Hola Familia,
WOW, I am starting my last change in the mission...I don't know what to
think or say only that I am so excited for this coming change. I talked
to President yesterday and he asked me to train my last change. He
explained to me that Elder Lubiano, who was my second kid that I trained
a year ago and is a Zone Leader in another zone, wanted me to be his ZL
companion to end the mission. Jokingly he told me that he would never
let something like that happen because he could never put Batman
and Superman together. He also told me that he wanted a "little Janis"
and asked if I would like to accept this opportunity to train instead. He then assigned me
to one of the richest areas in the mission which are thought of to be
the hardest areas in which to baptize. Santa Monica is the name of the
ward and I am so excited to be here. I have the chance to help the Lord
change the mentality of the missionaries. It doesn't matter where you
are or who you are with you will have success if you do the work the way
the Lord wants. I am going to make that my main focus in this
sprinting run to the finish. I am going to strive to be and do what the
Lord needs and wants. What a blessing and I can't wait to receive my
new kid tomorrow and teach him everything I have learned so that he can
be 10 times better than I will ever be!
Milagro!!!!!! This last week Elder Barajas and I had been trying
to help all the progressing investigators that we had to want to be
baptized this last week but no one wanted to. We had a
possible who we thought was going to be the miracle convert for the
week. I went with another Elder down to a river canal to their house in the
most dangerous part of my area on Saturday night at 8:30pm! BTW, now
that I am not there anymore...El Molinito isn't one of the most
dangerous areas in the mission, it IS the most dangerous. I am not
there anymore but man do I have some crazy stories to tell you guys when
we get back...HAHA. Anyways, I was super hesitant to go down to the
river canal and I wasn't sure what was going to happen. We made it to
the house of the possible and seeing as I had only taught her one time, I
did the interview. Sadly, despite the scary sacrifice we had made she
was not ready to obey some of the commandments. We left and
surprisingly nothing happened to us...no one even took notice of us!
However, this wasn't the miracle but you could say it was the
recipe for the coming miracle. We went to church and were greeting all
the people coming in when an older lady comes walking in with a HUGE
smile on her face. She then explains that she had had visits from the
missionaries before who had taught her the lessons. In her last visit
with the missionaries they had given her a blessing of health with oil
and everything. The missionaries had invited her to be baptized and in the moment she had not accepted. However, this last week she felt that
she had to do it. Even though she hadn't met with missionaries in
months she came to church ready to be baptized. We got her the
interview which she passed and even remembered everything really well that
the missionaries had taught. After talking to her a bit, Isabel was
baptized and came up crying she was so happy. She was crying as the ward
congratulated her on her decision. It was such a beautiful experience.
I don't feel worthy of such a HUGE miracle but I will never forget how
merciful the Lord is. I took a sweet picture of her but seeing that my
memory has a virus I will not be able to send the pictures. I will have
to show you all afterwards.
I am so ready to make the most of this last change. I am going to a
training for the trainers tomorrow and I am so excited to learn from
President. I have the assignment to BAPTIZE, BAPTIZE, and BAPTIZE.
There is no other greater way to end a mission. I love you all!!
Love,
Elder Janis
