Cha Ching

Well another week has come and gone! Wow, how crazy! I think the time is literally speeding up.... is that possible? This week has been full of challenges and miracles! I learned many lessons from the experiences we had during this week of work and I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father for allowing me to go through these challenges so I can become the kind of missionary He desires. 

As you know the past couple months have been a little challenging for us here in La 14. We are working in all diligence trying to do all that our Heavenly Father desires of us and it has been a little discouraging because we haven’t been able to see the fruits in the form that we would like. Don’t get me wrong we see miracles everyday and are extremely grateful for all the Lord provides us but we have been feeling a little discouraged. This week we had Stake Conference but not only here in our area but all of Central America. It was a Special broadcast from Utah and we were able to hear from Elder Duncan, The Young Women’s President, Richard G. Scott and Dallin H. Oaks. It was an incredible conference and I took away so much from every talk. The speakers really were inspired in their words and I know it was just what the members here in Nicaragua needed to hear. Well, in preparation for this conference the mission and our district made several goals for how many ppl we wanted to bring to the conference. We had high faith when making our goals, anxious to give our all during the week in order to accomplish them. Well Tuesday our district started a fast and then went out to WORK! This day became a day of miracles for Hermana Gonzales and I. I will never forget this day and how excited and happy I felt to be sharing the Gospel with the people here. This day really was an answer to my prayers and I know my Heavenly Father was watching out for me. It gave me the boost I needed to keep working.

I just want to share a few of the miracles we were able to see that day.  After starting our fast we went out in search of new families. We had set an appointment with one of our investigators, that had gone to church with us last week to teach him the Book of Mormon. He really was just a contact that had showed up to church Sunday, so he didn’t have any of the lessons and we didn’t know much about him. Once we got to his house he introduced us to his WIFE! Cha ching! Familia! His wife is awesome and was so excited to hear from us. Pancrasio had told her all about church and she was anxious to go the following week. After teaching them about the Book of Mormon we were able to put a fecha with the family and commit them to coming to church. Oh did I mention this was all in a lesson with member! Woot. That lesson was la LEY. We left feeling like we were on cloud 9. Afterwards we rushed over to our next appointment with a contact that once again we made the week previous. We showed up to find THE WHOLE FAMILY sitting outside enjoying the "cool air". They said they were waiting for us and anxious to hear our message. They had read the pamphlet we left with them and wanted to come to our church!! WHAT!?? When they said that I thought I didn’t hear them right. They fully accepted the message of the restoration, a baptismal date and the invitation to go to church! WOW!! Hermana Gonzales and I were awe struck at this point by the mercy and goodness of our God. We couldn’t stop grinning. Always late, we left running to our next appointment with Hermano Larry. He also accompanied us to church the week previous and loved it. We love teaching Larry because he is LEADER MATERIAL! He is an engineer and really thinks things through. He loved church Sunday and is working towards baptism. We visited him with our Mission Leader and shared a few passages in the Book of Mormon. He told us he was anxious for his baptism and knows that the Book of Mormon is true! This lesson was GOLDEN! He also committed to going to the conference and told us that his WIFE, that has been living in Miami, would be getting home Saturday and that he would invite her as well! Miracles around every corner. 

Once again we left our lesson beaming! While running to our last lesson we were stopped in the street by a young man. He said "HERMANAS! I have been looking for you everywhere. I just stopped by the church thinking you would be there but couldn’t find you." As he was talking I really had NO IDEA who he was when all of a sudden the moment we met him came to my memory. We had contacted him about a week earlier but didn’t think he was positive at ALL. We left him with a pamphlet and the invitation to visit the church. Well he proceeded to tell us that he had read the pamphlet and was really interested in the church. He wanted to learn more and would be accompanying us to the conference. What the?? Seriously it was getting out of control by this point. All the miracles that were hitting us were too incredible. My cheeks were hurting from smiling so much all day! After this contact we headed over to our last cita with our investigator Amparo. We visited her with our recent converts Hilda and Octavio. They are so PILAS and have grown so much over the past four months. My favorite part of this lesson was listening to them expresses their testimonies of how the Gospel has changed and blessed their lives. The cutest part was that after Octavio would talk Hilda always said, " I testify of the words of my husband". Pure Missionary she is! They committed Amparo to church and to reading the Book of Mormon.

That day was a day of miracles! It really was evidence to me that this is the LORDS work and He leads it. Nothing is impossible for Him. He is preparing all of the ppl to accept His message and if we do our small part, in the way He has asked us to do it, we can see miracles. I am so grateful for the chance that I have to be His missionary here in Nicaragua. I know as we exercise our faith and do our part we have the right to all the Lords blessings. And they are more than we can imagine. There doesn’t come any greater joy than the joy of sharing the Gospel. I know this Church is true and that Christ leads it. I love him and am forever grateful for the chance to serve Him.

I love you all!!! And hope you can experience the same joy that comes from sharing the Gospel as you pray for missionary experiences. The Lord is preparing EVERYONE to accept and hear the Gospel. 

Love,
Hermana Kendall