Sister Anna Leigh Fowler: Semana Santa :)

My Zone

This week was Semana Santa, which means like Holy Week. I don’t know if it’s because I grew up in a bubble but I really had never heard of such a thing. It’s a celebration for the Catholics, and they take it very seriously. It makes me so happy that they understand the importance of Christ’s resurrection. Because almost everyone celebrates this week there is no school and no one works. There aren’t even buses. We saw probably like 20 overall on Wednesday and Thursday. I definitely took advantage of having people in the street to talk to. But it still was a great week and I learned a lot this week.

Amalia & Roger's Wedding

One of our recent converts (Amalia) really has been such a huuuge blessing. Her and her husband are seriously incredible member missionaries. Roger takes every opportunity he can to share the gospel. Amalia was telling me the other day that every time she writes on a pamphlet our information she says a prayer that the person that will receive this will read this and receive the same blesses she has received from the restored gospel. She told me that she has yet been able to finish writing on a pamphlet without tears in her eyes. It really made me reflect on the work we are involved in.

Everyday Amalia has called me to see if we have eaten. And the other day she called to see if we could have a microwave in our house. And the elders said yes so now we have a microwave yaaaay! We are so high tech :)

One day this week when we were in the church Amalia noticed I was blowing my nose and was a little sick and like 10 minute after we left she called us to see where we were and brought me all this medicine. And then after that somehow everyone and there dog knew I was sick and kept asking if I was feeling better? It’s as if she sent out a mass text telling everyone I was sick. She is such a sweet heart I want to be like her.

One of our investigators named Evelyn (she’s our neighbor) is progressing really really fast. On Sunday we passed by her house to make sure that she would be coming to church and she told us how she had been fasting to get her answer about if the church was true. We hadn’t even taught the law of the fast or anything. She was able to watch a little bit of the Sunday sessions. I say a little bit because the internet was horrible. I was only able to watch one session completely and a little of another but all of Saturday the internet wasn’t working sadly. So I’m so anxious to print off as many talks as I can :)

She's a shorty

Companions

This week I have been studying a lot about how I can rely on the spirit more and just how I can be a better missionary overall. So I read like 7 different scriptures on the concept that when we have fear we can’t have the Spirit, and that one of Satan’s greatest tools is fear. So I was sitting on the bus thinking about the things that I fear about missionary work. Quickly came to mind the thought that I had never contacted a bus. I thought for a second, no I think I should spend language studying on practicing what I would say. But the sentence just kept coming to mind, your time is short, your time is short. So I thought okay Heavenly Father I’m going to do this, I don’t want to but I’ll do it to make you happy. So I got up walked over to wake up my companion. And I said, “Hermana we are going to contact this bus.” She looked at me like I was crazy. So I said it again, “Hermana we are going to contact this bus.” So we started walking to the front of the bus to ask the driver if we could make an announcement. I turn around and my companion had sat down somewhere. Sooo I stood in front of everyone and said something. I can’t even remember what. There were about 6 people laughing at me and not a single one of them will probably call us. Contacting buses really is not an effective way of finding new investigators, but it didn’t matter because I had eliminated my fear.

That day we found 5 new investigators. I know that the Lord truly blesses us when we sacrifice something for him. I’m so grateful to be able to learn more about my weaknesses so that slowly I can make them my strengths. I love this gospel and it hurts me thinking that there are millions upon millions who are looking for what we have but don’t know where to find it. I’m so grateful to be part of this work. I’m glad that we didn’t just sign up for an 18 month or 2 year period but it’s a calling of a life time! I love you all and pray that we can all apply what we have learned from our prophet!!!

Hermana Fowler