Shalom! 1/17/11

I´m in Monte Grande! Still! Hooray!!! President asked me to train a mini missionary in my area this transfer. Okay! I´m gonna miss Hermana Norby, but fortunately we´re still in the same zone! Or, in other words, I´ll see her at our weekly missionary meetings. Woohoo!
The mission is only receiving THREE missionaries this transfer. That´s crazy talk! All three are sister missionaries. The mission thus had to call in mini-missionaries to fill the vacancies. For the next transfer AFTER this one, we´ll be getting more. That is good. Soooooooo, en fin, tomorrow I meet my new companion. And I will very very very VERY likely finish my mission here in mi querido Monte Grande. Ten months in one fabulous area. ¡Espectacular!

We just had transfer meeting (yay!). I wrote the following to President Stapley:
¨This afternoon, I write you from Banfield, in the company of the fabulous Hermanas Tejera y Eyring. Just lunched with some of the other hermanas in a restaraunt close to the capilla. I am just constantly amazed with the caliber of people that are here serving missions. I love them! Every transfer, as people come and go, I think of what a great Celestial reunion we´ll have one day.
Hna. Norby and I had a good week. We´re praying that the investigators can jump their respective hurdles soon and cross the finish line of their first race in the Gospel marathon: the track toward baptism. Next leg of the race: temple! We´ve seen some intense drama in this area, but we´ve also seen peace and reconciliations. The other night, I couldn´t fall asleep as I thought of the many people and families that are struggling to follow Christ, and the many others who are just struggling. I want to so badly to baptize many people. Millions need the blessings of baptism! The supernal peace and joy that come with taking upon us the name of Christ cannot be obtained in any other way, and if the members and I don´t make it known to Monte Grande, how will they know?¨

I learned this week that as a missionary it´s very important to work with people who are prepared. When people make no effort toward progressing, they can´t - and won´t - progress. That´s been hard for me to accept. I just want so badly for people to reach their goals! I learned that I can´t do it for them and I need to seek out people who WILL put forth an effort, and then I can see miracles. This week, Hermana Norby and I lived that. We told a few people that we couldn´t keep visiting them for now. They were sad, we were sad, but we felt calm. All parties involved knew it truly was for the best, not just of the involved parties, but of the scores of UNINVOLVED people who are just WAITING to be INVOLVED. (I seem to really like capital letters and exclamation marks today. CLARO!! ¿POR QUÉ NO?) I know that those we left behind will come to the frontlines again when they are ready. I think the Lord needed to see that I had faith to leave these people in His hands and go out searching others of His sheep. Once we showed that faith, He sent beautiful, well prepared people to us (or us to them). I´m so grateful for that.

IGUANA BABIES! That´s right. Iguana babies. In an investigator´s home this week, I met two iguanas. They had 30-some-odd eggs which will soon be babies, and then those babies will be beloved pets. Supuestamente. Ojalá.

Hmmmm. What else? Oh hey! Did I ever tell you that I clipped a little old lady´s toenails a little while back? Well, actually, she only needed me to cut one. Done and done.
I feel like there´s something else I should be telling you, but I can´t remember what it is. Well, if I remember, I´ll let you know next week. ¿Está? Está.


Feliz cumple Russ!!!!

MUCHO amor! MUCHOS cariños! Y, más que nada, MUCHA GRACIAS!!!!!

Smiles and handshakes all around,

Hermana Lindquist