Monday, August 29, 2016

A week of powerful experiences



This week was a huge change for us. We decided we had to made some changes and work with the members. We went to the bishop's home and asked him for blessings to be able to work better with the members. It was insanely powerful. I felt the Spirit so strong. It was so cool in my blessing he answered my prayers completely.  He also mentioned something  that is in my patriarchal blessing which was so incredible!!.  This was one more confirmation that it was comming from God, who knows me very well and knows my needs.  We all ended up crying. He said we are angels and he loves us!!.  I know I can only be a good missionary through the atonement and I am learning that everday. 
We were more involved with the members  this week. We made cookies for relief society and they were so greatful for it!!. We taught a lesson about mission work in young womens. We are also trying to visit a member once a day and talk about mission work. We have a lot of return missionaries in the ward and they come out with us. I love my ward.!!
We made cookies for the women of Relief Society


I studied the Book of Mormon this week  and realized how powerful it is and how it can change the lives of people. I was able to use this in our teachings. We are teaching a lot of prepared people and when we teach them the whole time I am just thinking wow I am so lucky that God trusts me to teach these people. That is how prepared they are.

We set 6 bautismals dates!Each of one was so special!!

I also learned that Heavenly Father has children ready to hear the gospel. 

We knocked on a door of a lady named Iza and she just let us right in. She said the plan of salvation   a lot of sense and it answers a lot of her questions. We also knocked on a random door and this man named Ronny opened and said I know who sent you, it was Teresa! And we were like uh, no? We are missionaries from the church.... and he was like YEAH I know who you are! I want to reactive into the church. He is very cool and he wants his kids to know the gospel. 

We are also teaching a father and daughter who have been going to church for two months, but the missionaries couldnt teach them because they didnt leave in our area. My trainer a while back found a lady who wanted mormons to live in her house and the daughter and father were actually looking for a house. They moved in and now they have plans to be baptized September 24th! We met a boy named Diego who was taught by Elders two years ago, but now he wants to be baptized. 

But I am learning everyday that all the blessings I have are from this Gospel and I want to help people change their lives.


I love you all thank you for your advice and support. I feel your prayers everyday. 

I love you 

Hermana Lopez

Rosa she is the sweetest  old lady!!

A view of the mountains

Vanessa and Almicar our investigators invited us over and prepared this delicious meal called San Pancho



Monday, August 22, 2016

Count your blessing!!

This week was a lot a lot better than last week. Even though it was still hard! My testimony is growing eveyday that this is the truest gospel on earth and  it changes so many lives.
Almicar and Vanessa our investigators and their whole family came to church!!!!. They stayed all 3 hours and want to come back. It was amazing. I love them it was like the sweetest feeling ever.
Also our trio had to give talks on Sunday. We talked about mission work that the gospel  of Jesus Christ has been restored in earth to save people and change lives. Almicar was very impressed... and he clapped for us. It was a good opportunity to pass this message to all of our less actives and our investigators that were at church. 
This week we had  so much success. Everyone let us in their house and we met really cool people. Melviluna wants a better life for her family, she wants to repent and  loves the Bible and God.
Also Willy is an ex boxer who has a drinking problem and wants to change.

I am getting more into the work even though some days are really slow. We are building up our confidence with the members

 After a really long day, we were waiting at an less active members house. We waited for an hour or more. And they never showed up. But there was a young couple that started talking to us. They told us that they have been baptized for a year. And they told us their whole conversion story. It was a year process for them to get baptized. But Jerry said, if you sisters had doubts that this gospel changes lives I am proof. He used to be a drunk, addicted to alcohol, didn't want his family, didn't believe in God, but now him and his family are getting sealed in the temple in November. 
And the less active family that never showed up came to church the next day and told us they missed our appointment because they were fixing their pants for church. After 18 years they came to church. It was sweet.
   




One day we had three dinners, we were really full and I prayed to have room in my stomach to not offend anyone and I did it was a miracle!! ha ha

Last Monday. and we went to eat at a restaurant called Tuesdays and we met these guys from Utah and they told us"" we are paying for your meal. please buy everything you want". if you want lunch for tomorrow then buy lunch for tomorrow". They payed for everything. they were told us" we were all missionaries so we know". We seriously feel that always receiving many blessings!!


One night we were walking home and  I was looking at all three of our shadows and strongly strongly felt like there was angels with us.  I feel that we all are protected.


I love you all thank you alllllll for the emails. I love them.

Hermana Lopez

Monday, August 15, 2016

Put your trust in the Lord


This week was very hard. I got really sick of my stomack for two days  and there was no water in our apartment, but my companions and our pensionista took take of me. Our pensionista is so nice she made me soup, mate, maizena and manzanilla and I felt a lot better really fast.

We are teaching this golden family, their names are Almicar and Vanessa. Almicar is so strong, he started crying when he prayed and he didnt know why. We read Moroni 10:5 with him and he was so excited. He said: "I guess i should read this". We took a member to their house to teach with us and she was amazing, she brought the spirit and Almicar just looked so amazed by the gospel. 
We told them about all the activities the church has and Vanessa was like YO QUIERO ESOO!!! AYY POR FAVOR (I want that, please).We invited them to come to church.

I was so sad on Sunday NO ONE CAME TO CHURCH none of our investigators. I wanted to cry in sacrament,  but the bishop said "no se desanimen" (not discouraged) "estamos aqui para ayudarlos" (we are going to help you out). I'm glad for the people who are willing to help us we have a great ward!!.

I want to share something I read in 1 Nephi 16:
It is when Nephi breaks his bow and his whole family gets sooo angry with him. even his father starts complaining and getting mad, but when you are in Nephi's position and youre feeling completely devasted what do you do?
you pray. 
Nephi prayed to God to help him with his problem. And He did. 

When we are feeling sad and discouraged, we often forget who helps us through everything. Nephis family was putting all their trust into the bow. They had forgotten who was really feeding them, who was really helping them through their trials.

Get on your knees and realize your bow is broken. 

I had to pray a lot this week. I learned so much despite how hard this week was. I know this is where I am supposed to be. and I know this is The Lords work and it will get done in his time.

I love you all thank you for your emails and kind words and advice. They all help so much!

Hermana Lopez

Monday, August 8, 2016

I'm in Bolivia Cochabamba

Bolivia is incredible. Im in Cochabamaba zona Sacaba Area Villa Graciela. It is winter time here, it is cold at night and during the day. We use sweaters at night. The wind is crazy sometimes.
 When we got to the mission office  my mtc companion Hermana Campana and I were  hugging and all sad beacuse we are getting seperated, we were together since the beggining and then President Hansen said "I feel strongly impressed to make a trio Hermana Campana and Hermana Lopez will be trained by Hermana Braathen, we screeaaaamed!!. My trainer is very cool and dedicated. She is from Washington
The members in my ward are incredible!!. We are so blessed. Last night we had family home evening with a member and she invited her friends and the mom is less active but her kids arent baptised and they are really interested in the church. The members made a goal to invite less active people to noche de hogar and always invite the missioanries. isn't that incredible!!

The bishop told us "you are angels in our ward, we love you and we are always going to help you". it is amazing!! a huge blesssing. They give us references and always want to come teaching with us. It is glorious!!. The members and some investigators feed us and let us in their homes. we are always eating honestly. 





I'm not scared to contact people, I love knocking on doors, we just say SOMOS SUS AMIGAS!! and people are like digame. digame. digame. hahaha. I extended a baptism invitation to  Elisa. She has an autistic son and ugh it was so hard but I felt so much love for her and I started crying when I testified of God and how He trusts her to take care of a special kid and she cried. She said that she has no idea which church to join. The Spirit was so strong. 

THE WORK is hard but I love it and I'm so happy to be serving as a missionary in Cochabamba. I want to find the chosen ones and Itrying to apply everything I learned at the mtc.