Teach All Nations: New Companion!

Familia! Como están?!

I am great! Living the missionary life and loving every minute!

I have a new companion - Hermana S. from Colombia! She is just as she appears, tiny and cute! But there's a lot of personality packed into her little body. Haha. She is great. The crazy thing is that she was Hna. A.'s trainer! What? 80-something Sisters in the mission and how in the world did that happen? Super funny but it just gives me more motivation to find out what exactly it is that I need to learn from this companionship. It's very weird not to have Hna. Z.... She is one of the best missionaries in the world (and she's a Sister Training Leader now) and things are just a little different now. But I feel like I am really going to come into my own in this companionship.

We have already had a lot of success together - we have 2 new people with baptismal dates that both have 2 Sundays in the chapel and are 100% going to get baptized! J. and G. - both gems... You will hear more about them in the future. But for right now, I want to talk about V. V is an investigator I don't think I have talked about much, but is seriously a gem. He has gone to church 3 times and his baptismal date is March 7. One night, we were walking in the street and saw 4 adults sitting on the sidewalk, visiting and listening to music. We decided to contact them, so we wrote down their names and addresses and really didn't think too much of it. If I am being honest, I didn't think would ever follow up with any of them. One day in the next week, we decided to go discover a new colony that we had never been to. We didn't knock any doors... except for one - V's. But, the thing is, we didn't know it was his house! Imagine our surprise when he told us that we met the week before and everything clicked in our minds! "I have your name in my agenda, V.!" I said. "But we didn't know this was your house!" What a miracle. Turns out V. is completely ready for the gospel in his life. He is the dream investigator. He is the type that when you say, "We don't drink coffee," he says, "Really?! ..... Okay!" and then doesn't drink coffee. When we taught him the law of chastity, he cried because of the guilt he felt from past transgressions. Sweet little V. is trying his hardest to be the best he can be. I am so excited for the changes he is experiencing in his life! Prayers for V., please. He deserves them.

Something interesting happened this week. On Thursday, everyone that we talked to rejected us. Everyone. We talked with 15 people on the street and didn't get one reference. We taught lessons and they were unsuccessful. Then in the night, we went to follow-up on a family to whom we had a given a prayer earlier that week. The prayer was so great - the Spirit was there and I said things in the prayer that I had no idea were true and actually happening in their lives. It was pretty great and we were thinking they were a golden family. When we went to teach them the first lesson, they had some family visiting. We began to teach and...... well it ended pretty ugly. Their visitors totally reamed us out, yelling and saying that they only believe in God and Jesus Christ (funny, because so do we) and that there was never going to be any book other than the Bible, blah blah blah. Long story short, as soon as we left the house, I couldn't hold it in any more! I started crying... everything about the day seemed like a failure. I returned to the house pretty discouraged. As I was preparing for bed, I remembered that the zone leaders had sent us a message with a scripture that morning that I had forgotten to read. So, I decided to look it up, Moroni 9:6 -

And now, my beloved son, notwithstanding their hardness, let us labor diligently; for if we should cease to labor, we should be brought under condemnation; for we have a labor to perform whilst in this tabernacle of clay, that we may conquer the enemy of all righteousness, and rest our souls in the kingdom of God.

It was really a testament to me that Heavenly Father is aware of me, little old missionary in Huauchinango, Puebla, Mexico. In my moment of trial and discouragement, He sent His Spirit to help me remember that message. And, how inspired are the zone leaders? I am so grateful for the organization of God's church - everyone is taken care of.

I am so greatful to be a missionary. Even though sometimes it's the hardest thing ever (you're dealing with people's salvation here...) it's also the most incredible. I am happy!

Thanks for everything, family. The church is so true.

Love,

Hna. Snyder

My new companion!