Week 66: La Rosa

Buenas tardes!!!

Transfer news......

I'm still in La Rosa with Hermana Echeverria!!! Definitely not expecting that one. This will be my first time on the mission having a 5th transfer in an area and a 3rd transfer in a row with the same companion. But I'm really excited to dig deep and see miracles this coming transfer!!

The best part of the transfer report was that we are getting a new apartment with its very own washer and dryer!! I'm so excited!!

This was a week filled with miracles. It made me excited to stay here and see my friends progress!!

-Heydi moved back here from Compton. While she was in Compton, the Elders invited her to prepare to be baptized on May 27th. Now that she's back with Carlos, we will keep teaching them both and hopefully they will be able to work towards baptism together. Please pray for them!!

-For months, we have been trying to meet the Martinez Family. The hermano, Victor, joined the church in his youth but has not been active for many years. His wife and children are not members. They live in the corner of Santa Ana, and every time we are in that area, we stop by. They are always either busy or don't answer the door. Finally on Thursday night, Lourdes was home and agreed for us to teach her! Soon after, Victor arrived to listen and their youngest son, Justin, joined us. We taught them about the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ and answered their questions about prophets and temples. We feel a special connection with this family! We didn't have a Libro de Mormón with us, but we ran back out to the car and got them one. They are excited to read it and keep meeting with us!!

-There us a member in our ward, Isabel Cruz, who we've tried to call/visit for the last 6 months but has never answered. We thought we had seen on her calendar that Thursday was her birthday so we stopped by with a card and milagro! She answered the door! We quickly found out it was not her birthday (her birthdays next week lol) but it was an inspired mistake because we caught her at the perfect time. And after sharing a few scriptures, before even asking, she told us she wants to meet with us regularly and come back to church!!!

-On Friday, we had a lesson planned with our friend Jason. Right now, 12/15 friends we are teaching are men and when we visit with most of them, there isn't another woman in the house so we always have to bring an Hermana from the ward to our lessons. We had planned in advance for Hermana Quesada and her son Elder Quesada to come with us but when we tried to confirm the lesson, Jason never picked up. We went to the church in the hopes he would be there but he wasn't:( We had put in a potential, Miguel, as a backup and when we went to his house with the Quesadas, he was home and answered the door! He is handicap, so if the Quesadas weren't there, we wouldn't have been able to go in and have a lesson with him. We taught him the Restoration and it was such a powerful lesson! It was Hermana Quesada's first time ever going on a missionary visit and even though she doesn't speak Spanish very much, she recognized when we were sharing the First Vision and felt a palpable change in the Spirit. Then she and Elder Quesada shared their testimonies and we were able to translate for them. So cool! Also, crazy story: when Miguel was in a nursing home once there was a Book of Mormon and he has already read it 1.5 times. He believed everything we taught him and the Book of Mormon even answered his questions about baptism. It was an amazing experience!!

-I got word that Brenda and Enrique are going to be sealed in the temple around August 12!!!

One of the greatest blessings in my mission has been the examples of the faithful Latino saints. Here are just two that inspired me this week!

1. Hermana Teresa Lopez! She has three daughters. One unexpectedly passed away about a year and a half ago and another is battling to overcome a drug addiction. For that reason, Hermana Teresa takes care of her granddaughter full time while working. Despite the challenges she has faced, she is filled with faith and hope that God has a plan for her and her family and is working to go back to the temple for her daughter who passed away. 

2. Hermana Julia Menendez! She just came back from a month long trip to El Salvador to care for her mom. She is one of the kindest, most Christlike people I have ever met. She noticed we didn't have dinner on Sunday so she invited us to her house to eat possibly the best enchiladas I have ever eaten in my life. While we were there, she told of an experience she recently had while working in the Newport Beach Temple. A couple came in in their street clothes. She asked no questions and went to get rental temple clothes for them. While she was on her way, she had the feeling to get the temple president. When she came back with the temple president, the couple said they had just lost their baby. The temple president invited them to do sealings and while they were doing sealings, they could feel the baby with them. God can always trust Hermana Menendez to be an answer to prayers. 

They are great examples to me of what is taught in Moroni 7: 47-48 in the Book of Mormon.

"But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen."

I hope that I can be like them someday because they are like Christ. 

I love you all and pray for you!! 

Hermana Dudley

1. Early morning exercise

2. Jesus lives mural in HB

3. HB Zone Devo/Surprise Bday Party for Sister Hill and Sister Wheeler

4. Hermana Lopez and Hermana Quesada

5. Samantha on her bday (Happy 19th birthday hermana!!!)

6. Cutting our hearts for Sister Hill's birthday

7. Said goodbye to my mission Sister, Hermana Veikoso 

8. Enchiladas by Hermana Menendez

9. HB Zone council