Hello everyone.
I don't even know where to begin. These last 24 hours have been filled with a lot. A lot of sadness, hurt, pain, and frustration. Long story short, I am going to be emergency transferred tomorrow. This was not the original plan. Originally, we were going to be put in a trio, Hermana Adams, Hermana Hearne and I. I was so excited! Hermana Hearne works the area right next to ours that is in the same Spanish Branch. We were going to run two areas as a trio, then Hermana Adams was going to go home after a transfer, and we were going to go back to our areas and lead them, Hermana Hearne and I, with other Hermanas. I was so excited, this is exactly what we have been wanting. This is exactly what the ward needs. We were so excited to take on this challenge. But that won't be happening anymore. I am getting moved to another area tomorrow. I can't go into detail, but after discussing it with my district leaders, zone leaders, and President and his wife, we all feel that it is best for me if I leave. It is frustrating and hard because I don't want to leave, and because of the agency of someone else, I have to. We finally have progressing investigators that our going to church, and our numbers have been awesome. I don't want to leave. But I know that the lord is in charge and I am excited to see what else is in store for.
Anyway, we had investigators come to church this week! The area that I am in hasn't had investigators come to church in over 4 months, and we got 2 to come! It was amazing. Arturro is our most progressing investigator and he came. Arturro is just great, he gives me a lot of hope that there are still good people in the world! During Sunday school when he introduced himself, he said that he hoped that the moment with all of us in church could last forever. He loves church and is progressing so well. He has a baptismal date, and we are so excited for him. I don't want to leave him. He is amazing. I have learned to love and care about the people so much, and it is hard to say good bye, especially when it was so unprecedented. But I know that he will continue to progress, and I can't wait to see what else is in store for him.
One last experience I want to share. I have had a break through with my Spanish! For the first time in awhile I was able to fully express myself, my feelings, and say exactly what I wanted to say without such a significant language barrier. I contacted this man named Antonio, by myself. He has seen Hermanas before and never will set a return appt. He started to ask me some very deep questions, questions that I don't get very often. He asked me how I had personally come to know of the truthfulness of the gospel and my experiences with how I knew I could see loved ones again. He talked about how he didn't want to know doctrine, he just wanted to know my experiences. I was able to share with him my experiences that I have had with death, and losing people I love and care about, especially with what has happened recently. Somehow, it really touched him. So much so that he started to cry, to sob. Somehow, even with my imperfect Spanish I was able to speak to him, and to speak by the spirit so his heart was touched. He completely opened up to me about how he had lost his mom and how he always wondered why God lets bad things happen to good people. It was amazing to be able to help him and to let him know that I had had the same questions. This has been one of the greatest moments on my mission thus far. We even set a return apt with him after refusing for the last 7 months. I have learned that I am learning Spanish for a reason. Spanish has taught me to teach with the spirit, and to not rely on my own personal skills or speaking abilities. I have to completely rely on the Lord when I teach in Spanish. If I would have gone English speaking, I don't think I would have learned that as much. I would have relied and my own skills, rather than on the spirit. Spanish has taught me so much and has really, really humbled me. I am so grateful I am Spanish speaking, I need it more than I ever knew.
Anyway, I love all of you. Thank you for your support. Who knows what will happen next week.
Love,
Hermana Failner
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