End of Transfer 2

Hola mi familia y mis amigos!

I hope everything is going well and that you all had a great week!!

This past week in Vicente Noble was absolutely amazing! We were able to teach so many people and there was just a lot of great days.

So to start, this week was the last week of the transfer and so we got transfer calls on Saturday.  We have known that Hermana Johnson would be leaving for basically the whole transfer.  She has had 5 transfers here which is more than normal because she was trained here and then trained me afterward.  We knew this would be her last week and so we've been wondering what would happen for all week long!  We found out Saturday that Hma Johnson is going to Azua, another city in the south thats about an hour away.  She will be companions with Hma Black who was in my group in the CCM! My new companion is Hermana Velazquez (spelling?)  She is from Guatemala!!  It's so crazy that I will now have a Latin companion who doesn't know English so its officially Spanish ALL THE TIME!  It's so bittersweet to be saying goodbye to Hma Johnson tomorrow.  She was been an amazing trainer, companion, and friend and I've learned so much from her testimony and example. It will be a new challenge to have a fully Spanish speaking companion but I know it's exactly what I need.  The Lord always sends exactly who we need into our lives and I know my new companion will be exactly what our investigators and members and rama need as well!

So that's the change for this upcoming 6 weeks! Now back to all the great things this week.  So we knew Hermana Johnson would be leaving but we just kept on working hard.  Its amazing how the Lord helps us to reach our goals when we're striving to be diligent and obedient.  One of the noteworthy things that happened this week was that we had a lot of lessons with members! We usually try to have members come with us when we teach but its hard because the rama is small and there aren't many members available.  We were able to bring out several different members with us and its crazy how much of a difference these members make.  Even if they dont say a lot, there presence and friendship and testimonies are so important!  I continue to be more and more grateful for all these amazing people here in Vicente Noble.  They are so kind and warm and inviting.  They're always so friendly and generous with us missionaries. The rama might be small but the members here are amazing.  They work hard with what they have and have such strong faith in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.  They know how important they are and are striving to build their faith and live the gospel more fully in their lives.

We got to teach Ashne (pronounced Ash-nay) again this week with our member to translate.  Ashne is the Haitian who doesnt know much spanish so we have to bring a translator every time!  He has been trying to read the Book of Mormon in Spanish while we continue trying to get him one in french.  He is amazing and has such a strong desire to learn and know. We taught him about repentance and baptism and he now has a baptismal date as well!!

Sunday was an absolutely amazing day here.  We had a goal for the entire mission to have 5 investigators come to church.  We were thinking and working all week long to really help our investigators act on their faith and attend.  We called people and passed for people and were really just hoping that people could come.  We have so many investigators who are so great but for one reason or another they have yet to come to church.  This Sunday, we had 8 investigators come, a few of which have never come before!  It was so amazing to have so many people there in the capilla.  There was a different energy and the members were great with greeting and speaking to everyone.  We also had an amazing moment when one of our menos activos walked in near the end!  He is the one who used to be president of the rama but has been inactive for about 15 years. When he walked into the capilla, my heart swelled with such joy and I was so unbelievably grateful and excited for him.  I know the Lord is working to help these people make changes in their lives.

I know that when we act on our faith, we can see such blessings and experience true change in our lives.  While going to church one Sunday may not seem like much, it's truly the type of experience that can have a profound impact.  Through the church, we can receive the counsel and answers and comfort we are looking for.  Always when we act on our faith, we can be filled with joy and the love of Christ and Heavenly Father.

I love you all so much.  Thank you for everything and have a great week!

CON AMOR,

Hermana Graham

Makes It All Worth It

Hola mi familia y mis amigos!

I hope you all have had a great week and that all is well!! As always, thank you so much for you emails and support!  I truly love it and I am very very grateful!!

So this past week was so unbelievably full of amazing things that I don't even know where to start.  Okay chronological order then.  

So, first off I forgot to mention last week but we were cleaning the apartment on Monday and we ended up finding a cat and her two new baby kittens living in the extra room!  It was an absolutely hilarious day with watching and trying to get the cats out of the house.  The kittens were adorable and it was hilarious!  We ended up having a neighbor come and grab them and then the mom couldn't find the kittens and it was a whole big thing but truly hilarious!!  

Okay now onto awesome spiritual moments and experiences.  So on Tuesday Hma Johnson and I had the opportunity to have intercambios again with the Hermana Leader.  Her job is to watch over the Hermanas in her area and make sure we are good and our areas are good as well.  Last time Hma Johnson went with the Hma Leader so I went with her this time.  Her name is Hermana Molina and she is from Santiago here in the DR.  She is an awesome missionary and it was an amazing day full of powerful lessons and a lot of learning!  It is always amazing to be able to teach with a different missionary and see how they teach and interact with the people.  Hma Molina is so full of love and genuine concern for everyone.  She teaches with a lot of love and understanding!  One quick story: we went to our first lesson of the day in the morning with a new investigator named Miguelina.  She is new and we didn't know much about her yet.  We went in with the plan to talk about Heavenly Father and prophets.  As we were starting, Hma Molina started talking about how the Gospel blesses families and Miguelina immediately started crying and talking about the rough relationship she has with her father.  It was such a powerful and personal moment and we then got to testify and remind her of the perfect love of a perfect loving Father in Heaven.  It was a great lesson, we learned a lot about this sweet girl and it was definitely guided by the Spirit!  I told Hma Molina later that I knew she was meant to come with me that morning because it would not have been that type of lesson without her!!

The rest of the week was also amazing!  We had a zone meeting in Barahona and got to hear some great messages from the Elders and Leaders of our zone.  They are all awesome and have such a genuine desire to help.  Hma Johnson and I spent a lot of the week preparing for the Wilkin's baptism which was this Saturday!!  We visited him a lot and read a lot with him in the Book of Mormon as well.  Saturday morning, we went to the capilla to clean and prepare for the baptism.  We also have interviews with the Mission President, President Nuckols, and his wife Hermana Nuckols.  This was my first interview with the mission prez since being out in the field and it was awesome.  We talked about certain challenges of the area and mission and what we've been working on.  It was a great experience to receive some guidance and direction from this inspired leader who has been called of God to lead and direct the work here.

Wilkin and his mom who barely speaks
Spanish but is the sweetest thing.

Okay so now onto the best moment of the week and my mission so far: Wilkin's baptism.  I honestly had no idea how I would feel but it was just the best feeling I've ever had in my entire life.  Saturday we held a baptismal service for Wilkin and a girl who lives out in Tamayo.  Her family makes up most of the members out there and it was great to be with them and the Elders and to have so many people there in support of Wilkin as well.  He showed up right on time and was really excited.  We took pictures with everyone and then the service started.  Violeta, a member from Tamayo shared a talk on baptism and Hma Johnson spoke about the gift of the Holy Ghost.  Hma Johsnon and I also did a special musical number of ¨Señor, me te seguire¨ or ¨Lord, I would follow thee¨.  Wilkin was just super relaxed and going with the flow.  He was baptized by President Cuevas from the Elders Quorum and it was just amazing.  When he had the opportunity to share his feelings at the end, he just expressed his appreciation for the Savior and for this opportunity.  It was so simple and sweet.  I couldn't wipe the huge smile off my face the whole time.  It was just such a warm and amazing sense of peace.  I felt so unbelievably grateful to have been able to be an instrument in the Lords hands to help Wilkin learn and progress and draw closer to His Father in Heaven and Savior Jesus Christ.  Sunday during Sacrament, Wilkin was confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and received the gift of the Holy Ghost.  He was so funny and smiling in his new white shirt and tie that we gave him.  During his blessing, I definitely started to tear and was overcome with the Spirit and just a huge appreciation for Wilkin and his desire to follow Christ. 

Hermana Johnson, Wilkin, President Cuevas, Hermana Graham 

Being there in support of Wilkin and being able to watch as he made this important covenant with the Lord, made everything in this mission worthwhile.  No matter what we've been struggling with or trying to learn, everything was lightened and made more sweet as we were able to help this awesome young man start this journey with Christ at his side.  I know he will continue to change and feel these blessings in his life with the gift of the Holy Ghost.  I am so grateful to be here in the Dominica Republic.  There is no place I'd rather be and no work as important and that can bring such joy into our lives.

I love you all so much. I am grateful for every single one of you. I hope you all have an amazing week!

CON AMOR,

Hermana Graham

Pascua y La Conferencia General!

Hola my familia y amigos!!

I hope you all had an awesome week and a wonderful Easter as well.  Thank you for all your emails and prayers and everything! I really appreciate it!

Soooo, this past week was absolutely amazing!  We had Easter and General Conference all bunched up into one and it was a really powerful weekend.  We basically spent most of the week teaching people and inviting people to conference.  It was amazing to be able to teach about the amazing opportunity we have to listen from our inspired prophet and church leaders.  No matter what we may be going through in life, we can find answers through these men and women who have been called of God to guide us and instruct us!  We also got to share a lot about why it is that we celebrate Easter in the first place.  Really, its in memory of Christ's Atonement: His suffering and death on the cross for us, but even more amazingly that He was resurrected and lives today!  This week I felt an overwhelming gratitude for my Savior and the things He was done for me personally, for each of you and every person on the Earth!  What an awesome time of year to celebrate and remember these acts of perfect love that Christ performed for us.  

Anyway, I will talk more about Conference and Easter but a quick update on some lessons and stuff that happened this week!  So, things here in Vicente Noble are going really well.  Hermana Johnson and I have been able to find and start teaching a lot of great investigators.  We are working hard to help them understand the things we are sharing and also helping them act on their faith as well.  The trick with all of these things is really action!! We can have faith and a desire to learn and follow Christ, but miracles and change come when we act!  It's great to be able to teach these people and help them keep commitments and act on their faith. When we act, that's when the miracles and blessings come!  This week we had the opportunity to teach Wilkin several times again.  He is doing much better and his baptism is actually going to be this Saturday! I am unbelievably excited to be there to support him and continue helping him learn and grow in this Gospel.  While his testimony has been strengthened, he was also sick with the chicken pox this week!  We went to visit him and he had been in bed all day and really sick. :(  We were really worried and also wondered if we would still be able to meet to prepare him for baptism.  On Thursday, we had the opportunity to visit him and bring one of the Priesthood leaders from the rama to give him a Priesthood blessing.  We explained what it was and how it worked, and he agreed to have one.  It was amazing to see the power of the Priesthood put into action to help this awesome investigator.  It's amazing to think that through baptism, Wilkin will be one step closer to being able to hold this precious responsibility as well.  We went to see him Friday and he was already so much better!  I know that the blessing helped him!

Anyway, Saturday and Sunday were both amazing with Conference! We got the sit in the capilla and relax and listen!  It was surreal to be able to spend so much time just listening and learning!  The Spirit was so strong as the choir sang and we got to hear the many talks by living day apostles and leaders and President Monson. There was an amazing moment when President Monson announced 3 new temples to be built and one is in Haiti!! Everyone in the room cheered a bit and we were all just so excited!  I have met so many amazing Haitians here and I've come to love them and Dominicans so much!  I am so excited for all the sweet and genuine members in Haiti who will soon be able to attend to temple so much closer! Conference was also amazing because I got to listen to the whole things in Spanish!!  It was crazy and there were definitely still parts that I'm sure I didn't understand, but nonetheless I was able to understand enough to learn soo much!  It was amazing to listen and have in mind so many of our investigators and menos activos.  There were so many talks that focused on the blessings and importance of living the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  When we live as He lived and follow His commandments, thats when we can be protected, guided and really feel God's love.  I also loved the emphasis on Christ and His Atonement.  Christ's perfect, infinite, atoning sacrifice makes it possible for us to really find and feel joy in this life.  We can hold onto hope in any circumstance and feel strengthened through our faith in Him.  

Well there were about a million other amazing parts and talks of Conference but there's only so much time to email right now! Haha...If any of you weren't able to watch or are curious, I invite you to visit LDS.org and watch some of the talks!  They are messages truly inspired and revealed from God to these humble and powerful leaders.  We can find personal answers, guidance and comfort through their words and counsel.  Its' really like hearing from Heavenly Father himself!  

Anyway I am truly great here, feeling unbelievably blessed to be here with my companion, with these people and to be representing Jesus Christ!!

I hope you all have a great week!!

CON AMOR,

Hermana Graham