Muddy Shoes

Hola, Well another week has passed. Im sure you are all waiting to hear what has happened. I really dont have much to tell you this week so sorry if the letter is short. So last monday we went to the office so that my comp could have her interview with presidente spjut. She has the interview with him and everything and still wanted to go..so she called her stake president and he is the one who got her to stay for atleast 2 more weeks. Last monday I was able to talk a lot with Presidente Spjut and Hermana Spjut when we were in the office. Presidente spjut told me that he felt like she had already made up her mind basically. But then when her stake president got her to stay he just told me that we will see what happens. So then we had this week and I knew it would be hard but I was trying to do my best. President told me to try and be really fun for her...and the thing is is the fun part of the mission is the missionary work. If you dont like visiting the people and doing the work then I dont know how to make it more fun. In all my time with my comp I have tried to visit the members to help encourage her (especially the members who are returned missionaries because they always tell great stories) but the thing is she just doesnt like the work so there isnt much I can do. Anyways then tuesday turns out we got sick. haha yep my third time having parasites. (but dont worry it hasnt been that bad this time with the medicine and Ive already finished taking the medicine). But that really didnt hel p my comp because she was sick too. I was just thinking really does this have to happen? Im trying to help her like the mission and getting sick wasnt going to help anything. So then during the week I was trying to encourage her to feel more at home (for example unpack a little or put some pictures or quotes up on the wall) or something to help her feel a little better and she basically told me she already had her mind made up and that she was just waiting for the two weeks like she told her stake president. The hermana leaders also came and visited with her to encourage her...but after i asked if what they said helped and she said she could listen to them...but no. So yeah saturday night she called president and told him she didnt want to wait another week more...so today after we write we are going again to the office to talk to him. Im almost positive she is going home. So yeah its been an interesting week. Ill be honest I have felt really alone. Not in like Im depressed way...but its just so hard when you are the only one who actually has their mind working in the area. But God has really given me small miracles and most of all I know He knows what Im going through and I know that He knows the desire of my heart is to help the people. So yeah I have no idea what is going to happen to me or my area or what not but I know that all will work out well. A part from all of that I wanted to share some funny/good things that happened this week. So first on tuesday I had to go to san salvador for my ID renovation and I got to go with Hermana Garbett and Hermana Murray (they both came with me to the mission at the same time). It was great to be with them. I love the hermanas i came with and its so weird to think that it was like a year ago when I went the first time to san salvador and I saw hermana garbett and was so happy to see her ( i dont know if you remember that but it was the first time i saw her here in the field). The time is just going by SO fast. It scares me to be honest. During the week we had a visit from Elder Ochoa and it was a great mutlizona. I really felt the spirit strongly and he helped us to understand that we have to find the people prepared and chosen who are ready. THat we have to have the faith to drop the people that arent prepared and the God will help us find those who are ready. The REALLY funny thing though...is this day was important so everyone wanted to look their best for Elder Ochoa....and guess who forgot their nametag. Yep me. First time in my whole misson and i forgot my name tag. My whole zone was making fun of me for it but it was pretty funny. But honestly it was the worst. I felt so empty without it and I didnt want to make any comments during the conference because i didnt feel worthy without my nametag hahaha. no but its a funny moment and i was the joke of our whole zone. Also yesterday it rained a little and after church and our meetings with the bishop we headed out with a member to contact a referral. I didnt now where his friend lived but it was SO far. We went to a part of our area I had never been to and we were walking through jungle and the road was pure mud. My shoes were caked and my legs were so dirty after haha. But the family that he took us to received us very well. I dont know if they will be super super positive because they live so far away from the church...but they dont attend a church and they seem like a really unified family. And they have never talked with the missionaries. So at least we can plant a seed and I hope we can help them. That was really a small miracle for me yesterday. But i was said i didnt have my camera yesterday in my backpack because really it was complete jungle style and there were several times i got stuck in the mud haha. Anyways thats basically all. I hope you all know that I really love the mission. It is the best thing that has happened to me in my life. As Ive been trying to help my comp I have realized how much love i have for these people. It is incredible. The people here that I love honestly are people I never would have imagined myself talking to before. It really is amazing to see how we can love people like Christ loved. There is no exception of people and every person needs this gospel. Thanks for your emails. I love hearing from all of you. Im so glad that everything is going well at home. Our family really has always been blessed...but I know its because of our obedience to the commandments and our faithfulness to this gospel. Love you all and ill let you know next week what happens Hermana Groneman

Cambios

Hola famila, Well I feel like I have a lot to say this week but I dont have much time. It has been a hard week. One of the most stressful weeks of my mission...but this whole week I have been thinking of the scripture in Matt 11:28-30 - Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest in your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Well the week started out pretty good...but as the week went on my comp has been struggling. Which is normal as a new missionary. Something I just wasnt prepared for as a trainer is I was always thinking what I would need to do to help me new missionary know that she really can do it (because most of the time the new missionaries feel like they just cant do it)...but something i wasnt prepared for is that she just doesnt want to do it. She doesnt want to be here. At the beginning of the week she struggled and wanted to call presidente but we talked things through and we were able to continue..but she continued to want to call him to tell him she wanted to go home. Saturday morning she finally called him and he talked to her. There were moments when she just didnt want to leave the house and she just doesnt want to be here. Ive tried helping her to realize she can rely on the atonement and how many people need her here and that its not easy but its worth it...but today after we write we are heading to the office and she is going to talk to president. I really have no idea what is going to happen. I hope that she can make it through and stay because there are people who need her and the mission is something that will change her life. Its been hard on me. I have never had a more tiring week...but yet somehow I have felt a strange peace in my heart. And its because of this scripture. I know that Christ is carrying me in every moment. Although there are so many things i need to do and so much on my mind he has brought me peace. My first priority right now is helping her to stay in the mission...then after that helping her to learn how to become a missionary...and then last on my mind is what is happening with our investigators in our area. Presidente Spjut has been really great. In the days we´ve talked to him on the phone he has assured me that im not alone and not to take it personally. Im really grateful for presidente spjut. He is so loving and kind and he is a great president. Right now im just not really sure what is going to happen...whatever happens is going to be tough...but ill let you know what happens next week. BUT although its been a tough week. I have realized something really important. There have been many times in my mission where I havent really felt like I have changed much...but this week i realized I have changed. Ive realized how much my heart is in this work and how I really do understand the importance of the gospel and sharing it with everyone. I have realized how much i really rely on the atonement every day and how much i feel in debt to the Lord for his sacrifice and how all I want to do is thank him. As I talked with my comp during the week and as I was trying to help her understand what is more important I realized how much I have changed and I am so grateful for the mission. I am so grateful for every moment. The mission isnt beautiful for all of the beautiful experiences. It is beautiful because of all of the hard moments....its beautiful because somehow we make through. Somehow the lord helps us to keep going when we are tired and no one wants to listen and our bodies hurt and we are far from home. I know that this is the work of the Lord. I know that He is helping me in every moment. I know that this is the true church without a doubt in my heart. I know that Christ atoned for my sins and he has felt every hard moment in my life. And that brings me happiness. I am so happy hear. I am so happy that I have had such a hard week. I am so happy to be here struggling every day. Because I have this gospel and it is a privilege to share it with others. Thanks for your prayers. Thanks for everything. Ill update you more about our investigators next week. Hermana Groneman

I'm a Trainer

Hola Familia, Wow well this week we had cambios and they arent called changes for nothing. I feel like so much has changed! First off it was quite interesting to say goodbye to hermana lezama. It was such a weird feeling to watch her go home. She was pretty strong will all of the goodbyes..not gonna like i was tearing up some of the time...just thinking about when i am going to have to say goodbye. But im really happy for her the she completed her mission and all is well. All of our investigators and recent converts really have missed her and I miss her too. Wednesday we went to the reunion de cambios and i received my new comp! My "daughter" is Hermana Castro and she is from Costa Rica! My first comp that isnt from honduras or guatemala haha. She is 19 and Im really excited to be training her. Its so so much different to be training. These past few days really have made me realize how much Ive grown, changed, and improved as a missionary. I cant even really remember how I felt the first few days but its made me realize how much I have improved as a missionary. She thinks I know so much and she thinks im so good at talking with people in the streets and with everyone (hahahah). But she is so nervous and she thinks she doesnt know enough but i just keep telling her it all comes little by little. Im just making sure to be really loving and complimenting her to help her feel at home. I hope I can be a good trainer for her and that I can help her learn correctly. Its been a really tiring week and its a lot different then when I was working with hermana lezama because we both knew what was going on with everything but Im glad to have the opportunity to train and see Hermana Castro grow. Julio was really sad that hermana lezama left but this is what his words were when I presented Hermana Castro for the first time: "yo estaba orando con mi padre celestial para que el me envia una otra angelita para visitarme" (I was praying to my heavenly father just asking him to send me another angel to visit me). hahaha oh julio is the best. Speaking of Julio he walked to church on friday for the mutual ( here they have mutual for all of the different organizations not just the youth) and on sunday to church he walked all on his own. That makes me feel really good because one of my biggest worries was that he would have troubling remembering to go to church on his own when we didnt pass for him. This week we didnt have anyone who came to church. I was pretty upset about that. Manuel always comes on his own and then Carlos´s wife didnt go...but this week i hope we can help them to go. I really want to focus on finding new people too. But all is well here. Its a lot different but I know im going to learn a lot training. I love the mission and i love all that im learning. I love the people and i love this gospel. Thanks for all of your support and emails and love! Thanks for all of the pictures of the Utah Football. Cheer loud for me at all the games. Mom im glad you were able to go to michelles bridal shower. Make sure when you go to her wedding to take pictures to send me! Also im really excited you are serving in young womens!! thats awesome! Sorry i didnt send pictures again....but its because i dont have a connecting cord..but im going to buy one today i promise and next week ill have pictures! Love you all! Hermana Groneman

New Apartment

Hola Familia, Well its been a pretty great week. I can´t believe its the last week of hermana lezama. It is so weird to me to think about ending the mission. Its so crazy to me, but Im really happy that we have been able to end her last two weeks with baptisms. So yeah Julio was baptized yesterday!!! It really was a great baptism. He was so happy and excited for it. During the week it was super funny he was stressing out about the baptismal clothes. We told him that we were going to be in charge of the clothes so he didnt have to worry so he told us his sizes but then the next day he was all worried because actually he told us the wrong size. But all was well haha. Julio has a lot of really great friends in the ward and neighbors so i really hope that can keep supporting him. The bishop has a lot of good desires to make sure they do everything they need to to support Julio. Really Julio will be a convert that I never forget. Honestly i have had such special moments with each of my investigators, but from Julio I have learned about miracles and the love of Christ. I will never forget the simple lesson that I have learned from him that if we want to be happy we have to live the gospel.. Its that simple. Also im pretty sure Julio is my favorite investigator because he saved me from a drunk guy in the street this week haha. This drunk guy was following me and Julio came up "HEY!" and then shewed him away and then walked in the house of the member and was like "este bolo es loco" haha. Super funny to see that in the street if you see the way that julio walks and everything. Also Carlos Chafoya was confirmed yesterday and his wife came to church with him so im really excited about that! she told hermana lezama that she wants us to come by her house tonight to talk to us...so we´ll see what that means! im super excited that she came. We havent taught her a ton but we hope to teach her mom in this week and help her prepare to be baptized in september. Also Manuel Mejia came to church again. he is great and has tons of friends in the church. This week we are going to talk to his wife to see if they can get married. But she attends another church so yeah. Anyways SO....i have to tell you that we just got the call in this moment and im going to be training!! So yep im gonna receive a brand new missionary on wednesday in the changes meeting. Everyone was telling me I was going to train. Im pretty excited to be honest but i know its going to be super stressful...I just hope that we can keep having success still. We have a few people who im excited to keep helping teach but i just hope that we can keep finding new people. Thats always the most stressful. But yeah im super excited! Tomorrow I have a meeting for the trainers. In the zone there are a few people who have changes, but the other gringa hermana in our ward (hermana lucero) is staying so thats great, our district leader has changes too. But elder thorpe is staying here in the zone too so thats cool. But yeah so this week will be pretty crazy im pretty sure. We´ll see who i get as a companion, but im excited! Love you all so much! Thanks for all your support and keep me updated on things at home! send me some pics of your trip to zion or whatever Hermana Groneman

Un ano en la mission

Hola familia, I have SO much to tell you guys this week and i dont think im going to have time to tell you everything! First off, on tuesday morning we moved houses and i dont have pictures of our new house but next week for sure ill send you the pics. It is so so nice to come home at night to a house where I actually feel like i can be at home and rest. Really i think that i am now receiving the blessing for my patience i had in my first house. My first house was super chafa (awful) and now im finally receiving the blessings. The shower still has freezing cold water so that doesnt change, but we have cabnets in the kitchen and the toilet actually flushes! and the floor is super clean that i would feel comfortable eating off it haha. Its because its a brand new house and no one has ever lived in it before. but yeah pictures next week. Also this week we had interviews with President Spjut. Wow i love president and hermana spjut. They really are so amazing and so loving. The interview was really great and i feel like i can share whatever i want with him. Truth is im really happy right now in my mission so it wasnt like i needed encouragement or anything but all is well. Anyways now update about our investigators: Carlos Chafoya: WAS BAPTIZED YESTERDAY!!! yeah super awesome. So on monday we had a noche de hogar with Hno William and we watched the movie Finding Faith in Christ. Carlos really loved it. He had tears in his eyes and everything. After the movie we talked a lot about Christ and his sacrifice for us and how we have to exercise our faith and follow his example. We talked about baptism and he said he thinks he would be ready to be baptized on sunday. The thing was he wasnt exactly sure...he knew he wanted to be baptized but he wasnt sure if he could on sunday but then we told him that he had to have an interview before his baptism so if he was thinking about sunday he needed to have an interview during the week. So during the week the zone leaders interviewed him and he said he wanted to be baptized on sunday. We planned it all and after the stake conference on sunday night we had his baptism. It was really great. A lot of his good friends in the ward came and also his wife came. We are going to start working with his wife because carlos really really wants his wife to come to church with him. Something really neat was that Hno William told us that Carlos had told him that sunday he was out in the corn field before his baptism and i guess he just knelt down in prayer in the middle of the corn fields and made a promise with God that he was going to be baptized that day. During all of the process of Carlos he had a few moments of doubt and didnt think he would keep going, but really the spirit worked through him in his whole process. Im so happy for him and im so grateful for William who gave us his name as the referral. Julio Casarez: So yeah this whole week i was torn about when we should baptized julio. When i had my interview with president spjut i was asking him what i should do and he told me that ill just know what i should do. But on friday our district leader did his baptismal interview and says that there isnt any problem about why he could be baptized. Then sunday after the stake conference julio had an interview with our bishop. THe bishop before was really hesitant about him being baptized because he had only see him...But after the interview he said that there is no problem in him being baptized and the bishop is really willing to keep supporting him after his baptism. So he probably is going to be baptized this weekend. Tonight we are going to watch finding faith in christ with him and talk about blessing and the priesthood and we are going to have him receive a blessing so that he can get walking better and recover from all of the side affects. He actually has over 6 months to leave his addiction. Manuel Mejia: He came to stake conference, We are just working with him to get married. But he is great. We hope in september with him. Apparently we found out that his mom died yesterday. Manuel is pretty old so i imagine his mom was pretty old but its still sad. But we are planning to review the plan of salvation with him and maybe that can keep motivating him. Rose: she is going to be on vacation for 2 weeks so we will go back to visit her in two weeks. Anyways thats basically all of the news for this week. This week me and my comp really are going to focus on finding new people to teach so that we can have more people for september. my comp has like 10 days now....so thats crazy. We are just enjoying our last weeks and im glad that her last two weeks in the mission we are baptizing so thats great! I love you all so much! Keep helping out the missionaries and i hope all is well. Cheer on those Utes for me this week! Hermana Groneman

Es la felicidad de uno

wow another week has flown by.

This week i`ll have 1 year in the mission! wow i cant believe it. I cannot believe that a year ago we were driving to the salt lake airport and i was so nervous and now ive got a year as a missionary. The time really is flying by.

Anyways well this week we had a good week, maybe not as good as last week but im still pretty happy about some of the things that are happening here in this area.

First announcement is we are moving houses this week. Really the mission doesnt like have 4 missionaries together in the same house. So yeah we are separating. Truth is im pretty sad to separate from the hermanas because it is so funy living with 4 and now im so used to it that it will be a little weird to just live with my comp but apparently our new house is SUPER nice....and we get the new house so im pretty excited about that. I think we are moving tomorrow morning.

In church this week we had 3 people in church.

First is Carlos Chafoya. He now has like 5 times that he has attended church. He really is super great but he just want to feel a little more confident in church. He doesnt like feeling new and like he doenst know what is going on. He really wants to learn how to sing the hymns so we are going to help with that haha. I think we can help him to have a baptismal date here in the next 2 weeks for sure. We just want to be patient and not pressure him so much that we lose him. but hes great.

Also Julio Casarez came to church again. Oh what a character. We are going to wait more time to help him get better from the side effects of his addiction. But really he is so great and so hilarious. Whenever we ask him a question he always starts by saying "Es la felicidad de uno". I think im going to remember that saying for the rest of my life..no matter what happens with Julio. Ive really learned the gospel is really simple....the gospel really is "la felicidad de uno". To give you an idea of how crazy julio is with the side effects was apparently he couldnt even get out of his bed to walk before we met him...but now he can walk...but he falls a lot. But we had success because he only fell 3 times in our walk to church on sunday....HAHAHA. But hey hes getting better every day. We`ll keep working with him because he is always waiting for us to visit him.

Also we had Manuel Mejia in church. This was his second time assisting church. Manuel is really great...and ALWAYS giving us food haha. He really likes the church and everything. But now we found out that he needs to marry his wife. So this week we are going to talk more with his wife and him. So we`ll see what we can do to help him. Manuel has a lot of friends in the ward who have had major changes in their lives through the gospel so he really likes that.

Also we have a few other people we are visiting. This last week we found an investigator named Rosie. She is probably liek 20 something and she is pregnant and she lost her mom like 2 years ago. When we found her she said she felt spiritually down. We have only visited her twice but she says in the two times we have visited her she has felt much more peace in her life. She doesnt feel ready to go to church quite yet but i think if we have a little patience with her she`ll go. Im excited to teach her.

Anyways Im just enjoying the last few weeks with my comp. Its almost obvious that i will be staying in this area another change. Also yesterday we atteneded the baptism of the elders of a teenager Giovanni who we started teaching and then gave him as a reference to the elders cause he lives in their area. But it was a great baptism and he was wanting a picture with us and everything. Its great to know that sometimes we just need to help find the people and plant the seeds.

Anyways i love you all tons! Thanks for the emails and for everything!

Love you,

Hermana Groneman

Another Miracle

Hola familia,

I dont even know what to say this week, but i feel like it has been a week of miracles and I have really felt Christ´s love this week. We had a much better week working with the members and we´ve got a few people progressing that im really excited about.

Well first off on wednesday we had an activity when we went to the temple with our investigators. We didnt get to enter but we just do a tour outside of the temple and then there are little classes in the chapel by the temple. it was a super great experience and we had several investigators who went. Hermana Moreno (a member) brought her husband and a few family members and then also we had Carlos Chafoya and Manuel Mejia who went. Ill tell you a little more about them. Also Rosa was able to go to the temple and participate in baptisms.

So ill tell you a little about our investigators.

We have Julio Casarez who i think i told you a little about last week. He is our investigator who had years and years with the addiction of getting high off of glue. It is incredible the love I have felt for this investigator. He basically looks like a drunk if you were to see him walking around in the street because he cant walk well for all of the side effects. But he really wants to change his life. It is almost adorable because he is like a little kid. We always teach him the house of a member and the thing is he doesnt have a good concept of time. He always remembers the day we say that we are going to visit him but not the time. The other day we went for our appointment with him and he wasnt there so we went around asking for him in the streets...and nobody knew where he was but they all said "hes not home but i saw him walking around with that book of yours"....so yep our investigator walks around the streets with his libro de mormon. But yesterday we had a lesson with him. Really he understand and we have learned the best way to teach him is to tell him the topic and then just let him talk and he ends ups teaching himself. Yesterday at the end of our lesson we were putting another appointment with him and he just went off saying that we can come whenever we want because when we come he feels more happy and went off saying a bunch of things about how happy one feels when they are trying to come close to God and he was like if you can come every day all the better because then i can feel happy every day and you two and two "angelitos" that God sent. Yeah knowing me i definitely teared up and i couldnt stop the tears. I have never felt the love of Christ more in my life. I cant explain how much people would normally judge Julio. But during the lessons i always think about the miracles in the new testament. Christ healed so many people. Physically and Spíritually. Christ may not be here on the earth in this moment but he lives and i know he can do miracles. Technically Julio has a baptismal date for the 31st of august...but we arent sure if we are going to wait more time because we really have to make sure he is prepared. But he wants the gospel with all of his heart. He always says he´ll be baptized when we say he is prepared to be baptized.

Also we have Carlos Chafoya. He is still progressing little by little. We want to help him to be baptized in this month. He really enjoyed the temple trip and this week at church he stayed for all of the classes first the first time so that was great! Apparently after the temple trip he stopped by one of the members (william the pizza guy) and was telling him that he has desires to be baptized but his family doesnt really want that. I think its because one of his sons is a pastor for another church in another town. But we´ll keep working with him and im sure he´ll be baptized soon.

Also Manuel Mejia. We have been teaching manuel for quite awhile now. He is one of my favorite investigators haha. He is an older guy but hes always walking around talking to people in the streets and he always gives us food or buys us food in the street and in his house he has these sweet rocking chairs. He is super postive but his challenge has always been to attend church. He never wanted to leave his house alone...but this week after the temple trip we were able to commit him to church and he went. definitely a miracle. and that is super great because he always says he wants to be baptized but we always say you have to attend church first and keep going. So we are hoping he can be baptized too.

Anyways its been a good week. Things are going good in this area and with my comp. My comp really has a great love for the gospel and we have fun screaming/singing Called to Serve when its pouring buckets of rain.

Also i got the package!!! SO great. I loved the shirt so much, its perfect, i wore it yesterday at church. also the treats were perfect. and dad I LOVED getting your autobiography. It was so neat to read some of your stories. obviously i havent read much. But its so neat. Thank you for writing it because its something ill cherish forever.

Love you all so much, thank you for your support in everything! Im loving the mission and time is flying by so fast.

Hermana Groneman