I can’t believe I’ve already been gone for three months! This whole mission time-warp thing is all too real. I am so grateful that I still have 15 months left, but I know they are just going to fly by! Anyway, this week was fantastic (like always)! We are having a lot of success with our investigators and it has been amazing to see people progress. Three of our investigators–Ali, Luz, and Walter–are currently praying about baptismal dates and we have seen so much change in them already. They are reading the Book of Mormon, understanding their purpose in life, and spending more time focusing on the things that are truly important. I just hope I get to see at least some of them be baptized before I leave for Puerto Rico! Speaking of which, I found out that they are sending 16 missionaries back this week! I am so excited that PR is getting even more help, and it will be incredible when I actually get to go there. But for now, I will just keep working as hard as I can here in Portland.
Here’s a few interesting stories from my week.
Monday-We ate at MODpizza for dinner which was super yummy. But, after we got back to the apartment Hermana Cornwall accidentally locked our keys in the trunk of the car, so we stayed inside and did online proselyting while we baked cookies for some of our investigators and members. Those of you who know my passion for baking can guess that I’ve been itching for opportunities to whip something together!
Tuesday-We worked with Maricela, our investigator who is learning to read by reading the entire Book of Mormon!
Wednesday-We taught Ali about the Plan of Salvation and it was awesome! He is SO GOLDEN!!! He asks really thoughtful questions, keeps every reading commitment we give him, comes to church every week, and is now praying about a baptismal date. I’m hopeful that his baptism will be one that I will be here to see.
Thursday-I hit my 3-month mark! We also ate dinner with the Gibsons, a family in the ward. They are so cute and some of the best member missionaries I’ve ever met. They invited a neighbor over on the same night they were having all 5 of the missionaries over and it was super great! We all talked about what we learned in the Book of Mormon this week and had a fabulous dinner. I hope he walked away with a good impression of the missionaries and the church.
Friday-It was a crazy day with lots of ups and downs, but it was still good overall because I kept a good attitude. As our mission president says, if you’re not having fun, you need to repent!
Saturday-We taught Luz about the Plan of Salvation and now she is praying about a baptismal date as well!
Sunday-We ate dinner with the Kraais who are another fantastic couple in the ward. Sister Kraai told us that she wants us all to be her daughters haha.
I’ve said it a hundred times but I’ll say it again–I love being a missionary! I know the things I am teaching others are true because the knowledge that I have has brought so much peace into my life. I have felt just like the Lamanites in Helaman 5 who, after they repented of their sins, “were filled with that joy which is unspeakable and full of glory.” That is because I have built upon “a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.” I know that if you build your foundation on Christ, you can have these same feelings! I love you all, especially those dedicated people who read all the way to the bottom of my emails. Have a great week!
Love,
Hermana O’Barr
