BEST WEEK EVER!

hola!!!

Here in Las Juntas, we have seen sooo many miracles... so I feel like I can't even write letters anymore, so here are just a few points I wanted to share with you all. :)

I have decided that I am one of the 'sembradores' here in the mission.  Or meaning- I work, plant the seeds, and then when I leave the area is when success comes.. haha well I also realized this week that that was only slightly true, but we just have to accept that as missionaries, our main work is 'plant the seed' and with time and patience, the seeds will be ready for the harvest... (wow that doesn't make much sense..)

This week we had the baptism of Hermano J.!!!! :) :) :)  I couldn't be more happy, I have already talked a little about him (his wife has been active now for about 4 months), we have been teaching him for the past 6 weeks, and his baptism was one of the most spiritual experiences I have had in my mission.  He accepted this message whole-heartedly, ready to work and give service in the church... the day of his baptism (on sunday) we went over early so that he could be interviewed, and we asked if he invited his family to come.  At the end of church 3 of his kids showed up with their families, and we held the service.  It was very simple,  his wife spoke, and shared how happy she was that her husband could be baptized (quick blessing- he said he wants to take her to the temple :) #keeper) and after the ordinance he was going to share his testimony.. but the words didn't come up because he got very emotional, and sat down.. but basically the whole family was crying, my comp and I were crying... it was a very happy occasion.  One of his daughter-in-laws who we had only met once before thanked us for the work we had given.  :)   We will be working more with his family so that they can also accept this message and be sealed as a family!!! 

We had splits this week with the STL's, and it was also great.  We went to visit an active family, and they gave me free shoes.  Such a humble, and loving family, I love the people here in Mexico (not just because they give me free stuff...) but really, knowing that they love the missionaries.  Hna. Forsgren (the STL I was with) shared with me a scripture that I loved and wanted to share..

10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

 11 And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:

 12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of them whothrough faith and patience inherit the promises.

 13 For when God made promise to Abraham, because hecould swear by no greater, he sware by himself,

 14 Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee.

 15 And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained thepromise.

Also, Hermano J.'s wife spoke for her first time in sacrament meeting, and shared how for a year she wanted to return to the church, but she was a little lazy and didn't look very hard.. but one day she said a prayer that she could find it, and she left her house to go to the store, and that is when my comp and I asked her if we could share a message about the restoration of the church of Jesus Christ, and she accepted. I also cried a bit... 

Another investigator we have is also amazing, and we just got permission from the Pte. so that she can be baptized before I leave!!! So if all goes well, i will be praying a lot... she will be my last baptism. :)  She brought her sister to church yesterday. 

One last miracle... we have another investigator Hermana M. who we have been teaching for a few months now, but her progress wasn't that good.. she would usually forget to read the book of mormon.. even though she went to church.  Well, this week she was determined that Satan wouldn't get in her way, and she listened to the Book of mormon a lot this past week!! And on sunday at the baptism and another day when we went to visit her she told us. 'I already want to be baptized... soon.'  YAY!!! Patience is a virtue. :)  

I am very grateful for this work, the ward I am in, for my companion, and the 17 months I now will comlete on wednesday in the mission.... 

Love you all, have a great week!!!

Hermana Zimmerman :)

                                            

 pic with Hna. Forsgren from our splits a few weeks ago!

 BAPTISM!!!!!!!! Hermano J. and his family. :)  

 selfie sunday.. #mepene (I got ready)

 another selfie... (sorry, we actually looked nice for once so we took a few..)

  family we are teaching. :)

freaking spider we found in the house yesterday... :O

tenemos bien mucho trabajo.... ;) translation- "while we have much work....;)"

Oka, so not much time to write today...

but- we had 2 baptisms this past week!!! There is a big family in my ward, and for a long time they haven't gone to church... but they got reactivated, and the 2 grandkids got baptized!  In every prayer as we were teaching them 'please help me so that i can be baptized'.... they were a little nervous, but everything turned out well.  

This week I wanted to share real quick a little bit more about our chosen investigator Hermana R!  This week when we went to visit with her she shared with us a few of the blessings she has already seen in her life ever since she started listening to our message... First off, we met her about a week and a half ago, but only taught the basic of our message, and on sunday in one of the classes we talked about the word of wisdom, and she had questions so we gave her a phamphlet, and then when we went on wednesday to visit her she had already read that phamphlet, and the one about the restoration, and answered the questions in the back, AND had been doing her prayers and read the Book of Mormon.  When we invited her to pray every day she said she  prayers every minute, because ever since sunday, she hasn't smoked, or drinken coffee!!!!!!! :D  Then, she said that she hasn't been able to see her grand daughter for about 2 years, but the mom called her this week and told her that she could see her!!! AND she said that she might have to work the sundays in september.. BUT on saturday she said that the day before at work her boss told everyone that they were going to have to work every sunday in the month of september.  But her boss called her over, personally, and said 'i know you need to tell me something.'  so she was going to lie... but she told her the truth, that she was going to church, and she was preparing to be baptized, that is why she needed sundays off.  AND HE GAVE HER EVERY SUNDAY IN SEPTEMBER!!!!  The only bad thing was yesterday she couldn't go to church because her boss made her work so that she can have a break in september... so I am praying a lot that everything goes well so that she can be baptized before I leave... :)  I have always wanted to teach someone like her... 

Everything seems to be going well... to be honest there is a lot of work to do here.  So many members to visit.. less actives.. investigators... but the people here are wonderful.. 5 weeks left... :O  

love you all!  Have a great week in school everyone ;)  

Hermana Zimmerman

 baptism!

 a family that will be moving this week.. :( 

a cute member family with their newborn puppies..

Last Tansfer !!!

HOLA!!!

 

Ok, today was transfers and... I'm staying!! Not that much of a surprise because I am training... but In any form, that means my whole misión has been lived in 3 áreas.... But I feel blessed because I was able to serve 3 very different áreas and wards.  And I get to finish here in Guadalajara!  Home of the 'torta ahogada'.. basically 'drowned sandwich'.  haha fun fact- it's a special food here known in Guadalajara, and is basically a sándwich drenched in tomatoe spicy sauce. Not as good as it sounds.. haha ;)

 

But I feel like I am finally getting the hang of things here in the misión.  And more tan anything the área.  Little by Little we are getting so close to completing the misión goals, and we would have completed a few of them if we hadn't gone to Morelia last week. But yay!!

 

This week we received a reference from a member on tuesday, so on friday we went to contact her, and she was very prepared and great, Hna. R.  First off we basically got lost trying to find her house.. but we did find her, and it was a Little funny because she was expecting sisters a Little bit older.. so she had prepared cookies and coffee.  At the end she gave us wáter and told us that she had always seen this member at work, how happy he was, and that she wanted what he had.  So he shared with her the góspel, and ever since then she said she has had a lot more peace in her life.  She accepted a baptismal date very easily, and went to church yesterday.  :)  Afterwards, I asked how she liked it and she said 'it was beautiful, but hard...' or basically that there are a lot of things she wants to change in her life, but she is working on it. :)  I love her!

 

Everything else has been pretty smooth.. these people are great, and time is going by faster and faster.... I can't believe I am in my last transfer in the misión... that last 6 weeks... WOW.  But we should have lots of success in this last transfer.

 

Have a great week!! :)

 

Love,

Hermana Zimmerman

 

 

wow.. so this week I basically didn't take any pics... so here is a pic of a donut and chocolate-cinamon milk that a youth made us after she went with us to visit people, and a pic of what my comp does when she gets stressed... haha we were in the middle of planning and I look over and found her like this.. don't worry, it was just a trim.

Hey:

Hey!

Ok, so this week passed by pretty quick... and not much to say, haha.

THis week we were going to have a baptism, of a sister now really prepared!  But she hasn't decided to completely live the gospel right now... which is pretty sad, but we are still going to work with her, for the day that she can get baptized. :)  

We had divisions with the STL this past wed-thurs, but just my luck, i got sick on tuesday... so we couldn't work much at all, and stayed inside.  Haha mom, don't worry, i just have the flu, nothing more.  But it is a little frustrating working with a cold. haha... but I love the members here, they were so willing to help out, and a brother was able to give me a blessing, and his wife called to check up the next day to make sure everything was going well.

We had a great blessing with a few of our investigators attending church yesterday, they all seemed really happy to be there!  I think we are progressing little by little, we have a few investigators who have gone to church for a while now, we just need to be patient with them as they accept the gospel. 

I have loved what I have been studying lately in the scritpures, and I only wanted to share a few verses from Alma 37 (my favorite chapter)

44 For behold, it is as easy to give heed to the word ofChrist, which will point to you a straight course to eternalbliss, as it was for our fathers to give heed to this compass,which would point unto them a straight course to thepromised land.

 45 And now I say, is there not a type in this thing? Forjust as surely as this director did bring our fathers, byfollowing its course, to the promised land, shall the wordsof Christ, if we follow their course, carry us beyond thisvale of sorrow into a far better land of promise.

Don't forget to read your scriptures... every day!  :)  haha

Oh, and yesterday we got to have a 12 weeks training meeting in Morelia!!!!! WOOHOO! So we drove past my area.. and I was super happy. :)  And I got to see a few of my old comps and friends from the mission.  And as always, my mission pres. and his wife are the sweetest. 

love you all!

Hermana Zimmerman

 my comp and i eating pizza at our reunion of the 12 weeks training

 our district... well this pic did not turn out well at all, but i am sure the other missionaries have a better pic. :)

 me in front of my old chapel

 my comps (2 of them) from the MTC!  Right now the 3 sis. from the MTC are in the same zone... #notfair

 my 'daughter', haha the first sister i trained sent me a t-shirt from Zihua. :) with another present, she is the best

 hna. moncada, she heads home in a week! :) 

my new friend.. haha a sister's dog who reminds me of a great white shark, but in dog form

 

Hey :D

Hola!

Ok, things in my area are going pretty well, we have a lot of work to do, lots of people to reactivate, lots of people to find and teach... lots do to.  But that is great. :)

We have been seeing a lot of progress in a few of our investigators, little by little and with patience, we should be seeing success soon. :)  

Some blessings from this past week-

1-Hna. S. (reactivated) and her friend investigator hna. M. fasted yesterday and paid their fast offering!!! Also, the husband of hna. S. continues to progress really well, went to church yesterday for the second time, and paid his tithing (even though we haven't talked about it yet... but his wife had been wanting to obey that law, so he wanted to as well!)  Also, her son-in-law who is also listening to our message is getting friendshipped by the young adults in the ward, and told us that yesterday the bishop had asked them all to fast, so when we went to teach them yesterday in the morning he was all 'i haven't eaten since yesterday!'  maybe he doesn't understand exactly what is the fast... because we haven't got there yet, but he did it anyway. :)  

Also, because yesterday was Hno. J. (Hna. S.'s husband) birthday, we gave him a Book of Mormon, and he was super happy because he had been reading his wife's copy, but asked us for his own.  'Best birthday present ever'- he told us. 

Fun facts- last week in our zone meeting we got new rules!!! Or better way of saying it... we got rid of some of the rules that our old president had established... they were good, and I respect my old mission president, but now I feel a little more free. :)  haha, now we can have more time to write, zone activities, and a lot more things... yay!  So today we had our zone activity, and we invited the youth from our wards to come.  We played volleyball and soccer, ate hamburgers, and played with water balloons, and as we all know, we all got soaked.  But it felt soooo good with this hot weather.  I am still a little wet now, but it feels good. 

I just wanted to extend a quick invitation to everyone to invite someone to listen to this message- the Restoration of the Gospel, you can share it with someone who doesn't know the gospel, a less active, or even study it out for yourself, and pray and ask God if it is true. :)  

Have a great week!  

p.s.  I completed 16 months yesterday.... yikes.. time is now going fast.. 

love you!

Hermana Zimmerman

 Zone meeting last Friday

 Activity with our zone :D