November 4th

Hello Family!! 

Remember when I said that this was my dream transfer?! Well, it has really been my dream transfer- it's been amazing!!! I love everything about this transfer- my companion, the area, the investigators, the members. Miracles all around!

This week has been awesome. 

I love Hermana Lopez- she just gets it. I am amazed how similar our experiences have been. We both come from a big family, grew up in the church, but our parents are converts, have had similar family experiences on our missions, similar experiences that brought us out to the mission, experiences on the mission- especially similar beginnings of our missions (she's only been out for 5 months), same age!! (not 19 yrs old!) similar intrests, anyways, suffice it to say that we get along great! She feels the same way I do about the Gospel and missionary work. I love it! I've never had a companion who feels so much like I do. I am so excited to work East LA like crazy this transfer! Alma and Amulek, my friends.  President said that he's been keeping track of us (our letters, entrevistas, numbers, etc) and has been waiting to put us together for a long time! I'm excited to see what happens.

We've met so many people who are prepared, the work is really growing really fast here. In fact, we met a man this week- Fernando Castillo. A member called us up one day and said she had a family member who was ready for the gospel and asked if we'd come over right then to teach him. When we got there he explained that he's known Mormons for a really long time and he even lived in Utah for a while. He was really impressed with them and the way they live their lives. He's been coming to church the past couple weeks as well. Before we were even able to invite him to baptism, he asked us if we'd be able to baptize him! It was amazing! When he came to church yesterday he looked just like a member! We extended a baptismal date the second visit, which he accepted without hesitation. It's kind of funny because of course usually you spend so much time trying to convince people that they want to be baptized, but now, we're kind of slowing him down trying to help him really feel the conversion process- he just accepts everything already and since the first visit talks about how he wants to go to the temple to baptize his sister. 

The whole week has been like that. We've been finding people who already want to get baptized and are really progressing towards baptism. We met another woman who has been looking for answers since her daughter had a tragic accident 4 years ago- both her and her daughter have been looking for a church that could give them the answers they have. The Spirit was so strong in the lesson. Every lesson we teach is powerful and the Spirit testifies so powerfully to them. Even though I was still transitioning and trying to figure out everything in a new area, we feel like we barely even did anything and the Lord blessed us so much. I'm excited to actually get to work and see what else can happen. 

I am so grateful for the experiences I've had as they have helped me turn to the Lord in a much deeper way. I've begun to understand what it really means to be a disciple of Christ. He's helped me understand how much I really need to depend on Him. Before I think I would be more tempted to see the success we see now as a manifestation of how "good of a missionary I am", but now, I see how much it is not about that. He is a kind and loving Heavenly Father and so has blessed us, not because I "deserve it" but because He will always bless his faithful children in His own time and way. The more I humble myself and open myself to His will, the more peace and joy I find in His work and as His servant. 

so keep on going even if you don't feel like the lord is helping, keep going- he'll help! i promise!

the stake relief society activity this weekend about missionary work. they were trying to get members to give us referrals. They had us do a skit- which was really funny- more so because it was so pathetic! We did it about how members can share the gospel with friends through service. it was funny. that's where the picture comes from (well, afterwards). Someone in the relief society also thought they had a great way to get referrals for us. They went through every missionary that died this past year and gave a bio on every one- talked about how they died, etc. nothing like sympathy and tears to get the members involved to share the gospel! haha. 

love you lots. Wish i had a year more to write about everything that's happened this month, but there's a mountain of missionaries waiting for the computers, so I've got to go. 

Hna. LaPierre

 

 (this picture is kind of funny, but it's our companionship flags-Mexico and the US!!)