Blue Island Letter #21

I am doing really well. Really well.

Area Update: Ivonne is scheduled to be baptized on the 11th of Feb. She is excited to be baptized. We invited a cute family last night to be baptized - they didn't say yes. However, they didn't say no either. We'll be meeting with them again next week to talk more about baptism. They had great questions, such as which form of baptism is correct. We talked a lot about prayer, and the importance of making a conscious decision to make promises with God. My job is to INVITE people to come unto Christ. What an amazing invitation.

Turkey dinner from last week: mom asked about it.  The elders cooked it. I guess it was a gift from some members. Funny gift. We didn't stay long, though.  Hermana Santos wasn't feeling good.

New Companion: I am so excited about my new companion, Hermana Moffat.  She is an answer to prayers. She is really motivated for missionary work and a lot of fun.  We've been companions for just three hours and have already laughed so much together.

Short on time.

Love,
Hermana Hoer

Blue Island Letter #20

Ivonne's baptism date was moved again so that her dad can attend. We had a really neat lesson with her. She has a stong testimony. She's considering staying with her cousin's family each Saturday evening and spending Sunday with them in order to have support getting to church. Her brothers, who are inactive members that she lives with, make fun of her for going to church. They don't help her get up and get a ride. It's really sad. It breaks her heart. However, she has some very strong, loving extended family members within our ward who are very willing to help her.

I love hearing about all the family and things back at home through letters and emails, thank you! Thanks for your prayers.  I'm doing well. Please keep praying. I know that your prayers are a vital neccesity to me as a missionary and as a human being.

We're short on time today. We met up with the other hermanas again. That is a blessing for me.  Now we're going to have a turkey feast at the church with the elders in our district. I'm not sure where they got a turkey...
Love,
Hermana Hoer

Blue Island Letter #19

Hermana Santos & Hermana Hoer

Downtown Chicago, Illinois



We had a neat experience last night. We received a referral from the English Elders about a week ago. We visited the address, but couldn't find the referral's name on the mail box. So, we just began knocking the building. We found him! We couldn't stay because we were alone; but, we set up an appointment for the following Sunday (last night). We went last night, expecting them to be a bit unfocused, because that's the environment we were in when we first contacted them. However, Julio sat down and we had an AWESOME lesson. I did not expect it to go so well, to be quite honest. We brought a member with us, who shared beautiful testimony of the restoration. She's a great teacher. Hermana Santos talked more than she does in most lessons, and seemed very comfortable. Julio loved it. All three of us (missionaries and member) were truly edified by the Spirit. Julio was as well. His brother, Jose (the referral) didn't want to join in until the second half of the lesson. At that point, Julio prayed. Julio was more reserved, but did pray. It was beautiful and pure. We talked about the Spirit and prayer. We talked of peace being a way that the Spirit speaks to us; they both then mentioned that they felt peace when we were there, and as we spoke. Their elderly neighbor was there; the neighbor speaks no Spanish. As we left, the neighbor told us that "whatever you said, they were listening. They're only this calm when you're here". We have a return appointment this week, where we are going to talk more about the Book of Mormon and invite them to be baptized.

It was a neat experience. The Spirit taught, because we all felt it! We all benefited. We left feeling so full, and grateful for how the lesson went.

We have a baptism on the 28th of this month, a lady who has been investigating the church for a few months. So exciting!

Have a wonderful week!

Hermana Hoer

Blue Island Letter #18

Hermana Hoer

Well, for El Dia de Los Reyes (Day of the Kings), we parted el rostro (a HUGE, round bread with sugar, pineapple, and strawberry slivers of toppings in the shape of a crown). I only ate two little pieces and ended up finding a muneca in both pieces! The tradition is to part the pieces of bread. If you find a little plastic figurine -- a muneca -- (of baby Jesus) in your piece, you find Christ with you in your life that year. You also make tamales for everyone on the 2nd of February (or is it the 4th? I don't remember)...I'm not sure where I'll get the time to do that. Or the ability. I've never made tamales before in my life!

I've had some neat experiences studying scriptures lately. Things that I didn't quite get in English are clarified by the Spanish word, and Spanish scriptures are clarified in English. It's really neat to compare the words because they reinforce and add upon one another, deepening my understanding. Languages are so rad! 

Be happy!
Hermana Hoer

Blue Island Letter #17

Leshelle on a P-day scavenger hunt in downtown Chicago

I didn't get transfered. I'll be here in Blue Island for at least six more weeks! I thought I was leaving. We'll see in six weeks what is going to happen. There were not many changes this transfer. I have a feeling either my companion or I will leave in the transfer to come. But, that's what I thought this time...

Lately I've relied heavily on anything but Who I need to. The other night, I was really humbled.  I don't know why, really. It was an appointment that helped me snap out of my pride. The result was this beautifully opened heart. It's like an open wound - it's not comfortable, but it feels good because I know it needs to get opened up before it can heal. The humility I feel is liberating. Isn't it so interesting, that once we let go of control, we are more stable? Well, within reason - if we give control over to the Lord, we are more stable.

I feel so blessed. Heavenly Father immediately let me see miracles. One was an instantaneous increase in revelation and feeling the Spirit in studies. Another, a wonderful companionship study,  better than we've ever had. More, we found an amazing young man (for the English Elders, but that doesn't matter), Dave. We knew we were supposed to be on the street. We originally went looking for a former investigator. However, when she blew us off we were not sad. It was as though we knew we were not there for her at that time. Dave was walking home from work. At first he accepted a card and thought what we said was interesting. We kept talking, and he shared a lot of experiences. We shared testimony. In the end, he went from courteous to interested, and even excited to meet with the Elders. Later, our awesome companionship study came into play to be able to help an inactive Hermano open his eyes a bit. The section that we studied (as prompted by the Spirit) eariler in the morning - more particularly, the application we made during studies - was EXACTLY the situation that this Hermano is in right now.

Have a fantastic week!

Hermana Hoer