FAMILY!!!!!!! and friends :)
Thank
you so much for the letters/packages I got this week: Sister Florian,
Grant (thanks for the package!!! :) ), Elder Gilray and mommy :) I loved
them! However, this Thursday is the last day for me to receive letters
(and then to just pick up what's left next tuesday) so please don't send
anymore! xoxoxo Thank you sooooo much for everyone who has supported me
and have written me letters throughout my entire mission. You have no
idea how that has helped me. Now, write to my brother whose still on his
mission! I know he needs those letters as well :)
People I saw: Emilio!!! Haha I love seeing him. I've been so
spoiled in seeing him almost every week of this transfer. Mom, I gave
him your cell number and he's texted you...I even saw him text you so
you better of written back to him! I told him what you said when you
typed in his name in FB hahaha so hopefully you two have talked now. I
got to see Carmen, Cynthia and Jose again!! They were my last baptism
and her son Chris got baptized YESTERDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They were at the
VC Tuesday night and I asked why they were there and Chris said it was
because he was getting baptized. I about freaked out!!! Ohhh I am just
soo happy for them. I know Carmen was so, so happy that he decided to
get baptized. It was fun because Sister Mellor and her companion were
busy getting things ready for the interview and I saw Carmen by herself
in the I'm a Mormon room. I walked in and sat close to her on the couch
and just rested my head on her shoulder. We just talked and she told me
how excited she was for his baptism. I love her so much! I can't wait
for her children to go on missions one day. I also met this guy named
Bryce DeFigueiredo! He was one of my "tutors" in the MTC! His brother
just came home from his mission the day before and they made a trip to
the VC! It was such a great tour. He texted my two MTC teachers and
wrote them what they wanted to say to me. It was so fun to hear from
them!! Lastly, I met the great grandson of Elder David O. Mckay!! There
is a ring that he would always wear and all the boys in the family have
it and I got to put it on! So cool.
We got a brand new sister to the VC this week! She came early
because there are just so many missionaries at the MTC. To be honest, I
still don't know her name because it's hard to pronounce lol but she's
from some islands and is learning English. She is the only convert in
her family and her parents don't know that she is serving a mission!!!!!
How crazy is that! They think she is living with her aunt who is super
supportive of her for her decision to join the church and to serve a
mission. She shared her testimony on Thursday and it really made me
realize how much people are willing to sacrifice for the gospel when
they are truly converted. I mean, I feel like I sacrificed a lot leaving
a family back home who weren't fully active in the church but...when I
look at her, it makes me gain a greater understanding of how aware
Heavenly Father is of us and how grateful He is for every single
sacrifice we make for him.
This week was pretty hard because we literally had NO
time in our area. We basically worked every single night and with the
very minimal time we had, our numbers didn't show our efforts. I tried
so hard to stay positive because I knew that my companion was pretty
bummed about it. At church yesterday...guess who walks in? THE GONZALEZ
FAMILY! They are a family that we are working with who have been
struggling with their testimonies of the church. They haven't gone in
months and they actually cancelled on our lesson earlier in the week.
They don't have a phone so they had to use some random phone to call us
to cancel. So there was no way of us reminding them to go to church.
That night in my prayers, I prayed that they would come. I'll be honest,
lately I've been horrible in my prayers with focusing on the people
we're teaching and just well...staying awake but I prayed for them that
night. And they came! Seeing that at church MADE MY WEEK! I was filled
with PURE joy when I saw them and they stayed for all three hours. This
has been a tough area but I know that when we are staying positive and
we are fulfilling our purpose, God WILL make up the difference and He
did yesterday.
COOL STORY! So last transfer I went on exchanges
with Sister Foster in The Banks. I think that was the first exchange of
that new transfer and it was also the last day of the month. They
literally only had about...maybe 6-8 miles left to use. So, we walked
all...day...long. And it was incredibly hot! However, I chose to be
positive and we just talked to EVERYONE on the streets! We had a blast.
Well, there was an appointment that we were trying to go to and the girl
ended up saying that we couldn't come in a teach her and closed the
door on us. Sister Foster was super bummed because that was our only
solid lesson for the day. As we were walking away, I saw this cute
little girl. Now, let me remind you that I DO NOT talk to children on
the street. I don't know why but I just get so nervous to talk to
children in fear of their parents thinking they are talking to strangers
(well...they basically are lol) and getting mad at us. But, I saw this
little girl and as we were walking away from her I turned around and
asked her if there was anyone she knew that we could share a message
about Jesus Christ with. She then points across the street and says that
her friend lives there and wants to learn who Jesus Christ is. We went
over and made a return appt with the girls mom and that was it. Well,
this week, Sister Foster and her companion came into the VC to find me.
She asked me if I remember the little girl that I talked to when we were
on exchanges. Obviously I did and she told me that the referral she
gave us, well, nothing came out of it BUT....the little girl and her
family now have BAPTISM DATES!!! She said how when they were back in
that neighborhood she saw the little girl again and asked her if they
could come to her home to watch a movie with her family. Because the
little girl recognized her, she brought them to her home. They watched
the Restoration movie, had another lesson following that and were later
brought to the VC where everything just clicked for them. They are a
family of five and they all have baptismal dates :)
Brothers and Sisters, I love my mission. I have learned so
much throughout these 18 months. The person I was when I started was
great! She had a testimony, she loved her Father in Heaven, she worked
hard on being an example and she felt ready of what was to come. I can
confidently say that now, that same girl, she has an absolute solid
testimony of this restored gospel. She knows without a doubt that her
Father in Heaven knows her. She has been able to create a real
relationship with Jesus Christ which was something she didn't have
before. She has been pushed and tried in many ways but has remained in
being an example, especially when she held responsibility of the welfare
of 26 plus sisters in the mission. She has strengthened her knowledge
of the Book of Mormon but knows there is still so much she needs to
learn of it. She has learned how to pray with real intent and with a
sincere heart and is still working on improving it :) She has a greater
love for her family and the significance of what an eternal family
means. But most importantly...she knows the big "why" of obedience. She
knows that if she wants to receive blessings in her life after her
mission, she needs to be obedient. It is only when we are obedient that
we can know for a surety that if we had to meet God, face to face
tomorrow, that we won't stand in fear. This girl now knows not only what
the gospel of Jesus Christ is, but how to live it.
It's weird. I don't feel ready by all means to go home but I
feel prepared. I'm not done with missionary work - no way! I know that
meeting President Cooper to be released will only be for me being
released as a "set apart" missionary. I'm not by all means going to be
released as a full-time missionary because that's my title for the rest
of my life. I think that's why I feel prepared because I'm not looking
at this last week as "oh...this will be the last lessons I'll ever
teach" because I know that I will be going out to lessons with
missionaries in my future wards. I know that I will be striking up a
conversation about the gospel to people while I'm waiting in line at the
groceries. I know that I will still be doing the same things that I've
been doing for these past 18 months just in a different way. I feel
prepared to put to practice everything that I have learned on my
mission. I'm ready to show my Heavenly Father what I have learned from
this experience. Oh man, I love my mission. But I'll never say I miss
being a missionary because I'll never stop. I love you all so much.
Jesus is the Christ. Our Heavenly Father loves us. There is a plan for
each one of you. Just trust Him and He will show the way.
Love,
Sister Baeza
1. i'm going to my miss my compa
2. cynthia, jose (haha), carmen and her son chris!!!! :)
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