Week 10

We were walking to Richie's baptism and I got stuck in a fence because my bag was too big. It was pretty funny.

Happy Halloween!

Wow today has been quite the day, because our whole schedule got switched around.  But yay for emailing!

So this week was AMAZING!

RICHIE WAS BAPTIZEDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD YAY! It was such an amazing experience. President and Hermana Boucher surprised us and showed up as well so that was a delightful surprise. Richie was so happy. (he doesn't look like it in the pictures but I promise you he is) There really is no greater joy than seeing someone you care about IMMENSELY enter into the waters of baptism and open the door to receive all of these amazing blessings the gospel provides. It was truly something beautiful.

Words cannot describe my joy for Richie. The gospel is amazing.

I gave a talk on sunday on missionary work! That was cool. Kind of intimidating giving a talk in spanish but it went really well! 

So about two weeks ago, this member in our ward, Awilda, she told us to go visit her daughter and son in law who live in our neighborhood. Her son in law isn't a member, and her daughter is. So we stopped by a couple times with no answer, and then we went back a couple more times and were able to talk to her son in law, Alexis. We haven't been able to find a good time to set an appointment with them because he works alot and they just had a baby. But Awilda came up to Hermana Josie and I yesterday and told us that Alexis was talking to her and told her that when we were talking to him he could feel something good about our message and that we touched his heart. The last time we talked to him, he told Awilda that they were going to go out to dinner, but they decided not to, and then we knocked on the door and talked to him. He told Awilda that it wasn't coincidence that that happened, nor was it coincidence that they moved into that specific part of their neighborhood. It was SO COOL hearing that because we had no idea we made that big affect on him! So we're hoping that we see them tonight during our hour of work or tomorrow. 

Last thursday night, Hermana Josie and I were walking back to our neighborhood to go contacting and on our way there it starts POURING rain. We didn't have any umbrellas, and we had an hour walk ahead of us. Usually in this situation it would make someone angry, or sad even. But we just started laughing. It made us so happy for no reason. We walked that hour, happily in the pouring rain, singing and humming hymns, and it all caused me to reflect on one important thing: 

Perspective.

Perspective is what can make or break any situation. And it is one thing that is absolutely critical while being a missionary. We have trials and hard things we go through in our lives, and we really have two ways of looking at it.  We can do one of two things:

1. Reflect on this trial, dwell on the sadness it might have, or why it is unfair, or 

2. Look at the situation and say, "What can I learn from this and how can this help others?"

Being completely drenched with an hour walk after a long day and more to do really could've made me angry and upset, but instead, I chose to make it a wonderful memory that I can always look back on, and that can remind me of the idea of perspective.

I love you all very very much!

Be safe tonight!

All my love,

Hermana Verde.

This is Richie!

I asked him to wear this hat I bought here in the picture because he kept calling it a pancake.

Richie's Baptism!

 A snippet of Kali's email to her Parents:

Hermana Green Sharing more about her first Baptism: Seriously it was so amazing. I felt like a proud mother watching my child get baptized. It made me so excited to see my own kids one day get baptized. There really is no greater feeling than seeing one of your investigators get baptized. All of the long walks to get to Richie's house, the heat, the patience, the time and effort we put into every lesson, all of it pays off. And you sit there, watching them be baptized, and you realize that you did nothing, and that it was all the spirit. Hermana Josie and I were just the mouthpieces. We truly are representatives of Christ.

Hermana Green Sharing about a spiritual moment: Sometimes walking around at night is a little sketchy. It scared me a little bit during my first couple weeks here because the houses are scary looking at night. But you can really feel safe because we know that we are getting help from angels on the other side of the veil. No doubt of it. I know it. We are so protected.

The mormon tabernacle choir christmas program with the muppets and Santino Fontana(the guy who plays hans in frozen) and I SAW CHRISTIAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I WAS DYING

Even in Puerto Rico they have a Love for Hamilton! Of Course
this is the home Of Lin Miranda's Parents!