A bigger Metapan

Hola! Another week has gone by and honestly I feel like I don´t have much to say. This week we had interviews and house inspections from Presidente Spjut. He came to have the interviews in our houses. Hna Spjut did the inspections and it was fun to just sit and talk to her while the others were doing their interviews. It was good to talk with President. He is amazing. So encouraging and helps us to be better missionaries. Last monday we had to do a huge cleaning of our house hahaha but we passed the inspection. This week we had our focus on finding new investigators. Better to work through the members, but when you don´t receive a lot of refferals there isnt really anything else to do other than knock doors. We went to a part of our area called the Guadelupe. I had only been there like twice, but we worked there a lot this week and that part of the are is HUGE. I feel like the Colonia is the size of my whole first area in El Espino hahaha. We found lots or people to teach this week. We found several people the had received the missionaries like a year ago and they seem pretty positive and excited to receive us, so we will see what happens this week. We havent been able to bring new people to church which has been stressing me out. We find lots of people, but then they arent interested in going to church so I am trying to not let my faith down. It gets so frustrating knowing that they are just missing out on soo many blessings. I wish the people could just see that. The mission can be hard at times. The rejections. The people that tell you to go visit them at 7 in the morning on sunday before church and then they aren´t there and it was just to see if you were willing to sacrifice to go visit them. The long days in the sun. But its all worth it. I love when we get to the houses of people and they feel like it is just a blessing that we have gone to visit them. I love when a member family brings us in and tells us they want to help us in the work. I love seeing people feel the spirit and bring happiness to their lives. I love you all so much and thank you for your support. xoxoxo Hermana Groneman

Another Week come and gone

Hola Familia! well this week has gone by super super quickly. I dont even know what to tell you so sorry if this week the letter is kind of short. First off i want to wish Colby HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! Can´t believe my oldest bro is going to be 28. wow you´re old. But I hope you have a great day and know that Ill be thinking about you lots! This week we have been struggling to find new people who are positive and bringing new people to church. I feel like this week was a test of my patience and I know we just need to keep working hard and pray lots. One of our investigators is Hna Deysi. She has been receiving the missionaries for like 6 months now because her daughter was baptized 6 months ago. I love her and her daughter. They sell cupcakes and cookies and also Hna Deysi sews! haha. She has been living with someones but he doesnt want anything to do with the church. She has been waiting patiently to see if he will change, but he doesnt want to get married and he doesnt have anything to do with the church. So now after 6 months she has decided to seperate from him. Right now we are just looking for houses for her. She always goes to church and she is super great. Her birthday is on January 31 and so she wants to be baptized on this day too. She is like well if I am going to be "born again" and start this new life it would be a great day to do it haha so we are excited for her. We just need to pray that she´ll find a house. Also this week I had an interesting experience. Last week we contacted a lady and she said we could come back this week. So sunday we passed by and she let us in. we started teaching her and then her boyfriend entered the room. He came up to me and was like "I remember you! do you remember me?" turns out I had contacted him on the bus like 2 months ago. But when I took down his address I didnt know where that part of the area was and we never found his house. I feel like God has led me back to him and we had a good lesson with them. His name is Jose and her name is Jadina. Jose is really catholic but he likes to visit other churches. When we were talking to him he told us that he has some questions that he never has found the answer to in no church. One of these was "where did we come from?" haha sounds like the plan of salvation to me! we were able to share more and he was really interested. So we will see what happens there. Hna Timoteo is coming along with her spanish. She still struggles understanding people so I have to remember to be patient with that. I just have to remind myself how I felt at the beginning. But I feel like this week we had some special experiences where she bore a really strong testimony to one of the families we are teaching and she was able to express herself perfectly. Also she is starting to talk more in the lessons so that is great. Anyways those were some of the small things that happened this week. Also this week Cesar received the priesthood and a calling so that was great. Also guess who now lives with us? Hna flores had cambios this week and received a new companion. And it is Hna Mayorga who was my last comp in Ahuachapan! haha So now I live with 3 of my comps. Thats pretty cool. So ya anyways I am just hoping that this week we can see some miracles and find new people to bring to church. All is well here in El Salvador. Love you all! Hermana Groneman

Feliz Ano Nuevo

FELIZ AÑO NUEVO! Here comes 2015 and who know what the new year brings. It is so crazy that 2014 is already over, but Im ready to start out the new year working hard. This week I feel like wasnt the most amazing week of success stories and big miracles. But missionary work isnt really always about that. This week during sacrament meeting during the testimonies I was thinking about a quote that mom sent me for Thanksgiving that says. "Sometimes we should express our gratitude for the small and simple things like the scent of the rain, the taste of your favorite food, or the sound of a loved one´s voice." Joseph B Wirthlin There have been so many small simple things to be grateful for this week and that is what I want to share with you all this week. Tuesday during our zone meeting the assistants came to visit and shared a small mormon message video with us about how we have been preparing to be missionaries our whole lives, since before we were born, growing up in the church, and now we are here. To say the least I was definitely in tears just thinking that I have been preparing for this moment for so so long, and now it is coming to an end. I am so grateful for the privilege I have to be a missionary. Also I dont know if i told you this about Cesar (recent convert) last week, but before his baptism he asked us if he had to come to church in white shirt and tie and we told him that little by little he would feel more comfortable and come around to dressing up a little more for church. I didnt think he ever would, but this week he walked into the church building with long white sleeve shirt and tie and nice pants and shoes. I am so grateful just to be able to see the small signs of conversion in a convert. During the week i was able to talk to Hermana Isabel Trejo (my cook in my first area). And just to know how much they still think of me and how much I really miss them. I am so grateful for every person I have met here in the mission that has touched my life. Today during our bus ride Hermana Timoteo was just sharing with me how scared she is for when I leave and how weird she says she is going to feel without me here in the mission. I am so grateful for my companions and especially for the opportunity that I have to train. Really there are sooo many small things to be grateful for. And so this week instead of thinking about why I am stressed or anything I just remembered to be grateful for every little moment. I am so grateful for your support. Today we found out for cambios and me and my comp are staying here in the area as I expected. It is now my last transfer. It is a weird feeling but I hope I can have a great last cambio. Love you all! Hermana Groneman

Navidad en la Mision

Feliz Navidad! Well it´s been a great Christmas here in Metapan. It was so fun getting to talk to you all on Christmas! So weird that the fam is all separated for Christmas. But Im so glad that everyone is all doing well! I feel like this week we had a lot of activities, but at the same time it was a horrible week for the work. Which is normal for christmas. Tuesday the familia Torres got married and then we had the baptism of Ana and her two kids at night....so tuesday we didn´t get that much done work wise. But the baptism went well. I gave the two kids those gifts you sent me mom and they love their CTR rings. Then Christmas Eve is when they celebrate christmas here so that was exciting. We had lunch with some members and also dinner with another member family so that was good. At night we went around singing christmas hymns to some of the less actives and converts and members so that was fun. It was super fun that we live with the other hermanas because it made christmas really fun. THen Christmas morning we woke up and opened presents! haha. But after we called you guys its was a pretty boring day. The town was dead. no one was on the streets. But we were able to get a little bit done. Then later in the week on saturday we had the ward christmas dinner. That was super fun. THey did a presentation of the Nativity. It was fun that Cesar participated and I was happy that the ward is including him. Then Sunday we didnt have anyone in church. So that was the way to end the week. No but next week will be better because we will have better luck working this week. The only thing that was sad is that this week the Familia Posadas have been a little bit discouraged. They are so sensitive to the things that other people tell them about the church and they have a lot of doubts but I am hoping we can still help them progress and that we wont lose them. Anyways I dont have much to tell you guys. I just hope you all had a great christmas and that you have a happy new year! Put good goals and work towards achieving them! LOVE YOU Hermana Groneman