Far and Wide His Love Proclaim: Elder Texiera of the 70

Hola Yáll!

What a week! I have grown so much spiritually and physically. Haha. It was such a wonderful week and I am floating.

First of all, we had intercambios this week and I was with Hermana De La Torre from Argentina. She is great and really helped me realize that I just stinkin need to be myself. :)

This Friday Elder Texiera from the 70 came and spoke to us. It was one of the most powerful meetings I have ever ever been in. He gave us the challenge to teach 21 lessons (investigadores) a week. Wow. That is a high goal but we are excited to do it! He was very down to earth and so so nice. He told stories about His time as a mission president in Brazil. I think he speaks like 5 languages. (yeah, I am glad I dont have to learn more than 1). He also asked us what we were having trouble with as a mission in the work and then he, his wife, our President, and his wife all took turns answering our questions. (like a pannel). HOLY AWESOME! Hermana Texiera is literally thebomb.com. I want to be like her when I grow up. She said that sometimes we, as fishers of men, are spending too much time preparing our lines instead of just going fishing. (refering to a quote from Elder Oaks). She gave an equation that is A(O+D)= PE. Translated into English it says that Authority multiplied by prayer and worthiness equals spiritual power. Yeah, she is so awesome. ¨Dont be afraid to change what you need to change¨ is one of my favorite quotes from that. I think it aplies to all of us. We cannot be afraid to change the things that Heavenly Father wants us to change or we will never progress.

Elder Texiera was very powerful and very happy. He is a missionary in the flesh. I want to be more like him. In the end they all (Elder Texiera, Hermana Texiera, Presidente y Hermana Diaz) all shared their testimonies. It was one of the most powerful meetings I had ever ever experienced. Our President never served a mission as a 19 year old missionary. He joined the church as a youth. He told us about how he baptized his father 2 weeks before he passed away. The spirit was so so so strong. I was asked to lead the music in this meeting and the closing hymn was Called to Serve. We sang it with solemnity and there were very few dry eyes. Elder Texiera asked us to leave in silence and with the Spirit still with us. We did and it was incredible. Imagine every youth conference, girls camp, efy, and whatever else mashed into one with a bunch of missionaries and a member of the quorum of the 70. Yeah, it was that powerful.

After that we have literally been floating. We set another bapismal date with Nico! A man we met on the street. We are excited. Maria has been traveling this week so nada. And Liz is stressed out so nada tampoco. But we are seeing miracles! Especially with less actives. We woke up early and went to a less active family´s house before church and woke them up. They came with us. The daughter is 12 and had never been to young womens. SHE LOVED IT! She came home and asked her mom to buy her skirts. She felt bad because she didnt know the answers to questions so she read 2 chapters in the Book of Mormon that afternoon. Wow. Miracles.

We also had our friend Simonne, a preparing missionary, accompany us to many many citas this week. She is already an amazing missionary and a key in so many of our lessons. PLEASE go out with the missionaries in your wards!!

This week as I sat in sacrament meeting from the piano I could see the whole ward. As I sat there during the sacrament I couldnt help but feel the greatest happiness I have ever felt. I love this. I truly do. It is so stinkin hard and there literally hasnt been a single day I have not cried but I love it. I truly do. I love these PEOPLE!!!

Thank you all for your concern about my dog bite and rabies. I am doing fine. :) I am healing quickly and have been able to walk every hill this week which is good. :) (we have climbed SO many hills this week). The rabies shots still hurt but I am doing fine. :) At least I dont have rabies!!!

That moment when you get a new plunger and have to carry it with you everywhere that day so that you don"t waste time. #proudofmyplunger