This week is going to be another good one! We kind of get
2 P-Days this week cause of New Years and tomorrow since I kind of just
got here, I get to go to the PCC Island Feast and Night Show with
Sister Mckinney and one of the Senior Couples! This last week I got to
go to the temple too because this month was temple month and I missed it
when every one else went. Here at the center we go every other month.
It was so cool to see all the windows in the doors and stuff and know
that my parents helped on those!:) They look really great! This temple
is super small but so beautiful! Did you know that it was the 5th oldest
built?!
So with Pauli, things are going a bit slower. Satan
sure is working hard on that girl! Last Thurs. we were teaching her and
she really freaked out. We asked her if she was reading and praying and
she said that she just can't over and over, "no puedo." She says that
ever since she started meeting with us she feels like her life is
getting harder and she liked how it was before. We explained about
opposition in all things and that everytime there is good, Satan is
going to try to counter that. We asked her about how she felt when she
prayed before, that she had told us that she felt Heavenly Father was
listening to her and forgave her of her sins. She said that she just
doesn't know any more. We explained that this is something that she has
to know for herself. That we knew it was true and we could tell her that
all we wanted, but she needed to pray to Heavenly Father and ask Him if
it is true. We talked about how Heavenly Fathers plan includes the gift
of agency and that we can't force her to do anything but that she needs
to choose for herself. Well anyway, in the end she told us that she
didn't want to talk with us anymore because she felt like everytime she
met with us we would "convince" her and she didn't want to be a Mormon.
She said it wasn't forever, just for now. That nearly broke both of our
hearts. It's so hard to know how good this message is and how much she
needs it and have to just wait for her to understand that. We have been
praying so hard for her since then and then on Sunday we decided to call
her. When we called she thanked us for calling and seemed so excited to
talk to us and said that she wanted to meet with us again. Not to
teach, just to talk. What a miracle though! We're going to see her
sometime today or tomorrow. Please pray for her!
It's amazing to see the miracles that happen
everyday whether on tram tours, in the Visitor Center, or teaching. It's
so cool to see someone come in and then decide they want to meet with
the missionaries or read and pray more or something like that. The
Hawaii Honolulu Mission is also full of miracles by itself. I am so
blessed to be here!
As far as my Spanish goes, It does get a bit
frustrating at times. I only have the rest of this transfer with Sister
Rodriguez and then she goes home! I'm so far from being fluent and when
Spanish people do come in and she talks with them, I only catch bits of
the conversation. I am lucky to be in the visitor center where we can
spend some language times watching The Testaments, The Joseph Smith
movie, and others in Spanish. I pray every day for the gift
of tongues and try so hard. I honestly have no idea why I was called to
be Spanish speaking here in a place where the few we do see that are
Spanish understand English too. I don't know why the Lord would want me,
someone who has had no experience speaking Spanish before, to come here
to teach in Spanish, but I know that just like for Pauli and everyone
else, the Lord does have a plan for me and I don't know how or when, but
just like Nephi, I am going to go forward, not knowing beforhand what
the Lord would have me do. This Gospel is so true and the Atonement is
so real! I am so grateful to have gained such a strong testimony of that
in the MTC so that now when I need it more than ever, my faith and my
God will not fail me. I love this Gospel and am so grateful for the
blessings that it has brought me! This new year is going to be a great
one! I love you all so much and I am so grateful for the faith and love
you have shown me. I pray every day that I can be the kind of missionary
my family thinks I am and that the Lord expects me to be.
Les Amo!
Hermana Rowley (Shayla)
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