Week 72: Go, Diego, Go! :D
Click HERE to listen to Karissa's voice recording for week 72!
Pensamiento Espiritual* (*Spiritual Thought): Eter* (*Ether) 12: 4
P.day de Distrito* (*District Preparation Day)! We cooked a traditional Bolivian dish as a district and ate before heading out to Kotosh, ruins of an ancient temple! It had gorgeous views and we got to see the famous manos cruzadas!!! :D Luego* (*Then), we traveled back and visited Kely, converso* (*convert), and watched Meet the Mormons! She just got back from the ward temple trip and is just SO happy. :)
Martes* (*Tuesday)! Today, I had some pretty cool studies in Abraham! Highly recommended. :) After lunch, we went to visit a member and ended up finding and teaching her nieta* (*granddaughter), Emily, new investigator! :D We read the intro to the LDM* (*Book of Mormon) with her! We tried to visit a contact from the other day, but the address she gave us led us to an uninhabited house that said PELIGRO* (*DANGER) in really huge letters on the door... so no bueno* (*no good) - she doesn’t live there. BUT THE WORK CONTINUES! We then went to Ana, investigator, and explained the Restoration! :D She's SO cool. Ah. I love her SO MUCH. The spirit was incredibly strong! I felt that I should ask her if she knew that the LDM* (*Book of Mormon) was true. SHE SAID YES. :D Then I asked if she knew that Joseph Smith was a prophet. YES AGAIN! :D She's SO prepared it's insane. SUCH A MIRACLE. :D
On Wednesday, we had our last district meeting of the transfer and talked about caridad* (*charity)! After lunch, we had divisiones* (*divisions) with Pedro Puelles! I stayed in Alameda with Hna Huallpa from Bolivia! She's just the sweetest. :) We visited Yojari, investigator, an talked about our divine identity before going to Esther, investigator .... and we found her daughter Ashly, new investigator! :D She is the COOLEST. We talked about God's love for us, even in trials. :) She told us that her faith has been low, and last Saturday she picked up her mom's LDM* (*Book of Mormon) and read a bit, and JUSTO HOY* (*Just today) we just showed up! Coincidences don't exist. :) Then, Diego had his baptismal interview and PASSED! :D he's so ready for Saturday!!!
Thursday was a stressful day. The morning was filled with contract tramites* (*papers), and running around everywhere to get it all ready. After lunch, we had a repeat of the district shoe-shining activity in the park! :D The same preachers yelled at us again. que lindo no* (*not nice). but the work goes on!!! During this activity, I got a call from Tambo. FROM MARY. MY FAVORITE HUMAN. AND GUESS WHAT. SHE WAS AT HER BAPTISMAL SERVICE ABOUT TO GET BAPTIZED :D I cried like a baby. ah. I love her so much..... and she has changed so much since Hna Esparza and I found her. AH. it was just the sweetest tender mercy. :) She said she's never been surer about anything and that she'll never leave. And she thanked me for never giving up on her. it was amazing. :) All of the prayers and fasting I did for her may not have worked in the time frame I wanted them to, but they DID work! (the tocosh that she gave me in exchange for her going to church didn’t work on my stomach but it worked in another way!) God's given me more hope in miracles. :)
Viernes* (*Friday)! We weekly planned in the morning. After lunch, we ended up teaching our pension's nephew Frank, new investigator! He said he feels like there's something missing in his life. THE GOSPEL! Then, we visited Emily, investigator, and read the LDM* (*Book of Mormon). :) Luego* (*Then), we visited Ashly , investigator, and she asked us about baptism. So we explained it and she accepted a baptismal date for July 29th!!! :D She's SO brilliant! We ended the day teaching music class and English class. :)
Saturday! JULY. WOW. ah. time flies. In the morning, we cleaned and filled the pila bautismal* (*baptism font)!!! After lunch, we visited Diego, investigator, and had a testimony meeting! Then, we had a ward contacting activity- we sang and I played guitar and members contacted! :D Luego* (*Then), we had Diego's BAPTISM! :D It went perfectly. He's SO sure that this is the way God wants him to go. :) And the members gave him lots of support, as he doesn’t have much from his own family! It was an incredible day. GO DIEGO GO! :D We also had a ward farewell for Elder Moss and Elder Desposorio, who finished their missions! Good day. :)
Domingo* (*Sunday)! Today, Diego was confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. :) He is just so happy; it makes us so happy!!!!! :D I don’t know if that made sense. Oh well. :) Anyway, we got the cambios noticias* (*transfer call).---- Hermana Jensen is LEAVING ME :( and going to beautiful La Merced, and I’m getting my third comp from Ecuador- Hna Orellana! :D I’m going to train her to be a sister leader, so that's exciting. :D
Well, here we go, friends. Last 6 weeks have officially started. I'm really excited to see all that they have in store for me. :D
LOVE YOU ALLLLLLLLL cuentenme de ustedes* (*tell me about you) :D …. And Happy Fourth of July (maybe I’ll be in the USA for a 4th of July sometime!)
Con amor y mis oraciones para siempre jamas* (*With love and my prayers forever and ever),
Hermana Schmid
(*Translations made by Karissa’s mom using google translate)
