Cambios Grandes! - Transfers

Buenas dias!

Sister Nava met Marissa's grandma
 in Murray when she returned home.

Wow, big changes are happening in the New Jersey Morristown Mission! Sister Daniels and I got a phone call last Thursday night from President Jeppson. He called us to serve as trainers for some of the new sisters who are coming in this week! Today is our last P-Day with Sister Nava, who is going back to Murray, Utah this Wednesday! As a companionship, we have been able to see the "fruits of our labors" that have come from working in a brand new area where we knew absolutely nobody, but now we have good relationships with the inspiring members of the Spanish branch here, we are teaching some investigators who are coming to church, and we have big hopes for the area. We were pretty sure that Sister Daniels would be the one out of the two of us to be transferred to another area of New Jersey with her trainee. We got the transfer text from our leaders this morning saying yes, Sister Daniels will be leaving me too. Now the Lord and the members will be helping me and my new companion work the area of Hightstown together!

 

We are working with one family- a husband and wife and son, who already have friends in the branch, but don't completely understand the Book of Mormon/ Restoration. They appreciate the organization and truths of the church, though. I have a big responsibility to help them and our other investigators of this area progress towards baptism, as well as love the less-active people of the branch and help them remember the significance of their baptismal covenants and their testimonies and help welcome them back to church.

 

Pres. Harrison, put together a "Noche de Hogar/ Despedida" (Family Home Evening/ Goodbye-party) for Sister Nava, since this is her last area of her mission! We met with a good percentage of the branch members there and even some investigators in one of the members' backyards and enjoyed the time together singing hymns, sharing thoughts and gratitude for Sister Nava, and, of course, eating some great food from places like Puerto Rico and Mexico! :) The home we went to was huge, and it was fun to see one of the older, single men named Elizeo find one of their fancy patio chairs looking as content as you could ever imagine by himself on the other side of the pool.

 

When I got my mission call, I had NO IDEA how much being a Spanish-speaking missionary influence me! I am living in part of a culture totally different and meeting so many different people than I would have known here had I been English-speaking. It is great that learning a new language will give me more skills for the future, but it is also amazing that learning this language gives me the opportunity to communicate the gospel message with these people here who also need it so desperately, just like everyone does! I am grateful that God has a plan for all of us.

 

Besides being Spanish-speaking, being a sister missionary has changed me in ways I never could have imagined!! I am so blessed to have been raised in an active family of the Church who taught me gospel principles and commandments in the home, as well as leaders in church, seminary teachers, friends, and so forth. I am especially grateful that right now I have the structure of the missionary schedule and opportunity to really contemplate what is important to me as a Latter-Day Saint and WHY we do the things we do. I am recognizing so many weaknesses and overcoming them through repentance. I understand more why we need Jesus Christ as part of God's Plan of Salvation, why we follow commandments  (tithing, the Word of Wisdom, following the prophet), and why the principles and ordinances of the Gospel of Jesus Christ- faith, repentance, baptism, the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to end are essential for everyone. I appreciate more that we as people would not be able to follow the Gospel of Jesus Christ without the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ for these last days through Joseph Smith and modern prophets! As I come to understand these ideas, it is so much more natural to be a missionary and become more like Christ!

 

I love you all! Thank you for all that you do! Keep building love and faith in the Gospel in your homes!

Love,

Hermana Martin