Hermana Kali Green : Week 14

Hermana Josie & Hermana Green

Hello everyone!

This week was great. Thanksgiving was wonderful! I hope you all had a great week as well.

On P-day we made our own Thanksgiving dinner! It was great. It got us excited for actual thanksgiving. Hermana Santamaria was excited to try," a true american thanksgiving" haha.

I had my first zone conference this week! Elder and Hermana Gonzalez ( Elder Gonzales is from the 70) came and visited us and talked to us about how we can be more effective in missionary work and gave us amazing advice. The sisters from our zone sang,"Asombro Me Da" (I Stand All Amazed) for the conference as well so that was cool too. Elder Gonzalez talked about how The Book Of Mormon is the most effective tool for missionary work and went into detail about that. It was a great day.

Zone Conference with Elder & Hermana Gonzalez

I officially have three months in the mission! It was the same day as Thanksgiving! Fun fun fun. We ate at three members houses and I have NEVER been so full in my entire life. But the food is wonderful! Sooooo good. One of the highlights is flan de calabasa. (Pumpkin pie flavored flan.)

Thanksgiving night, we went over to a members house to eat. We ate at Lohary's and after we had dessert with them, we had a little Noche De Hogar(family home evening) with their family. Orlando, her husband, isn't a member, but he knows a lot about the church. We had our lesson ( I even got to play piano for it!), and we went around the table sharing three things we were grateful for. The lesson was filled with tons of laughter and love for the gospel and the blessings we had because of it. At the end of the lesson we bore our testimonies, and when it came to me, I remember looking at Orlando and was just pleading in my mind that he would feel something. I remember being so grateful for everything I had. After the lesson, Lohary drove us home, and as she was driving she talked about something changed in Orlando tonight, and Hermana Bird asked her at what point did she see that change in him happen, and Lohary said," During Hermana Green's testimony. His whole countenance changed. He was tearing up and he turned and looked at me and I knew that he knew it was true." I was shocked. I was the person who knew the least amount of spanish in the room, and yet, I moved him the most. The minute we got inside our house I immidiately went into our room, knelt down, and said a prayer of gratitude. I was so overwhelmed with joy and gratitude for the opportunity I have to be here in Puerto Rico. It was a very humbling experience that I'll never forget.

We fasted again this a couple days ago, praying that we might be able to set a baptismal date with our investigators and that our menos activos would come to church. Sylvia, one of our menos activos, came to sacrament meeting, and last night we had a lesson with Leunani. We taught her about the restoration, and she was amazed with the gospel. We surprised with a Book of Mormon for her and Alexis and she was SO HAPPY. We had written our testimonies in it and Hermana Josie's little brother, Easton had written one in it too, and sent it to her to give as a gift. Hermana Josie also included a picture of a temple from California, and one from Utah(since she's from utah and I'm from california). Leunani was so happy. She was so excited to start reading. Then the time felt right,Hermana Josie looked at me, and I extended the baptismal invitation... and SHE SAID YES! WE HAVE A BAPTISM FOR HER SET ON CHRISTMAS EVE! (which is the same day I'll have four months in the mission) She quickly responded, saying," I've actually been thinking about that a lot, and was thinking about that the whole time during our lesson. I remember my mom reading the Book of Mormon, and she shared with us experiences on how she would always pray about a decision she needed to make in her life and how she always found it there. I remember my mom's baptism too, and I remember thinking it was so beautiful and I wanted the same thing. I would love to get baptized" I thought my heart was going to explode out of happiness. Best Christmas present I will have ever received.

Thank you for all your love and support, it really means the world.

Love you all!

-Hermana Green

A snippet from Herman Green's letter to her Mom & Dad

I wrote all of my exciting news in the group email. But it was a great week. I met a couple of girls this week that reminded me of my cute 3 nieces. Miss them. I put up their pictures in my room that they drew me. so cute.

heres a cool spiritual experience for ya: So one day last week after the zone conference I just got so overwhelmed and didn't feel like I was doing all i could as a missionary. I just started crying to Hermana Josie and she gave me some advice and asked me to ask Heavenly Father how he sees me, so I did. The next night, right after Lohary told me that it was because of ME that Orlando's heart changed, I immediately heard the words as if it was spoken directly from Heavenly Father in my head," THIS is who you are. You are my daughter. This is who you're becoming, and this is why you're here." My heart was so full. I LOVE being a missionary. At times it's not easy, and when you have bad days, it feels like your whole world is falling apart. But then I remember the little things, and I just get right back to work.

How fun to hear about all your experienes this week. Thank you for the great advice. Feed the elders whenever you can! It is so nice when members are nice and do that. It makes our day.

I have to go, but thank you for everything.

I love you both very very much!