Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Choose The Ugly Cookies

Hello Everyone!

This last week was a little encouraging! We reactivated TWO PEOPLE! One of which received a calling this last Sunday. I am very happy for her. Just so you know a little bit more about this area. Last month (July) in all of our zone there were only 9 baptisms and 8 reactivations. Missionary work is a little tough. I never imagined that I would have such a hard time finding someone who wants to be baptized here, but I will tell you it is not an easy thing. I feel like I am trying to pull a horse by it's neck. 

We found a really great family. Yesterday we invited them to be baptized, but as usual every person and there dog is Catholic here and won't budge. They even prayed to know if Joseph Smith was a true prophet, received an answer and all. The dad thought the way we have our baptisms is correct because it is exactly how Christ was baptized. He wants to have a baptism like Christ but wants to stay Catholic afterwards. I told him sorry that's not an option. Once you are baptized you change religions! You are now a Mormon! But we are working poco a poco with these people. I am not scared to invite people to be baptized we do it multiple times every week or daily, sometimes I wonder why why why won't they accept this gospel. I am trying my hardest to do everything on my part to be my best to see these miracles happen, but I believe I need to learn something more. Patience. Endurance. Hope. Faith. 

I love being with a new missionary because she has so much faith in these people. We do have one person who will be baptized!! We just don't have a set date yet. Renato is 14 years old. He is the grandson of the most faithful member in our ward, Hermano Cely. He has been coming to church and listening to the missionaries since January! If you remember, we had a baptism date for him in June but it fell through. Well we are now teaching him with his brother, and that is when we saw everything change. We were in a lesson with them both and we invited them to be baptized (for the 50th time). Leonadro the 9 year old brother said "SI!" That's when Renato's face lit up, he turned to his brother and said "You really want to be baptized?" When his brother shook his head, Renato finally changed everything. Now that he has the support of his family he is on board! We are just waiting for his mom to talk with his dad to make sure it is okay. We had the most lovely Family Home Evening with them last Saturday. We talked about Agency and the 10 commandments. I used one of Cynthia's ideas. We filled oreos with toothpaste and then had other cream filled ugly cookies. We counseled them to choose the ugly cookies, but they didn't liston. Everyone but one person chose the toothpaste cookies, and they ate the whole thing!!! Even after we told them "stop, there is toothpaste in that cookie!" The grandpa was choking afterwards. I was trying not to dye of laughter. 

I was oficially called to be the English Tutor in my district. I teach English lessons to the missionaries in my district and pass levels off with them every week. President Rowley is really forcing the Latinos to learn English. I am trying to teach my comp but she has little desire. We are supposed to speak in English and hour each day........We are lucky if we speak 10 words each day. 

I taught Gospel Principles yesterday. Mom THANK YOU for sending be those books---just in time. 

go spread the gospel

Love and pray for you all!!!! :)

Hermana Stringham

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