Noche de Hogar

January 13, 2015

Hey fam!

So I have a million things running through my head right now!  Tomorrow, Hermana Ventura is going to head back to Peru.  I sure do love Hermana Ventura...I think the most important things I learned from her are to LISTEN and to do things for GOD, not to please people.  It´ll be hard to say good-bye tomorrow, but I am excited for the upcoming change because I AM GOING TO TRAIN!  

We had a meeting with our whole zone on Saturday and President came to tell us our changes.  When he said my name and that I´m going to train, my first thought was, "Is President crazy?" and then immediately afterwards I uttered the words, "OH NO!"  And everyone just started laughing.  So yeah I am so scared because I feel like I still have no idea what I´m doing, but I am also SO EXCITED!  I don´t know who my new missionary will be and I don´t know where she´s from, but I love her already.  And I have the opportunity to go to Montevideo tomorrow to pick her up, attend a temple session with her, and eat a delicious lunch with her!  So I think it´ll be a very special birthday and my new companion will always be a special birthday gift for me!

So I am just going to tell you about a few highlights from the week!

·         On Tuesday Hermana Ventura and I had a Noche de Hogar with the Dotti Family, Lebe (another sweet member in our branch), Alba (our investigator), and Augustina (Alba´s granddaughter).  It was SO FUN and do you want to hear something cool?  The Dotti Family invited Alba, not us!  Alba worked with Hermano Dotti for a long time, so they´re good friends.  The world is so small and God sure does put people in other peoples´ paths.  Anyway, we learned about prophets and Hermana Dotti made delicious pizza and cake for everyone.  She is honestly one of the most special people I´ve met on my mission.

·         On Wednesday, I got to spend the day in Nueva Helvecia again because we had divisions!  I worked with Hermana Salaberry (the eighteen-year-old who is serving a mini-mission) and it was so fun.  We had some very interesting contacts, but we ended up teaching the restoration to the nicest lady.  

·         Like I mentioned, Hermana Ventura is a great listener!  On Friday, we had a lesson with Andrea (a sweet member in our branch who lost her husband just a couple months ago) and Claudio (her fifteen-year-old son).  We didn´t end up teaching anything because Hermana Ventura asked about their conversion stories.  Oh my goodness I sure did learn that lots of times, it is just better to listen.  Andrea and Claudio told us all about their lives (Claudio first joined the church when he was ten or so and then Andrea joined a couple years later) and I felt the spirit so strong.  There are lots of awesome people here in Uruguay!

·         On Saturday, we had a meeting with the whole zone and we learned about all the plans the mission has for the upcoming year.  Lots of things are going to change (for example, the way we measure our work), but I am so excited for 2015!

·         Hermana Ventura and I have been starting to teach a really awesome couple, Wilmar and Ivonne.  We found Wilmar one day when we were walking outside looking for a house, and they´ve let us come to their house a couple of times!  During this week, we watched Gracias á Él and Él es la Dádiva with them, which they loved!  They´re heading off for a vacation the next two weeks, but when they get back, I am so excited to introduce my new companion to them!

·         I loved studying 2 Nephi 5 this week. In this part of the Book of Mormon, Nephi is teaching his people how to build buildings!  But we can use his advice to build whatever spiritual goal we may have!  I especially loved the following verses and I´ll include what I learned under each one.

LOVE YOU ALL and PLEASE PRAY FOR ME and my greenie!

Hermana Dixon

 15  And I did teach my people to build buildings, and to work in all manner of wood, and of  iron, and of copper, and of brass, and of steel, and of gold, and of silver, and of precious ores, which were in great abundance.

God will always give us materials in GREAT ABUNDANCE to reach our spiritual goals (the scriptures, the temple, words of general authorities, church meetings, etc.)

 16  And I, Nephi, did  build a temple; and I did construct it after the manner of the temple of Solomon save it were not built of so many  precious things; for they were not to be found upon the land, wherefore, it could not be built like unto Solomon’s temple . But the manner of the construction was like unto the temple of Solomon; and the workmanship thereof was exceedingly fine. 

Even if our efforts aren´t super fancy, God will be happy if we do the best with what we have.

 17  And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did cause my people to be industrious, and to labor with their hands . 

HARD WORK is important.

 27  And it came to pass that we lived after the manner of happiness . 
When we build our spiritual goals, do OUR best, and work hard, this is the way we will live.  Life is all about being HAPPY!