Really long but some really good stories!! Whadddup, whadddup. It is H. Mans the Mexicana reporting live from Mexico. I have changed my gringa nickname (I dont know if anybody else here has changed it but I did) because I gave a talk in Espanol for 10 minutes yesterday in Sacrament Meeting and I think that qualifies me to become a Mexican. Side note about my talk: Like I told you last week, God told me that it was a trial of my faith to give it in Spanish and not take the easy road like the Bishop told me I could and give it in English and have Elder Mills translate for me. So I did it in Spanish. And the amazing thing is I literally wrote almost the whole thing on my own. Things I didnt know or never learned came to me while I wrote it. Literally so cool. My companion helped me a little bit with sentence structure because it is so different from English that it confuses me a lot haha but that was it! Anyways. I finished my talk and sat down... And then... I understood everything at church that day. Seriously. I understood the lessons, I followed along in spanish books, not English... I just understood. I got the messages. I felt the spirit in the Spanish language. Just another witness of God. Because I promise that is definitely not Cherish Mansfields intelligence. It is the power of God. The gift of tongues. Also, I communicated. I communicated good. And a lot. And then later that day, God told me and my companion to change our plans and go visit this family. So we did. And I gave the lesson. Literally my head was just filled with revelation from God and I spoke every word he told me to. I gave the lesson and my companion bore her testimony. We flipped roles. I was not just there to share a testimony. I literally taught. I said things that I did not know how to say before. I said things that just sounded right. They do not make sense in my head or in the English language, but it sounded right so I said them. And they were right. So let me tell you something... With God, all things are possible. I promise. Okay, lets get started. I started 2 new things for my e-mails which hopefully turn out to be quite entertaining. Fun facts from the week and things about Mexico that I still am not used to. I have a feeling these will develop into some pretty good stuff in the coming weeks. FUN FACTS: I was mistaken for a Mexican for the first time here this week. Hence the subject TRUE MEXICANA. (I am not lying when I tell you my arms are darker than my Mexican companions. I took a pic for proof just in case anybody doubts). I am almost convinced that nobody in Mexico knows what notes are or a tune or anything about the art of music or things of that nature. So the Hymnns at church are quite the experience. (Its okay to say this because they still know how to make better food here). (Except for you mom, you are still my #1 Chef). I find random bruises and scrapes all over my body from the much too crowded bus rides. Hahaha sometimes I wonder if these bus rides are appropriate for missionaries... Just jokin. :) THINGS IM STILL NOT USED TO: Being the first American people have seen in real life. (Just joking I made that up but I actually think it might be true sometimes). The closest post office is not even in my area and it is an hour away. Mexican music. I am sorry but literally it is one of thee most annoying things. Dont tell anybody that I said because it is a major secret. I have a guilty pleasure of hearing English music here. Like one day Miley Cyrus Wrecking Ball came on and I secretly sang a little bit but dont tell anybody I did that either or I might get kicked off my mission. It actually made me laugh out loud though because I remembered my video I made to it. (Which by the way I am still hoping to become famous from). Alright. So this week was... Idk, GREAT. Like seriously, who doesnt love the gospel. Raise your hand if you love it. Me. Sometimes I just seriously feel like this... Mosiah 28:3, Now they were desirous that salvation should be declared to every creature, for they could not bear that any human soul should perish; yea, even the very thoughts that any soul should endure endless torment did cause them to quake and tremble. I just want everyone to have the happiness that the knowledge of truth brings so, so bad. Sometimes I will just be riding on the bus or just walking down the street and my eyes change from Cherish Mansfield eyes to the eyes of the Savior I feel like. I dont know how to explain it but I will just look at someone and love them instantly. Or I will look at someone and just know how much they need us. It is an amazing feeling but also a constant stress for me because I want to do everything I can to further this work but I also know that I have to talk to them to do that... And when I try to talk to people and I dont understand what they are saying to me it is a serious struggle hahaha. Smile and wave boys, smile and wave. Sometimes I take that penguins advice from Madagascar. Jk hahaha. I try to follow every prompting I have and it turns out pretty great actually. I promise when you do what you know is right you are soooo much happier. So I want to tell you more about some of my investigadors. So lets start with Bionicos. Why Bionicos you might ask? Because they are my favorite food here of course. But also... Because the lady that we get Bionicos from... Her and her family, are our newest investigators. Okay, talk about love... Shoot. I already adore this family so much. It is just a wife and husband with their 6 year old daughter. They are absolutely beautiful. The kids here all love me. Saturday was our first lesson with them. At the end of it the little girl shook my companions hand so I put my hand out to shake her hand too but she just wrapped her arms around me so tight and I almost wanted to cry secretly because she reminds me of Eliana and it makes me sad. But she is the most precious thing. The thing about this family is that we tried to talk with them about the church like the 2nd night we got Bionicos but they are Catholic and the mom just really brushed it off. We continued to get Bionicos like basically every night to be honest hahaha they are so good. Anyways but even if we didnt get one we would talk with them every time we passed. We have become homies ya know and their daughter loves me a whole bunch. So in my broken struggle of this language called Spanish I asked if we could share our message with them. They said yes and we got to teach them on Saturday! They agreed to a 2nd visit hench they became investigators. So I am pretty stoked about that. The other one I am really happy about is our progressing investiagor. So there is this family in our ward, Familia Pulido. This family consists of 2 families. Hermana Pulidos husband died, and Hermano Pulidos wife died, and then they were married. They later learned of the gospel and were baptized, along with 4 of the kids. We are working with 2 of the sisters right now, Nayeli and Araceli. Nayeli is Hermana Pulidos daughter and Araceli is Hermano Pulidos daughter. Nayeli is a handful hahaha I will tell you more about her later. P.S. she has blonder hair than me. So that is something neat. Hahaha. Okay, but Araceli... Okay. Araceli has 3 children. She lives with the father of those children but they are not married. Our 2nd visit with her I invited her to prepare to be baptized. She was really taken aback and was like ahhh no I dont know but she agreed to at least pray about it. She is seriously sooo quiet and just has no self confidence in herself. She is very... I dont know how to explain it really. But definitely not happy. Anyways we didnt get to Aracelis for like a little over a week I think and so the other day when we get there she comes out to meet us and she is seriously just SO different. Like what the, is this the same Araceli! She is happy and smiling and confident and talking to us. She asked us why we had not been back. What? Anyways she learns really slow and we just were working with her very slowly I guess and she was just on the pamphlet of the restoration on the 2nd lesson still.. She had barely read any of it. But we get there and she tells us she read the whole thing but she just has some questions. So we have a lesson, she asks her questions, we explain it... And we see that she had marked all over in the pamphlet. And then she tells us that she wants to be baptized and that she prayed and she felt this peace and happiness and she knows that it is right. And she wants to go to church on Sunday. I mean if thats not the most beautiful thing you ever heard. Man I will tell you I was just on cloud 9... Knowing that somebody is feeling the love of God and the spirit is the best feeling. Seriously. Anyways. Even more beautiful than that was the fact that she truly was at church yesterday with her brother and her father. Like. Who cant have a good week after that, right? Wow the heat is starting to overwhelm in here. I am gonna send this sucker off. But first... Dont worry mom I remembered. I just wanna say, trust in Gods timing. I was so frustrated with Espanol and so sick of not being able to communicate with people like I wanted to last week... But then I had 2 instances with 2 different families of investigators. My stupid spanish that frustrates me so much actually was used as a tool to bring the spirit into the room. So 2 stories. 1st story. We were teaching this family for the first time who was a referall. When I got into the house I just had this thought come to me and it said You are here for them. They need you. I felt like this family was somebody that I was here especially to help. The lesson went good but I didnt feel like they were going to want the next lesson. My companion finished bearing her testimony and I was about to bear mine. I just kept praying and praying for God to help me say what they needed to hear. Something about when I bear my testimony- I somehow communicate everything I want to, and for some reason I speak correct Spanish that I do not even know. Sometimes I really do not know how to say things but I just try to trust in His promise that if I open my mouth it will be filled. I bore my testimony and the spirit was so strong in the room. My spanish isnt perfect and I talk a whole lot slower than anybody else here... But they understood. The mom was teary eyed and she told me and my companion and the member that was with us how much she admired me and couldnt believe I was here. From the United States to this shabby place of Mexico, ya know? Not knowing Spanish... Being the only American in miles (probably states away) haha. She said She doesnt know Spanish yet, but it does not matter. I can feel it. I can feel it when she speaks. I can feel it come from her heart. And they accepted a 2nd lesson. Our 2nd lesson brought 4 new investigators too because they had visitors at their house that will come to our next lesson with them this week again. So then like I walked out of our lesson with them and accidentally cried because I was so happy. Sometimes you just have moments where you have to tell God, I know youre here, and I will never deny it. So that is what I told Him. I cried and told Him I knew He was with me and I would trust in His timing. And if I never speak fluent Spanish I will be okay with that, because if that is how I can bring the gospel to people then thats okay. But do not even worry because I am definitely speaking fluent Spanish hahaha. 2nd story. Family with a baptismal date. They were the Elders investigators but then our area got changed a bit and now they are ours. First lesson with them, but their 2nd overall. We sang the opening song and the mom got brought to tears and told me how beautiful my voice was. So that was nice and all ya know... But then again at the end of the lesson when I was going to bear my testimony I prayed and prayed that I could say something that would help them. Well again they were brought to tears and then she told everyone, She does not need to speak Spanish because I can feel it. I can feel the spirit from her words and I can feel her heart. So then again I told God, I know in whom I have trusted and I will not doubt. Or something like that. :) Anyways. The whole thing about these 2 stories is that... They are not me. Nothing has to do with Cherish Mansfield here. Literally I am just a servant to God. His words come out of my mouth, not mine. His spirit is present in the room. His power is the converting power, not mine. He is the one changing lives in this work. His power continually amazes me. His love, His miracles, His mercy, Him. This is the hardest thing I have ever done. This is the happiest I have ever been though. Have faith, I promise that if you follow the scriptures and you ask in faith, believing that ye shall receive all things will be given unto you. Faith was my biggest weak point before I came on my mission. But right now I have never had more. This is real. He is real. Never forget it. Please never forget it. If you are not feeling the spirit in your life it is because you shut the door, not Him. The painting of Christ knocking at the door with only a handle on your side is a true principle. You have to let Him in. So let Him in! Let Him in, let Him sit down, maybe give Him a drink... And then HURRY AND LOCK THE DOOR. Keep Him in your life every day, every minute and I promise you will never feel a greater sense of peace and happiness! I LOVE YOU ALL SOOOO MUCH! Until next week! P.S. The time is already flying by. Adios! Con amor, -- Hermana Mansfield.
Posted on: Tue, 11 Mar 2014 04:37:05 +0000
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