now live in separately, they both are continuing to come unto Christ and learn with the missionaries. We called the LA missionaries in Compton and told them about Heydi and they have started to teach her! Carlos still lives in our area. We had two powerful lessons with him this week about the Plan of Salvation and the Book of Mormon that were really powerful, not because of what we said but because what we felt through the Spirit. And members who really connected with him (los Stewart y la Hermana Acosta) made time to accompany us to both lessons, which we were so grateful for. The Stewarts even offered to take him to church on Sunday and drop him off at his job afterwards. Unfortunately, his schedule changed but he is going to ask his boss to change his hours so he can attend church with us going forward. Please pray that his boss's heart will be softened!
-At the beginning of March, I went on exchanges with Sister Cook and Sister Storm in the YSA area (the congregation for young adults), which covers a small part of Santa Ana. We knocked on a door trying to find a member who wasn't home, but on our way back to the car, we noticed a young lady, Abril talking to a man. We felt awkward interrupting their conversation but felt prompted to talk to them anyways. They agreed to hear a scripture about how to create strong families (Helaman 5:12), and afterwards we got Abril's phone number. We immediately texted her asking when she'd be available to study the Book of Mormon with us. As often happens, there was no reponse til the beginning of this month she randomly texted back and said "Now would be a good time." We were able to do a phone lesson with her and since then have been texting her. Her life has been crazy. Her whole family's still in Mexico, her dad recently passed away, and a few weeks ago, her husband left her and her two children (ages 3 and 5) with 500 dollars, no car, and no job. She has had to temporarily move in with a friend, is searching for work, and is living off of less than 100 dollars. Because of her crazy circumstances, she hasn't had time to meet with us. But this last week she told us she just needed some hope and asked her if we could meet with her in a park close to her daughter's school. Because she lives in Santa Ana (the Bolsa Chica Hermanas area) and she'd only met me before in person, we arranged to go on exchanges with the Bolsa Chica Hermanas and Hermana Garcia and I taught her the Plan of Salvation. The coolest part about this whole experience is that the member who came with us, Hermana Flores went through a very similar experience years ago and was able to empathize with her and offer help and support.
-We had an amazing lesson with Andres #2 yesterday on the Restoration! The Spirit was so strong and he is excited to read the Book of Mormon.
-Yesterday I was feeling a little homesick and didn't really feel like doing missionary work. But we went out anyways and found 3 new people to teach by street contacting! Grayson, Rogelio, and Arnulfo. I know God led us to them. Please pray that they keep their return appointments.
This week, I've been studying on the importance of the Book of Mormon. It is truly the keystone of our religion. If it is true, everything else is true. That's why as missionaries it's essential that we have strong testimonies of the Book of Mormon and help our friends develop strong testimonies of the Book of Mormon.
One of my favorite talks is Elder Holland's "Safety for the Soul" (https://www.
"Think of the heart as the figurative center of our faith, the poetic location of our loyalties and our values; then consider Jesus’s declaration that in the last days “men’s hearts [shall fail] them.” The encouraging thing, of course, is that our Father in Heaven knows all of these latter-day dangers, these troubles of the heart and soul, and has given counsel and protections regarding them...Brothers and sisters, God always provides safety for the soul, and with the Book of Mormon, He has again done that in our time."
I know that the Book of Mormon is true. I have read it and prayed about it and received a confirmation by the Spirit that it is true.
I promise you, as a representative of Jesus Christ, that as you prayerfully study, ponder, and pray about the Book of Mormon, you will receive a spiritual witness through the Holy Ghost that it is true. And this witness, nourished daily by continued prayerful study of the Book of Mormon, will provide safety for you and for your family in these last days before the second coming of the Savior.
I love being a missionary and testifying of Christ! He lives!!
Love yall!!
Hermana Dudley
1. Service at the Oak View Library with La Rama La Rosa
2. Waiting outside our apartment...
3. Sleepover with the sisters
4. I got to see the Wrights at zone conference!!
5. Exchanges with Sister Ritchie!
6. Friendship Baptist service with HBN
7. On BIKE
8. Adios a Sister Tuinei! I'm gonna miss her <3
9. Flower Fields on the Green belt
10. Walking down Slater
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