The Lord Brings Us Low Before He Lifts Us Higher

Hola!

This week has been slow and fast at the same time. On the mission your day feels like a week and your week feels like a day. I've lost all concept of time here. So being Spanish speaking in Virginia is weird because we're teaching and talking to people in Spanish and then when we get into the real world and go to the store or something these people have thick southern accents! I never realized before that Virginia is part of the South. So if I can't get my Spanish accent then I'll at least come home with a Southern one!

Another fun fact about Virginia is that gas is only $1.89 here! Isn't that crazy!? Also the weather here is so weird. On Monday it rained a ton and was like 50 degrees. On Tuesday everything froze because it was all wet and 30 degrees. The roads were fine though. Don't worry Mom and Dad! ;) It was so cool though because everything was an icicle. I'll send a picture of it. The trees looked they had snow on them but it was just ice.

Now I can actually talk about my investigators! I finally got to meet most of the people that we teach in our area. Our golden investigator is named Priscila. She's getting baptized February 7th! She is so amazing. We go over to teach her but really she good teach us. After we read a scripture she'll start to explain it before we even say anything. On Tuesday we were talking about Faith and we read a scripture in the Book of Mormon first and she started talking about how important faith is and how it says in the Bible faith without works is dead. She totally understands! It's so awesome teaching her. She's been coming to church and she loves it! Yesterday was her second time. When we were talking to her about how Satan will try to put doubts into her mind and make her second guess her decision to be baptized she said, No he won't because I pray every day and the Lord gives me strength to overcome. She has definitely been prepared.

On Tuesday we met the cutest couple. Their names are Anna and Miguel. They're my favorite! They are also prepared for the gospel. So we didn't have a chance to teach them because they talked the whole time we were there explaining their religious background. What they were saying though was crazy! They were explaining that they have been to many different churches and what they've noticed is that they each have a little bit of the truth, but there are some teachings of each of the churches that they know are wrong. Anna said that she found a church that she liked in Texas when she was living there but it wasn't the same up here. Basically they were explaining the Apostasy about how many different churches were formed and each had a little bit of the truth but none of them have the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I just can't wait to teach them the Restoration on Wednesday and to tell them that we have it all! We have all of the teachings and truths in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. That's one lesson that I am super excited for. I can't wait to see their reactions!

I have been fed three times now by members and Hispanics feed missionaries a lot differently than Americans. Hispanics fill your plates with mass amounts of food and then either watch you eat or sometimes they go do something else. They never sit down and eat with you. But they serve your food and you have to eat all of it. It's like Thanksgiving. I have to fast during the day so that I have room for all of the food they feed me. They food has been good though, thankfully. Each time we get fed I ask my companion if we'll have to eat something gross. Sometimes it's a hit and miss with some people. But for now it's been great!

This week was a little rough. Most of our appointments got cancelled so we only taught a few lessons this week. So we went contacting for my first time! That was a different experience. Most Hispanics here live in trailer parks so we knock in trailer parks. When we get Americans we ask them if they know of any Hispanics in the area. Our numbers for lessons may have been low but we had high numbers for referrals and contacted this week.

I think this week was a trial, but with patience, the Lord brings blessings. Yesterday we went to an investigator's home and we were going to drop him because he just wasn't progressing at all. But his roommate was there and he was super interested and wanted to learn more. So it would have been awkward to tell Miguel that we were dropping him but coming back to teach his roommate Adolfo. So we didn't tell him, but in reality he's dropped and Adolfo is our new investigator. And then this morning we got a call from a guy named Daniel who is the other roommate. My companion taught him when she was last in the area and he was actually gonna get baptized but things feel through. So he called us and asked us to come and teach him too! Crazy! Another little miracle that happened today...Tomorrow we're doing exchanges with the Sister Trainer Leaders so I won't be able to go to the lessons with my companion because I'll be in the STL's area. So I'll miss the lesson with Miguel and Anna that I have been waiting for all week! But we called them this morning to confirm the appointment for tomorrow and they switched it to Wednesday! God is good. He answers prayers. He loves His children.

I love you all! Have a great week!

Hermana Reed