I’m Grande, I still believe in Miracles, and I’m a Mormon

Week 18

October 14, 2013

 My new companion is Hermana Olivares! She is 21, from Peru, a great missionary and is awesome. One thing that makes her awesome- she bought a hula hoop for exercise in the morning. This is awesome, my friends.  She has 7ish, almost 8 months in the mission, but she already is such a great missionary. I’m going to learn tons!  One thing that is fun is that she is a little short for a latina, and I’m a little tall for a gringa.  So basically, I’M  GINORMOUS! I am reminded of the time when mom referred to me as the “big one” [of her daughters.]  I am indeed the big one.  So we make a fun pair.  One awestruck child in the street remarked how I am grande and she is chicita!  It’s pretty fun. We took some pictures skipping down the street and such to help show our heights. 

 

Well. Most of our investigators right now aren't married but are living with someone. So that is our main challenge right now. It's hard to help people to get married here because the tradition is a huge fiesta and really expensive. Very few of the couples here are married  Most just live together and and have kids together but don't actually get married. Margara isn't ready for the date we had set. We have to help them understand somehow that the size of your fiesta doesn't matter to God but that you keep His commandments and don't live together before marriage. 

 It has been a blessing to continue to meet with Luz Marina to teach the recent convert lessons. She is just so cool. She comes from very humble circumstances but accepted the law of the tithe and always finds the 6 soles ( I think) for her and Rajjoo to attend church. This week they were completely out of money. She searched her house but couldn't find a single sole. Her purse didn't contain any money but she was determined to go to church. She and Rajjoo got on their knees and prayed. She decided to go borrow some money from a friend. Later they were leaving to go to church so she grabbed her purse and 7 soles fell out. She then found money in other spots where there hadn't been before. They ended up with 30 soles, I think it was. I know that the Lord literally does open up the windows of heaven and pour out blessings for keeping the law of tithing. Tithing is not so much of a sacrifice when you account for the blessings received.  God is so merciful and I’m grateful I have met Luz Marina and Rajjoo.  I have learned so much from their examples of faith and received so many blessings from their friendship than I could have expected beforehand.  It astounds me how much the Lord loves and blesses us and has prepared His children to accept the gospel. I love the Lord.

Have a great week! Love you lots!

Hermana Beckstead