Sooo.....this week I learned about the Atonement...haha yep. Ok. This is just how the week went, we had our good moments and our low moments, but all in all, I think it's safe to say my heart got broken a few times this week.
Ok sooo "P." (our Cuban friend) dropped us. Well technically he didn't. "V." and "S." (his brother in law and sister) told us that he wouldn't be meeting with us anymore. He's got a testigo (Jehovah Witness) for a wife and she wasn't all that pleased with him meeting with us. We asked them if "V." could invite "P." over and "S." staring at the TV said "he's not doing this anymore" and "V." said "yeah, his wife is too crazy" and that was it. Hna Turina and I kinda just looked at each other in shock and then had to continue on with the lesson.
And then even more heartbreaking of all...Saturday evening in the bus we got a text telling us that due to the school year starting again and with all the work she has to do "M." won't be able to meet with us any more.....Words can't begin to express my heartbreak. Of all the investigators I've had on the mission she was....incredible. She took notes that were basically copying the whole scriptures down! But there is a light at the end of the tunnel, she said she'll continue studying on her own. Ohhh.... Bueno.
Ok. That's the end of that. What hear a story?
On Saturday we presided over a funeral. Yeah. Crazy things you do on the mission right? It was so sad. The death happened right before we were about to start the lesson. Our investigator's daughter "Y." was crying so hard I kept grabbing her and hugging her. I didn't want her to have to look at all the blood. Especially when "R." walked out of the room she had tears falling down her face and didn't want anyone else to see, but I did. We ended up hauling the corpse up the a hill and having a makeshift funeral. RIP Pajarito. Yep. We buried a bird. It was actually pretty gruesome. One of the friends of the investigator had came over with her dog. The dog grabbed the bird and wouldn't unlock it's jaws. When we finally pried the bird out of it's mouth, it was obviously about to die. The friend felt so bad she was trying to staunch the bleeding and give it little compressions, but it was no use. So when "R." walked out of the room we ended up taking care of things in the midst of a bunch a crying teenagers and children. Hey loosing your first pet is traumatic! I remember when Dad had to take one of our first kittens down to the haystack and put it out of it's misery since a brick had fallen on it. He did what it could and buried it to sooth the heart of a little 10 year old girl, so I did what we could do to make those kids feel better.
We also had a magical moment. Walking down a Spanish street and a little boy was blowing bubbles out the window. We got to throw off a few burdens for a few moments and make a child laugh as we popped his bubbles.
I love Sundays. I love going to church. I love the opportunity of translating for people and having to pay even more attention. I love Relief Society and I love Sunday School. Our teacher yesterday was teaching about the Restoration and when he got to the part of the darkness overcoming Joseph Smith he really transmitted the agony that Joseph Smith must have felt to have been bound by some unseen force, but at the end of it he pulled through and what did he see coming out of that darkness? God, the Father and Jesus Christ. Darkness always comes before revelation.
I love this work. I love the opportunity that I have to take my place and to carry a little bit of this gospel to people. I'm so grateful for my Savior and for the chance I have to personally know him. I can only imagine what pain he feels when his children turn away from him. I know I only have felt a fraction of what he felt. I'm so grateful for the words of modern prophets that truly sooth my soul. I love my Heavenly Father and he loves me. I'm so grateful for all your prayers of love and support. I love you all my family, my friends, and my missionaries. You are wonderful!
Love, Hna Finch
Monkey Park:
I asked her what she was pointing to...she said it was a really little castle!
The Cliffs of Insanity (from the Princess Bride) in the background.
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