I´m going to go change myself...

You hear the funniest things on the mission. For instance, Our district leader, who is learning english, and actually speaks it very well, was practicing with us one day after district meeting, and had to go change his clothes (he was going to do service). So, he comes up to say goodbye and says "I´m going to go change myself..." And I was able to keep a straight face until my companion said something. I don´t even remember what she said. But the poor Elder got all flustered. It was a direct translation of what he wanted to say, you just don´t usually say it like that in english, it´s just "I´m going to go change." Poor Elder. But this week has been a week of change. We were able to have a lot of amazing experiences. We went out on Tuesday with an Hermana from Centro who is preparing to go on a mission. She is one of 2 members in her family. Something like that, and is super excited to go on a mission, even though she still has 6 months before she can even put in her papers. So we were going around, and it was great, we had 2 citas planned, and then like every time we have a member all the citas fell through, so we went to go contact a few less actives, to teach them and see if they had any friends that wanted to hear the gospel. We go to one of our back up plans and find out that the direction in our list was for a house....when really it´s an apartment building. So we said a prayer to find this family, and while we were praying the number 3 came to my mind, 3 and 4 came to mind for Hermana Erickson, and Rosa (the member) thought of 4. So we thought, all right, we´re knocking 3 and 4. We go to knock apartment 3 - turns out an antiguo investigador lives there, we set a cita to come back, and then he tells us that the people we are looking for? Yeah, they live in apartment 4!! It was an amazing experience and testimony that God really does answer prayers, we just need to have the faith that He will guide us. The best part of that story is that when we went back to teach the menos activo family, we knocked on the door and their 12 year old brother answered. (P.S. this is a family where only one of the kids is a member) When he told us that the member wasn´t home, we started talking to him, invited him to church, all those good things. And then after he shut the door we heard this laughing coming from the inside. So, I tried to get closer to see what they were saying. Our member, who came with us tried to get close to the door as well, except, she ended up leaning on the door and it opened just a crack!! So all of us start RUNNING for the stairs. We get outside, hearts racing, and bust up laughing. They didn´t come to church, but it was nice to see the members getting so excited and involved in the work with us. And it´s true. We have 2 members in our branch that are just awesome! They went out together to go visit a couple of families and were telling us about it. Together they went to go visit the Family Heredia, but didn´t know which apartment they lived in. So together, they prayed to know where to go, and justo - a daughter of the family walks in the door. Shows them where to go. And then they talk, and Hermana Marcos (who is amazing) says that before they leave she wants to share a scripture. It literally nearly brought me to tears to hear this. Because she wants to be a missionary so badly. She knows the church is true and she has been completely changed because of it. Speaking of changing - the good thing about being a missionary, is that those who want to change talk to you, at least for a bit. We had an experience last Sunday I think, we were looking for the address of a family, and a guy comes up to us. He is clearly drunk, and starts talking to us about how he wants to change his life, how in that day he has already drunken 2 bottles of wine, and he just left his house to go buy a third, but he knows he needs to change his habits. (We know this because he comes up to us and says "Look, I´m drunk." To which I replied "yes, we know.") And he really wanted to change, but he didn´t know how, and I don´t know if it was the wine or something else, but he knew that he wasn´t treating his family very well with this addiction. We tried going back but we haven´t been able to find him. But I know, like he knows, that the only way to change is through God. He is the only one with the power to help us overcome our bad habits. And I was reading in the Liahona this week an article by Elder Bednar, he talks about the Atonement and shows us how in the scriptures the prophets don´t ask for their situations to change. Instead, they ask for the strength to overcome the trials in their lives. Two examples being Alma and his people when they were under the reign of Amulon - they were enslaved and set to work, and God didn´t free them right away, but he did give them the strength that their burdens would be made light. And then Elder Bednar talked about Nephi, how when his brothers tied him up, Nephi prayed for the strength to be released from his bonds. And then he probably had to work at the ropes, wriggling and struggling to free himself, but God gave him the strength to keep going until he was able to undo the bonds. This is how the Atonement (and the Grace of God work). It´s like the 3rd article of face. We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel. Believing that Christ exists is not enough. We have to do our part, but God will give us the strength to overcome every trial in our lives. This is the promise. And I testify that it is true. And I know it because I have been seeing the affects of the Atonement in the lives of so many people for this past year. In Argentina, in my family (even through e-mails) and mostly in myself. I know I am a better person for the trials I have been given. And I am grateful for the chance I have to change, because I know I am becoming what God wants of me. Just like you are changing to be what God desires of you. I love you all, until next week. Keep dreaming, keep praying. God will help you. That´s why He sent His Son. :) Hermana Reed