Buenas!

It's been a great week in the blistering heat of Navarrete! Seriously, it's so hot. We were supposed to have a hurricane hit last night, and although I know that it could cause a lot of damage, we desperately need the rain. Eveything's dried up here, and we have a lot of people we teach that don't have any water. Saturday night it rained for about an hour, and one of the families we teach told us that it was such a blessing because they didn't know how they were going to be able to make dinner that night, but it rained and they were able to collect water to make food. We're hoping for some rain to cool this place off!

But things have been going really well. I just love my companion, Hermana Funes. We're having so much fun together, and it's been so good for my Spanish to have to speak all the time. On Sunday we visisted the Aquino family and talked about the purpose of Christ's life as well as the purpose of our life. We also talked about the power of faith and how it brings us to act. At the end of the lesson we invited them to be baptized once they know that our message is true. It was a slow nod, but they said that once they know they would be willing to be baptized. They're just a little scared, but we can tell that the father realizes how important this message is and just how powerful it can be if it really is the truth. His wife studies on Sundays in Santiago, so she can't go to church on Sunday, but her husband agreed to go, and he asked us to call him Saturday night to remind him. 

We had stake conference on Sunday. It's been so different serving in a stake and in such a big ward, but it's been a lot of fun. Our building is the stake center, so the whole ward got together to clean the building Thursday night, and the sessions were on Saturday and Sunday. I played the piano for the Sunday morning session. Yeah, that's right. I played the piano in stake conference. It was terrifying! Luckily, the new elder in our ward plays very well, so he agreed to play for the Saturday sessions, so I had less songs to learn, but it was stressful. I had never accompanyied anything before the mission! But I played the piano in sacrament meeting twice in Bonao, so it prepared me to play on Sunday. It was a good experience because it helped me realize that I can play better that I always allowed myself to think, but it was by no means perfect. But it gave me the desire to work hard and to develop that talent. 

I love you all! Have a wonderful week!

Hermana Jorden 

Buenas!

This Sunday I saw the hand of God. A few weeks ago, we were contacting a found a family. Before we even introduced ourselves, the wife told us to come in and sit down (that's how they are here). We starting teaching them and they weren't super interested, but they were willing to listen. They're so great and such a nice family. We've been the past two Sundays to visit them, and this Sunday was incredible. We had planned to go with the bishop and his wife, but I got a little lost on the way to their house, but luckily we saw Hermano Perez and he took us to their house. They still hadn't gotten back from the church, so Hermano Perez decided to come with us. The lesson before we had talked about the Book of Mormon and left it with them, and on Sunday my companion talked about the evidence of the Book of Mormon in the Bible. As I watched them, I saw them start to change. They started to really consider what we were saying. Then I spoke about the need to seek revelation. I shared a story in 1 Nephi 15 about how Laman and Lemuel didn't understand the words of their father, and Nephi told them they had to ask in order to know. I told them that they can't expect God to reveal the truthfulness of our message, they have to work! At the end of the lesson, I asked if they had any questions, and the father said "What do you want us to read this week?" I could see that he truly felt the desire to learn, and I have been praying so hard this week that he feels the Spirit as he searches. If he does it with real intent, I know he will feel it. Then we were going to visit another sister, but she hid from us, so Hermano Perez took us to a lady that he had baptized three years ago. Her name is Maria, and she is wonderful. She was so excited to go to church. She told us that earlier that day she had told her from that she was ready to go back to her church. We have a lesson with her tomorrow, and I can't wait to see how she progresses. The Lord really quided us on Sunday, it was a really special day for me. 

Hermana Jorden

with sandra

Constanza

The Lockharts

Hna Seenaraine and kelsea