Yes......another amazing week in the life of a missionary!

Hellooooooo fam!

Well, I'm not gonna lie, I'm having a hard time right this second concentrating in this internet cafe because there's this guy on the phone talking to some reporter. Sister B and I can't help but listen in and it's actually quite interesting. Long story short he was arrested for robbery or something but it's a setup and they're building this case against some bad cop and the press is getting involved and there were guns and he's trying to lay low and they're building this story. And of course, he has this "business partner" he needs to get a hold of and he's a "cab driver" during the days. Wow totally a mob leader. Living in NY is WAY better then TV.

Okay, back on to spiritual things! Basically this week was one of the best weeks I've ever had as a missionary and definitely in the top 20 of my life. Good stuff! I have felt the Lord closer with me every minute of every day.......which is hard when you're living in Sodom and Gomorrah, I mean NYC (speaking of the world, the "cab driver" just switched to a phone call in Spanish. He would. Unlucky for him, I understand everything he's saying. He cousin has some information to add to some police report that no one else knows about. And he had a dream 2 days before the robbery that cops were going to steal his "rent" money. Boom baby.)

One quote that I loved this week talked about what one sister said to her companion when she was discouraged.

"Every dispensation for 6,000 years has ended in apostasy. Not this one. We are preparing for the Second Coming and we are not going to fail." That pretty much sums up how awesome my week has been. But if you're still not convinced, I'll give you a top 10 :)

1. Package and letters! This week was like Christmas! I got Mom's package on Saturday and a letter from Beth and from Grandma and from Danielle and from Lyndsey and from Aunt Di! Can you say spoiled? Beth, I'm gonna email you a in sec, Danielle and Lyndsey, I wrote you this morning. Grandma, I LOVE you and I will try and write you this afternoon if I have time. I just always know you're patient with me and are happy with whatever I have time to write :) Aunt Di, I LOVED the picture and it's up on the wall in my study room! Hopefully I'll write you back soon as well.....thanks for being patient with me. And tell Ab's I loved her poem and she is right on about NY! Mom, you're getting your own separate email so be patient :)

2. Dude, another interruption for cab driver. Hopefully they leave the cafe soon. They're meeting the reporter in his cousin's restaurant to sign an agreement in 30 minutes. Then it's going all over the news tonight I think. I'll probably be a famous witness, no big deal.

3. Piano and Singing. Well, the piano went eehhhh. I rocked the first song and the sacrament hymn went better than expected but the closing hymn crashed and burned. Heavenly Father just wanted to leave me on a humble note :) The singing was fun. Saturday night for the reception we sang a combination of Families Can Be Together Forever, When There's Love at Home, and I Am a Child of God. The Elder that played the piano for us is AMAZING and the spirit was so strong. I really felt like angels were singing with us and I saw a lot of nonmembers really paying attention. Sunday I had a solo party for I Believe in Christ, which the notes are different in Spanish, so that was kind of embarrassing but everyone pretended it was good and was nice to me about it.

4. The other day I noticed that Sister B had an empty zip lock bag in her backpack and she said, "Oh yeah, that's for when people feed you too much. You just shove food in there when they leave the room." HAHAHA apparently she's used it before. I probably need to get one soon.....especially when a member made pig feet yesterday. I just don't roll like that, sorry.
                                                   Sis. B and I....I love her!
5. We went to a baptism for someone in the English ward on Saturday before the reception and it was so good. The guy's wife is already a member and she gave a talk and could barely get the words out. The only other people there were the missionaries. It was so simple and humbling and really made you recognize what's important. I LOVE it when people follow Christ. Christ lives and loves us!

6. The wedding reception was for a couple in our ward that were sealed on Saturday. They had a fireside for everyone and then just ate afterward. They got up and bore their testimonies about the gospel and literally invited everyone to talk to the missionaries and learn how they can have the joy they have. Wow. Most of their family is nonmembers. The members here just cherish every church experience and make it so meaningful. I will never again take for granted what a blessing it is to make covenants with the Lord and be an eternal family. I am so glad I get to be with all of you forever!
                                                                  At the reception!

7. This point gives props to Sister Cronin. We've been working with the Mite family (not sure if I've mentioned them before). Their 17 yr old daughter is a member and neither of them are members but they've been going to church for a year and had a million sets of missionaries working with them. Hermano Mite has a baptismal date for this Sunday but his wife just has something holding her back and we have not been able to help her. So we'd really been praying about what we needed to do and I had the thought come to my mind to do a silent lesson. Sister Cronin did these in seminary and I loved them. So we planned a silent lesson all about the Savior and afterward she gave me a huge hug and said, "Thank you so much that was beautiful. I loved it." She's a very quiet person so it shocked us. And when we saw her at church yesterday she asked when we wanted to come over this week. The Lord truly is aware of our needs and the needs of others and if we are willing to listen He can tell us how to help those around us. Thank you Sister Cronin! And girls, pay attention in seminary!

8. So Sarah* is one of my favorite members in the whole ward. Her husband is awesome and so are all their kids. But Sarah's dad is a horrible person apparently. He left her mom but wouldn't divorce her and now has 2 other kids with Jane*. And Jane has been going to church for a year and has been with this man for about 20 years but he refuses to get divorced from his first wife because then he'll lose the land he owns in Honduras. So she can't get baptized because she's breaking the law of chastity because her husband won't get a divorce. And then we find out the other day that he now has gotten some other woman pregnant. And he's probably 60 or 65ish. Ew. But anyway, Jane is AMAZING and we love her. We've been visiting her and maybe now she's ready to move out away from her husband so she can get baptized. She's really been opening up to us and we just sat and cried our eyes out with her the other day. Sister B and I were talking about how you really can't judge people based on their circumstances. Here is someone that isn't keeping the commandments and she knows she should. But she's trying and her life is so hard and Heavenly Father knows that. We can never know what people are struggling with inside when we judge them from what we can see. I love her so much and we're praying Heavenly Father will help her make the best decision for her life.

9. Well, this point counts for 9 and 10 because it's scripture related and that's always twice as important! This week, as I said in the beginning, has been one of the best weeks but one of the most exhausting. Sister T that lives in our pad told me this things her trainer once told her: "Sometimes the Lord, through our trials and challenges, allows us to hit rock bottom just so we know that the rock at the bottom is Him." This week, I have been so grateful for our Rock and Redeemer Jesus Christ. He truly is the reason we can rejoice during our trials.

And there was another quote I read in a talk today that I liked as well. It says, "Joy is not a stranger to pain. We may not feel deeply enough to know joy unless our hearts have been hollowed out by sorrow. A heart may not be big enough to know real joy until it has been stretched and pulled by trials and hard things. In 2 Nephi 2:23 we find this phrase: “having no joy, for they knew no misery.” Our capacity to feel joy actually increases as we righteously endure our pain." Given that statement, I would welcome trials! The harder things appear, the more opportunity there is to improve our relationship with the Savior and be happy now and in the future!
I can say that I know true joy as I've seen others come unto Christ. I am SO thankful for trials and when we have Christ, they really turn into blessings!

And for those of you that are struggling, don't give up! Every good thing the Lord has in store for you will come to pass. I have seen that happen in my life and I know that the Lord will keep every promise He has made to us. And if you can't my word it, take Mormon's word:

16 Behold, are not the things that God hath wrought marvelous in our eyes? Yea, and who can comprehend the marvelous aworks of God?

17 Who shall say that it was not a miracle that by his aword the heaven and the earth should be; and by the power of his word man was bcreated of the cdust of the earth; and by the power of his word have miracles been wrought?

18 And who shall say that Jesus Christ did not do many mighty amiracles? And there were many bmighty miracles wrought by the hands of the apostles.

19 And if there were amiracles wrought then, why has God ceased to be a God of miracles and yet be an unchangeable Being? And behold, I say unto you he bchangeth not; if so he would cease to be God; and he ceaseth not to be God, and is a God of miracles.

21 Behold, I say unto you that whoso believeth in Christ, doubting nothing, awhatsoever he shall ask the Father in the name of Christ it shall be granted him; and this bpromise is unto all, even unto the ends of the earth.

25 And whosoever shall believe in my name, doubting nothing, unto him will I aconfirm all my words, even unto the ends of the earth.

27 O then despise not, and wonder not, but hearken unto the words of the Lord, and ask the Father in the name of Jesus for what things soever ye shall stand in need. aDoubt not, but be believing, and begin as in times of old, and bcome unto the Lord with all your cheart, and dwork out your own salvation with fear and trembling before him.

Christ lives, He loves us, and He will bless us, today and forever. I testify of this and pray for you all every day. Have a great week and God be with you until we talk again!

Love the mish. Be the mish.
Hermana Winfield
*names have been changed for confidentiality :)