Monday 24 November 2014

My new companion is Sister Sanchez from Texas

The first thing I want to say is O MY! (Yes Sister Steg that was for you I still say it... your legacy lives on)... Katelyn you and Sister Jones are a twin companionship to Sister Steg and I. You look exactly like us! It is crazy...  all Sister Jones needs is crazy curly hair. haha Congrats on your baptism. Travis congrats on training again and being DL. You will love it. I have had many amazing district leaders that have changed me. Be bold. Be loving...and be nice to the STLs! haha it makes our job so much easier when we have cooperative DLs. :D Let them help you as much as possible with the Sisters in your District.
 
My new companion is Sister Sanchez  from Texas. Her family is from Mexico and speaks perfect Spanish and English. She is short...possibly shorter then sister price...but very very sweet. We make a good team. I keep in contact with Sister Montoya and she is healing well from her surgery. I pray she is all better soon. I will send pictures of Sister Sanchez and I next week.
 
We had a neat experience yesterday. President Richardson encouraged us to ask our Branch President for priesthood blessings. I love President Robinson. I don't know if it is because  he is from Magrath or what but we sure do get along great. He gave both Sister Sanchez and I beautiful blessings. It felt more "fatherly" which we were grateful for. The Elders are great but it was nice to feel like in a way I was recieving a fatherly blessing. Yesterday in the branch a high council gave his talk in Spanish. I had to where a headset for translation. haha our entire stake is bilingual. Everyone in the branch speaks both english and spanish except for a few. Miami is so diverse. It is great to look over the congragation and see so much culture. The Gospel is true. No language, nor culture can separate us from our divinity as children of God. Sister Sanchez is really good at helping me use my spanish. The other day she told me that I would take the lead at every door approach. We knocked  on one and when they opened it I approached them in Spanish. The  man listened and then looked confused and mumbled.. sorry I don't understand do you know english? haha the one time I get the courage to do it and they speak english. :D I am continually working on it.
 
Another miracle in the Branch is that we have a meal appointment everyday this  week! When I first got here no one would ever feed us. We have gained a great realationship and trust within the branch and I am thankful. I love them all.
 
We had a speicialized training this past week and we finally got to see Meet the Mormons. It was really good. I encourage all to watch it and share it if you haven't already. We also were told about the Christmas initiative that the church is doing. It is going to be amazing and I am so excited. What an exciting time to be  a missionary. It will be coming out in the December ensign and will soon appear on lds.org. I encourage all to check it out and us this great intitative! Sariah I bet it will be really exciting for you  in New York with the billboard they have!! You will have to tell us about it.
 
This week I was studying in 2 Nephi 31... I have read and used this chapter so much. It is amazing. Vs 20-21 really stood out to me this time. We must pressforward, with steadfastness,  having a perfect brightness hope, loving God and all man, feasting on the word of Christ and endure to the end. That is a lot of strong language!! I defined some of these words... steadfastness is not changing in your attitude or aims, endure is to experience and survive pain and hardship...etc. Thus, eternal life is no small task. It takes work. It takes continuous commitment. It takes dedication. It takes sincere repentance. It is  an everyday thing. God recqurie our whole heart. While it may be hard and frustrating at time I know that it is worth it. Life is all about being outside of our comfort zone. I never dreamed I would be serving in Miami and be one of the Sisters in all of the south zones that doesn't speak spanish. All of our Sister in our sisterhood speak spanish. It is so humbling to go to an area on exchange in effort to help the sisters but not being able to contribute much because of the barrier. The majority of the people we meet speak only Spanish. I am definitely outside my comfort zone. I have to have more faith and courage then ever before. I have trust that if I open my mouth God will fill it even if I don't know what to say. I am learning and growing and I am grateful. Examine your lives and ask yourself if you feel comfortable with where you are at. Being comfortable is "Wasting the days of our probation".  We cannot be complacent... if we are we are not repenting. Always be ready and willing to change for this is the greatest blessing of mortality and the atonement.
 
Te quiero,
 
Sister Hartley

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