Hello!
It sounds like everyone is doing really good and is busy busy busy! It's good to be busy:) I can't believe it's July! I can't believe how fast everything has zipped by this year. I feel like time is flying at an alarming rate, but I'm so grateful for the time I get to spend here in Canada. I also can't believe it's almost the 4th! Make sure to have fun swimming and BBQing for me:)
This week was good! We were running around like chickens with our heads cut off, but all in all it was so nice to be so busy. We've been getting to know the families and members here in the ward and that to me makes all of the difference in my area. I love the members! They are so kind and don't worry mom we have a dinner appt. EVERY DAY. I'm a little scared. But they are just so happy to have sisters they don't know what to do with themselves. It's good to be loved:)....I just hope I don't have to roll home.
On that note let me tell you about my first legit Spanish ward D.A. So, we had just finished metro contacting with the A.P.'s and were running behind schedule so we grabbed our car and put the members address into the GPS. Problem number 1: the address didn't exist in our GPS. I have a love/hate relationship with Bonnie our GPS. She is always getting us lost and last week even took us off of the Island. I nearly died. Anywho. So we can't find this house and we call the members who apparently thought we said we would be there an half hour earlier than we actually said so they were already super bugged. Problem 2. So we race (going the speed limit) over there and finally after coaxing Bonnie into doing here job find their house. When we got there they were super happy to have us. And they ushered us in to sit at the table. I look at the table and there are 5 large plates of some yellow looking stuff. It looked like really thick nacho cheese:) So we sit down and the cute little sister says, "Potatoes and my special cheese sauce." Problem 3: Sister Lucas is lactose intolerant. But at this point it was too late, so my brave little greenie baby starts downing that thing. Problem 4: No sooner than my first bite she sets down another plate covered in rice, potato salad, and steak. I instantly start praying. Every bite= another prayer answered. I ate the whole plate of cheese potatoes and started on my second meal. I was struggling hardcore and the little sister says, "Oh I forgot to tell you, you don't have to eat everything." Almost in unison we all put our forks down, like little white surrender flags.I was so happy I nearly started crying. Problem 5: Dessert. She brings out a huge bowl of fruit for each of us and at this point everyone is bursting at the seems. But I'm proud to say I ate most of it. I still can't believe we survived. But bless that family for their generosity. Pray for me.
Another blessing in this area is an investigator named Tatiana. She is pretty much as golden as they come. We've taught her a couple of times and were unsuccessful to commit her for a date. But this week we started the Plan of Salvation and decided to teach it in two parts the first part was up until our life here on Earth and she nearly died when she realized that we weren't going to finish. She's a seeker. So, we left her the pamphlet and told her to read ahead. When we got to her house on Friday she was busy making us banana bread. This woman is so generous. She basically only has enough food for her and her son, but she never let's us leave without something. They are usually small somethings, but they always make us feel so loved. Since she was baking she told us to teach her little boy named Sebastian (who I lovingly refer to in my head as Chancho). After our lesson with Chancho, Tatiana shoos him away and completely breathless tells us she read the pamphlet and she knows it's true. Then she told us about a dream she had about 6 months ago about the Plan of Salvation. She said this is exactly what she has been looking for and she knows the Lord showed it to her earlier so she would recognize it now. Needless to say we were all crying. As soon as we collected ourselves she said, "So what do you think? Two weeks?" At this point we were speechless and could only nod our heads in agreement. She pulled out her calender and felt drawn to July 21st. We could not be more happy! She is also so excited because she will be having another baby in October and she was beaming when she found out her baby could be blessed in our church. Oh I love her!
For the past 4 months I've spent a lot of time studying the state of our heart in relation to our conversion to the gospel of Jesus Christ. It's kind of been puzzling to me how to maintain that change. I felt like there were times in my mission when my heart was so tender and others when it wasn't. And I realized that whatever it takes I want to stay tender to the Lord. This morning I recieved an answer to my prayers. I was studying the new conference talks and it kind of just hit me all at once when I realized that the way we preserve a change of heart is. I started thinking about how in the Book of Mormon different people have these mighty changes of heart and that once they do all they want to help other people. Then I realized that the only way we can preserve our own change of heart is by helping others do the same. By being personal by really being human. It reminds me of when the Lamanites begin to preach to the apostate Nephites. Their hearts were so hard, but in the end they were the ones trying to soften the hearts of their brethren. Helaman 15:4 says,
But behold my brethren, the Lamanites hath he hated because their deeds have been evil continually, and this because of the iniquity of the tradition of their fathers. But behold, salvation hath come unto them through the preaching of the Nephites; and for this intent hath the Lord prolonged their days.
The Lord prolonged them because of their service to the Lamanites and through their service to their bretheren. Don't forget that missionary work is more than sharing the gospel with those who have never heard it. It includes rescuing those who have strayed too. And as a missionary I can tell you if the members were more involved in helping those who have strayed we could do more for those who have not heard this message.
I hope you are doing well. I hope you remember how much I love you. I hope that you have a great week and that you don't get invited to 7 Spanish D.A.'s. Kidding:)
I love you!
Sister Perkins
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