Hey!
It sounds like you guys are keeping busy as usual:) Hopefully all goes well with Junk in the Trunk this week and the installation of insulation hahaha. I loved those photos from the Pageant. Dad I am still convinced the beard look is not for you:P Is Aspen a fairy in the birthday party picture? How cute!
This week, we had so many great experineces with many of our investigators. When we went to talk to A and F this week, the boyfriend/father was there. He is really supportive of the church, although he has never attended. However, he loves talking with the missionaries and I was grateful to finally be able to find him. He works in one of the mines in Antofagasta and when he is in town they normally go on vacations. The lesson went really well, and he talked about the great change that he has seen in A since she started going to church. He said it has made her more soft and lovely. He is going to start his divorcement papers and A is trying to as well!
D, D, D. Our lovely taxi driving friend. He is such a great investigator and we had an amazing lesson with him on Friday. The spirit was really strong and he was finally certain that he would attend church . He said the closing prayer for the first time in all of the times that we have been working with him. It was really powerful. Both Hermana Alonzo and I left feeling so great. He is really progressing and we felt such a spiritual high after leaving his house.
The V family is progressing as well. This week we were able to put baptismal dates for E and V ( the mom and daughter. The dad is a less active) for the 31st of May. We were super proud, and they are really excited for the date. I can really see how people are more focused when we committ them to baptism and set a date. Although, the baptism may not occur on the first date we set, it really helps get them ready and start preparing on their own. They are excited to reactivate and went to our ward activity on Saturday. It was a dessert festival. Every organization made two desserts to present and share. Hermana Alonzo and I made a "Baptiz-mobile" and the Elders of the ward made cinnamon rolls. Our baptizmobile won most creative!!!! It was super fun, and we were happy to see the V family attend.
Our other great lesson was with R. He is married and has two children. About a year ago his wife and oldest child were baptized. The youngest is still only five, and R didnt feel ready. I started teaching him with Hermana Castor and he said that he was Atheist, but has faith. We were a little confused by that statement, but we went with it. Over the past few months it has been difficult to teach him (he works in the mines too), but we have seen great change. He has a really strong testimony now of Heavenly Father and prayer and is learning and accepting our teachings. His wife is less active, but wants to go to church as a family. The lesson with him was short, but really powerful. We had brought a member with us and I am convinced that her testimony and experiences really helped him to be more open. It was very powerful. He too said the closing prayer (although not for the first time) and the spirit became even stronger. It was really great.
A week full of really great lessons. I felt like the spirirt was very strong on several occassions. However, we wouldnt know the good if there was no opposition..... All of these people and families promised that they would come to church. We also had two others that were also saying that they were going to come. With the spirit so strong we believed that we would have 7 investigators in church on Sunday. We called to verify on Saturday night and Sunday morning. We excitedly went to church.
In the first hour no one showed up. Our church schedule is reversed so we do Relief society and then Sunday School and then Sacrament Meeting. We knew that many of the investigators could only come for Sacrament, but we became nervous when no one showed up for the first hour. We made a few calls to those who were supposed to be there to see what had happened and they affirmed that they were still coming . However, when the third hour rolled around, no one had come. No one, not a single investigator. It was a little frustrating and disappointing admittedly. I really thought that at least the majority would come. The lessons had been great, I believed. I now more fully understand that when great things are happening there is a lot of opposition. We went and visited those who didnt come to church yesterday. Sure enough, alll of their plans had grown complicated for one reason or another and they all figured they could just go to church next week.
We have a lot of hope for change here. We are seeing great things but it was a bit difficult to be sitting alone yesterday. We are going to keep working and make sure that this week they know the importance of going to church. We just want them to feel that same spirirt that we do when we go. I know it is possible, but it appears that it is going to take a lot of effort. Like I said, when something great is going to happen there always seems to be some opposition. Hopefully, this week was all the opposition hahaha. If not, Hermana Alonzo and I are ready!!
I love you guys!. I have heard that we are talking with our families on May 11th. The bishop said we could use his computers to skype. Our church is from 10am-1pm Chilean time, so it will be some time after that. I will try to get a better schedule this week, and I will let you know.
Hermana Biggs
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