Emotional Roller Coaster

This week was full of interesting things! It was actually really fun and really bad. It was pretty much an emotional roller coaster! We basically spent this whole week knocking doors. It sometimes feels like we are walking through mud trying to find people to talk to. I have been getting a little bit discouraged thinking that maybe it's us that no one wants to talk to and learn of their own personal salvation. Then one night we went to some less actives house. They basically told us that our Spanish was horrible – well actually they said my Spanish is horrible. They told Hermana Pearson that her Spanish isn't very good either! I tried to explain to Hermana Yayez (the wife of the less active and a non-member) that I have only been on my mission 3 weeks in Iowa and she said "Si, pero tú español NO ES Bueno!" Then she told my companion she needs serious work too. I was like "Oh, so sad!" So that was pretty much a shot to the heart! Needless to say, that did not help our confidence. Then we had a lesson with our one and only progressing investigator, Luis. It was the 3rd lesson so we taught him about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The lesson was average at best and our Spanish was really struggling. But, we bore testimony as well as we could and tried to testify of these things to him. We talked to him about giving up coffee and invited him to make some commitments. We talked a lot about the Plan of Salvation. Luis is a very intelligent guy, logical and a deep thinker, and he had some good questions. We did our best to answer them in our sad Spanish. He believes in God and a life after this one. After the closing prayer of this average lesson, me and Hermana Pearson were putting away our things while Luis was just sitting there holding his pamphlet. He then asked out of nowhere, "What is this feeling that I am feeling, like is it in my head?" We were totally astonished and hurried to tell him it was the Holy Ghost. It was so awesome! I was so happy to see him receive a witness of the Holy Ghost – it felt amazing. He said it was a nice feeling and we testified to him of the gift of the Holy Ghost that is received after we are baptized. I was SO happy after that experience. I felt that I would knock 1,000 doors so that I could get that one person to receive the witness of the Holy Ghost. It was awesome. I was VERY grateful. So we set up our next appointment with him and talked about his baptismal date. He has had a date for a while, but we keep having to push it back because he never comes to church. When we texted him a couple of days later about our lesson at 6 pm that night, he just responded, "I'm tired today, sorry." What?! I was so mad! I got out of the car and just wanted to scream! He didn't even try to make up an excuse! We were like, "No Luis! We are all tired but this is so much more important than sleep."  He just responded, "I know". Oh, I was so bugged. We called him that night and talked for a minute. He said he would come to church on Sunday but he didn't!  So frustrating!

Sister De La Bruere

We did meet a couple of new investigators this week though! We met the cutest lady named Stephanie! We knocked her door and she was so nice. We didn't even really say anything and she was like, “Come on in!” She has the sweetest little girl who is like 1 1/2 or 2 and Stephanie is around 23. She was all "so, what's up?" We gave her the lowdown – the lesson on the Restoration. We talked to her in English because she speaks it really well. When we asked her what she thought and if she was interested in our message she asked us if she could be honest. We were like "ya – please!"  We figured she was going to shut us down but she said she was really interested! She has been studying with the Jehovah Witnesses for the last little bit. She likes some of the things that she is being taught but feels like something is missing from their church and she doesn't agree with some of the things they teach. We were thinking "oh, you gotta listen to us!!" We have been texting her and trying to set up another appointment but she is super busy. She just opened a restaurant! She is so sweet and I already love her so much! I really feel like she was a tender mercy for Luis being a pile this week! I am like quickly realizing there is opposition in all things. So like, we will be at the lowest of lows but also you will be happier than you can ever imagine – ahhh missions are emotional. We have a ton going on- including exchanges today so I better go! It has been a good week!