Chapter 65 Super Hermanas

Chapter 65: Super Hermanas

I couldn´t help but shudder as the all-too-familiar smell of scrubs and disinfectants welcomed me at the hospital doors. I have been trying to avoid this moment my entire mission, but I couldn´t avoid the looming Spanish Hospital. As they sat me down in the chair, I still couldn´t believe that I had agreed to this. I just heard bishop´s voice, “You got this Hermana Hopkins!”
Maybe I should rewind a little bit. Exactly 24 hours actually...
“Hermana Hopkins, Donating blood is a great cause.” Our bishop told me encouragingly, “You´ve never done it before?”
“No Bishop, and I don´t think we are allowed to as missionaries.” I was praying that there was something in the white handbook. I guess having my dad as a doctor never helped me get over my fear of the sight of blood.
“Well Hermanas, why don´t you call your president and ask for his permission. I would be really grateful for your support.” Ok, what could I say to that? So I picked up the phone and Hermana Pace (the president´s wife) answered.
“Hi Hermana Pace, I uh....I think I already know the answer to this.... but I thought I would just check....Missionaries can´t donate blood right?” Her bright voice came back over the line, “Why of course they can! It´s a wonderful thing to do, and we fully support it.” Ugh. The bishop just looked at me with a I-told-you.-so sort look in his eye....
“Bishop!” I exclaimed, “I can´t donate blood... I´ll pass out I am sure of it, and then how am I supposed to do the work of the Lord??”
“Hermana, the only way you wouldn´t be able to give blood is if you were pregnant.”
“Well Bishop....” I looked down and gingerly rubbed my belly, “I have something to tell you—I´m...”
He just laughed, “Nice try Hermana.” Well, it was worth a shot. I still had a questionable look in my eyes I suppose and that´s when he told me, “Hermana. All day every day you are working to save the souls of the children of God, no?” I shook my head. “And you realize, that now you have the opportunity to save a physical life. Is a missionary not going to sacrifice a little blood to save a life?” Ok. How was I supposed to say no to that!! Although I was afraid of contracting some Spanish disease, I filled out the paper work to give blood. It was actually a neat experience. When I sat down in the chair, they explained to me what they use the blood for and thanked us for our sacrifice, and put the needle in my arm. As long as I didn´t look at the little sack filling up with my own blood, I was ok. The bishop looked at me and said, “Hermana, you´re looking a little white there...”So I replied, “Bishop, I am always white!” The nurse had a good laugh at that one. She said I was handling it just fine. So there you go, I am now saving more than just souls here.
We were visiting a family this week where the husband is a member, but the wife has never accepted the missionary lessons. We decided to give it a shot, and we left to go find them in one our new towns. When we got there, she seemed very inviting, and even made us cookies, and sat down and talked to us. When she went up to get us juice, the member turned to us with his eyes wide open and said, “I have never seen her like this. She´s never accepted missionaries like this!” I would love to be able to unite this family, and the little girl they have is the most precious thing in the world. As we were leaving, the father asked her what she thought of us girl missionaries, and she said with eyes wide open, “Son guapisimas!! No son hermanas, son SUPER HERMANAS!!” (They are beautiful. They aren´t Hermanas, they are super hermanas) We just laughed, and I liked it. Super Hermanas...it has a good ring. We really felt like it this week though. We were going crazy trying to cover our old area and the elders area. It was an adventure though. I don´t know if I have ever been so exhausted in my entire life. We had some great lessons, but the whole week is just slurred together because  we were running non stop. Sunday though is the day that sticks out most clearly in my mind (maybe because it was just yesterday. Haha) We received a message from Mormon.org saying someone had interest in learning more about the gospel. That never happens. We were so excited. Her name is Marta, and we were super excited to go and teach someone that already has interest in the church. We met her at her house, and she seemed really sweet, She´s a Spaniard and my age. Actually I am exactly one year older than her.  Anyway, we asked her to explain why she had interest in the church, and I was completely shocked and excited all at the same time. She told us, “I was going about my everyday life, when I met this boy at work. He was from Peru, and we got a long really well. We started to talk about dating a little bit, but he had to go back to Peru. We have continued talking and that is when he told me that he wanted me to go be with him in Peru. However, he also told me he was a Mormon, and that he didn´t want me to come before I checked out the Mormon faith since it was such a big part of his life. Well, here´s the thing. I am a Jew. However, I decided to go through the process and essentially excommunicate myself from the Jewish faith...” (my jaw dropped about a foot. I was teaching an ex-Jew.) “And I knew I should give this a try, so give me everything you got.” I was so excited. We taught one of the most spiritually-powerful restoration lessons that I have in my entire mission, she even had tears well up in her eyes. But, before the first tear could fall, her flamboyant and boisterous mother comes clanking into the room asking us if Mormons have more than one wife. I almost died. Grr....So we will have to continue our teaching with our ex-Jew, but I couldn´t help but think we were completing a prophecy as we handed the Book of Mormon to a Jew—cold chills anyone? Afterwards, we had a very...humbling cita with one of 17 year old investigators. She is the sister of a recent convert, and we have been visiting the whole family and building a relationship with them for a while. When we walked in, I noticed there was a different look on her face. I asked her, “Boyfriend problems?” and she just kind of half chuckled and rubber her stomach. Oh no. “Actually, I´m pregnant.” I didn´t know what to say. I just stared at her. She seemed to be waiting for a comment, but I just continued to stare at her. I sent a silent prayer heavenward with the words that I needed to say. The words just weren´t coming. Knowing I had to say something, I opened my mouth and said, “Nicole...I just want you to know.....” she looked at me expecting a call to repentance I think, “I want you to know that God loves you.” I wasn´t expecting that to come out, and I actually could feel the tears burning in my eyes as I continued, “God loves you so much. I want you to know that you are a precious daughter of Him. He wants you to know that you are not alone. No matter what we have chosen, He never leaves our sides. He wants you to know that what you have done is in the past, and now you have not only the chance to change one life, but two. You can follow Jesus Christ and find the peace and happiness that you have been looking for.” She started to get emotional as she told us, “I thought God had abandoned me...” I looked at her and I told her, “Never, but don´t just trust me, put it to the test. Try to come closer to him, and he will draw closer to you.” I was not the one talking. I don´t think I have quite experienced anything like it before. I know that we are the instruments of God here, and that He really does love all His children. It doesn´t matter what we do—we all make mistakes; He is always waiting with an invitation to come unto Him with open arms. I have such a strong testimony of that now more than ever. This week, I didn´t know how we were going to be able to do it with the Elders being taken out. It was a lot of area to cover. But something that I have learned on the mission (and especially this week) is right when you think that God has given you something too big to handle, and you take one blind step forward with faith, He´ll always be there to show us that nothing is impossible. Even taking the gospel from the Gentiles to the Jews!
Les Quiero!
Hermana Hopkins