This week was one of the hardest and best weeks of my life! I feel like I have grown more in this week alone than any other time since I've been on my mission.
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New companion |
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Old companion |
As far as the big news goes for this week...I got a new companion!!! You know the saying when they say the bird grows up and then the mom pushes it out of the nest to see if it can fly? Actually, I don't think that's how it goes at all...I'm thinking I probably just made that saying up huh? Oh well. The point is that this transfer I have felt like that, but on a greater level. At the first of this transfer I felt like I had been pushed out of a plane without a parachute (I was more or less terrified and didn't feel ready or like I knew what I as doing.) My American trainer was transferred and I was left in Cacahoatan to lead out my area. On Tuesday I went to the bus station to pick up my new companion. As I sat and waited with the zone leaders and sister training leaders we talked about the new companion I was going to receive, what she would be like, where she would be from and so forth. At about 2:15 her bus arrived and the people all got off and began walking in the bus station. A few minutes later there she was, my little Mexican companion named Hermana Canul walked in the doors. My very first thought when I saw her was "Oh boy, she probably doesn't speak a word of English... I was right :). We said hello (well hola actually) and I got her things together and loaded everything up in the taxi and headed off to Cacahoatan. On our way there we talked and I explained to her how our district leader had told me she would be senior companion because she had more time in the mission. She then explained to me how she was actually re-starting her mission again. She had been in the mission for for 6 months when she injured her knee and had to go home to get surgery. She went home and had her operation and then had to stay at home for 3 months while she was healing. She told me how this was actually her first day back in the mission and not only would I be senior companion but I would be her trainer as well as she is re-entering the field again. Holy moly that is not what I wanted to hear! I was already worried enough about having a companion who didn't understand any English and leading out an area I still wasn't very familiar with. In that moment my previous analogy came to mind, I felt like I had been pushed out of an airplane without a parachute free-falling into the unknown. We got back to the house and unloaded her things and then got ready to leave to go to our appointments. Before we left the house I knelt down and prayed to my Heavenly Father. I told him I couldn't do this alone and that I needed his help. I put my trust in him and have continued to do so this entire week and I have truly seen miracles because of it.
Hermana Canul is a tiny little thing, she's probably around 4'10". She is from a part of Mexico called Yucatan which is about 18 hours from here. She is Mexican (of course) and speaks Spanish and Mayan. She is a powerful little thing and she has a very strong testimony, I have already learned a lot from her.
As far as the Spanish goes...holy cow am I learning it now! It's kind of like a sink or swim kind of thing. I don't have anyone who understands English that can explain to me things that were said in the lesson that I didn't understand or help me translate what I want to say. But we are actually able to communicate pretty well. We do a lot of charades throughout the day and explaining things cave man style but for the most part we understand each other. The gift of tongues is real, I have seen it so much this past week. I have been able to teach and communicate with people better than ever before!
This week my testimony about trusting in the Lord has grown so much! I have learned that obedience truly brings blessings. When we are exactly obedient and put our trust completely in the Lord anything is possible! I have seen miracles here everyday this week. Investigators we thought would have to leave keeping their commitments, finding new investigators who the Lord has prepared for us and being happier and more excited than I ever have before.
This church is true, there is no doubt in my mind that it is. Heavenly Father does hear and answer every single prayer in his own timing and in his own way. With the Lord on your side anything is possible!
Mom, I gave one of your pictures you went of the little girl dancing with Jesus to one of our investigators. The lady I gave it to had her little sister pass away so I wrote my testimony on the back of it and told her how I knew she would be able to see her sister again someday. She appreciated it very much! Thank you for sending those pictures mom. They are going to be very useful here in my missionary work!
Love,
Hermana Peine
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