One Ray at a Time- April

4/2/2024

Wow I cannot believe it is already april! It is actually insane! Pday yesterday was so so good! I ran two miles and then played some soccer. My soccer game is getting better. One of the elders actually coached me a little bit. I usually only play defense, because I have no idea what to do on offense tbh. But yeah I wished I payed more attention in pee-wee soccer when I was little. Yesterday after pday ended I had my first experience with the holy ghost guiding me here on my mission. We went to this one neighborhood and we weren’t really sure what we were doing there but we went to one of our dots, and she we didn’t want to talk to us so we went to another dot, and this girl is so so cute! She is 19 years old and she moved from mexico to the USA to be with her boyfriend, but then just recently her boyfriend broke up with her and got a new girlfriend. So I was actully able to relate to her about the whole boyfriend thing which is kinda hilarious haha. But my companion started talking about prayer, and I could tell the spirit was telling me to take it in the dirrection of the BOM, and finally I was able to take it that way and I told her that after my breakup the only thing that helped me get through it was reading the BOM and how it brought me so much peace and joy. IT WAS SO AWESOME to see how the lord used my personal experiences to connect with another girl!! We are going to visit her again tomorrow!

Also on P-day Lily Schank messaged me and told me that my zone leader is best friends with Easton and how lily works for his parents! Such a small world and how fun it is to have connections to people in a way.

Ok and today was so good, but also so so busy! We first had a lesson with maria and oh my gosh all these catholic people are starting to kill me because they just do not want to hear what we say and they just preach to us all the time! After we had zone and district council and it was honestly so so good! We talked about opposition and how we can better understand the opposition our friends face as they prepare to get baptized. It was super helpful so we can better understand how to help them! I also got my bike! It is so so cool! everyone was like dang, that's a nice bike hahah! So thank you thank you! I need to find an alan wrench because my handle bars aren't tight, but I am one handy girl so I will figure it out haha! Then we had interview with president, and OH MY GOSH I LOVE HIM! God really knew that I would need him. He says that he loves my eyes and my smile, and he says he can just tell that I have a really kind heart. And he says that “he loves me so so much already, and wishes that he could give me a big hug.” So yeah I am so grateful for his love!! And I told him that my parents are so so grateful for them too! After that we went to go knock some doors and one of our friends is out of town and we think they forgot about their dog becuas the dog is home and had no food or water, so we fed it and gave it some water. After that we had a nice conversation with basher, those are always funny! Then later tonight we made another new friend Jose! And we gave him a cop of the BOM and that he is going to read it! and we are going to meet with him again next week!

4/3/24

Today was crazy i feell like we were going all over the place. Every Wednesday we have something called vision sieries where the whole mission gets on a zoom call with President and Sister Jones, and we go over a few things and then they teach us a lesson or something! After that we made a new friend in the park. I can never remember his nam, it is so so weird. We talked to him for like an hour, but after 30 minutes I never know what is being said hahah. We went to the Hat for lunch. It has super good burgers. The burger I had tasted lke the Bronco burger at brads so that was nice! A member came with us to visit one of our friends, luckily he speaks english!! But after the lesson was over and we walked out he said, “hey i have a gun” and then he proceeded to show us hahah. Then we went on and talked about how my family is big hunters and that didn’t even phase me. I told him to come to southern utah sometime and I would take him shooting. But apparently there has only been hermanas in my area for less than a year because apparently it is a more dangerous part in the mission, hence why the member carries around a gun… But all is well because the lord will protect us.

4/6/2024

Wow thte last few days have been crazy! Thursday we findally got to ride bikes! Honestly the best day ever! It was super cold on thursday but we survived. Hemana pacheco is so SLOW though hahah so it takes us twice as long haha, that is ok though! We also made a new friend in the park and we are going to meet with him again today! Friday we took flowers and a card to our friend who has canccer. She was so grateful! Also on friday we encountered so many bashers, but hey that is just part of the work. Today I am writing all of this on our lunch break after general confence! It was so good! We just watched it here in our crungy little pad. I watched with Hermana G who also lives in this pad so it could be in english, and the other two sisters were in the other room! I also made pancakes for everyone this morning! So that was fun! And now we are going to go to the church buildign to watch the next session! I am so excited, I have loved every talk so far! And although being here on the mission is challenging when I know mom made some cinnomon rolls at home, I can listen to gerneral confrence better than I have ever had before! And tonight I get to go to the mission home and watch it with President and sister jones because right after I am meeting with him again! Super excited!

Met with our friend david in the park, and keeps saying that he wants to get baptized, which is super lit. But he is too scared to give us his number. He said that he is going to come to the church to watch general confrence with us. We will see if he actually come. Watching confrence with president and sister jones was so nice. It was nice to be in a clean home, and eat food that I was used to. It was just the four of us so it was nice. After conference I met with president jones and talked to him all about what I had learned about trust, it was good. And then I told him about my fear and he didn’t really know what to say. And I am honestly just so confused and mad at God for giving me this fear because I just want to do his work and not worry about someone dying. I just don’t understand what his is trying to teach me, and I don’t know what to do about it. Because if something is going to happen I would rather be home than here.

4/8/24

Today felt so long! But the conference was so good. It wore me out for sure though. Mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually! I loved the focus on the temple though! So powerful! None of our friends came to watch with us. But lots of people watched on their own. Also a crazy funny miracle. Before we went to knock doors I was like I am going to pray in english. Amd then after I said I like english. And then after every person we talked to for the next 1.5 hours spoke english. And I tought 4 different lessons!!! It was so nice to have a break from spanish.

April 8, 2024 9:09 AM -

Our friend Rigo says that I am "the missionary with the good handshake" 😂 -Every wednesday we have this thing called "vision series" and it is where we get on a whole mission wide zoom call with President Jones and his wife! They share a spiritual thought with us. Definetley one of my favorite things! -As a mission we are reading the BOM from April 7- June 28, becuase that is how long it took for Joseph Smith to translate it! Super excited -lots of bashers this week, it made things super interesting -Started riding bikes!! best thing ever tbh -Found out from a memember that I am in one of the more dangerous parts in the mission so that is sooo fun (don't worry mom the lord is protecting us) -our new friend david wants to get baptized but his is too scared to give us his phone number -General Confrence was FIRE, got to watch it with some members, some friends, and with the mission president and his wife! ALSO... GO TO THE TEMPLE THIS WEEK for me please!!! -Our friend christian gets baptized this week!! Send prayers his way!! Favorite scripture this week🤩 2 Nephi 22:2 Behold God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. Better, faster, and stronger in every way because of Jesus Christ Love yall, Hermana Rigby 🩷