8-23-2010

Hello Family,

I don't even know where to begin today. I am feeling very sentimental right now. This week was great. Hermana Reed and I worked very hard and I know we were in the right place at the right time. I am beginning to love the members in Mid-wood more and more everyday. This week we had some neat experiences with them.

Starting on Monday night: We decided to go to one area that we were in last week that seemed to have a lot of Spanish speakers, look up some people the Bishop asked us to work with and drop off some Tupperware containers that Hna C* had given us the week before to take food home when we ate with her. We first stopped off at Hna C*'s home. She wasn't expecting us. We ended up only going to her home but we were where we needed to be. As she opened the door she was superized to see us. She is an older woman, but still has a lot of energy and mind. She asked for us to come in and then asked us if we wanted to eat. We told her that we were just planning to drop off her containers and she didn't have to feed us. She wanted to, that is how they show thier love, so we ate. As she was preparing a soup for us to eat she began telling us how she was having a hard day. It was amazing to me that Heavenly Father really directs us to where we need to be as we are willing to listen and act. She told us that she had prayed and asked Heavenly Father for help. Low and behold two Sister missionaries who are just trying to return Tupperware show up at her door. I know that Heavenly Father answers are prayers and that as we are willing we can also be an answer to someones prayer. Heavenly Father knows exactly what we stand in need of along with what our capabilities are to serve and help others. I need to stop being supprise every time a situation like this happens but need to have greater faith that I am truly being guided by the hands of the Lord. When we saw Hna C* yesterday at church she had the biggest smile on her face and gave both Hna Reed and I a great big hug. She told us that she loved us and tonight we will be eating with her once again :)

A very similar experience happened this Friday as well. After our weekly district meeting we had an apoinment to teach an investigator that lives close to the building. We had tried to call and remind her about the apointment but her phone did not have service. We went to teach her and we were juked as the missionaries call it here. She was not home. We decided to go visit a member in the same building but on a different floor. As we walked down the hall there was another member who had her door open to get a brease during the hot afternoon. As we walked by I said, "Hola Hermana! Como esta? She saw us as we were walking by and asked us to come in. She told us that she had just prayed for someone to come by because she wasn't feeling well. She called us her angels. I felt extremely humbled that anyone would call this 24 year old sweaty, probably stinky missionary an angel. We were able to talk with her for a little while as she also fed us an unexpected snack and share a scripture with her about Christ. Everyday I feel privileged to be a missionary and to be able to have these experiences.

Yesterday we were blessed to have dinner with Familia C*. They are one of my favoret families here. It was amazing to feel the spirit in thier home. As we shared a spiritual message with them before we left I could feel the spirit speaking through us. We used an object lesson with a bar of soap I made up. We are like the brick like bar of soap, a rectangle with rough edges. As we do things like prayer, scripture study, service, and so forth we become as the Savior would have us become. As we are talking and asking them things that we need to be doing to become more like Christ I was carving a heart out of the soap. Soon I held a smooth beautiful heart. It was fun to do with thier kids but then there was more. The C*'s are a very strong couple. We have talked about perfection, dedication, and consicration before. I then held the molded heart. As we do those things we can become more like the Savior. It is all with in us but we must have the faith that is required to do those things to become "the heart". However there is only so much we can do on our own. As we allow Heavenly Father to consecrate us we can become something much grater than we could ever become on our own. We then put the heart into the microwave :) and the heart become a plate full of puffy cloud, something they heart could not become on its own. We must have faith and allow Heavenly Father to consecrate our acts, our efforts to become that that which only He can do. I have been thinking a lot about all of these things lately, faith, works, miracles, becoming how God needs us to become, not what we want to become, applying the Atonement more into our lives. I recognize that I must exhort a greater faith into my life and especially in this work. There is so much to do. So many miracles to happen.

I have felt a great change in this area lately. My heart has felt full of love for these people. I feel as though I am becoming a better missionary. I recognize that I still lack quite a bit...a lot...but I am doing what I can. I must continue to work hard and have greater faith in the Lord.

Right now we are working with three investigators, N*, H*, and Familia G*. We need to find more people to teach and help follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized. Both Hermana Reed and I feel that there are people out there waiting for us to find them and teach them. We have been working hard with finding people through the English classes we teach. The last two weeks we have both had a lot of fun teaching English class. We teach every Thursday and the Elders teach Tuesday. THere have been more people coming and we have been working hard publising for it.

Family, I love all of you so much. Please let me know if there is anything you want to hear about that I haven't mentioned or any questions you have. I love all of you so much. You are continually in my prayers. Please continue to pray and help Hermana Reed and I to find those people who are prepared and ready to hear about the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. I love this work because I know it is true and helps people come closer to Jesus Christ. I love all of you very much. Have a wonderful week. Work hard and keep spreading the Gospel.

Love,

Hermana Banaszewski