Hermana Inman Letter February 18, 2014

Read the Book of Mormon!

Our second home was doctor's office this week.  Hermana Woodruff has been so, so sick.  We had to take her to urgent care on Thursday because she couldn't keep anything down in her body and so they had to put IV's in her to give her some nutrients and strength. We've also been in and out of the doctor's offices and labs doing blood work and tests to try to figure out what's wrong, then yesterday she had a procedure done, too (an endoscopy), so I was her designated driver and chef for the day haha.  She was really funny on anesthesia.  So I've had a ton of down time in the apartment and at the doctor while she's been sick, which means the apartment is super clean, I can almost quote all of Ephraim's Rescue, AND, I FINISHED THE BOOK OF MORMON IN SPANISH!! It's taken me almost all of my mission to finish it in Spanish, but I finally finished it yesterday!  The Book of Mormon is true.  I testify that it is, and I know that as we read it we grow closer to our Savior Jesus Christ.  I can say that because that is what happened to me as I read it, time and time again. The spirit testifies to me each time I read that the accounts in that book really did happen, and that doctrine in that book is pure, and is of Christ. Read it. Pray about it. Ponder it.  You will receive a testimony just like I have, as well as all those who I have met here on the mission who have become converted to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Congratulations to Shane on his mission call!!!!!!!  CHILE! SPANISH!  That's so awesome!! Their Spanish is really cool, too!! Wow that's awesome!  Tell him congratulations for me! 

We only had one exchange this past week  because of my companion's health, so we'll be doing them all back to back this week.... no matter how early I schedule the exchanges in the transfer, for one reason or another, they always have to be re-scheduled and all end up happening in the same week. It's all good though, I'm not too worried about it. Plus, we picked up a new investigator Isaac on our exchange!  He's Catholic, but he's very excited to read the Book of Mormon!  I'll let you know how it goes! 

 

Zone conference is this week, and our zone will be with Del Mar zone!  Which means I get to see Sister MacKay and my other friends from Del Mar!  So that will be fun!  We got free tamales from some Jehova Witnesses this week, so that was cool!  They asked us to buy some and we told them we didn't have any money (which is true!), so they gave us some for free! That's not something that happens every day. Maria Infante is great, we are just trying to help her come to church.  She's embarrassed to go in public much, so we're trying to help her get some good friends to help her feel comfortable there. She asked me to come with her to Mexico after I end my mission.  She's from Sonora, Mexico and wants to show me her pueblo!  Wouldn't that be fun! Viviana and Briana have been in Mexico this week so we haven't been able to teach them, they're still great because rather than just not be there for our appointments, she calls us ahead of time to tell us she won't be there but tells us which day we can come instead.  That shows real interest!  It's really nice!  We had a really neat lesson with one of our less-active/part-member families last night.  We taught the restoration and the spirit was so strong, and at the end of the lesson the non-member dad gave the prayer and prayed for the desire to come to church and the desire to quit drinking alcohol.  It was so neat :) he's never had the desire nor prayed for it, so it was beautiful to see his progress after being touched by the spirit. 

Congratulations Torie on your concerts!  You're awesome! And Jesse is so special and I am grateful to have his sweet spirit in our family. He must have been one of Heavenly Father's most valiant spirits. I'm glad you guys had a good valentine's day, and I'm glad that you are still in love mom and dad :)  that sounds like a silly thing to say, but it really is such a blessing to have such a strong family that originates with the love between the parents.  

I love you all and am so grateful for you.  Thanks for all that you do.  Have a great week, and don't forget to do the small, simple things each day.

 

Love,

Hermana Inman

weird dinner of the week:  an entire fish! eye balls and all!

 

 

 

Just on the patio of our new bishop's beach house.  no big deal. the sun was really bright.

 

 

This is Leti, the investigator who wants to get baptized so bad but just needs permission from her husband... she is the most golden and humble person I have ever met.

 

 

This picture sums up this week.

 

 

Hermana Inman Letter February 10, 2014

I ate a grasshopper.

WE SET A BAPTISMAL DATE WITH VANESSA!!!!! MARCH 1ST!!!!! WOOOOO!!!!!!!!!  And guess what else?!  HER MOM CAME TO CHURCH YESTERDAY!!!!! That was probably the biggest miracle of all! Her mom always avoids us and doesn't ever want to learn about the gospel, but, she came to church yesterday and stayed for all three hours!! Can you believe that?!! I guess if your child is baptized you'd want to know what she's getting into. We picked up two new investigators this week, Viviana and her 11 yr old daughter Briana.  They are GOLDEN and are progressing.  Speaking of progressing investigators, we had 11 this week!! I've never seen that before in my life!  11 progressing investigators!!! A couple of them didn't come to church, so that bumped it down to 9. haha.  We finally saw Jacobo this week and were able to talk about the strength of his testimony and what we can do to help him progress towards baptism. He stopped drinking coffee :).  We finally finished an entire lesson with Maria because she talks so much but we figured out how to hold her attention.  The pizza party with the Martinez family went really well, and now they have some good friends at church.  Great things are happening!! Oh, I tried chapolines at the pizza party.... chapolines are cooked grasshoppers. mmmm!! actually it was really gross.  see attached pictures below.

 

And this is how it tasted.

 

 

Hermana Woodruff has been really sick lately, so are spending a lot of time in doctors offices, but somehow the Lord still blessed our area and our investigators/less-actives.  If you could please keep Hermana Woodruff in your prayers this week she would really appreciate it.

 

We had a zone training meeting this week and we trained on how to help our investigators to study the scriptures, pray, and come to church on their own.  It was a really good training overall- we were told by a man from the MTC the other week that if we would just focus on helping our investigators to do these 3 things then we would baptize twice as many as we are now.  We're going to give it a go! 

 

We start exchanges this week!  I'm only over 4 other sisters this transfer so that means we do less exchanges, it's kind of nice and less stressful.

Today is my 16 month mark... it's hard to believe.  Lucky for me I get to serve for a little longer than 18 months!  I come home on April 23rd- I did the math wrong.  But the mission office contacted me this week to tell me because they said "mom called and checked" haha.  

Congratulations Torie on your concerts, you are so talented!! What's everyone's plans for Valentines? Does Torie have a valentine?  Hna. Woodruff is mine ;). 

Thanks for sending me pictures of Grandpa Jensen, I'm going to print off his obituary.  

 

How neat that you got to go to the Gilbert Temple open house!! It looks gorgeous from the pictures!! That's awesome that Reed & Muche's kids get to be in the pre-dedicatory celebration!  Lucky!  I bet that's going to be so awesome! 

I got the package of snacks :)  thank you so much! You guys are the best!  I love you all and hope you have a great week!

 

Love, 

Hermana Inman

 

Our companions asked us to be their valentines with heart-shaped donuts :) 

 

 

 

 

Hermana Inman Letter February 3, 2014

When life gives you lemons...

This week was really hard, yet I wouldn't say it was a "bad week."  We have had to drop a lot of our investigators, and we're dealing with controlling and... ungodly... parents who are the only thing keeping their kids/teenagers from progressing in the gospel.  What parent would not want their child to be strong in the gospel of Jesus Christ? We had one day this week where not one door was opened up to us the entire day, NOT ONE, for 24 hours! But, you just keep going and know in your heart that it's nothing like what the Savior went through, and perhaps the reason we have to work so hard right now is because there is somebody in our area who is 100% prepared to receive and embrace the gospel.  We've been finding a lot of investigators and people who are willing to learn, but they all speak english, so we have to keep giving the english sisters our new investigators.  It's okay though, it's all the same work, and all that matters is if they get baptized and come unto Christ.

We're still teaching the Palacios family, of course :) they are wonderful.  Vanessa has been such a good example lately, this week her parents tried to give her coffee 3 times and she turned it down every single time, and finally her dad asked, "why don't you want coffee? Is it because you want to get baptized?"  She answered "yes" to which he replied, "hmm, ok, I'll remember that and take that into consideration."  Which is GREAT! Slowly but surely he is softening his heart and we are hoping and praying that she can get baptized this month.

Yesterday our ward got a new bishopric, and during their testimonies, somebody set off the fire alarm in the church... that was a fun and exciting experience, especially because just a few weeks before we had a training in ward council about how to respond when an emergency happens during sacrament meeting or if protesters try to come and stop our meetings.  Luckily it was just a kid who pulled it and there was no emergency. 

We're teaching the Martinez family and they have never read the Book of Mormon on their own, regardless of how many times they've been invited.  So, this week in our lesson, we just read in 1 Nephi 1 and explained it to them, and the loved it!  It might not seem like a big deal, but Cristian, the dad, said he wanted to read it during the week, and that it was really interesting.  If Cristian gains a testimony of the Book of Mormon and (the gospel), then that whole family will be baptized!  This will be huge!  When we went over there they were so happy about what they learned that they asked us at the end of the lesson to bring all of our friends over from church this Thursday and they are going to make pizza for everyone!  Huge fellowshipping opportunity!  And, Cristian told us about his friend at work who was baptized a long time ago who is struggling and needs the church back in his life.  He gave us his friends number so we could find him, and the missionaries in his area found him and are working with him now!  Small little miracles with the Martinez family, and we're really happy about it! 

I'm so happy to hear about all the successes you are having in your ward back at home!  That's so great that an entire family is going to be baptized and that there are so many other people to work with right now! That makes me happy :) make sure to be good friends to them, the new converts and investigators.  They'll stay around if they have good friends to support them and answer their questions. That's so crazy that Jensen and Shane are working on their mission papers!! Holy cow!! They're little! But that's so great!!! :) So many Inman Missionaries! How fun that Edison Thalman's MTC teacher is Elder/Brother Armstrong!  I know him!  He was a great elder and I got to teach some of his converts in the Olivenhain ward while I was there!  That's so cool!  Small world. I didn't know he even knew who I was haha. 

I am so grateful for my knowledge of the godhead again this week.  God sent His SON to redeem us, and the Holy Ghost testifies of THEM.  They work together for one purpose, but are THREE separate beings.  The Atonement wouldn't be possible nor make any sense if God was also the son and also the holy ghost.  We've had the opportunity to teach about it a few times this week. The gospel of Jesus Christ is so true!  It's so comforting and brings me so much peace.  I love the Lord.  I love this work.  I love the Book of Mormon, and I am so grateful for the divine truths that the restoration of the gospel teaches us. 

Have a great week and don't forget to study the scriptures each day.  

Love,

Hermana Inman