{8-25-2014}

This week has been super great. First of all I want to say that yes... I played volleyball today! It was super fun!!!! And it is super cool today, which makes me a super happy missionary.

Now a highlight of the week. We had stake conference this week, and all the messages were super inspiring. Also Sunday... our investigator came to the stake conference!!!! We met this amazing lady just contacting houses. She let us pass, and we started teaching her. She told us that she had a book of mormon and that she had attended church many times. The best part is when she told us that she was almost baptized!! Music to a missionaries ears!!! She is also friends with a member who lives close, so obviously we brought this amazing member with is to visit her. Well low and behold they started planning to going to church together. She even told us that she announced to her children that she was going to return to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. And she did. We were SOOO happy. 

Also we are preparing for our investigator to be baptized next week, and he is so ready. He gets so excited and wants everything to be perfect. Once again Heavenly Father has prepared one of His children and placed him in our path. Miracle! 

One other thing I have learned from my mission is not to be judgmental. Every day one must strive to have Charity, the pure love of Christ. To have love for all His children, because we all have a grand potential. Everyone can change, and I can testify of that. The first change I have noticed was first in myself. When you give your whole will to the Lord, he shapes you into the instrument that he needs you to be. Second in the lives of others, I have seen the Atonement in action, and the lives He has blessed through His Atonement. It is such a beautiful thing. Everyone, every single person is a child of God. He loves us, and wants the best for us. Each and every soul is dear and precious to Him, and therefore it should be for us as well. I love these people I am blessed to serve. They have taught me so much. I will be forever grateful for this experience. I love this Gospel, and the love and mercy of Our Dear Savior. 

I love you all and hope you have a great week. Thank you for all the prayers, and I truly blessed for all of you in my life. 

Love ,

Hermana Sanders

 

Soy una misionara!

This week has been super fantastic. I am actually really enjoying having a Latin companion, because I feel like I have improved lots with my Spanish. Also my companion has an amazing conversion story in which I have lots of admiration for her. It makes me realize how important missionaries are and how the gospel really changes lives.

Not only does the gospel change lives, but also the mission. I have learned great and marvellous things on my mission. One of the most cherished things I have learned is about forgiveness. I have learned to forgive others and find the potential that they have with in. We are all imperfect, and even though many of the people we encounter every day have lots of problems, it doesn't define a person. I have learned to look on the inside and as result I have grown to love this people. Also I have learned a great deal about the forgiveness of Our Savior, and have felt it in my life. It has changed my perspective on everything.

We also saw miracles this week as we set goals with faith. We witnessed as the Lord put people in our paths and we were able to share our testimonies of the restored gospel with them. I feel truly blessed to be witnessing all these blessings every day, and am so grateful to be here on a mission. I know it is not easy, but it is worth it. Every time you teach someone and see the spirit touch their hearts, that is what makes a missionaries day. I know that this church is true, I know this is the Lords work. 

Thank you for all your prayers and love! Keep praying to have missionary experiences, and don't be afraid to share your testimony. Have a great week. 

Love, Hermana Sanders

 

Week 2 in Ysapy!

So this week was pretty good. Wednesday I had the wonderful opportunity to have divisions with the Hermana Leader Trainers, they are amazing. I had such a great experience with Hermana Hunt. We ran in the city in the morning, and after went out to work. We contacted EVERYONE we saw in the street and did not let ONE pass! And we had amazing lessons. For some reason when you both are white they give you the same attention compared to if you are with a Latina. Hermana Hunt is also new to her area so we didn't quite know where we were going, but we were guided by the spirit and found every single person that we needed to. It was such an amazing and strengthening experience.

Saturday we also had a super fantastic experience called sion al rescate. {Zion to the Rescue}It was with various youth and leaders of our stake and missionaries all gathered together in one ward. We all split up into groups with members that knew the area and youth. Then we all went out to the divided areas with a list of less actives. Our mission was to find them. It was amazing to see the members and missionaries paired up finding the missing people. We also contacted everyone in the street. It was a really spiritual experience. I only wish it could be that great everyday. 

I hope everyone is enjoying their last couple weeks of summer. It is pretty hot here, feels like summer. I love you all and am always praying for all of you. 

With lots of love,

Hermana Sanders

 

Back in old Ysapy!

Well this week has been great, but a little strange. There has been lots of changes, and lots to work on. But I am up for the task. I am starting to remember the roads that I use to walk every day, which is good. I am also in a house with all Latinas, all from Peru. They are all super nice though. My companion's name is Hermana Chuquicallata. Super long... haha!

We had a really great experience last week while looking for a contact that was contacted the week before. We asked around for a young man named Gabriel. Well we found one, but not the one we were looking for. He let us in though, and started telling us that he was a catholic, and to top it all of the was a missionary. But he had a neat story of finding God, and after we started was really interested. It was the best lesson we had yet, because the spirit was so strong. He told us that he wanted to know the truth and would pray. Golden!

So I want to share with you all a part of one of my favorite General Conference talks by Russell M. Ballard, Following Up. He extends an invitation to all to invite others to come unto Christ, but not only to invite, but to follow up. Just how it illustrates in Acts 3:1-8 (Read now). Peter didn't only invite the man outside the temple to get up, but he followed up and raised him up by his hands and walked the man into the temple. We to must follow this example and bring others to Christ and His church to receive the eternal blessings that He has in store for each and every one of us. Now I want to extend the same invitation as Elder Ballard, "... I suggest that we can all be more consistently involved in missionary work by replacing our fear with real faith, inviting someone at least once a quarter, or four times a year, to be taught by the full-time missionaries. I know that each and everyone of you will be a huge help in hastening the work of the Lord to bring souls unto Him. I know that you will gain faith sufficient enough through your diligent study in Preach My Gospel. I love what \elder Ballard said about it, "Brothers and Sisters, can you imagine the impact if family and friends included things they are learning from their personal study of Preach My Gospel, in their letters and emails to their full-time missionaries? Can you picture the blessings that will come to families when they know and understand better what their sons and daughters will be studying and teaching on their missions?.." I know that this is the work of the Lord, and that as members it is our responsibility to find others who need the Gospel in their lives. I know that missionary work will bring everyone joy, and a deeper testimony. I can truly testify that serving others and teaching them about the Gospel with make all the difference in your lives. I have been forever changed. I know with all my heart that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints is the only true Church. That God loves us so much, His children that he gave His only Begotten Son for us. I know that we can some day return to live with Our Heavenly Father again some day. I know that we will be blessed by sharing the Gospel. I know that these things are true.

I love you all and am so thankful for your examples. I hope that everything is going well and you are always in my prayers. Have a super fantastic week.

Love,
Hermana Sanders