Another cutie!

Helllllllllllo!

This week has gone super fast, right? And it's so crazy that on Wednesday I finished 6 months in the mission! Where has the time gone? One-third of my mission has already come and gone... So weird. 

What to write, what to write. Josafat and Paola received callings this week! Josafat is 1st counselor in the Sunday School Presidency and Pao is a teacher for Faith in God! So happy for them! They're champions. Victor's so happy and pumped to go to the temple and also share the Gospel, as he's the only member in all of Valle Fenix. He's going to invite his sister to church. :) 

This week has been good! We're teaching Raul (did I already tell you about him?) who is doing well, but he hasn't come to church since the first time two weeks ago. He's such a character. He knows a ton about history and religion - he's read the Bible cover-to-cover nine times and reads four chapters every morning! What is even better is committed to read four chapters of the Book of Mormon every day, too! Yessss. What's a little hard is that he is so detail-oriented that he is hung-up on a few things about the BoM. But we're working on it. He was a pastor/preacher-type-deal in another church for a bunch of years but left because of things he had seen and doctrines that he didn't agree with. Please pray for Raul! And for us! We need all the help we can get to know how to teach him and resolve his doubts. Thank goodness for the Spirit and that He helps us when we have no idea what to say!

One thing that was pretty tough this week is that in weekly planning, we dropped all but eight of our investigators. We realized that we had been planning for the same people over and over again who were not progressing towards baptisms, so we decided to drop them! You know how scary that is? When in the back of your mind you're thinking, "How in the heck am I going to teach 40 lessons this week when we don't have anyone to teach?!" (40 lessons is the standard of excellence). But, ya know, we did it. And it was an act of faith! Since that day, we've found a very promising new investigator every day! It's becoming so clear to me that the Lord requires a show of faith before He works the miracles in our lives. 

I also want to share with you what I wrote the President this morning, a realization that I have had...

 In my companionship with Sister Zenteno, it was always so impressive to me the spirit of my companion. Her spirit is so delicate and sensitive to the Holy Ghost and as a result, the smallest transgressions cause such guilt in her heart, enough to really change her way of living and being. I have always thought of her and her character so spiritual - for me really an example of someone who has changed their nature. 

I remember so clearly a district class where we talked about exact obedience. I thought we were being obedient and had no reason to worry. But after class, Sister Zenteno was obviously sad. We went to a room in the chapel and she said she felt very guilty for not being compliant with the rules of 45 minutes in lessons and one hour in meals. She wanted to repent. Really, in my mind I was thinking that the situation was a little crazy, that no one could fully obey those rules and that we were striving to do our best. But nonetheless, she said a prayer to ask for forgiveness. 

I have thought of that day a lot and the impact it has had on me. It made me really think about my own nature and if I am changing from a natural man into a divine being. When President wrote a letter challenging us to read the Book of Mormon in two months, one thing really called my attention ... Something like "We will pray for the disposition to do good always." From the day I read that part of his letter, I have prayed every time I read the Book of Mormon for that disposition and a change in my nature to be more spiritual than carnal. This week I realized that I can really see that change in my heart. The littlest things have a the hugest impact on my spirit. It hurts my heart when even the smallest rule is broken. I can say that Heavenly Father has answered me by giving me a "disposition to do good always." I owe so many thanks to President for this challenge to read the Book of Mormon with this goal as an end. He is so inspired. I'm so grateful for this change in my nature that has prepared me a little more for the eternities. 

I love you so much! You're the best people in the world!

Love, love, looooooooooove,

Hna. Snyder

Our district represents: Colombia, Honduras, Niceragua, Mexico, and the United States 

(double representation from PA, yessssss:)