week 9: will of the Lord

Whoa. Well this week threw a curve ball didn´t it? Was not expecting that at all. Presidente Caffaro submitted the report to Salt Lake on Friday about what´s been going on and he said we´ll know what they decide by today. The nurse says she´s almost positive they´ll be sending me home to get it fixed and that they usually do it really quick for health needs, she said her guess is that by Wednesday I´ll be home. But Presidente said he´d call me when he finds out for sure and I´m sure either him or I will be in contact with you about what they decide. Whoa. Ha it´s been a very emotional week. I can honestly say I´m more nervous to come home than I was to come here. But I don´t want to talk about that anymore so ya...

Any ways, this week was good! It´s been so hot! Finally!!! I have been a happy camper. 

Monday was a good day, P-day is always a good day. That night things got a little rough. All of our appointments fell through and no one would talk to us. We saw one of our investigators that was supposed to get baptized on Saturday smoking. So there goes that baptism. It was a really rough night.

Tuesday Hermana Sanchez and I woke up and were still upset about the night before and we went out and were walking every where trying to find people and go to our appointments and once again no one was talking to us. It was so frustrating! We were out trying to talk to people, going to our investigators houses, less actives, knocking on random doors and seriously no one would talk to us. We were feeling pretty down about everything and then we said a prayer to just find somebody. We then went and knocked all the doors in an appartment complex and were able to teach one lesson and the lady did not like it. But after that we went back out and were walking and still not having much success but then I realized, that I was out walking and trying to find people and doing everything that I absolutley could and that the Lord only asks us to do all we possibly can and that´s what I was doing. So I felt better. That night we felt like we should go to do how to begin teaching with one of our street contacts from last week. Her name is Flor, she´s 16, lives by herself, can´t read and is so prepared for this gospel! We taught her and she just ate up our message and said at the ends of our lessons, if she feels like it´s the right thing to do she wants to get baptized. Such a tender mercy and made the whole day worth it.

Wednesday we had an awesome zone conference about how to be better missionaries and meet our goals. Wednesday was a tough day for my knees. I could only make it to one investigators house before I literally could not walk. So we went back to the apartment and tried to find a ward member for me to stay with and another to do divisions with my companion. So such luck. PLEASE PLEASE work with the missionaries in your ward. It´s so frustrating when no one works with us.

Thursday was good, we were in and out of the apartment all day because of my knees. When it got to the point where I couldn´t walk we´d go back and I´d ice them and then we´d go back out and then in and out. It was so frustrating. But that night we met our district leader at the church so he could give Sergio the baptismal interview. He passed!! He got surgery on Tuesday so he won´t be able to be baptized for a little bit. But I´m so excited for him! And after the interview Elder Hart and his comp gave me a blessing and it was in spanish and I didn´t understand everything, but I felt the spirit so powerfully.

Friday we spent most of the day in our apartment once again because of my dumb knees. But we had one amazing lesson with our investigator Antoina, she has been so prepared and is so excited about the Book of Mormon and is progressing so well. I´m so excited for her. Her husband can´t read but she´s reading the pamphlets to him and the Book of Mormon and they both feel good about them. This gospel is so amazing!!

Saturday Hermana Trapnell called me and talked to me about what´s going to happen this week and she read me the email that dad sent and after that Presidente Caffaro called to check in with everything and he read a scripture to me that brought me alot of comfort becuase honestly I´ve felt like the crappiest missionary ever this week. But he said he submitted the report on Friday and it´s now up to the general authorities to decide what to do. So now we´re just waiting to hear back from them.

Sunday was amazing. I´m tearing up right now just thinking about the power I felt from the family fast. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. You guys honestly have no idea what a strength that was for me. I woke up and just found so much comfort about everything and was so happy and was able to be out and working all day. It was honestly a miracle. No matter what happens, everything is going to be okay and it´s part of a bigger plan for me. It might not be ideal or what we expected, but that´s where faith plays in and I´ve just found so much comfort in that. So thank you. I have the best family in the world and don´t know what I´d do without you guys. Sunday there was also a big earthquake! It was awesome! Earthquakes are still my favorite things.

So that´s what happened this week. Oh also, I will never ever complain about having to do laundry with a washer and dryer ever again. It´s 5 billion times easier than doing it by hand. That´s all I can think of so I guess I´ll let you guys know when we hear from Salt Lake and what they decide. Maybe they won´t decide today because we aren´t the only mission in the world that they need to think about, but whenever we know I´ll be in touch. 

I love you guys so much. Thanks for everything! 

Love, Hermana Tuddenham