May 20, 2013

Hey Family,

It was a very trying week here in Artigas. It rained for pretty much the whole week. I’m still sick trying to fight off a flu and my companion also got sick this week. Thursday we stayed home for the whole day because my companion had a high fever and threw up a couple times. First time I’ve ever had to stay in the house because of sickness.

We had zone conference this week, I now feel really old in the mission. I hardly knew anybody or even recognized any one from the other zone (zone conference is always done with 2 zones together) but everyone seemed to know about me. I don’t understand how this keeps happening.

 It was really sad when we heard President Heaton and Hermana Heaton give their last testimonies as our mission president. It’s going to be a really weird transition having a new mission president.

Sunday in sacrament meeting I was feeling so stretched as a missionary. There were just a lot of tough things that happened over the week and I was feeling so taxed physically and spiritually. We were having problems with investigators not coming to church and problems with members and I felt very responsible for all of the bad things that were happening. I felt like I was doing my best but I still felt weighed down. I remember listening to one of the speakers talking about Moses and traveling in the wilderness with Israel. Moses was doing everything correct; he had just helped free the people of Israel from Egypt. And yet after he had accomplished such a great task God sent more tests and challenges his way. He continued to have trials and tests until he died. But God always sent help to Moses, God sent Aaron and others to help him. He sent a quorum of 70 also to help him. Also, the Lord was with him and always guiding him. In the Cloud during the day and in a fire during the night. I loved his talk. I was feeling sad in that moment because we didn’t have many of our investigators go to church that day. Right After his talk we sang and they said a closing prayer. Right after they said amen to the prayer. A member sitting behind me and tapped me on the shoulder saying, “Elder, This is my Friend Veronica.” This is her first time coming to church. She is interested in taking the lessons. I couldn’t believe it. God answers our prayers and he sends help when we feel burdened down. Just like Moses with every trial that he faced in Egypt and in the Wilderness.

We are going to have a baptism this week with this little girl named Sophia. Please pray for her that she can be ready.

Love you guys.