Week 49: Last week we saw 323 people!

Hey family and friends!! 

These two weeks have been the two weeks with some of the highest ups, and some of the lowest downs. Starting with last week- in this mission we have a goal as a companionshpi to contact 24 new people everyday in the streets. This means that in one week, we talk to at least 150 people, in the hopes of finding people wanting to make a change in their lives. Usually we have a lot of success, we get to talk to a lot of interesting people, we probably talk to lots of murderers without knowing it (hehe sorry Mom) and we are always invited in homes to share a little more, or to at least plan another appointment with them. 

 These last two weeks we talked to a total of 323 people (outside of normal visits) and found 3 new promising people to teach. 3 is a pretty low number, but hey that`s okay! 3 new souls, right? But at the same time we lost 5 different people that were making huge steps.... Not so great, out of the 323, we got negative 2. Although it was a pretty hard blow considering how much we`ve been trying to do our best, I thought it would be fun to make a list of the funniest rejections that we heard in these past two weeks-

- *little girl comes out to meet us at the door* "My mom says she`s not here"
- "Sorry, I`m never here at home" "Oh are you working?" "No...Actually I don`t live here"
-*Turns TV and lights off to make it seem like they`re not home*
-"Sorry I can`t, my baby just got the sickness that`s called "Eye". Us: "Oh, pink eye?" Them "No, it`s a sickness where if a baby starts laughing when they look in the eyes of a sweating man, that means they got the virus" Oh...

Ya... lots of fun stuff. Don`t worry, the next week I will give a report of what we`ve been doing differently so we can get more support from members again and find some more great people!

Some other things that have been just such "Only In Honduras" Moments of this week have been

-We have a ton of little geckos that just crawl around our house, and as I was tying my shoe to leave, one fell from the ceiling on the back of my neck! Ha!
-My awesome companion cleaned our pila (the water source for washing clothes, bathing, and washing dishes, I`ll send the photo so you can see) and we realized after that the water wouldn`t come for another three days so we were left with maybe three gallons of water to shower with that week. Ya! BUT this week now we have running water!!! HURRAY
-I ate an extra mini banana, here they are called "minimos", cute huh? featured in photo as well
-A member gave us "Albocoque", I think that`s what it`s called, and as we cut it we realized it must be star fruit because it makes the shape of stars!
- We are now in the season where in the morning it is SUPER hot, and then about mid day out of nowhere it will always POUR rain. so this week has been full of unplanned slipnslides.

I`m so greatful for this gospel, and I`m so grateful that I know that it`s true because if it weren`t, I would probably be depressed talking to 323 people that don`t care about it, or maybe dead from a stranger I talk to. Hahaaaa

Love,

Hermana Bernal

Week 48: The Spirit doesn´t speak to us with a voice of thunder, rather than with simple thoughts, what feels good and what feels right

This week was such a good week!

First of all we had changes!! I was so happy to stay for my third change here in this ward named The Conce, and I have a new companion!! And she´s my first gringa companion! Haha her name is Hermana Jones, and she went to BYU before the mission, is really cool and also did cross country so we´ve been going on runs in the morning in our exercise time. It has been funny because I have realized that I am now at the point where it feels more comfortable talking just speaking in Spanish, and so this week has been full of some good spanglish conversations. The first day it was hilarious because we were talking in English and then passed by the house of a member and I talked for about 30 seconds in English to the member without realizing it and that she was just like ummmm.... ey don andurstan...

This week I really began to learn about the importance of the spirit. As missionaries there is no goal to force information or convince people that what we believe is correct, rather to help them understand God´s eternal truths. The spirit gives us feelings of is comfort, gives us feelings of assurance of what is correct or incorrect, and gives us the desire to change who we are and we are doing. God´s eternal truths can only be understood by listening to the Spirit, so if I as a missionary am not listening to what the Spirit guides me to do or say, I can have no success.

It´s sometimes hard to know if what I am saying are really my words or the words of the Spirit, but this week I had an experience where I learned pretty clearly what it meant to be guided, or not be guided. A girl was asking a bunch of doctrinal questions, in the mission it is called "Bible bashing" because she was pulling out a bunch of things out of context to contend with the Restoration of Jesus Christ. I mistakenly thought that if I tried to convince her with other scriptures I could convince her that she was wrong, and was teaching just from my personal knowledge and getting heated up as I explained, I was contending too!! She then asked me a question that really stumped me. I had no idea what the answer was, and my mind just went blank. How weird I thought, normally the answer just pops in my head I´m able to teach cleary and simply. But then it all came down on me that I had no answer because the Spirit had left me, and luckily my companion saved it and gave the most simple and pure response that the Spirit was able to testify to her more powerfully than anything I could ever said. Let me remind you that my companion can´t roll her Rs, and what she said wasn´t anything magnificent but what it did was it brought the Spirit. It was a huge lesson to me that the Spirit doesn´t speak to us with a voice of thunder, rather than with simple thoughts that come to our head about what feels good, what feels right. After that lesson I felt horrible, and from that moment I vowed to never do anything like that again! Libre soyyy! Let it gooo, let it gooo

Also something funny that happened this week was that it started POURING rain, like serious thunderstorm and we needed to catch a bus that was just leaving and didn´t see us so we ran through mini-lake puddles literally sprinting until it stopped to drop people off and we thought oh Good it will wait for us, and then it started leaving again so you can just imagine two little gringa americans in dresses in the pouring rain running for our lives for this bus. And then I tripped and fell in the mud. And it never stopped. Good times!

I love you all!! Have a good week!

Hermana Bernal

Week 47: God Wins

This week was a really good week, a couple of highlights 

Firstly we have been seeing some MAJOR progress in the family of Ivis and Josue, as I think I explained before they have been making some huges changes within their family. This week we were able to teach about the Law of Tithing, which before Josue had commented to his wife that their savings would be too tight if they payed tithing, as we taught and read the promised blessings that we can receive from Malachias, when we challenged Josue to pay his tithing he said "I`ll pay, because I need more peace in my home, and more blessings". It is so awesome to see people understanding that in return for our faith to God, he is obligated to bless us (DC 82:10).

We had a baptism this Saturday and it was crazy because the pila water was running BLACK and last minute we had to change church buildings, and that was a huge mess because changing buildings meant we had to find transportation for everyone that was to arrive and make sure that there are clean rooms available and in the end it turned out to be huge miracle, and so many people showed up! And Ivis and Josue showed up without anyone picking them up to drive them there we still dont know how they arrived they are so awesome!!! And then Sunday we found out that the pila water had started runnning clear again... All part of Satan`s failed to plan to prevent the baptisms but God wins!! Ya!!

Then Sunday we were passing by the house of Ivis and Josue, and we were surprised to see only Ivis there, and she then told us that she had said that she didn`t want to go (and she was kidding) and Josue just responded "eso es tu rollo" or in other words "you do your thing" and then Josue and two of the little girls had already left walking to church!!!!! You guys don`t understand every week I am amazed at the change that is going on with them they are so so awesome and they are selling hamburgers this week to pay for their wedding!!! AH!!

..and then not to mention that the sacrament talks were about how to gain a personal testimony, tithing, and fasting. Everything is so inspired. I love God.

A couple of different things that I realized this week.

Before when I would read the Book of Mormon, whenever I got to chapters that talked about the doctrine of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, I feel like I didn`t really understand what I was reading and would end up missing out on really beautiful points of doctrine. This week we taught to a women who feels really weighed down by a lot of sin and like she can never receive the forgiveness of God, we shared in Alma 7:14 that says " 14 Now I say unto you that ye must repent, and be bornagain; for the Spirit saith if ye are not born again ye cannotinherit the kingdom of heaven; therefore come and bebaptized unto repentance, that ye may be washed fromyour sins, that ye may have faith on the Lamb of God, whotaketh away the sins of the world, who is mighty to saveand to cleanse from all unrighteousness.". It is such a blessing to know that no matter what we have done or how unclean we may feel, Jesus Christ is powerful to clean and purify ALL INIQUITY.

I love you!!!! have a good week!!


Hermana Bernal

Week 46: "How can I be a better leader?"

This week was super awesome, I don´t have too much time today but here is the letter that I wrote to our mission President

This week we did divisions with the Hermanas Hermana Posso and Hermana Nuñez, as well as Hermana Gomez and Hermana Moreno. I was with Hermana Nuñez, and I was really astounded by her determination and spirit that she brought. As I asked her about how she has been feeling, what goals are and things she would like to improve, she explained to me that she feels that her progress is really slow, and that at times she feels un-useful as a missionary. This astounded me because though she is timid, I loved to see how she really taught from her heart in lessons. It reminded me of the beginning of the mission when I just felt like there were so many things to focus on that I felt the same way too. But I see Hermana Nuñez as being a great leader, she right now being very humbled but I see that she will progress quickly because she wants to improve.

I really enjoyed doing divisions with Hermana Gomez. She is fearless and full of love- we talked with everyone in the street, and there was no sort of hesitation of "who will speak, who will teach" that sort of thing. That morning I had been preparing for an investigator that we were going to teach the restauration, and while I prepared the thought came to mind that we should share Hebrews 5:4 from the beginning. Before teaching that lesson with Hermana Gomez, I explained that we will focus a lot on the authority of God, but didn´t mention anything about the scripture. But, as we taught, turns out she received the same impression, and while teaching prophets she shared that same scripture! After we were both super happy to have felt the guidance of the Spirit. Hermana Gomez seems to be ready for more responsibilities. It is obvious from her studies that her spirit is hungry to learn and improve as well.

A lot of great things happened this week- we are having some difficulties with the family of the two youth that will be baptized this Saturday, but we know that it is just Satan trying to get in the way!! And we are also seeing the BEAUTIFUL progress of Josue and Ibis, they will be married in September, possibly before!!

I love the mission woo!!

Ivis and Josue are the couple that we are going to marry!!! I am so excited! And they are so prepared it´s not even funny, when we taught the word of wisdom they said that they had already stopped drinking coffee because they heard that Mormons don’t drink coffee, when we taught about Diezmos they told us they had already gotten used to obeying that law in another church, when we told them we were planning to help them out with money for the wedding they explained they already planned to start selling clothes. This week we decided to test their faith and didn´t pick them up to go to church, and they arrived. I am so excited for them.

The week before we organized a talent show in the ward, it´s kinda funny here because all of the activities in the US like the Halloween activity and Christmas, are things that we just know are coming but here we are trying to get the ward in a routine of doing monthly activities. It was such a good turn out, 70 people came and new people showed up!! But I couldn´t take any pictures....................... :P

Oh and about the Hermana Nunez that I did divisions with (she is starting out her mission, not the same hermana Nunez that was my companion) it was awesome because I remember first doing division with the hermana training leaders and they just made me feel worse because she didn’t comfort me whatsoever haha, but it felt good to be able to help out Hermana Nunez by giving her ideas to always write down her accomplishments though they might feel small, and making sure to communicate with her companion.

We went to the temple last week and before going to the temple I came with the question "how can I be a better leader?" and I learned about how in the video, Christ gives us the example of doing everything as the Father says, and reporting quickly and exactly. I realized to be a better leader, I just need to think more about doing what God asks.

I also had a light bulb moment when we were teaching the Dia de Reposo (Sabbath Day). Our Manual says: "Our conduct on the Day of Rest reflects our commitment to God". Made me reflect, what does what I´m doing the Sabbath day say about my commitment to God?

Love you all tons!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! XD

Hermana Bernal

Week 45: "Our conduct on the Day of rest reflects our commitment to God"

Hello!! 

This email is probably best just for you guys cuz I dont know if every body else wants to know these details,

This week was super awesome, I don´t have too much time today but here is the letter that I wrote to our mission President

This week we did divisions with the Hermanas Hermana Posso and Hermana Nuñez, as well as Hermana Gomez and Hermana Moreno. I was with Hermana Nuñez, and I was really astounded by her determination and spirit that she brought. As I asked her about how she has been feeling, what goals are and things she would like to improve, she explained to me that she feels that her progress is really slow, and that at times she feels unuseful as a missionary. This astounded me because though she is timid, I loved to see how she really taught from her heart in lessons. It reminded me of the beginning of the mission when I just felt like there were so many things to focus on that I felt the some way too. But I see Hermana Nuñez as being a great leader, she right now being very humbled but I see that she will progress quickly because she wants to improve. 

I really enjoyed doing divisions with HErmana Gomez. She is fearless and full of love- we talked with everyone in the street, and there was no sort of hesitation of "who will speak, who will teach" that sort of thing. That morning I had been preparing for an investigator that we were going to teach the restauration, and while I prepared the thought came to mind that we should share Hebrews 5:4 from the beginning. Before teaching that lesson with Hermana Gomez, I explained that we will focus a lot on the authority of God, but didn´t mention anything about the scripture. But, as we taught, turns out she received the same impression, and while teaching prophets she shared that same scripture! After we were both super happy to have felt the guidance of the Spirit. Hermana Gomez seems to be ready for more responsibilities. It is obvious from her studies that her spirit is hungry to learn and improve as well.

Alot of great things happened this week- we are having some difficulties with the family of the two youth that will be baptized this Saturday, but we know that it is just Satan trying to get in the way!! And we are also seeing the BEAUTIFUL progress of Josue and Ibis, they will be married in September, possibly before!!

I love the mission woo!!

A couple questions that I was thinking about- there may not be an answer, and the answer may be as simple as the fact that everything is so that all man can be saved, but why are some people born in times of Apostasy, never having the chance to hear of the gospel here on Earth?
Other questions is Why does God permit that some people don´t feel anything when they sin? Because it seems that there are some people that just stop feeling... maybe it´s because I can´t read their minds...

Ivis and Josue are the couple that we are going to marry!!! I am so excited! And they are so prepared it´s not even funny, when we taught the word of wisdom they said that they had already stopped drinking coffee because they heard that Mormons dont drink coffee, when we taught about Diezmos they told us they had already gotten used to obeying that law in another church, when we told them we were planning to help them out with money for the wedding they explained they already planned to start selling clothes. This week we decided to test their faith and didn´t pick them up to go to church, and they arrived. I am so excited for them.

The week before we organized a talent show in the ward, it´s kinda funny here because all of the activities in the US like the Halloween activity and Christmas, are things that we just know are coming but here we are trying to get the ward in a routine of doing monthly activities. It was such a good turn out, 70 people came and new people showed up!! But I couldn´t take any pictures....................... :P

Oh and about the Hermana Nunez that I did divisions with (she is starting out her mission, not the same hermana nunez that was my companion) it was awesome because I remember first doing division with the hermana training leaders and they just made me feel worse because she didnt comfort me whatsoever haha, but it felt good to be able to help out Hermana Nunez by giving her ideas to always write down her accomplishments though they might feel small, and making sure to communicate with her companion.

We went to the temple last week and before going to the temple I came with the question "how can I be a better leader?" and I learned about how in the video, Christ gives us the example of doing everything as the Father says, and reporting quickly and exactly. I realized to be a better leader, I just need to think more about doing what God asks.

I also had a lightbulb moment when we were teaching the Dia de reposo, PMG says "Our conduct on the Day of rest reflects our commitment to God". Made me reflect, what does what I´m doing the Sabbath day say about my commitment to God?


Love you all tons!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! XD


Hermana Bernal

Week 44: A lot of times people need to be heard first, before they can listen.

Hello!!

How are you guys? Congratulations to Jaime`s brother for getting married!! That`s so so exciting!!

With my companion we started writing on our big calendars miracles that have happened to us every day, and it`s amazing how the more we write down, the more we see!

This email is a bit of a continuation of the last, and some of this week`s events. This week was so so great, every week of the mission I always think to myself ¨this week has been the best week of my mission¨. We have been teaching a family of a couple and three kids, and these past weeks they have taken some HUGE STEPS!!! It has been so so exciting! From the first day meeting them they explained to us that all they wanted was for the family to be more united and to be ¨good with God¨. The parents were timid at the beginning, but these past couple of weeks we have seen them change from only the Mom going to church, to them all going together as a family, to them reading the scriptures and praying as a family, to them now setting a date to get married! All of these steps have been thanks to a ton of help from a star couple that has been there almost every step of the way encouraging them and always testifying of the importance of the gospel in a happy family. They are not married, and Josue was primarily against the idea, but this week they told us about how they are seeing changes in their relationship and in their home. As a missionary hearing this it just makes us want to jump up and scream YES THATS WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT!!

 
Anyways this week in our prep to teach about marriage and family we read something in Preach my gospel that said ^It`s much more possible toachieve happiness in family life when it is based on the teachings of Jesus Christ and when the family occupies the highest priority for parents^ It was funny because as I was reading this I all of a sudden got choken up thinking about how greatful I am for the family I have and how greatful I am that my parents were so succesful in making us feel like we were the highest priority for them. It`s funny here on the mission, as I learn more about the gospel I learn about how undeservingly spoiled with blessings I have been thanks to the family that I have. My companion was just like "it`s ok, you can cry.."... hahah Just made me think about my sister and brother who are starting their own families, I know that if you trust in this principle you will have the same blessings!! 

 
Another thing that I have been learning this past couple of weeks is how to be a better listener, and to ask better questions. Here alot of people that we meet at times just repeat what they hear, and also expect us to just choke them with information about "some other church".To resolve this problem we have been starting to ask more personal questions from the beginning, like "what changes would you like to see in your life? Instead of Do you believe in God, Why do you believe in God? Or How do you know God knows you? It helps us a lot more to figure out what type of spiritual experiences they have had, and then work from there. Right now I`m just thinking about how how my first week in Honduras that was the first thing that AMAZED me about the culture here, it doesn`t matter who talk to, people are so willing to get down and personal in a few moments of getting to know eachother. I love Honduras.

I was able to put that a little bit in practice when were doing divisions this past week with other hermana missionaries. Right now as an Hermeana Lider Trainer, our calling is to help the hermanas fulfill the potential as missionaries, we do divisions with them (we divide up in companionships) to find out how they are doing, and help resolve conflict. We did divisions with two companionships and I was with one who before I was honestly afraid of her because she is super controlling and their companionship was struggling a ton, but after asking a lot of questions and hearing what she had to say about what was going on, she later thanked me because she felt like she had actually learned something from divisions. Made me super happy and also made me realize that a lot of times people need to be heard first, before they can listen.

It was funny because I was called to serve as Hermana training leader with only 7 months in the mission, and I doubted myself a ton at first, but as I was reading my Patriarchal blessing it told me that I would serve as a leader, and then then in Principles of the gospel it sayd ¨All our given talents and opportunities to serve in callings, but we are always given the choice to deny offering service" after reading that I loled and decided I shouldnt doubdoubt myself because it is really just a calling to serve others haha

Other awesome things that we are seeing is a joven named Alvaro who before, he even said it himself, was super lost, is now setting goals to clean himself up, cut his hair, arrive at church on time, get a job, and go to seminary so that he can go on a mission. I think that is the best thing I get to see in the mission, seeing people make little changes. For small and simple things, are great things brought to pass... (Alma 37:6) We have been reading the Book of Mormon daily with him. He is super cool

Adrianna needs to record for me a song that me the song I am His Daughter by Nicole Sheahan beacause it is my jam and every time I hear it I hear Adrianna`s voice.


Love you!!!! all!!!! You guys are all so awesome!!

Week 43: 9 MONTHS!

HEY FAMILY!!!!!

HOY SI voy a escribirles de miedo. (translation: ok for real I will write to everyone a ton!! haha)

Love you all dearly. Okay..

First of all, now in the mission I have been in every part of the mission Tegcugialpa- In the City in my first area called Santa Lucia where it was pretty much like a mini Honduras version of Mercer Island- the people had a fair a mount of bills, were a lot more educated, and asked us a lot of doctrinal questions which always freaked me out because starting my mission I didn`t know squat let alone in Spanish

Next phase of my mission I was in Marcovia- in Southern Honduras which is STRAIGHT UP HONDURAS where it`s suuuper hot, there are always naked kids running around in the dirt little roads, and the closest market is a 20 minute bus ride away. There I really really grew in my testimony of the Restauration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I learned to teach in a simpler way, and I had some of my hardest times teaching the Restauration, and learned a lot about how blessed we are with how developed the church is in the United States because in that branch the missionaries do EVERYTHING. Nobody shows up to give a talk? the missionaries. Nobody shows up to give the sunday school class? The missionaries. 3 hermanas showed up in relief society? yay!! the missionaries are hermanas, they can do it!!

Next phase was when I went to Mongollanos, one change after finishing my training, and I became trainer! That was when I really started to fall in love with the people here, with this work, with being a missionary, everything. Mongollanos reminds me kind of of Marysville, a little townish like place. That ward was full of love, a ton of youth got involved with misisonary work, and one of those we baptized I like to picture as Dad when he was 16, this guys was golden, andreparing to serve his mission.

Just after one change they moved me to here in La Concepcion in Danli, Honduras. Danli is East of Tegucigalpa, it`s ^the cold part of Honduras^^ and here it rains a lot and its my first area that is closest to being city-like. However, walking 10 minutes in one direction you will find people in some of the most humble homes, like the picture I sent a couple weeks ago. To help you picture it there are about five people with cars in the Ward. So its a pretty wide spread of education and wealth.

In my mission I have gone through some pretty funny phases but I have developed in a couple of areas in specific

Learning to be myself- In the beginning of my mission, I took a little too seriously the title of "being a representative of Jesus Christ" in my efforts to do that I thought I had to leave behind my personality and be all holy 100% of the time and not speak about things that dont pertain to the church, I had a companion that was super disobedient (my second trainer) and I was shocked that not all missionaries are angels like I had always thought they were. In this process and especially training Hermana Posso, I realized that there is no ONE type of good missionary, there is no perfect missionary, there is no perfect ward, there is no perfect nothing. I came to realize that I could have success as long as I strived to develop my personal talents, and help my companions see the blessings of being obedient. That was my mistake from before- I would take note of what my senior companion would do and assumed that knowing more than me, what she did is the best way to do things. But more and more on my mission, I realize the only example that we can ever use to strive to become is Jesus Christ. Very often those who seem like angels in the mission, are not... and vice versa.

I have learned and grown a ton in my testimony of the Restauration. Before the mission my only testimony of the Restauration has been from what I have read in the Book of Mormon, but I have come to realize that the true message of the Restauration is that God is the same God yesterday, today, and forever, and that His order has always been given through his prophets that help us see in a world that is so blind. I have had some great moments, seeing as other people have come to know of the truth of this plan.

I have also learned a lot about how to stand up for what is right. This week especially was a huge step for me, as in this ward the bishop has worked some major mischief (as the church is starting to develop here, not everything is beautifully neat and in order all the time). Recently the bishopric has been using sacrament talks as a way to lecture the members of the ward for things that they are doing wrong. The moment most depressing was when there was a talk about the responsibility of fulfilling responsibilities with the church cleaning. I seriously was so depressed to hear this talk, at the thought that the most sacred meeting of Sunday was used in this way. In Correlation my companion and I spoke with love but with truth that the sacrament meeting is to talk about the welfare of our souls as it is said in Moroni, to talk about how we can better follow the example of Jesus Christ. As we stand at the pulpit we speak to what we believe Jesus Christ would say in that moment, not about things like the aseo of the capilla.... Anyways he understood, and we are moving forward. A lot of people here just aren`t sure how to fulfull their callings really.

Well thats all for today, I love you all tons, I actually promise with all my heart I will write good emails from now on,

I just ask one thing........... money for a good camera for my birthday?? I LOVE YOU!!!!!

Hermana Bernal