We are Never Ever Going Back to the Pueblos

PONDERIZING SCRIPTURES: Alma 8.... if anything has helped me more in this week, it has been this chapter.

ON to the news....

TUESDAY: SAW THE COOLEST SIGN IN THE WORLD TODAY. On our way walking to Zone Training, Hermana Perez saw a sign saying ¨Creer es Poder¨ Creer is POWER or completely translated TO BELIEVE IS POWER. Which honestly is a principle I learned a lot this week. Zone training was great as we watched a special conference given to mission presidents from Dieter F. Uchtdorf. FANTASTIC. Talked a lot about how incredible of a teacher PETER was after Jesus Christ and his conversion to the work. Then contacted for two hours where also a dog followed us as we fed him cheetos... his name is now Cheeto. Got dumped by Miriam... she said she received an answer that the Catholic church was true... I just handed her a book of Mormon. We`ll see what happens if she reads. I testified to her that you`re going to get a different answer if you read this book. Because that´s the truth. Hope someday in the future she`ll know the truth.

WEDNESDAY: Got free breakfast from our landlord as we went to pay gas. They`re so cool. They want to come to Vegas to visit. It´ll be a party in a year. Then went to the pueblos one named Maria... where all doors were shut to us. And one man stopped us in the street and began to bible bash us and try to prove how our church is not true. We felt so gross. But as we sat on the curb waiting for a combie in the hot sun, I felt prompted to read Alma 8 thanks to a previous email from my father. It testified of the sorrow Alma felt after being kicked out of a city. After a strong visit from an angel, he went QUICKLY back to work. So we hurried back to Nealtican to contact. Had a GREAT lesson with Dolores and NAzario finally and they are sincerely listening now and we have a testimony meeting set with them next Tuesday! To finally quit all the sadness of earlier, we bought stuff to make smores with the hermanas above. Did the best we could with cookies and creme bar and pink marshmellows and galletas we found in a tienda. Then to top it all off, we found our church had graffitti all over the front from a popular gang in the area. Thanks Satan. BUT NEWSFLASH: WE WIN IN THE END. Because our lovely landlord saw us walking freezing with hands hanging down, drove us home in her big red truck and brought us crepes to eat for dinner. When you drop really low, you can only go up. And crepes were a BLESSING.

THURSDAY: Went to Zacapechpan where if I haven`t said already, our area looks like Hyrule from Zelda. Yes I`m a video game nerd. But I bring up Zelda because literally in Zacapechpan, a random old lady asked us to follow her through this long skinny brick passageway where we found this secret house with a ton of baby dogs and chickens. Super weird but she`s a sweetheart. Got dumped by more investigators but ESTA BIEN. Were invited to an investigator`s birthday party where I was asked to dance.. Haha we left. THE WORST experience thus far with drunk men in the street happened. We were whistled at through a walkie talkie (that`s a first one) and then the drunk construction workers paid the ice cream guy to give us free ice cream and proceeded to hit on us. Hermana Gonzales totally rejected them. Awesome moment. Ran into Edward who told us that he downloaded the LDS app and is now listening to the scriptures while working! SO AWESOME. Got more dumps by our investigators but our district leader called us just screaming ANIMO ANIMO ANIMO so we can be happier (: Which we are happy IN THE BEST WORK IN THE WORLD

FRIDAY: I truly cannot believe that today I hit 6 months. Time is FLYING. I still feel like a greenie. But now I only have a year left in the mission. Each day is my last day living a life of a missionary. AGH Have to make each day the best. Had a feeling to try the peublos one more time to see where the Lord wants us to focus. Got a very loud answer. Passed by the old lady again where we saw her in the house but she refused to answer the door like the rest of her family. Returned to a member to find that this street will call the police and we will go to jail if we return. So we are not returning. Clearly. Then in Maria, a member as well told us for our safety and our time, don´t work here. FOCUS ON THE CITY. So we returned and went to see Jessica who told us her husband still doesn`t have sufficient money to have a wedding. But gave me a ring of love to show her love for us. So cute. (: Went home to make pancakes for a make shift 6 month birthday cake. And then passed out to get ready for the best day EVER tomorrow.

SATURDAY: Got up at 5 AM to be in Puebla at 7! President Stellmon surprised us by saying we are going to take a mission picture with Dallin H. Oaks and all the authorities! WE WERE SO HAPPY. We sang Called to Serve about 7 times before Dallin H. Oaks arrived. Saw Hermana Salcedo and all my other dear hermanas and elderss. Many joyful reunions. Then Elder Walker, Elder Whitney L. Clayton, Elder Valenzuela and Dallin H. Oaks and all their wives spoke to us. All their testimonies and revelation for us was incredible. EXACTLY what Hermana Gonzales and I needed to know what to do with our area. WORK WITH THE MEMBERS. And yes, we were able to shake hands with everyone of them. I personally love Sister Oaks and just the pure love she showed in her words of comfort for me. A photographer took a picture of it. President said we will get all pictures very shortly. SO excited. But I am just more than happy with the incredible opportunity I was given to hear an apostle of the Lord personally come to speak to our mission. The spirit and power and authority that was present in that meeting was uncomparable. Sister Oaks told us after the question and answer session we had that we are the most mature and spiritual group she`s ever seen. Many other memorable things were said that I could write for four hours about, but you all will just have to wait till I get home to read my notes (: You got a year to wait. Patience is a virtue. Went home and APPLIED all that we had learned. Completely started fresh. WHich includes repentance and dropping a lot of things from the past that could hold you back from pushing forward completely to the Lord. But in this day, I KNOW, I have completely changed and given my whole heart might mind and strength to the Lord. Sorry to those who knew me before. I´m different. Because I`m allowing the Lord to change me. There comes a point where you have to if you want to find success and happiness in this work. The gospel is now my vocabulary, conversation, thoughts, dreams, gossip. Gossip because yes, all us hermanas talked for an hour on temples and the second coming and studied it like crazy. Nothing else makes me happier though (:

SUNDAY: Beautiful sacrament meeting full of the testimonies of all the youth and members who also were able to hear Dallin H. Oaks. Then Hermana Gonzales and I taught Principios del Evangelio outside in the beautiful sun on the Restoration. Such an incredible history I am never tired of preaching. Then walked a barren dirt road for 20 minutes fully based on a prompting from the spirit and FOUND A RANDOM HOUSE in the middle of nowhere which also happened to have a member of the family present down the street who told us the name of who lived there and that we are more then welcome to return and teach us. MIRACLE: that was divine inspiration that Dallin H. Oaks told us to follow every prompting of the spirit. No matter how ridiculous. You never know if you`ll find a house in the middle of nowhere. Then checked up on every one of our members near by to ask when we could pass by to talk about ¨a special mission¨ we have for them. MISSIONARY WORK. Because just like Joseph Smith said, this truly is the most important work we can do in this life. So if you`re not doing it wherever you are, ¨DO IT.¨- Dallin H. Oaks

This has been a rollercoaster of a week, but the high points I can testify come from when you are concentrated and looking toward the Lord. SO GO. DO IT. LOOK TOWARDS THE LORD. ASK HIM WHATS NEXT AND DO IT. Dont hesitate. Don`t doubt. Because with Him, we always win in the end. (:

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Monkey see, Monkey do,

Hermana Abigail Creer