11.18.13

Hola!

There is always so much that happens in the week and it´s hard to
always remember. We always have good days and then there are always
bad days.The mission is definitely a roller coaster!

We have transfers tomorrow. I think I am going to stay here with Hna
Choque (I really hope so, I never want to leave Tarija) but we will
see. I never like change but in the end I am always happy.

Like I said we are trying hard to work more with inactives. But I find
myself that I am more sad while working with less actives. It is SO
SAD to me to meet people who at one point had a testimony, but now
they are so far gone. Satan truly works so hard with people and a lot
of the time he wins. That actually angers me. I hate him and the
things he does to people. Almost all of the inactives that we talk to
have left the church because someone offended them. That frustrates me
even more. I just want to punch about a million people here. First the
people that offended the member.. why are we so judgemental?? and also
the people who leave the church because someone offended them. How
stupid is it to leave Salvation because some dumb person offended you.
Sorry, I just get so agitated when I think about it. But it is out of
love, I promise. Last night I cried myself to sleep because there are
so many great people that KNOW the Gospel is true but the spirit is
just dead in them. It makes me so sad and I want so badly to change
them but all the people have their agency. I am just praying a lot
that the Lord will guide me in what I should do and say to help these
people return to the church. So what I want to say to everyone is
first off.. be careful in the things that you say to people and never
judge!!!! and second.. if anyone in the church offends you, forget it!
And focus on your testimony and how this the true church and nothing
should change your mind in that, or more, your actions. So there is my
rant.

We had some good lessons this week. We received a reference this week
of a hermana who is going to institute and has boyfriend that is a RM.
She is great (Ana Matias)! She truly has the desire to know that these
things are true. We taught her the restoration and plan of salvation.
She told us that she is praying to get an answer but still hasn´t
received it. But she told us that she wants these things to be true. I
know she will get an answer. At the end she prayed and it was probably
the most sincere prayer I have heard in the mission. She was crying
and truly talking to God. I love that. Also, we taught Noemi this week
and she is great! yeah, she can´t get baptized but she is still
reading the Book of Mormon and praying. We left Enos for her to read
and when we returned, we read it together. She had already read it and
had her favorite verses and what so excited to read it again and talk
about it. That seriously is the best, when the people are enjoying
the Book of Mormon. It´s cool too cause I find so much joy in the
scriptures and so it is cool when our investigators enjoy it too. But
at the end of the lesson she was crying really hard cause there are
some problems with her family. Hna Choque and I were talking about how
the mood had changed and we can´t remember. haha but we just testified
of how God loves her and she can find comfort through prayer and the
scriptures. We had a member with us too and she was a lot of help.

We had 3 people at church. Ana, Laura (other investigator) and Aleida
(hermana de Demetria). Demetria couldn't come cause she had things to
do for her school. But her 13 year old sister, aleida, came by
herself! That was awesome. And she is reading the book of mormon
tambien. She had some pretty serious  things happen to her so I am
happy to know that she is reading the Book of Mormon and wants to come
to church. But she is really shy and the young women don´t talk to her
very much. We need to talk to them about that, sometimes girls are
just so clicky.

I forgot to share in my last email how the morning that I was so sad
about Noemi I read in Alma (I think ch. 8) about how Alma was
discouraged after preaching to the people in .. crap I can´t remember
the city.. and he was leaving and an angel appeared to him and told
him to go back and said how he is blessed and there are many things in
that he can rejoice because he is keeping the commandments...
something like that, I am trying to translate what I read in Spanish
into English. I LOVE THE SCRIPTURES! Seriously it is like god is
talking specifically to me through the scriptures. how did I always
forget or didn't have time to read the scriptures before?

The mission is hard but so great. This is definitely a time of
learning and testing. I know that as I put in all my effort God will
take care of the rest.

I am glad that Sammy is ok! A lot of people were talking about what
happened in the Philipines. God truly is protecting his missionaries.
... That is why I wasn't too worried about rabies when that dumb dog
bit me.

I love you all! Gin, I hope you have a great birthday this week! Sorry
I can´t send you a letter or what not sooner but I am working on it.
Don´t have too much fun without me! I hate missing out on fun. Until
next week, which will go by super fast. I can´t believe how fast time
goes by here.

Hermana Wursten

Me and Noemi!

Our Zone.