Chapter 60: Fishing for Fishermen

Chapter 60: Fishing for Fishermen

This week proved to be a little bit of a testing week. I think the Lord wanted my companion and I to be tried together as well since He kept us together for another transfer. Yes, we are going on our third transfer together. I rarely hear about that, but it will be nice not having to adjust to any changes. My companion was sick again this week, so a couple of days were spent in piso.... This week on Wednesday we had our Sister Training Leader come, so of course we filled our day with our citas that never cancel. We started off in the morning, and our first cita that we had called us-out of breath and got out, “Hermanas, I had to get out of the country.” WHAT?? “ Yes, my father is sick, and I had to leave asap.” Phew....ok. I thought we had like a convict on our hands....haha but the rest of the day kind of followed suit. All of our invincible citas were cancelled left and right. Of course it would be like that when we have someone there that is practically grading us.  Luckily we had some plan Ds that we were able to go visit. (A, B, and C cancelled.) But overall, it was an ok day. Actually, something really great did happen this week. Often, I have felt in my mission that some of my biggest miracles have come through my friendships with the members. This week, our friend José Luis, he was baptized last year and we visit his family a lot and he comes with us almost every day to citas, told us he decided to go on a mission!! He said that he has really been debating back and forth on it, and his answer I thought was so simple and sweet he told us, “Hermanas, I have been thinking about what you told me about praying for a mission. And so I knelt down to pray and ask God if I should go, and my prayer was answered before I even started it. I thought to myself, 'Is God really going to tell me to not go on a mission?'. So that is when I knew I was going to go.” I thought that was such a simple answer, God really does want us here!! I just have thought that sometimes as missionaries we get discouraged when we are going fishing, but we overlook when we are able to help gather a few fishermen. We were so excited! We did a family home evening in his house over the weekend. He is the only member in his family, and he wants more than anything to be united with his other family members. There was a really sweet spirit there, and I hope it was something they could feel as well. I really love that family. The mom is going to Perú for the next month, so that was kind of a let down,but maybe it will give her some time to ponder everything we have taught her. Then I got to talk to my wonderful family Sunday, and it was just the boost I needed. Thank you :) That night, we received a text from the Stake President inviting us to a family home evening with him and his family with an investigator that he was going to bring. Wow! So we went, and had a wonderful time. I never realized how powerful family home evenings were before the mission. I would say that it really is what marks the difference between strong families here in Spain, and well, not so strong families. It was a really powerful lesson of Joseph Smith, and hopefully this girl was able to feel it as well. She is from England, so the lesson was half in English, half in Spanish. It was really a fun time. I love working with the members—we really are here to build up the fishermen, as well as catch a few fish along the way. I love you all, and thanks for your support!!

Les Quiero!!

Hermana Hopkins