Semana 29 en Kerman

On September 29^th Hermana VanWie wrote this email –

 Querida Familia y amigos--

             This week was wonderful!! We had interviews with the mission president this week. I love President and Sister Clark!! I felt so loved by both them and my Heavenly Father.

We had another wonderful lesson with A and J this week! We talked about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the importance of baptism. J immediately responded that he would be baptized which stunned us and A also agreed, but was a little more hesitant than her husband. As we asked her what her doubt was, she began to explain to us what she had been searching for. She said that she felt like there was a hole in her heart/spirit and has been searching for something that would fill it. Now, she says that when she reads the Book of Mormon and comes to church and talks with us, she feels like this hole is filled. As she told us this she began to cry. She had not realized that this was an answer to her prayers. As we helped her identify what she was feeling was the Spirit, more tears came (from her and from us) and the Spirit was very strong. She now recognizes that this is an answer to her prayers. It was a wonderful lesson! They are so excited to learn more. 

We also had the opportunity to do service them. They were repainting their house (they told us this on Wednesday at their lesson). When we heard this we immediately volunteered to help. A little unbelievingly, J agreed to let us come. When we arrived at their house on Saturday in our service clothes, he was shocked. He couldn't believe that we actually were going to help them. It was a great experience. Throughout the time we spent with them his trust in us grew, we got to know their children, and we got to know Arcelia more as well. I LOVE service!! I know that as we serve members and investigators and less actives we come closer to them and they are more able to feel of the love we and our Heavenly Father have for them.

Hermana Jimenez and I had the great opportunity and privilege to see the end of a process and the beginning of a new journey--S was baptized! It has been such a wonderful journey for us and for her! We have been privileged to see the whole process: to find her grandfather, receive her as a referral, help her progress through teaching her, and watch her be baptized and invite her friends to also learn more. It has coincided exactly with the 12 week program. Everything we have been learning every week has applied exactly to what we were doing every week. It truly has been a tender mercy of the Lord.

During all of church on Sunday, S could hardly sit still. I was in primary playing the piano, and every 10 minutes she would come over and ask what time it was and when her baptism would be. Her baptism was very special--her grandfather was just beaming!! He said a wonderful prayer at the end. A family friend baptized her and confirmed her. The confirmation was wonderful and even though the member that did the confirmation was a little worried about his Spanish, the gift of tongues came into play and he gave a wonderful blessing. I am so excited for her to begin preparing to go to the temple! I loved how the Women's General Conference was centered on that!

                I am so grateful to be a missionary! I love this work! This is the Lord's work! Gracias por todo lo que hacen!

Love you!

Con amor,

Hermana VanWie

 

Semana 28 en Kerman

On September 22nd, Hermana VanWie shared these great experiences:

Mi querida familia y amigos -- 

This week has been great!!!!  This past preparation day our zone had the great opportunity to see the DVD, The Saratov Approach. It was wonderful! As I reflected on it, it helped me realize how much my perspective has changed over my mission. I know am learning spiritual things in everything I do. As we watched the movie, I learned more about the Savior and our Heavenly Father. It was reaffirmed to me that Jesus Christ did not want to suffer. In Luke 22, He prays to the Father and asks if there is not some other way. But then He shows us the perfect example and submits His will to that of His Father's. As He submitted His will, He showed His love for His Father and for us. He taught us what real love is and how we can and should submit our will to our Heavenly Father. As I pondered this I imagined what it must have been like for our Heavenly Father to hear His Son ask if there was not some other way. Our Heavenly Father did not want Jesus to suffer and die. He had the ability to prevent that. Yet, He permitted it to happen because He knew it was the only way that we could be saved. As I realized this, I could feel the love that my Heavenly Father and Savior have for me. How much They love us! How grateful I am for Christ's decision to submit to our Heavenly Father's will and for Heavenly Father's decision to permit it to happen so we can have the opportunity to return to live with Them again someday.

We had an amazing Zone Conference this week as well! There was a wonderful Spirit there.
We talked about the importance of focusing on the temple and becoming complete missionaries. I know this will help us retain our converts. We also learned that some of the most powerful teaching moments can be while eating dinner as we share experiences. After Zone Conference we had dinner with a family and as we talked we started sharing some our experiences from the week. These members asked if we had seen the Saratov Approach and we told them we had. Then as we talked about it with them, we began to testify of the truths that we learned. As we talked and testified, the sweetest Spirit came into the room and this wonderful brother opened up and openly talked about his mission and his experiences, why he went, and how it changed his life. In the seven months I have been here, I had never heard him talk about his mission like that. Sharing during dinner and using personal experiences truly helps us teach to people's needs and allows us to get to the next level of communication. 

We had some wonderful lessons with S this week! She is so excited to be baptized! We talked about the temple this week and she is so excited to go! She can hardly wait for the next 3 years until she can go. As she expressed her desire to go and her excitement for the gospel, her grandfather began to echo the same enthusiasm. By the next lesson he was reading is scriptures and praying every day and now has a goal to get the priesthood, have a calling, and be able to bless and pass the Sacrament and to go to the temple. It has been amazing to see how much he as changed because of his granddaughter. They both came to Stake Conference and they loved it! S even brought a friend! She has taught this friend how to pray and her grandfather wants us to start teaching the friend's family this next week. We love Samantha and her grandfather!

Stake Conference was amazing as well! Elder Baxtor of the 70 was there and he did a Q & A Saturday night which was really neat. He talked about the importance of realizing that we are not perfect and how we can use the Grace of Jesus Christ more in our lives and the importance of being patient with ourselves and slowing down a little. But more than anything over the two days, he talked about the temple and how much our Heavenly Father is aware of us. It was wonderful! 

We also had a wonderful lesson with A and J this week. We had the Bishop's wife (a friend of their family) with us. It was a great lesson! We taught about the Plan of Salvation. The Spirit was so special there and the member we had with us did a wonderful job explaining parts of the lesson. It was amazing to see A and J get excited about being a family forever through the temple and to help their relatives who have passed away feel the same joy and happiness they are experiencing right now.
I am so grateful to be serving a mission! I know this is the Lord's work! I know His hand is in it. How grateful I am for the love and support I can feel from you!  Gracias por todo lo que hacen. Que tengan una semana maravillosa!

Con amor,
Hermana VanWie

Semana 27 en Kerman

On September 15, Hermana VanWie sent this email:

Querida Familia y amigos –

This week has been great!!!! And we had some amazing lessons! We had a great lesson with M (a recent convert) and his brother and mother. We talked about the second half of the Plan of Salvation and doing temple work. The Spirit there was very strong. As we talked with them about the Plan of Salvation, a light came into their eyes and by the end of the lesson they had a fire to do family history work and temple work for their ancestors. They are both preparing to go to the temple and do work for their family members. Before the mission, I knew that temple work is important and I knew that the Spirit World excited. But now, I know in my heart without a doubt that the Spirit World is a real place. Our ancestors are there. They are waiting for us to help them to continue on their journey to come closer to our Heavenly Father. I love the Plan of Salvation!

We had 3 people in church on Sunday: S, A, and J and their family. S is solid. She is going to be baptized on the 28th. We are teaching lesson 5 to her this week. She loves Primary and she is really setting a great example for her grandfather. Through her, he is coming back to church and changing his life.

A and J and their family also came to church on Sunday. Although we were not able to have a lesson with them this week, they came to church and they loved it! They are so prepared. In Sunday School they talked about Tithing and Fast Offerings. As soon as church was over, A went up to the Bishop and paid her tithing. A also explained to us how her friend, the member that introduced us to her, gave her a For the Strength of Youth pamphlet and she loves it! She said, "This is what I believe! This is what I want for my children!" She also explained to us that she and Jesus have been praying together every night and studying the Book of Mormon every night together. Later, her young son, J, told us that he has been reading the Book of Mormon with his father and he loves it! This family is a prepared family! We did not ask them, nor did the members, to study together every night or to study with their children. We are so excited to continue working with them.

Gracias por su ejemplo hacia las personas al redendor de ustedes! Gracias por su apoyo y amor! Que tengan una semana maravillosa!

 

Con amor,

Hermana VanWie

Semana 26 en Kerman -- another miraculous week

On September 8, 2014, Hermana VanWie wrote this email:

Querida Familia y amigos --

This week has been wonderful!! We saw miracles this week! We set a baptismal date with S this week! She is solid! We love her! We are grateful for the change we have seen in her and in grandfather over the past 5 weeks. She came church on Sunday again! She loves church! We taught her the word of wisdom this week which she readily accepted. She was so proud on Sunday when she told us, "I stopped drinking coffee!" We are so excited for her to be baptized on the 27th!

We also had A and J at church this week! They brought their whole family! They stayed for 2 of the 3 hours and loved it! We have seen A progress so much in the past week. We had a lesson with a member earlier this week and she told us that she has been reading the Book of Mormon with her children and making sure they are praying. We have only been teaching her for a week and a half. She is amazing! We are excited to continue to see them progress as a family!

I become more a more convinced that we serve in areas not only for investigators and companions, but because of the members that are there. I am grateful for the members here! I learn so much from them! 

I love being a missionary! I love seeing people change and becoming changed!  I am grateful for this gospel! I know it is true! I know my Savior lives! I know He loves me! I know His Atonement applies to me and allows me to change and become the person that He wants me to be! How grateful I am for that! Thank you for all that you do for me and for member missionary work!

Los quiero mucho!  Que tengan una semana maravillosa!

Hermana VanWie

 

Semana 25 en Kerman

On September 1, 2014 Hermana VanWie shared this:

Querida Familia y amigos --

Esta semana ha sido buenismo!! We saw wonderful miracles this week! One was through working with members.  We are getting really excited by all the progress that is going on in the ward. This past Sunday was had a meeting for a mentoring program that the ward is going to be doing with recent converts. It is amazing! As we went through the packet we all felt that this is what is going to help our recent converts stay active in the church. I am so excited to see how this program helps them progress!

We are trying to have more team-ups with the members and for the past few weeks we have been doing pretty well with getting sisters to come out with us. This past week, after having a really good experience on the previous time she came out with us and Sister F took us to go see two of her friends. The first one wasn't really interested, but Sister F had the opportunity to have more of a gospel centered discussion with her which was wonderful! And then we had an even larger miracle! We went and saw her friend named A. She immediately invited us in when we knocked on her door. We got to know her and she told us that she had actually been thinking about Sister F that morning even though she hadn't seen her in months. As we talked, we learned that her son had gone to Cub Scouts at church a few years back. Then Sister F explained who we were and that we talked about the church. A then surprised us all by saying, "I always wanted to go to church there!" When Sister F asked why she hadn't, she simply replied, "Because you never invited me." All that was needed was an invitation. I know that there are people that are prepared by the Lord for us--for missionaries and for members.  

Later in the week we had a lesson with A and her husband and her sister-in-law. At first we were a little worried because her husband and her sister-in-law kept on trying to take over the lesson, but as we began teaching we no longer felt worried and for the first time in my mission I think I finally understood what the scripture my bishop gave me when I left home meant: 1 Peter 3:14-15 "But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear." This is what it meant to me: If you do this work, (and although what I am asking you to do it not easy), you will be happy and will not need to fear or be troubled. But sanctify yourself--be clean, pure, committed, obedient, worthy, and focused, and give your whole heart to the Lord and be ready to open your mouth to give an answer. When you have sanctified yourself, you will not need to fear what to say, it will be given to you as you are humble and willing and ready to answer the questions people have. 

This is what happened during the lesson, we were given exactly what we needed to say and A was touched and changed by the Spirit. As we said the First Vision, a sweet Spirit came into the room and she recognized it. As we asked her what she felt she said that she felt peace and that she felt good because she has found something different that she cannot find in her church. She is very prepared! We are so excited to keep working with her!

Hermana Jimenez gave a talk in the English Ward on Sunday! She did great! I am so proud of her! Her English is getting better every day. We also got to be in Primary on Sunday for singing and sharing time. (I was playing the piano) It was such a special experience! There is such a sweet spirit in Primary.  The basic truths that are taught there in songs and activities are true! We could feel of that as we listened to the children sing and as we taught a lesson the day before and used "I Feel My Savior's Love" to teach of the love that our Savior, Jesus Christ, has for us and what we can do to return to live with Him and our Heavenly Father again.

I know that our Heavenly Father and our Savior love us! I know that They live! They want us to return to live with Them again. I know that we are the Lord's hands here on this earth and that as we open our mouths, they will be filled with what we need to say to touch the hearts of the people the Lord has prepared.

Gracias por todo lo que hacen para mi y los misioneros! Que disfruten su dia de Labor Day! Los quiero muchismo!

Con amor,

Hermana VanWie

Semana 24 en Kerman

On August 25, 2014, Hermana VanWie shared:
Querida Familia,

Transfer calls were on Saturday night, and I am staying in Kerman again with Hermana Jimenez! YAY! This week we had the wonderful opportunity to work in the Church’sVineyard in Madera. (They grow grapes for raisins that are then sent to areas with humanitarian needs throughout the world.  See video about the Vineyard project:  https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2011-05-16-madera-volunteers?category=welfare&lang=eng)

 It was amazing! It was hard work, but it truly was a revelatory experience! My testimony of the 25-25-50 matrix increases each time I receive revelation. Hermana Jimenez and I made a point to talk about the references in the scriptures that talk about the Lord's vineyard before we went to work in the vineyard. We read in John 15:1-16 specifically. As we were at the vineyard, we learned through analogies of how we can work more effectively and harvest more people: There are a lot of different types of grapes--those that are really easy to find and others that are harder; others that are ready to pick and others that have gone bad. It is like us and our investigators when we are working in the Lord's vineyard of our mission. At times it is really easy to find prepared people, but other times it is harder and we find a lot who are not ready. There are also times that we have to work really, really hard to find those who are prepared, but it is worth it. 

There are other grapes that in order to find them we have to get dirty a little bit and give all of our effort to find them and bring them in. Most of the time, other people may have passed over them or did not see them. Others may look small and insignificant, but we should seek them out and rescue them as well. Sometimes, in order to help, we need to be at a higher level to know how to grab the grapes. In other words, we need to have our own conversion first in order to help and elevate others to this level of conversion. But, there are also others that require us to be at a lower level in order to see and help them. We must have humility in order to touch their hearts.  I loved working in the vineyard. I love working in the Lord's vineyard, here in the California Fresno Mission!! I love being a missionary. 

One of my favorite things about being a missionary is helping others to learn about the Atonement of Jesus Christ so that they can use it and change. We had an amazing lesson this week with a woman who we have been helping reactivate in the church again. We helped her son get baptized and she comes to church every week now. When we came to teach, she was glowing! As we talked and discussed how she has been doing, she told us the most exciting news! She is preparing to go to the temple to receive her endowment!!! She is so excited and so grateful that she is able to do that now. Words cannot describe how happy I was! I love seeing people progress in the gospel! I love families helping each other get on the right path and progressing on it. How grateful I am to have been able to witness this change over the past 5 months.

We also had a miracle on Sunday! One of our investigators, S came to church! And she brought a friend! And her grandfather stayed for Sacrament meeting. Then she stayed for all 3 hours and absolutely loved Primary! Her grandfather later explained to us that he originally only came to church for his granddaughter, but as he stepped foot into the church, something came over him and he felt more peace and happiness than he ever had in his whole life. He didn't want to leave. In this moment, his attitude changed. He then told us that they will be here every Sunday and he is not just coming to church for his granddaughter, but for himself.

I know that the Spirit testifies of what is true. I know that the grandfather felt the Spirit testifying that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only true and living church here upon the face of the earth. I know that President Thomas S. Monson is a prophet and that he receives revelation from God on how to direct His work here on earth and in His church.
I know this is the work of Salvation! How grateful I am to be a part of it!

                Gracias por todo lo que hacen para apoyar la obra misional! Gracias por sus testimonios tambien! Los quiero mucho!  Que tengan una semana magnifica!

Con amor,

Hermana VanWie

 

Semana 23 en Kerman

On August 18, 2014, Hermana VanWie wrote this:
Querida Familia y amigos --

This week was a great week! We were busy busy busy! But a busy missionary is a happy missionary. We had exchanges this week. My companion is wonderful! She is such a natural missionary. She led the area for the first time and when I came back we had a baptismal date with L! We later had a lesson with L and she is so prepared! We talked about church attendance, the sacrament, and how we can receive revelation when we go to church as we feel the Spirit just like we do when we pray and read the scriptures. She then told us that she wants to be a missionary someday and we were able to help her set that goal. She then shared with us that ever since she met us and has started reading the Book of Mormon she has had experiences of God speaking to her through the Scriptures and she has been sharing the Book of Mormon with all of her friends. She is amazing! We can't wait to get her to church!

We also had specialized training this week. Out of all of the things we talked about, two things stood out--our mission statement and the role the Atonement has in missionary work. Our mission statement in the California Fresno Mission is 1. We serve because we love Jesus Christ. 2. We know that complete missionaries are worthy, obedient, committed, and focused and serve with no regrets.  I love my mission! I love my Savior! How grateful I am to be able to serve Him and do His work. 

One of the things that Hna Jimenez and I did this week was we did language study with a member. It worked wonderfully! It helped us to get to know the member, we became better missionaries because we got feed back from the member of how we can improve our teaching, and Hna Jimenez got to practice her English. It was a wonderful experience. We plan on doing that about twice a week.

Yesterday we had a wonderful lesson with a woman and her daughter who do not have a Chrisitian background. A member came with us and she connected really well with them. We talked about who God is and His relationship with us. As we focused on helping them understand this, we could see a light of understanding come into their lives and they then asked the question that is so important--why are there so many churches.  It was so amazing to me that eventhough we had explained this before, they could not understand it because they did not fully comprehend who God is and how much He loves them. It was a powerful lesson. It was the best lesson we have had with them.

I know that God is our Heavenly Father. We are His children. He loves us! I love Him! I know that He loves us so much that He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to come to the Earth to suffer and die for us. I love my Savior, Jesus Christ!I know they are always there for us, to listen to us, to comfort us, to guide us! How grateful I am to be able to communicate with them through prayer.

Thank you for all the love and support you give me!Que tengan una semana maravillosa y llena de milagros!

Con amor,

Hermana VanWie