Storms and Rainbows!

Hola! This has been....a week. Probably one of the hardest...if not THE hardest of my whole mission. I´ve cried, i´ve been stressed, i've had people say some pretty terrible things to me, i´ve been tired, I´ve felt like a terrible person, but I have learned so much. I´ve learned to fully rely on Heavenly Father and I´ve been striving to become more like Christ and do what he would do. I think we all always want to do what Christ would do, but this past week I think I can understand and put into practice a little better Christ-Like qualities. During my personal study one of those days I read in "Our Search for Happiness" because I thought, "well, I need happiness..." I read a part that really impacted me. It says "The best thing about living a Christ-centered life, however, is how it makes you feel. It's hard to have a negative attitude about things if and when your life is focused on the Prince of Peace. There will still be problems. Everyone has them. But faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is a power to be reckoned with in the universe and in individual lives. It can be a causitive force through which miracles are wrough. It can also be a source of inner strenght though which we find self-esteen, peace of mind, contentment, and the courage to cope." I decided that I needed to have a more Christ-centered life. I'm still working on it, believe me, it's not the easiest to always be perfect (actually, it's imposible) but I am learning more and more each day. I have had a song stuck in my head ALL week long. "El Amor del Salvador" or in english "Our Savior's Love." It talks about how the spirit is our guide in afflictions and gives us hope when we have doubts and fears and brings us closer to God. I am grateful for the spirit! I have felt peace, my Saviors love and hope this past week as well. I know that Heavenly Father answers our prayers.

Even though this was a hard week, there's still some highlights...haha. We were able to do a cosecha in Capotillo. The bishop came up to us and told us he hadn't seen Hermanas in that area in 30 years! Apparently it's pretty dangerous, but I didn't notice anything. We met a menos activo family where not all of them are members and put a baptismal date with one of them! I hope I'll be able to go up there to see him get baptized! It's always cool to meet new people! It's one of my favorite parts of the mission! 

I got to go back to MENDOZA! (my first area) Hna Arciniega asked for permission to go to the noche blanca that Oriental had because she had a convert she taught get baptized in the noche blanca. I didn't get to go out to visit people, but I was able to see a couple members...they remembered me. It felt kind of good :) 

Fania is doing well. She now has the baptismal date for the 19th of August. That's when our zone is going to have a noche blanca. Her baby is growing so fast! I'm learning a lot of creole also For example: "Jodia se yon pi bo jou" means today is the best day! :) 

We have found some new investigators this week that are super great. They're already members in my mind. I love being a missionary and I wouldn't change this experience for anything! Even though it was hard, things can only get better and when Satan is working his hardest, we need to work even harder! Love you all and hope that you all have the BEST WEEK EVER.

Hermana Lawrence

Zone Conference with the Smiths

It has been a good week! We had zone conference for the first time with the Smith´s! It was good, definitley different, but still super good! They really show how much the love us and it is amazing. I love them! And after the conference Hna Smith taught all of us hermanas Pilates! It was INTENSE and so fun! She told us she started doing pilates because she just decided she wasn´t getting old. haha I was pretty sore the next couple days!

Fania accepted to be baptized! She is so cute! When we invited her to be baptized for the 29th, before she said "yes" she asked us at what time. haha Even though it is hard to communicate with her (she's haitian) we find creative ways to teach! We have her a Book of Mormon in Creole and so when we need to know how to explain things we find what we want in spanish and then show it to her in Creole. We also have Creole speaking members, so we bring them too :) It has been a really cool experience teaching her. I remember when I couldn't understand even a little bit of spanish...never want to go back there again. that was HARD.

Juan is doing well. I'm not sure if he will be getting baptized this saturday because he came up to us at church yesterday and he told us he needed more time. We assured him that he was ready (he is) but only Heavenly Father  can give him the answer to be baptized this satruday or not. We are going to go teach him tonight, so hopefully he prayed and we'll see what his answer was. He is just nervous that he will fall back into the things he left...like his bad friends and things like that. But he's a strong guy. He'll make it through!

It was Estela's birthday this past week. We planned for a lesson with her that day, but we showed up and her family had a suprise  party planned, so we ate some cake and wished her a feliz cumpleaños! We're still waiting and praying for her to make a decision. Something that has been difficult lately is dealing with people's agency. I am so grateful we have agency, though. What a great gift!

Being here in Gazcue, so close to the office, we kind of get abused...haha hermanas are always staying with us, we do crazy last-minute intercambios because hermanas are in the hospital, last night I had to wake up at 12, and two in the morning to make sure that a hermana made it to the airport..etc. But I am grateful we can help. So yes. We're having a "special transfer" Hermana Ferrer and I are being separated. We had a zone activity today (our chapel is the stake center and also where the office is located, so we were there for the activity) and towards the end President Smith came up and told us that he wanted to talk to us when we were done. We went down to his office. I talked to him first and he told me that I am getting a new companion here in Gazcue. Her name is Hna Arciniega from Mexico. President told me that she wants to go home. She dosn't like to leave the house to go proselyte right now, she always says she's sick, even though she is not. He told me that this is a "special assignment" that I am going to get her to stay and enjoy it. I feel a lot of pressure right now. I am also very nervous. I hope I can live up to their expectations. But I am grateful that I can have this opportunity to grow and learn from this hermana! I am super sad that Hna Ferrer is leaving :( Love that girl so much. It'll be way different with her gone!

One gross/funny thing that happened last night: We got home for the night and hna ferrer went to go shower. I started writing in my journal and I hear a scream from the bathroom. Then she comes out wrapped in her towel, the water in the shower is still running and she's crying. There was a spider as big as my hand on the inside of the shower curtain! I can kill small spiders, but this one was a little too big for me to handle, so I thought of other people who could kill it....We have a "wachiman" guard that is always oustide our apartment because the DR President's niece or something like that lives above us. We called our district leader for permission for him to enter our house to kill the spider (at this point we were outside our apartment in pj's because it was a BIG spider...ew....) then we tried calling the zone leaders then the assistants. NO ONE would answer. So we finally called Hna Smith. She gave us permission (she was laughing haha) so he entered our house and killed the dang spider. Ew. I hate bugs. 

But, I love you all so much! I hope that you have the BEST week ever!!

LES QUIERO!

Hermana Lawrence

Hermana Lawrence loves mangos!!!

Pilates with the Hermanas in the zone

Jopones! (Japanese!)

This week was a good one....just like all the other ones! We're definitley seeing opposition, but we're always taught that just past the opposition are the miracles, so I'm ready! haha

On Monday night we found a 25 year old guy from Japan who is interested in learing more about the gospel of Jesus Christ. It was interesting teaching him because he didn't even know who God is or what religion even is. The DR is a VERY believing country. I've met one or two atheists on my mission and that is it. Everyone always goes on FOREVER about how they love God and Jesus, so going to the complete opposite is intresting. I'm excited to continue to teach him. His name is Kota Ito.

We had a "cosecha" (harvest...?) on Thursday in Villa Juana, an elder's area on Thursday. That's where all the missionaries in the zone go and work in one area. Hna Ferrer and I split up (we're the only two hnas in the whole zone...), I went with the relief society president and Hna Ferrer went with the Young Women's president. We both had experiences where we visited people and they were SO excited to see sister missionaries! I went and visited a menos activo and she started crying when I walked into her house. She told me her original missionaries that baptized her were hermanas. This area has had Elders for a very long time and they miss us hermanas :) We both felt really loved when we got back to the house that night!

Saturday we ate a LUNCH. The member brought us out chicken, pastelon (like a plaintain lasagna), potato salad, rice, and homemade cherry juice! So good. The funny part is that she put 3 slices of the pastelon on my plate to start out with and then before I even finished one piece she put TWO more

slices! And then she wouldn't stop putting chicken on my plate. I was kind of full after....like REALLY. So don't worry...I'm not starving! Here in Gazcue we actually eat with members a lot (it's a richer area..

Yorleidi got baptized on Saturday! She was so cute in her little white jumper. She was soooo excitedWe got to sing "a child's prayer" with her cute primary friends. It was adorable. Then she was confirmed sunday! 

We taught Juan last night. He's excited for his baptism this month! 

I LOVE YOU ALL!  I know that the gospel of Jesus Chris is true and that Heavenly Father is always watching out for us!  Have the best weekkk evvveeerrr!

Hermana Lawrence

Hace CALOR!

La familia Acosta

So many great things happened this week! Heavenly Father is blessing us here in Gazcue! 

Something that we have started as a mission is that the word Meta (goal) doesnt exist. We don´t have goals for how many baptisms and reactivations wer are going to have. They are now PROMISES. So as companionships we pray and ask how many baptisms and reactivations we are going to have. Goals sometimes are accomplished, but Promises from Heavenly Father are always accomplished.

Yorleidi and I had the same Crocs!

Hermana Ferrer and I recieved our promise and went out to WORK. (lemme tell ya, this week I was swetting a lot...) We put a baptismal date with Yorleidi! Her mom is a menos activo that will be reactivated the sunday that Yorleidi is confirmed! (this sunday) Yorleidi is the cutest girl. She´s 9 years old and SOOOO excited to be baptized! We´ve been working with her for a couple of weeks now, so we´re excited for her baptism this saturday! 

We also put a fecha with Marleny for the 29th of this month! We taught her Plan of Salvation and the spirit was so strong! She´s super great! We also put a fecha with Juan for the 29th as well! We went with Estela and we knelt down with her and she said the prayer. She´s still not sure. But I KNOW she will be baptized soon!

On Wednesday we went to the driving place because before President Corbitt left he told the Elders he wanted me to have a liscence, so they finally got around to it (now that i´m not even in the office haha) and we went! My good conduct thingy was expired, so I have to take the driving test this week. Wish me luck! 

We had interviews with President Smith on Friday! They were great! I got talking to Hna Smith

about hiking and other cool things like that. They´ve hiked Everest :) Pte Smith is also super great! He´s definitly the guy 

LOVE YOU ALL SOOOOO MUCH! Heavenly Father is always watching over us! 

Hermana Lawrence

Consejo de Lideres ( Council leaders)

Adios y Bienvenido

President y Hermana Corbitt y missionaries

I had some of the craziest, coolest experiences this week. A lot of changes, but it´s been good. We had an office meeting and President Corbitt told us that he was reading in the Mission President Handbook and it says that ¨young single sisters don´t work in the office¨ so he took us out and now we are just normal proselyting hermanas. But we have still been doing some jobs in the office. Like translating every single letter that Pres Corbitt wrote every monday to the missionaries (3 years worth of letters...) It took forever (and a couple LONG nights) to do it, but I learned a lot! The mission changed a lot in the time that he was the mission president! He is a great man and Hermana Corbitt is a great woman! They will be greatly missed!

We went to the temple with them for the last time on Tuesday. It was absolutely amazing. I recieved a lot of revelation and a lot of answers to prayers :) Hna Ferrer and I got to get all the temple clothes ready for all the missionaries (sizes, and what not) so we got to spend some extra in the temple dressed in white! The greatest! The temple is the best place!

Our mission collects the bottle caps from all the waterbottles we drink and then we send them to Puerto Rico and they donate money to cure cancer. Hna Ferrer and I had the assignment to take them to the CCM to get them sent to Puerto Rico, we knocked on the Area Presidency´s door and ELDER ZIVIC opened the door. It was kind of a shock haha We were just like ¨will you take these bottle caps...¨ haha It´s always cool to bump shoulders with General Authorities

Pres. y Hermana Smith   Pres. y Hermana Corbitt

Friday morning we arrived to the office early and made sure the office was SPICK and SPAN! We all were going crazy waiting for the Corbitt´s and Smith´s to arrive. They are all the coolest people. I love them already! When Pte Corbitt was introducing Pte Smith to us, they both started crying. It was so tender! I was the first Hna in the mission to give Hna Smith a hug :) That is cool haha The second thing she asked me was if I knew where to buy heated hair curlers...I think we´re going to get along! haha We also boxed a bunch of stuff up for the Corbitt´s and put their address on it to send it to them. They live on McKinley Avenue! YES! haha

As far as proselyting goes, we will have a HECK of a lot more time to proselyte now! I´m super excited! Estela is doing well, she told us that she can´t stop thinking about if she should get baptized, so I think this week is going to be the turing point and she will finally get her confirmation! Myson is being a punk. He hasn´t come to church the past two weeks, so his baptismal date has to be pushed back and back. It´s kind of confusing how he is so excited to be baptized but then won´t come to church. His excuses are pretty weak too. Like it was raining. But he is reading the Book of Mormon, so that is good :) We also met Juan yesterday at church. A member brought him. He´s 27 years old. Then we went and taught him at the members house in the night. He accepted to be baptized! We didn´t but a date, but he is super excited and he loved everything we taught him. 

I love this gospel! I love being a missionary! I LOVE YOU ALL!

Hermana Lawrence​​

OOPPSS....

Well, I know that a lot happened this week, but to be honest, my mind just went blank and I can't remember a whole lot...haha

I am grateful that I got to spend some cool, out of the ordinary, time with President and Hermana Corbitt. This is their last week...President and Hermana Smith get here on Friday! But on Tuesday the Corbitt's hosted a dinner for the office staff at their house. Hna Corbitt made homemade mac and cheese with salmon and veggies. SOOO GOOD. a lot different from the food I have been eating haha We talked about the Fe Exceptional with them. I don't think I will ever completely understand it, nor will I ever get tired of talking about it. We also helped Hna Corbitt Friday night with an open house (to say good bye) at their apartment. We helped prepare the food (cooking with Hermana Corbitt is the best :)) and then served it.  We had some down time so we decided to take advantage of our time and we had our weekly planning session on the Corbitt's balcony that overlooks the temple. It was pretty dang cool :) (I'll send pictures pronto! 

We had some good lessons with Myson and some other investigators. 

I love you all! Hope you have the best week ever!

Hermana Lawrence

Missionaries are busy!

Good, Busy week! :) I love being a missionary!

On Tuesday we said goodbye to 26 missionaries and welcomed in 2. Yeah. A lot of areas had to be closed, but they'll be opened back up PRONTO and we are not going to fear even though we are a smaller number. We're still going to bring all the Dominicans into the waters of baptism :)

On Thursday we had an activity planned for recent convert families. The people who could be sealed as a family in 2017 were invited to come to the Temple and do baptisms for the dead and then a program by President Corbitt and lunch. It turned out really well! We had about 10 families show up! One of the couples there actually got sealed on Saturday! I love that through our knowledge of the gospel, we know that we can be sealed and with our families FOREVER! I am grateful that we can hope and find joy in sadness because of this! I also got to see a high school friend (Elder Sheffield) on his last day of his mission! He was at the temple going through for the last time on his mission! Haha

Hna Ferrer and I received a reference from some elders about a week ago. We tried calling, we tried going to his house (or where we thought he lived) and we kept trying to get in contact with him, but it never worked. Sunday we were planning and I thought, man, we need to get a hold of this guy. He had gone to church a couple of times in a different ward. So I called and he ANSWERED! We had a cita with him two hours later. His name is Myson, he's haitian (but was born in the Netherlands....haha) he's about 31 years old. He told us he was SO excited to hear from us finally. We had a SUPER long lesson with him, he understood everything and kept telling us that "wow, this is so true" and then reasons from the bible why everything we were telling him was true. Things I've never even thought of! At the end, we invited him to be baptized and before I could even finish, he yelled out YES! He wanted to be baptized that same day! We put the fecha for July 1st, and he was like, "but that's so far away!" He is so nice and is truly a man prepared to be baptized. I can already see him being a bishop! haha. But he's going to be baptized JULY 1. (One of the crazy things about that is it's in 11 days and it will be JULY. What is happening with time?!)

Well, I love you all! Have the greatest and happiest week ever! :)

Hermana Lawrence