35: A Day In Villa

I have such a story to tell y'all this week so buckle up.

It may be a little long. But even if you never read any of my emails, read this one. 

 

 

If you could tell from the last few emails, I've been pretty beat down. In 8 months, I haven't really seen success from my efforts and this week I started to wonder why I am even out here. Life at home was starting to sound really nice...

 

 

Then I had the chance to work in Villa Constitución with one of my best friends Hermana Judd. We got to do service for an inactive lady and we left her with a Book of Mormon and promised that if she read the chapter we suggested, she would know what Christ expects her to do with the covenants she made at baptism. It was so powerful!

 

 

Then we got to go to a lesson with Guillermo. He is amazing. The sisters had been in his neighborhood, met his mom, and set up a return appointment. So I went with Judd to teach him all about the Restoration. Guillermo shared with us that the night before we came he prayed and asked God to send him the truth, and we showed up! He said he knows that we are the Lord's servants. The lesson was SO powerful and I loved getting to know that little family. 

 

 

Well it gets better. We were going to visit a less active family in the same barrio but we couldn't find them. So we ended up walking for 20 minutes along little dirt paths and going up to random shacks to ask them where Calle 2 is. Even though we were lost, this neighborhood was so fun to be in. There were millions of kids running around, garbage fires burning, and teens riding horses around bareback. Kind of surreal, kind of amazing. 

 

 

We found the family's house, but it turns out they recently moved. As we were walking away, another mujer ran out of her house and talked to us about how she had a pamphlet from the missionaries at one point. She led us to her mom's house where the whole extended family was sitting around drinking mate. They were all kind and ASKED to hear our message, so we taught this whole family about the Restoration! And left them with copies of the Book of Mormon to start reading. 

 

 

We had to leave pretty quick because the sun went down and we weren't supposed to be in that neighborhood after dark. On our way home, we stopped to buy cute bracelets and talk to the people at the stand. Turns out every person there had talked to missionaries before and wanted to meet with us again! And when we got ice cream, the worker was an inactive member who said he'd be down to see the missionaries. 

 

 

All in all, it was a miracle after miracle day. We were so absolutely led by the Spirit to meet the people we met. We walked for miles but I was so happy just to be there.

 

 

It was a big sign to me that my lack of success isn't because I'm a bad missionary. I just may happen to find myself in unfortunate areas haha. I have a greater testimony of missionary work and that it's led by the Savior. I know why I'm here, and I'm glad I get to help people come to know their Savior and accept His gospel. 

 

 

I love y'all! Hope y'all are safe, happy, and healthy!!

Hermana Thrasher

 

 

PICS!!!

1. Some street art that made me laugh 

2. My perfectly made mate, you must have 3/4 yerba and then pour the water into the 1/4 space there. 

3. Freaky eyed dog

4. Cute wall mosaic says "Life makes sense with the Lord, trust Him" 

5. I made a booklet of all the little mistakes that I make in Spanish that slap a Gringa sign on my forehead 

6. The Pergamino sisters sent us peanut butter haha