Workin, Workin, Workin!

¡BUENOS DÍAS a todos!

It definitely seems the world has got a different rotational system or something so time is so warped. I can't believe that it's time to write you all again.

As for this past week I don't even know where to begin or what to tell you. We're just workin workin workin away. Hna. Kemp and I have found a good rhythm, have gotten to "feel each other's vibe" and we get along really well. 1,008 hours in a cambio...I have yet to get sick of her :) we'll see if we're staying together to double that next week.

There are so many people in my sector that I don't feel like I'll ever have the ability to reach all the people that are ready to receive our message. We're able to get into a lot of houses every week and teach them, and the Lord has even blessed us with people who want us to come back and who really desire to know if this message is of God. Teaching, testifying and inviting is the lifeblood of missionary work. It helps you really feel like you are an instrument in bringing people towards Christ. On the days when you don't get into houses and you're walking around in the blistering sun, you realize how truly dependent you are on the Lord to fulfill His work. No doubt in my mind that as we purify ourselves as instruments, God can and will use us in whatever way He sees fit.
We're still working with Marcelo and Juan Carlos (who need a lot of prayers!) so that they can enter into the waters of baptism this next week.

As for the major lesson I learned this week, that I shared in my talk at church yesterday as well, is about the power of covenants. Honestly, when you feel like you're going to break, when you feel like your responsibilities are way bigger than you're capable of fulfilling, when you feel like just collapsing on your bed and waking up when all the hard stuff has passed, when you feel like just selfishly having a bad day spent crying and eating grilled cheese and soup...and realizing that you CAN'T...is when you also feel like there's gotta be a reason why you feel like you CAN'T. The thought then comes to your mind...why in the world am I doing this? Is there someone else that has ever felt this way? Immediately, as a missionary who preaches of Jesus Christ, the suffering and sacrifices and pains the Christ expierenced flood your mind. You realize that He didn't have His dad or His mom with Him; He didn't have a cool breeze at four in the afternoon either. He didn't even have good walking shoes, tons of food to eat, or even the comforts of everyone offering you a nice tall glass of pop everytime you enter the door. It's then that you realize that with the pure love that He has for you, you can do these small little things. You realize that it doesn't really matter if you're not comfortable or even if you "feel like doing it." You realize that what really matters is the promise that you made with Him, and WHY. Then, an unseen strength and support that you hadn't felt before comes in. There is a love in your heart toward Him and toward the things that He has asked you to do. And you just pick yourself up, or more like He lifts you up, and you just do it. You do it. And then, at the end of the day, you recognize that there was no way in the world that you could have done it without Him. The future becomes brighter, your confidence and humility are deeper, your love for Him expands, and your determination to keep your promise with Him no longer is even an option. Covenants are really powerful.

I know that this work is the Savior's. He is at the head of it. This is His true church.

I love you all so much! Thank you for all of the support and love you give to me. You're amazing!

Hermana Chai-yot
pics:
1. Hna. Kemp and I - caught in a sudden rainstorm. woops. Good thing all of our appointments fell through, and our backup plans didn't even have the pity on us to let us in. It was a really fun day.
2 & 3 Our Bishop owns a bakery, so we offered to help him one morning this week to gain more trust with him and offer a little service in exchange for everything he's done for us. Thought my expertise in Great Harvest would help me out. Turns out they do things a little bit differently here. Mix the dough, then run it through a "flattening machine" which is trickier than it looks, then lay it out, poke it like mad (with a rolling pin with nails) then you cut it into disks...let it raise a bit and put it into bake. In the end, I don't know if we helped too much. But it tasted really good!