Elder Pingree

This week Elder Pingree came to our mission for a mission tour! It was so good! We had Zone Conference and his words were so inspired! I could just see the love he has for us and how he truly wants to help us. He shared one really important thing that just helped me so much in my missionary work and can help you with your ministering visits.

Heavenly Father's Divine Pattern of Finding/Helping-

1. He knows all (D&C 38:1-2):

He knows His Children 

He knows what they need

He knows where they live

2. He will open the door (D&C 100:1-4)

He will make it happen

He knows where His elect are

3. He will give you what to say (D&C 100:5-6)

He promises He will fill your mouth

4. He will bring His Spirit (D&C: 100:8)

The Spirit will testify of what you say

The Spirit will be there

He will do 90% and you give your 10% by being willing to help, loving the people, and following the prompting of the Spirit and you are promised to have the Spirit testify of what you should say. 

This goes along so well with ministering to the men and women in our wards. God knows His Children, He will help them. He knows them, and you can know them and their needs too as you follow the Spirit.

Hermana Zimmerman 

1. A cute little boy sitting in between us

2. & 3. The beautiful clouds!

4. We got to attend the baptism of a cute boy named Colt. He was standing up at the pulpit beforehand saying "love....brings us together today..." (from the movie Princess Bride, in the man's funny voice)

The Prepared and Mood Rings

The Prepared-

We were driving home from our ward picnic on Saturday and saw we had a voicemail. We listened to it and some Sister Missioanries had chatted online with a woman named Tracy and she was wanting to come to church. So we called Tracy and as we were talking to her she goes on to tells us that everything in her life has lead her to this moment. She said that she was so excited to come to church, and in tears, was so happy we called her. 

So fast forward to church... one of our members brings her and we teach her for the firsr time. In all honesty the best lesson I have ever experienced. I have never met anyone more prepared than Tracy. She had had so many contacts with the church before but she had always turned it away. But she was her now and was waiting for what we had to teach. She cried so much because she was just so ready. And at the end of the lesson Hermana Hainsworth invited he to be baptized and she said "Yes! Yes I will!" And just began to sob! It was rhe most tender moment I have been a part of. She was prepared by Heavenly Father and was eager to be healed by Christ and His sacrifice. 

During that lesson I felt so much love for her and was just so excited for her. I know the message we share is true. It is the one and only thing that will truly heal us.

Mood Rings-

We were walking by a house and I saw the car was from Ohio so I wanted to go and meet them, because no one here has a car from Ohio! So we knocked and no one answered. We walk away and there was a group of kids ages 5-11 just having fun and going to the river. So we talked to them and gave them CTR rings and taught about Choosing The Right. Well, one of the smallest girls says "Well, can I give you my glow in the dark mood ring? I got them at a garage sale." we were so excited, so we traded rings. Then as Sister Hainsworth was talking to one of the other girls, the girl stops and says, "Wait, my mom always  tells me not to talk to strangers, are you a stranger?" Then a boy in the group says, "No their not strangers, their Christian. No Christians are strangers, we learned that in church last week!" It was the cutest thing! And then another girl says, "I am never going to forget you! I am going to put this picture and ring right by my bed!" It was so sweet!

Have a great week!

Hermana Zimmerman

 

1-4 -More Pictures from the aquarium last week (plus our Zone in little spirit animal figures)

5- a cool crested gecko

6- a model horse

Exceedingly Great Joy and Deep Sorrow

This week Hermana Hainsworth and I went to go and see one of our investigators, we knocked, and she wasn't home so we wrote a card and walked to the car. On the way to the car I saw a woman in a black and orange tank top and black pants walking away and in my mind a very subtle thought came, "you should go and talk with her." After that thought, the mail man came up and started talking to us and thanking us for our service. He was very nice but not interested, and when I looked back up the woman was gone. I pushed the thought away and got in the car. But as we drove about 50 feet I kept getting the feeling like we needed to go and talk to her. So we parked the car right then and there and we walked down the road to try and find her but there was no one on the street. As we were walking back to our car I really felt like we should go to the 3rd house, so we knocked and it was her! I was so glad! We talked with her for a second and she dismissed us away quickly with "Sorry I'm Catholic", so we gave her a card with our number on it, just in case she needed any service. We walked to our car, got in, and drove away. Now as we were about 100 feet away I felt really strongly we needed to go back and share a scripture with her. I thought it would be really strange so Hermana Hainsworth and I discussed it and we decided to find a scripture. We both flipped through the Book of Mormon and both landed in Alma 7! We took that as being the chapter we needed to share and so we got out of our car for the third time and went back to her house. We went there again, knocked and said, "This may sound a little strange to you, but we really felt like we should come back and share a scripture with you." Then she said "Right as I shut the door on y'all just then I felt like I should have listened to you." (In my mind I was like: "Are you kidding! No one ever says that! This is a miracle!) Then we went on to share the scripture, she began to cry, we began to cry, and she shared with us about what she was going through right now and how the message we shared was perfect. She invited us back and we went on our way. 

The Spirit is so real! I had never had an experience like that before and was so happy to see the fruit of following the Spirit.

But just 2 Nephi 2:11 says, "there is an opposition in all things."

On Sunday we went to go and talk to 2 of our investigators and they said they didn't want us to come back. And when we went by to see the investigator i was just talking about above, she was working. It was just so sad. I was so sad because I knew that the Spirit and the lessons we had to share would change their lives and they didn't want it. There is a part in a missionary article called "The Susan Fulture Case Study" that talks about sharing the gospel. It says that when we share the gospel we are offering someone a $100 bill. Sometimes people accept it and sometimes they say no, but we keep offering it to everybody. That's how I felt. I felt like I had given them each a $100 bill and they did not accept it. I was so sad, almost to tears, because I loved them so much and it was so hard to see them say they didn't want the endless blessings we were offering them that were even more than a $100 bill. But as I was walking into the apartment that Sunday night, a thought came to me. It was about how it was all okay because I got to experience a small portion of what our Savior experienced. Jesus Christ knew better than anyone that His message was true. He knew how people would change if they listened and acted, he knew that all problems could be made right, all sadness could be made happy, and all burdens could be lifted, but how many times did people "walk no more with him". I found my self thinking about our other investigators in Woodlake & Converse saying "Will ye also go away?" But that is the beauty of agency, we all can choose to heed His teachings or "walk no more with him." I hope we all "choose the harder right, instead of the easier wrong."

Pictures 1-7 We went to the Aquarium/Zoo today!

"But They Did Fear Their God"

Last week we were driving home and as we drove past some mobile homes I felt like we should go there when we had some extra time. A couple days later as we were planning we felt like we should go there and meet some of the Members and Potential Investigators in the area. So we went and began to walk around to find this member we thought we should go see. Well, we walked around for 30 minutes trying to find his house and we ended up walking the whole mobile home neighborhood and his house was literally right by our car...haha well we knocked on the door and he didn't seem like he wanted us to be there but we started talking to him and as we started to talk to him his heart softened. He began the conversation by saying he didn't believe in organized religion anymore and it ended with him accepting The Book of Mormon and wanting to come back to church again. In Preach My Gospel it talks about how we need to uncover people's "icebergs" or their deep concerns, and things holding them back. As we talked and I said what the Holy Ghost put in my mind, he opened up and told us why he didn't go to church anymore and what past experiences were holding him back from coming again. It was just amazing to see firsthand how God helps his servants when they are worthy and how God prepares his people to come back. 

Also, I have been reading 3 Nephi looking for references to the word "minister" (in any of its forms) and "one by one" like Elder Ballard invited us to do in the ministering training. As I have been reading 3 Nephi I have loved the faithfulness of the people. Here's a really good story for you, sorry if it's a bit long. I promise it's a jem! 

Anyway, in Chapter 3 Giddianhi, a wicked man, is threatening to come and kill all the righteous people. He thinks he is so mighty and powerful because he has thousands of men. Well little did he know that Lachoneus, the leader of the righteous people, had Heavenly Father on his side. When Lachoneus gets Giddianhi's fairly scary letter, The Book of Mormon says,

Verse 11 & 12 "And now it came to pass when Lachoneus received this epistle he was exceedingly astonished, because of the boldness of Giddianhi demanding the possession of the land of the Nephites, and also of threatening the people and avenging the wrongs of those that had received no wrong, save it were they had wronged themselves by dissenting away unto those wicked and abominable robbers.

Now behold, this Lachoneus, the governor, was a just man, and could not be frightened by the demands and the threatenings of a robber; therefore he did not hearken to the epistle of Giddianhi, the governor of the robbers, but he did cause that his people should cry unto the Lord for strength against the time that the robbers should come down against them."

Lachoneus knew where real strength came from. He knew that his God would help them so, 

Verse 15 "Yea, he said unto them (the righteous group of people): As the Lord liveth, except ye repent of all your iniquities, and cry unto the Lord, ye will in nowise be delivered out of the hands of those Gadianton robbers (Giddianhi's bad guys)."

The people prayed, repented, fasted, and relied on God. It came to the day they all went to war and when the armies of Giddianhi came, the righteous people fell down and prayed for help when they saw how scary the bad people looked. It says in 3 Nephi 4:9-10,

"And it came to pass that when the armies of Giddianhi saw this they began to shout with a loud voice, because of their joy, for they had supposed that the Nephites had fallen with fear because of the terror of their armies.

But in this thing they were disappointed, for the Nephites did not fear them; but they did fear their God and did supplicate him for protection; therefore, when the armies of Giddianhi did rush upon them they were prepared to meet them; yea, in the strength of the Lord they did receive them."

And these righteous people won the war! They won not just because they prepared swords, armour and fought hard, but because they prepared spiritually. They prayed to Heavenly Father for help, fasted for strength, repented of ANYTHING & EVERYTHING, and relied on Heavenly Father to help them as they put forth their best.

I know Hevavenly Father will do the same for you. He will answer you prayers, give you strength as you fast, forgive you of all you sins, and be a solid rock you can rely on. I know God is there. I know He answers prayers, and I know with all my heart that He loves you. And I love all of you too.

 Hermana Zimmerman 

The Power of Prayer and Fasting

This was the first full week in my area, Woodlake & Converse. It was for sure one of miracles.

I don't even know how to describe it accurately, but prayer works. We don't know people that well and so we have been meeting people, trying to build our investigator pool from 3 to more prepared people, having meetings to get to know what is going on in the area, and we had 2 mini missionaries, Hayley and Mariah. But through all of this we have been praying to find people who spoke Spanish, who are prepared, to be guided to know where to go, to know what to teach people, what to say to the leaders in the ward to help them be excited about missionary work and to feel peace and guess what? We found people who spoke Spanish, who are prepared and are being prepared, we knew where to go, what to teach them, exactly what to say to leaders, and feel peace amidst the craziness of coming into this area. 

Then yesterday we had a special fast to know how to help the members in our area be excited and begin doing missionary work, and we received specific answers we had never thought of before.

If you are looking for help, answers, peace, guidance, or more purpose, try sincerely praying and fasting! You will find what you are looking for!

As Christ says, "Therefore, ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you; for he that asketh, receiveth; and unto him that knocketh, it shall be opened" (3 Nephi 27:29). When you act, He will open unto you the help, answers, peace, guidance, and more purpose you seek.

 Hermana Zimmerman

One of my favorite pictures of the Savior

Another on of my favorite pictures of the Savior

Me holding Eddy the goat after we gave him a bath at the Bentacourts farm

The Thrill of Soaring

This week has been sad, crazy, happy, fun, and stressful all in one. 

SAD:

It was so sad saying goodbye to Carrizo. I really love the memories I have made there. The people are just the salt of the Earth. And the investigators are just so good.

CRAZY:

Being doubled into an area and training is so crazy! You know nobody and you are trying to familiarize yourself with the people and then implement what you know and help the area grow. My brain has been running a million miles a minute! There are so many things to remember and to do!

HAPPY:

I was so happy to get sister Hainsworth as my new companion! She is stellar! She is so prepared to be a missionary! I feel like I won't have to train her that much. She is so knowledgeable and has jumped right in!

FUN:

It is so different here! We have dinners every night, the apartment is HUGE, the amount of people in the wards are astounding, and there are families with lots of kiddos! It is so fun getting to knkw the people here and learning to truly love them.

STRESSFUL:

This is the most stressful thing I have done in my life. It is a big responsibility to have a new missionary, a new area, and lot of things to try and accomplish, but it is something I would never want to go without. Ever since I have gotten into this area, I see why I am here. The Spirit has been guiding me every step of the way. Now, Heavenly Father does let me do things on my own and is not "babying" me, but is gently guiding me as I take steps forward, He confirms the steps with his Spirit. It is just fantastic.

Hermana Zimmerman

BONUS STORY

We had just gotten to the area, had dinner with the Woodlake Bishop, and we headed to a Ministering visit with the Young Men's President. We got there and we sat down in the home of the a less active family. They were talking and the mom seemed a little uncomfortable speaking. Well as we got talking we told her that we both speak Spanish and she was so relieved! She began to tear up and said that she was so comforted that we could speak with her. She was not very comfortable woth English and wanted to speak Spanish but the other Sister Missionaries were both English speakers. Then she opened up and began to tell of a miracle where Heavenly Father answered her prayers and we all just cried together. It was such a miracle. Yet, another experience showing me where I need to be, why I am here, and why I need to speak Spanish. 

Guess what? Heavenly Father has done the same for you! You are where you need to be and you can figure out why you are there by prayer, acting on the little that you know, and really trying to follow God. Like President Nelson said, "Nothing opens the heavens quite like the combination of increased purity, exact obedience, earnest seeking, daily feasting on the words of Christ in the Book of Mormon, and regular time committed to temple and family history work." When we do those things, we are sure to receive direction, help, and guidance. 

Hermana Zimmerman 

Hermana Hainsworth holding an iguana!

Us serving at the hospital for the last time

Saying goodbye to all the neighborhood kids

Saying goodbye to Monce