Málaga [Letter 56]

HELLO EVERYBODY!!!!!

This week has been a wonderful one. As missionaries we are always trying to invite others to come unto Christ through His restored gospel which is faith in the Lord Jesus christ and His atonement, repentance, baptism, recieving the gift of the holy ghost and enduring to the end (you have no idea how hard it was to remember that in English). That is our purpose and I know there is joy to be found in this purpose. I see it everyday as we invite people in the streets to come and listen, or when we testify to a recently widowed women that she can live with her husband again, or when we commi someone to be baptized. The joy in this world is found in completing with our true purpose. Now as a missionary that is easy. We memorized our purpose the first week in the MTC and we repeat it at least once and week. But what is our purpose here on earth? And where can we find it? Can you believe it the Lord has given us the answer. It is found in a book that was first published in the 1830´s. The book is called the Book of Mormon: another testament of Jesus Christ. In this book the Lord outlines through His profets the purpose of live, where we come from, and where we are going. A loving Heavenly Father has sent a How to manuel so to speak for this life. I love this book. I testify that it is true. It was translated by a profet of God and we are blessed to have it. I can say that because it blesses my life everyday. If you are looking for the purpose of this life here are a few answers found in the Book of Mormon.

1) 2 Nephi 2:25 Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.
2) Alma 34: 32 For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors.

But there is so much more. My dear loved ones I invite you to read the Book of Mormon. I am so excited because we as a mission are going to read the entire thing in like two months. I am so excited to read it again and to learn even more.


As for investigators... Life is good! we had the privlidge to go and teach a wonderful lady. she recently had back surgery so she is confined to her bed but she lets us come over and teach. She has a hunger, a thirst to learn and act on the gospel of Christ. She listens and asks amazing questions. I am so excited for her because she also has two kids. she wants so much for them to grow up with love and hope. Her aunt is a member and she loves the way the the church as helped her aunt and their family. She wants that kind of light in her own family. I am so excited to go and see her again. I love Málaga. There are so many great people. Last Sunday one of our recent converts gave her first talk in Sacrament Meeting. She did such a wonderful job. She said that she wishes she had a talk every week because then studying would be more of a priority but she wouldn´t miss the talking in front of everybody. :) Also a couple of the recent converts we work will passed the sacrament this week. I have never felt so proud. I think of how much work they have done, where they started and where they are at now. It truly is the miracle of the gospel and the power of the Atonement. I love this work! I hope and pray that your week is full of miracles! Love you all!

Hermana Petru

 

Baptism of Carlos

 

Wonderful family in Málaga.

Here we are again. Did you catch it? the puppy moved. :P

 

My very special companions. How I love those girls!!!

THE RAIN IN SPAIN FALLS MAINLY IN THE PLAIN [Letter 55]

HOLA Quieridisimos (most beloved ones)!!!

This week has been CRAZY!!! On Tuesday we got THE call from President. This call consisted of telling us that a man that has been waiting for 5 solid months to get baptized, CAN get baptized. YAY!!!!! Also in that call I was told I would be getting a new companion!! Yep Hermana Hodson arrived on Wednesday. She was the first of the visa waiters to come. Her and I will be working in Málaga 3. Hermana Nelson has been with us but we have heard whisperings that she will be leaving in this next week because 15 MORE VISAS have come through. President is working on getting people companions and areas. They will be opening lots of new areas becasue we were down to skeleton crew for the past month. IT IS SO EXCITING!!!!! We should be gettting elders in our ward this week. It will be fun to have elders in the same ward. But it sounds like I will be teaching three people names and faces. What a challenge. I am glad the Lord is here to help. ANYWAY that was the exciting news. Baptisms and visas WHOOT WHOOT!!


I would like to share a little bit about this man that is going to be getting baptized. He is from Cuba and has been waiting to be baptized because of personal stuff. But he comes to chruch every sunday, never misses a cita, and keeps all the commandments. The man has a very hard financial situation because of the economy here in Spain but he always greets us with a smile. I am so excited for him. He is always asking if we have heard from the missionary that found him. he is just such a sweet man. I am really excited to be here to see him finally be able to be baptized after so much prayer and change and his part. He has such a great testimony of the church.

As for the rest of our investigators they are doing well. Sadly we have had one tell us that she is grateful for everything we have taught her but she is not prepared to keep the commandments. So she dropped us. But her mom is a lovely woman and wants us to keep coming by. I am excited because her mom is a great woman. Another investigator had an opening. We finally taught her about the commandments. Going to church is impossible for her because of her work. She works taking care of an older couple. But we have heard that there might be an opening for her to come to chruch. We are really praying she can. I am excited for her. She loves Christ and wants to follow Him. She is still working on a testimony of the Book of Mormon. She loves reading it but she says she hasn´t felt that deep confirmation yet. But little by little we are seeing progress.

This past week as I have been studying the conference talks from General Conference again I realized something very important. There are two types of investigators. Ones that have their conversion like a little put put plane and others that are like a fight jet. But both like Elder Uchtdorf said "In both the Piper Cub and the F-18, I felt the excitement, beauty, and joy of flight. In both I could feel the call of the poet to “[slip] the surly bonds of Earth and [dance] the skies on laughter-silvered wings." These conversions are different in length but both are beautiful. Both have an assurance of the restored gospel, both have the evidence of the Atonement and both lead to Christ. I am truly grateful to see the changes in the lives of these people. Some make extraordinary differences in their DAILY lifes. This week we also had the great priviledge to stop by a less actives home. She and her husband and been less active for many years. The sisters before me stopped by and started teaching them. The week before I got here two of their four boys were baptized. We have gone over several times to teach the after baptism lessons and every week I am amazed. This family is doing their family home evening, daily family scripture study and prayer. The parents were given callings and are faithfully fulfilling them. They have such a great spirit in their home. I love seeing the Lord work in the lives of those willing to follow Him.  It is a great blessing for me and I know my faith is growing through their examples. This week I hope you all too can see the hand of the Lord in your lives. Take a second and give Him thanks. I love you all and I hope that all goes well. God loves you. I do too. Stay safe and take luck.


Love,

Hermana Dayna Petru

Photo 1- our trio
photo 2- our trio with President and Hermana Deere

I Believe in Christ [Letter 54]

My dear loved ones,

It has been another week in the service of the Lord. And what a marvelous week it has been. Well it started with a really hard Monday. All of our appointments canceled. This is when you learn truly what kind of missionary you are. Well on Tuesday we found out some scary stuff was going on with our recent converts. Trials for recent converts always happen but the are really hard for missionaries as well. As you watch your convert, someone you have prayed for, fasted for, fought for, decided what they really want. Some fly on the wings of the gospel, others fall and have to try and pick themselves back up. We as missionaries watch this dear people we love and pray for them even harder. This week Hermana Nelson and I had the opportunity to fast with some of our recent converts and watch as their faith the Lord increased. I don´t worry to much about them. I know that the Lord will take care of them. It was a great testament to me and I know my faith grew this week.

On the other hand this week we have had a recent convert decided to trust more in the world. we had the privilege to go and offer comfort and teach and testify of the gospel. It was a great lesson and the power of the Savior still astounds me. This week also we have the opportunity to continue to teach a great girl. She is Spanish. And this week she has been fighting to quit smoking. She loves the Book of Mormon. And really has been prepared. This week as she sat in sacrament meeting for the first time she began to weep. She kept saying that she didn´t know why she was crying she has never felt so peaceful. As I sat with her for a few moments after the meeting It was such a wonderful moment to teach of the Holy Ghost and His great role here on earth. She is progressing and her testimony is growing at an incredible rate. I am so lucky to be here to teach her. She is looking for to a baptism and we are excited to welcome another sister into the ward and kingdom of the Lord.The Lord is truly blessing and hastening His work here in Spain. All in all it has been a great week and I am looking forward to what this next week holds in store. I pray this email finds you well, and blissfully content.

Love,
Hermana Petru

This week on Blessings of a Mission...[Letter 53]

Well it has been another wonderful week here on the mission. The sun is always shinning here, Literally. For the past couple of days it has been a balmy 60 degrees with mostly clear skies. Spain is beautiful. I seriously got the luck of the draw. Also there was another baptism this week. The family from Equador, I´m pretty sure I´ve told you about them, had a wonderful event. Their kids were baptized by their dad. YAY!!! and they have plans to be sealed as a family in April. The Spirit was so strong. I love baptisms. They just mean so much. I keep studying the gospel of Christ which encludes baptism and I seriously learn some new or my testimony grows of a certain principle everytime. Life is such a blessing. The progress we make here can last for eternity. Man what a week. Also we had some great moments knocking doors. Knocking doors is kind of like a box of chocolates you never know what you are going to get. Sometimes its the old lady that just wants company so she sits and talks and listens to you, or its the young man that is an athiest but thinks your cute so gives you a number, or it could be the middle aged woman that tells you she is an Roman Catholic as she slams the door in your face. That is just a few of the wonderful flavors. There is also the family that lets you in and is ready for the gospel. They listen and pray, read and come to church. They make those changes in their lives and they see the fruits of a Christ centered life. It truly is amazing. Christ really can take anything and turn it into flawless gold. I love this opportuinty to learn and grow. Moments may seem unbearable but at the end of the day I wouldn´t change it for anything. I love you guys. Hope your new year starts out right.

Love,
Hermana Petru