Goodbye Midlothian Kingdom!

My hermanas at sisters meeting.

Picnic Fun.

email 6.16.14

We had a good run here, in the Midlothian Kingdom...and now I am onto a new adventure!  I am so sad, I love my gente here, there are good gente.  I have met the coolest people, I am sad to be leaving Ruben and Carolina and Ruby and their families.  And just everyone, but I am excited to meet some more cute little hispanics!  And I am training, so it should be fun!

This week was loco, as usual.  But so so so good!  I love being a missionary, I know I always say that, but it is true, it is just the most happy thing ever.  

We had an amazing sisters meeting (where the elders are not invited and we eat only salad for lunch and exchange clothes) all about spiritual gifts.  What they are, if we have them, how we can develop them, and so on a so forth.  There was one that has stuck out to me in particular this week, that is the Gift of having a testimony that Jesus is the Christ.  I has never thought about it being a gift, but it makes so much sense now.  I have been studying the atonement all week (there is an awesome Ensign issue that is all on the atonement) and I am just so grateful for the knowledge that I have, and the opportunity to share it.  The atonement is everything, all we need, and I learned that from my Dad.  I am so grateful for you Dad, for teaching me about the atonement and giving me the example of how to use it.  

Saturday we had quite the adventure.  In the morning a little baby kitten followed us on our whole walk and back to our house...and we had no idea what to do with it...so we called our investigator, Waleska who has been looking for a new cat.  She was so excited and we brought it right over.  But we did bring it in for about an hour, because it wouldn't stop crying!  We had to.  Then we went to Charlottesville for Hermana Hiebert. She had a taught this awesome woman named Dalia, and so we got to go!  Someone gave a talk about the Holy Ghost and they looked her in the eyes and told her that starting tomorrow she will never be alone again, and it just changed my perspective on how much the Holy Ghost really does help me every day here.  We had to rush back for the ward "cookout" which was all kinds of fun.  We had an investigator there, and our cute Ruben, and we played soccer and ate watermelon, the whole nine yards.   Then Saturday night one of our previous investigators called us to invite us to the funeral of her premature baby.  So yesterday we went, and it was a very interesting experience.  It was done in the chapel of a funeral home, and there was a catholic pastor there, Padre Miguel, aka father Michael.  And it just felt so empty, we wanted to get up there and set all the things straight, but you know we controlled ourselves.  But we have an appointment to see them this week, so we are excited about that.  

We really have been so busy, and it is so great.  The next couple of days should be crazy, but I think maybe just the rest of the mission is going to be crazy.  I love it here.  I love all my cute people.  I am happy.  And this week I am grateful for trials.  They help us learn, they make us better.  I love you all, you are the best family in the world.  You are all my favorites. 

Besitos, Hermana Myer

Corriendo

Carolina, Ruby, Abby, Christian

Meet Taylor, my "novio" (boyfriend). It was a surprise attack!

email 6.9.14

This week has been madness!  We have been running (corriendo) all week long, we are exhausted, but it was an awesome week, filled with milagros.

Most importantly, Carolina and Ruby got baptized on Saturday, and it was perfect!  And they are perfect.  We had some things to finish up this week getting them all prepared for the baptism, but they were so ready and happy and it was beautiful.  Ruby was a little nervous, but we found this adorable little white dress for her, which made her happy!  Carolina's was a little unfortunate looking, but it worked, and all was well.  Ruby was adorable in the font with Hermano Fitzgerald, who is literally huge like 6'6, but all went well!  We had a little adventure with filling up the font though.  We started filling it and about 3/4 of the way we felt it and the water had turned cold.  We didn't want them to freeze, so we wanted to take out some of the cold water and put more hot in, but we had to let some out in order to do that...and to let some water out, we had to go it.  So I threw on a jumpsuit and hoped in.  It was hilarious, but we got the job done, and it was nice a warm!  The service was perfect, filled with children, as we do.  And the spirit was strong.  I am just so grateful to have been here to help them, they really did everything themselves, but I have learned so much from Carolina.  She is a single mom for the moment (her husband got deported to Argentina) and she has 4 kids.  Leo 10 who is autistic and blind, Ruby 8, Abby 6, and Christian 2.  She has so much patience and love for her children, she has her priorities straight, and now she has her covenants for protection and strength  and we are just so happy for her.  She is the cutest.  

We had an awesome Zone Conference on Tuesday.  We went over the things we learned from Elder Bednar, and talked alot about working with members.  I came out with a ton of new goals for being a missionary and a human.  I am feeling refreshed as a missionary, my health is getting better, and I am just ready to go.  I want to make this last 6 months the best I have had!  Sometimes meetings scare me because they just talk about numbers and stuff, but this one was really awesome, I just felt like I wanted to do and be better!  

We had two neat miracles yesterday.  We needed two more member present lessons to make our goals for the week, and we had no set appointments...but we had faith!  Hurray!  At church we got invited to go to a member's home for dinner, Paty and Argi Jimenez.  After we were finished eating her brother came home, Marco, and we started chatting, and turns out he has been taught by the missioanries, but never prayed about the Book of Mormon.  So we did what any good missionaries would do, taught him a lesson, and he said he would keep meeting with us!  After that Hermana Hiebert felt like we should visit Ruth Luna, an active member with a non-member husband, and their family.  So we headed over there, and guess what the Husband, Carlos, let us right it.  We had an awesome lesson and read in the Book of Mormon with the whole family.  He has also met with missionaries before and says he doesn't feel anything when he reads the Book of Mormon, he also agreed to meet with us again!  Hurray for milagros.  I love being a missionary, it just makes me happy. 

This week I have been studying forgiveness, it seems to be something that is hard for me and also everyone around me.  We have huge problems with people being offended and going less active.  It is so so so sad.  So I have been thinking about it alot and I think that forgiveness is an element of charity.  When we love people, they are easier to forgive. I think it is that simple.   I have been working on forgiving right in the moment something is said or done.  Sometimes I can say that things are fine, and they are, for that moment, and then later I explode.  I think the key is to forgive right in the moment.  Have love and charity for everyone, be compassionate and patient with the weaknesses of others, and bam instantly more happy.  It is so cool how the gospel just works.  

You are the best family in the whole world.  Really my favorite.  I love love love you all!  Have the best week, read your scriptures and be good! 

xoxo Mana Myer

email 6.2.14

I am not quite sure how to describe this week! 

This week I have been able to see how much the Lord prepares us for the trials that we go though.  All of us!  I feel like I have learned so many things in a short period of time.  I have been seeing miracles here, with everything that is going on with Weston.  On Tuesday I was in a bit of shock, but then I did what any good missionary does and went to work studying to find answers, look for support, learn new things, you know, and I have used everything I learned this week in talking to so many people.  Whether it was a member or an investigator or even other missionaries.  I have been able to share my testimony, and be a support for them.  So neat!  And I am so happy to hear that things are going so well.  I am praying for and thinking about Weston often!  

We also had some very real encounters with the adversary this week.  Kinda scary.  We won, no se precoupe!  But still a little freaky.  We have been teaching these two awesome little boys, Wilmer and Jordy.  They are the ones that had the dreams and love church and want to be baptized so bad....but we are still working on the family.  And apparently Satan is working too.  We ran into a "prophetess, seer"  who was feeding them lies and they got super freaked out.  Luckily we were there to bring the spirit back, but it was evident that Satan is working and these two sweet boys!  So sad, but you know what I say, pay that idiot no attention. 

We also had an amazing lesson with our sweet investigator  Corina.  We have been visiting her the whole time I have been here, and she is so awesome.  She just gets it.  She know it is all true, but she can't be baptized because she isnt married...but she can't get married to her "esposo" because is married to someone else who won't divorce him...rough stuff.  We have been trying to help her act even though she can't do everything right now, you know, do what she can, but she wants her husband's support.  So here is the milagro, we went over and had this awesome lesson and then she told us that her husband is changing, he doesn't fight coming to church and he is happier.  They came to church on Sunday, and they are progressing!  Even if it is going to be slow, at least they are acting together in faith and I know Heavenly Father will bless them!  Yay!

We are just happy here in Midlothian, and the Lord is really blessing us right now in this area.  The Elders had a baptism yesterday, this sweet lady named Yokabeth.  She is from Mexico and so sassy and so great.  Carolina and Ruby+fam all came and loved it.  They are so excited to get baptized on Saturday, and so are we.  They are the most prepared family I have yet encountered.  Things are just falling into place, and Heavenly Father is in charge of it all.  He has amazing things prepared for each of us and I feel so blessed to be part of this work.  Also love my hispanos...we had dinner with an Elderly couple from an English ward yesterday, and bless their sweet hearts, but I missed the comfort I feel with my cute people.  

This week I tried to tell Sister Rose about my "culture" and she freaked out and tried to convince me that the hispanic culture is not my culture.  And of course I told her about the tortillas and all that jazz, and I will always know that I am right, and these are my people.  

But you are my people too and I love you!  And when I get home I will teach you the ways of making tortillas and giving besitos!  YAY!  love love love you all, have the best week!  

con amor, Hermana Myer

Relying on the Lord

Me and the compy comp.

My perfect tortilla, yeah I made that with my own two hands... a little proud of it.

email 5.27.14

Mi familia! 

This week has been great, a little humbling, but so so good.  The past couple of days I have been able to do mostly normal missionary work, and I forgot how much I love love love it.  Heavenly Father gives us the coolest people to get to know and to guide and to love.  I am so very lucky.  

I just wanted to say a little something about Weston.  When I read the news I was so sad, I thought that maybe the first time something like this came up, I would be super prepared, teaching the plan of salvation every day, but it really did shake me up a little.  My heart hurts for those precious souls who go through such hard things in this life.  But I really have gained that eternal perspective, and a love of trials.  Trials grow our faith.  Heavenly Father wants us to have that faith no matter what the outcome is.  His way is always better.  Sometimes its not easy, but it is always better.  I know the Cummings family knows that, and I am so grateful that I know that.  Our lives really are in his hands, we really are just his dedicated servants and where ever he wants us to serve, is the right place.  

The beginning of the week was pretty slow, I didn't feel so good, but it gave me alot of thinking time, which I did enjoy.  There is nothing like a little extra study on the mission!  I have come to a very grateful realization that my mission has provided me with very unique experiences.  One of the things I hadn't realized before was how I has been given opportunities to use and develop my talents.  And unlike before I believe more in my strengths.  I have been able to see myself change and to recognize how God has prepared me to be here, to help others, to serve as a missionary, and how I can really be a diciple of Christ.  I was reading in Matthew 10:38-39, which says "and he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.  He that findeth his life shall lose it and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it."  I am grateful that I have had this beautiful opportunity to lose my life for his sake, because I really have found mine.  And I never want to stop being a missionary because I never want to lose that perspective.  

We went on exchanges on Saturday, and Hermana Chamber came to be with me in Midlothian, and we had the best day ever.  Mostly good missionary work intermingled with heart to hearts is the definition of a good exchange to me.  I am grateful that we had the time together because she has been a really good support for me.  We also had this awesome study together that was just blowing our minds.    I had been studying faith and she had been studying bearing testimony, and it all came together in Moroni 7:40-48.  Verse 44 says, 44 If so, his faith and hope is vain, for none is acceptable before God, save the meek and lowly in heart; and if a man be meek and lowly in heart, and confesses by the power of the Holy Ghost that Jesus is the Christ, he must needs have charity; for if he have not charity he is nothing; wherefore he must needs have charity."   our faith and hope that one day we really will return to God is so powerful.  It is up to us.  And the way that we confess that belief, and help other to have that desire to have the same belief is though our example of Charity.  So cool.  Our testimonies really are our actions.  The scriptures are our favorite.  

This week we were walking in the calle and I started chatting with this cute little lady named Yolanda.  She was super busy, so she said, but said we could come back.  We stopped by two other times before she finally let us and and chatted with us while she cooked.  And turns out she is a member!  Hurray, we love to find members.  And she is so cute. When she came from Honduras, she didn't know how to find the church.  It has been a really long time, but we are just so grateful that we can help he on along the path!  Hurray for finding our friends!  

Relying on the Lord is such a blessing.  I love my Savior so much.  He always gives us what we need, whether it is hard or easy, and he loves us, we are individuals and we need him.  I love being a missionary!  I love Virginia, and all my cute hispanics.  Be good this week! 

love, Hermana Myer