Wow. I can't believe that I am a MOM! I can't believe I am training. This is the most amazing thing I've ever done. I can honestly say that this week I have learned more than any other week in my mission so far. Maybe even combined I have learned more this week! Let me explain how it's all been:
On Monday last week everything was
pretty crazy because there were two sisters moving out of our apartment,
so there was lots of packing and sorting and throwing things away! It
was a huge mess for awhile. Then Hermana Castrillon headed out to Hemet
so I was left companionless for a little while. Thankfully though, I was
able to hang out with some other sisters who were also getting ready to
train so we had a threesome companionship for that night.
On
Tuesday we got up and got ready and did our studies, then after some
quick lunch at In N Out we scooted on over to the mission office! We
were there basically all day and it was really fun to get to meet
everyone and see who all was going to train. We had the AP's give us our
training training, and they were really inspiring. One thing that
really stuck out to me is when Elder McConkie (not Bruce) said "I've
never felt more close to the Savior then while training a new
missionary". I didn't realize how true that would be for me so quickly!
After
the training for a few hours we went and had dinner with all the
trainers and all the new trainees. We got to mix and mingle, but we
still weren't sure who was going to be paired up with who! All the new
girls coming in were really sweet so I knew that I was going to be happy
with anyone, but I couldn't really tell at first who I thought my new
hija was going to be. UNTIL, I met this little cutie who had curly
blonde hair and who said the opening prayer with such sincerity! I knew
she was going to be my new companion.
After dinner we all
went in and had a little training with President Mullen and his wife
about our mission and the purpose of missionary work. Then all of us
trainers got up to talk about our areas and President Mullen announced
companionship. Of course the Spanish Sisters were the last to be
announced. Of course. I was sitting there so nervously, twittling my
thumbs, until it was finally my turn! I jumped up and started talking
about how great Mira Loma is, and then President Mullen announced that
my new companion was going to be Sister Rasmussen. The cutie with the
hair and the prayer!! I was so excited, I literally ran over to her and
like kind of hug-tackled her. It was a good moment. We sat anxiously by
each other for the rest of the night until we were finally released to
go home and get to work! One of the assignments that we had that night
was to extend, to someone, the invitation to be baptized. This was
really inspired. Hermana Rasmussen didn't have any food yet, so we
decided to go to Cardenas to grab a couple essentials. While we were
there we started talking to this sweet little lady named Ariana, and
after a brief 3 minutes we invited her to continue meeting with the
missionaries, and to prepare to be baptized by someone holding the
proper authority of God. She accepted! Although she doesn't live in our
area, we still got her phone number and address and forwarded the
contact off to the Elders serving in her area! Hermana Rasmussen was
glowing. She kept saying "wow, I can't believe she said 'yes'". Because
the contact was in Spanish, Hermana Rasmussen said she didn't understand
everything, but she could feel love for Ariana and she could feel the
spirit as the baptismal invitation was extended and accepted. I could
also feel that spirit and love and I know that our AP's were inspired as
they extended that assignment to all of us!
On Wednesday,
we had our DDM meeting where we were able to meet our new Zone and
District and set goals and plans for the upcoming weeks we will spend
together. Our new District Leader, Elder Thurman, is amazing. He is so
inspiring and you can tell he just works really hard and understands his
purpose. He has been a big example to me in the last few days and I
know he will continue to be! Elder Thurman is also training, so I love
to see his example and gentle hand of guidance in his trainee's
experience! After we had DDM we got the rest of the day to finish our
studies and then go out and work. Hermana Rasmussen beamed the whole
time. We also taught our English class that night so she was able to
meet some of the members of our ward!
Thursday, weekly
planning. She was exposed to her first day of being in the house until
4. We have four hours of studies. One each for: personal, companionship,
the 12 week training program, and then language. After studies, we have
an hour of lunch, and then 3 hours of weekly planning! We were both
itching to get out and work by that time and we ended the night with
some really solid lessons and ended up picking up three new
investigators!!
Friday, we had a training for #BecauseHeLives
with the north half of the mission. Because He Lives is a new
initiative put out my the church like #BecauseOfHim and #HeIsTheGift. It
is a new one that we are starting at the end of this month to celebrate
Easter and is an amazing new way that we have to spread the gospel!
Saturday, we had a transfer breakfast at the Stake President's home and were able to spend most of the day out working. FINALLY!
Sunday,
not a lot of people came to church, but we had amazing lessons and we
have been making progress, no matter how slow it seems! We ended the
week with 26 lessons, 6 new investigators, and 6 on date for baptism!
I am so excited for these next twelve weeks to be working hard with Hermana Rasmussen. I have been very humbled this week to know that there are a lot of things that I have to work on to become a better missionary and to be able to share that knowledge with her as well. I had a wonderful trainer and training period, but this is a completely different experience, being on the other side of it. I have never prayed so hard before. I have never studied my scriptures so hard. I have never felt the Spirit's guidance more. I know that, through us, the Lord will work miracles. I have faith. One of the ways that I have seen my faith grow this week is while speaking Spanish. I knew I could speak and teach semi-well before, but all of a sudden my Spanish is 100% better. I understand clearly, I am able to relate better what I want to express, and I can teach! I know that I am being blessed and that the Lord did not send me out here to Riverside, CA to fail, but to succeed marvelously. I am here, doing His work. And I know that as long as I can focus on that and continue to rely on Him, things are just going to keep getting better.
I am so excited for these next twelve weeks to be working hard with Hermana Rasmussen. I have been very humbled this week to know that there are a lot of things that I have to work on to become a better missionary and to be able to share that knowledge with her as well. I had a wonderful trainer and training period, but this is a completely different experience, being on the other side of it. I have never prayed so hard before. I have never studied my scriptures so hard. I have never felt the Spirit's guidance more. I know that, through us, the Lord will work miracles. I have faith. One of the ways that I have seen my faith grow this week is while speaking Spanish. I knew I could speak and teach semi-well before, but all of a sudden my Spanish is 100% better. I understand clearly, I am able to relate better what I want to express, and I can teach! I know that I am being blessed and that the Lord did not send me out here to Riverside, CA to fail, but to succeed marvelously. I am here, doing His work. And I know that as long as I can focus on that and continue to rely on Him, things are just going to keep getting better.
I love you all! This is one of my favorite scriptures from my New Testament study this week, Romans 8:31-39
"31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.
34
Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is
risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh
intercession for us.
35 Who shall separate us from the
love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or
famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
38
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor
principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39
Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to
separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Con Amor,
Hermana Rutherford
Mi Hija- La Hermana Rasmussen :)
