Brightly Beams our Father`s Mercy

Hayley Imbler	10:34 AM (4 hours ago)
to Kathleen, me, Michael, Tania

Happy Monday!!

This week has been full of ups and downs for me. Learning to rely on my personal prayers to get me through.. Prayer.. it`s a marvelous thing. Really it has become one of my escapes from the world. My time to speak openly with my Heavenly Father and let Him help me through everything. I see His hand in many things now.. and this week I really needed it:

Monday was a great day! Hna Zarate and I were able to have some fun with our zone and we made American breakfast together... pancakes, french toast, scrambled eggs, and bacon.. mmm it made me a little excited for our usual Christmas morning breakfast.. but I won`t get ahead of myself, that`s still a long ways away. That night we visited Flor, a new investigator.. but probably won`t progress much.. she is pregnant and doesn`t have much time to listen.. but then after we visited Ana (less active) and Eduardo wasn`t home.. so we just shared a little bit with her.. they still don`t know if they are going to get married of separate.. it`s been a long process.. Lastly we had a family home evening with Rubi and her family who are progressing towards marriage and baptism this next month! 

Tuesday we had our usual district meeting, but President Erickson and the assistents came to see how we were doing. I always enjoy his visits because we learn so much more from him about how to be better missionaries. Then in the afternoon we had a work visit and I stayed in my area with Hna Apaza, a sister from one of my old zones who recently got transferred here to San Juan. We had some good lessons but nothing really notable happened during the day.. except that Xiomara accepted a baptismal date, she and Ronald still need to get married, but we are helping them on that path as well. 

Wednesday we had a day full of lessons with recent converts and only one lesson with an investigator.. it was a little bit interesting, but we enjoyed the time we could spend with them. Thursday we went to see Rubi again and we are really excited for her progress. We had some other lessons as well and then finished the day. Friday I had yet another work visit, this time I left our area and went with Hna. Sullasi to her area to work. I really enjoyed it the day we got to meet some great people and then the icing on the cake: In my last work visit in her area I contacted a cute girl with light colored eyes.. and to my surprise we showed up at her house and she is being taught the lessons! Super cool to go back and see a little bit of the fruit of the labor we did before. 

Saturday we had a great lesson with Rose.. the wife of a less active member and she committed to go to church. (She came, with her two sons, YES!) We also talked to Javier and his baptism is set for this Sunday. Sunday was a great day and we had a lot of investigators in church. Rose and her family, Rubi and her family, Xiomara and Ronald, Eduardo and Ana.. It really was special to have them all there and enjoy the Spirit and be instructed. 

I left a little time so that I could share something really special with you all... I want you all to read this quote:

¨Give me all. I don`t want so much of your time, so much of your talents and money, and so much of your works; I want You. All of you. I have not come to torment or frustrate the natural man, but to kill it. No half-measures will do. I don`t want to only prune a branch here and another there; rather, I want the whole tree out. Hand it all over to me, the whole outfit, all of your desires, all of your wants and wishes and dreams. Turn them all over to me, give yourself to me and I will make of you a new self in my image. Give me yourself and in exchange I will give you myself. My will, shall become your will. My heart, shall become your heart.¨ (Mere Christianity C.S. Lewis pg. 167) 

This is part of a talk called the Fourth Missionary.. a little bit later the author, Lawrence E. Corbridge, says ¨He will create of you a masterpiece. You will create of you only a smudge. You will create an ordinary man. he will create a God.¨ 

Now we think about this all together.. really God can create a masterpiece of us if we only give him our will. That is really the only thing we can give Him. The things of this world are only temporary.. but when we give God our will and our desires He can make us into a person who not only is a person but that is just like Him, a God. What better dream could anyone have. So let us give our will to God.. do what He would have us do, be who He would have us be, say what He would have us say... and before we know it, we will be made into someone so much better than we could have imagined. Sometimes we get lost in our own desires and our own dreams and we forget God`s plan for us. Let us hand it all over.. let us put ourselves away.. I know without a doubt that He can change us.. He can mold us. I know because I have been able to see a change in me.. in my desires, in my thoughts, in myself. 

I love you all so much.. I hope you will all allow God to work within you, be clay in his hands and he will mold you into a masterpiece. Have a wonderful week!

Hermana Imbler

From: Hayley Imbler <hayley.imbler@myldsmail.net>
Date: Mon, Aug 18, 2014 at 10:43 AM
Subject: Bright in Bayovar

Ok, it`s not really bright, but...... This week has literally been one of the most jam packed and beautiful weeks of my whole mission!!! After transfers we learned that Hna Zarate and I would be continuing as companions so we put some new goals in our area.. and boy did we pass them up! We have been SO blessed this week that I don`t have enough fingers and toes to count them all! 

Monday we headed to the market to do our usual P day shopping to prepare us for the week.. we then had a lesson with Javier! He now has gone to church 3 times, is reading his Book of Mormon, and is super prepared for his baptism, we are only counting down the days! We then had a lesson with Arlleth (our recent convert), Janet (a less active sister), and then Eduardo.. we had a great lesson with him about the plan of salvation and then at the end he accepted baptism!! From being really cold to now having desires to be baptized, and we really are so happy! But this is only the beginning.....

Tuesday we were able to head out in the morning because we didn`t have transfers. We had lunch in the Bishop`s house and then after we headed out with him to look for some less active member`s houses. He helped us find one and we were able to start teaching Evelyn`s son Anderson who is 12 years old. We visited two little old ladies that were a little bit on the cold side, but friendly enough to receive us. We also visited Magno, the husband of a member, and we talked about baptism, but he still doesn`t want to put his part in to receive a testimony by going to church and reading.. so we`ll probably stop visiting him for a while. We taught some recent converts and then headed home for the night. 

Wednesday we had our first lesson with Rubi.. she is the wife of a less active member who wants to return to church again.. and she is really great! She has a lot of desires to learn more so that her family can be united in the gospel, does it get better than that?? We taught Javier again and he was really excited about the part he had read in the BoM.. Then that night we found a single Mom and her daughter, who is a little more interested, her name is Lesly. (Sorry I`m shortening everything up a bit more for lack of time). 

Thursday we had our district meeting. We set goals so that every companionship in our zone could marry and baptize a family in September. Our zone leaders promised us that if we didn`t let a family pass by us in the street that we would be blessed with success. 

Sorry I`m out of time.. but really this week has been AMAZING! Just for a recap we ended the week with 50 lessons and 27 new people to teach.. lots and lots of families just like the zone leaders promised. Really the promises of the Lord are promises that are always fulfilled. I am so grateful to be working here in Bayovar and for all the wonderful blessings that my Heavenly Father has shown me. Take care this week! Hopefully the next week I will have a little more time to write more detailed. I love you all!!!

Hermana Imbler

Scriptures for the week:

1 Samuel 16:7 

2 Nephi 9:51

Put Your Shoulder To The Wheel

Inbox

x

Hayley Imbler	10:48 AM (21 minutes ago)
to Kathleen, me, Michael, Tania, Peter

Hi Family and Friends!!

Yet another week gone by and yet another happy Hermana Imbler! This week has been wonderful!! On Sunday morning we had Maylin`s baptism and everything went smoothly as butter!! Finally! I think that is one of the first that we haven`t had problems, haha! So starting from the beginning...

Monday we had our normal type P-day, we went to KFC to eat and then we went to the market like we always do to find some good deals for the week... haha. Later that day we had a great lesson with Lucia who is really putting her part in now to prepare to be baptized, we have it planned for this August 30th! 

Tuesday we had a longer day to work and were able to get some great lessons in. We talked with Javier who now has gone to church 2 times (including yesterday) and who is also preparing for his baptism on August 30th! We are feeling really blessed this month to have found some new people who are really prepared to make this step in their life. We have also seen a lot of progress from Eduardo, who is the husband of Ana a less active sister (I think I explained a little bit about them in my last letter). We still need for them to get married which is a struggle because they have been wanting to get separated, but we are working really hard with their family to keep them happy and united!

Wednesday we had our leadership council in Independencia and we took the train for part of the way.. it is so much faster! I feel like Lima is progressing a little bit more in technology which is cool to see. When we got home we didn`t have a whole lot of time left to proselyte, but we were able to fit in a few lessons. We had a lesson with Maylin and then her interview with our district leader. 

Thursday we visited some of the sisters in the morning to see how they were doing, after we had our planning and then headed out for the day. We taught Lucia again and she was really excited to go to church on Sunday and keep progressing.. we really are so excited for her, if you can`t tell!! We also taught Javier`s mom who is really great and we will see how she progresses in these next few weeks. Friday we had a work visit and I headed to another area to be with one of the sisters from Mexico, Hna. Sanchez. We enjoyed our time together but in the night I got a little sick.. luckily when I woke up on Saturday morning I felt a little better and we had a really great day. We did divisions and were able to teach a lot of lessons. I left with Flor a sister from another ward.. we knocked on a few doors and there wasn`t anyone who wanted to receive us.. After turning the corner I headed straight to a house with lights on and knocked on the door. A younger girl opened and I began to introduce ourselves.. she interrupted me and said I don`t believe in God.. I don`t like this kind of stuff. I then responded and began to talk about the Plan of Salvation.. after pushing a little bit she left the house and we were able to teach her there in front of her house. We were able to teach about our importance as children of God and she was more open with us.. at the end of the lesson we had gained more confidence and she accepted another visit. A little persistence can bring blessings.. Who knows what will happen with Elizabeth, but maybe now her mind will change about God.. Great experiences!

Sunday we had Maylin`s baptism as I mentioned! After Lucia, Javier, Eduardo, and Segundo all came to church which was wonderful! After church we made lunch with our Ward Mission leader and his wife, had a few lessons, including a really great one at literally the top of the hill (thus the pictures below) and we finished with a lesson with some recent converts! Overall great week and many blessings.. 

Just a little spiritual thought of the week. I was reading the first chapter of Nephi (I`m now on my 4th time reading the Book of Mormon in the mission) and I found a verse I really enjoyed.. really short but powerful.. that says: And it came to pass that as he read, he was filled with the Spirit of the Lord. When we read the scriptures, especially the Book of Mormon we can truly be filled with the Spirit of the Lord. I have been able to experiment with these feelings throughout my mission.. I have found many answers to my questions and I have found spiritual fulfillment every day in the words that the scriptures contain. Learn to love the scriptures, you will be able to find that you will be filled and not hunger (spiritually speaking). 

Thanks for your examples and your love! Have a wonderful week!

Hermana Imbler

Onward ever Onward

Inbox

x

Hayley Imbler	10:35 AM (54 minutes ago)
to Kathleen, me, Michael, Tania, Peter

Happy Monday!! (that`s my catchphrase of Pday)

How is everyone doing?? This week has literally flown by and I`m sitting here in our slow internet yet again! 

Monday we had a normal P day.. we went to a market close by and did a little bit of shopping.. and then when P day finished we were able to enjoy two family home evenings. We saw the Joseph Smith movie with Graciela who loved it.. she would be progressing a lot faster if her family was involved, but ever since their pastor told them they shouldn`t receive us it has been a little harder for her. After we had our second family home evening with a less active sister and her nonmember husband. We shared about how important the gospel is in our families to help us move forward and overcome the obstacles in life. 

Tuesday we had our district meeting and then had a rather short day of lessons..but here is where the cool part comes in.. Tuesday night I had a dream that we went to our ward secretary`s house and that his mom and sister were there... not a very normal dream because I have never been to his house, it is in the Elder`s area.. Wednesday morning, we went to go do service with the Elders.. when we got to the house, it was the house of the ward secretary.. and inside were his mom and sister.. just like I had dreamed.. Probably one of the coolest things! So we helped them carry bricks and cement to construct another part of their house... lots of hard work. Afterwards, we went to eat with a member of the ward and then we headed to a work visit. I stayed with Hna Paez (Mexico) in her area while Hna. Zarate and Hna. Moe worked in our area. We had a lot of good lessons during the day and I got to know Hna Paez a little better, she is a new missionary and she is really cute!

Thursday we had our weekly planning and we are realizing that we desperately need new investigators.. sadly we have lost many due to some difficulties.. later we did divisions and were able to have 12 lessons.. awesome!! We were able to meet some really great people during the day and I am praying that they will progress. Friday we were busy during the morning and then the afternoon we had a meeting with the assistents.. After we were ale to visit only a few people including Maylin, who is progressing towards her baptism this Sunday!!

Saturday we helped a sister in our ward decorate her preschool during the morning and then in the afternoon we had another work visit. Hna Cadenas came with me in my area to visit. We were in the middle of a lesson and a man walked in and asked if we were Mormons.. we responded yes! He then said.. what a pain.. uh oh.. we didn`t see this going down a good road.. He talked and talked and bashed and bashed as Hna Cadenas and I sat patiently listening... At the end of his talk I invited him to pray and to read Isaiah 29 that talks about the coming forth of the Book of Mormon and we left.. It was a struggle for me not to burst out.. but I have realized that contention does not come from God.. a big lesson I have learned here in the mission.

Sunday was better and we had quite a few investigators come to church, Arlleth got confirmed and then we had the day to visit. I am really thankful for all the blessings that my Heavenly Father gives me every day. I know without a doubt that He loves each and every one of us and is always there when we need Him. I love you all, thanks for the support you give me!! Take care!!

Hermana Imbler

La Semana Loca

Inbox

x

Hayley Imbler	Jul 28 (7 days ago)
to Kathleen, me, Michael, Tania

I call it the crazy week because literally we have had so many crazy events this week. Hopefully I can get them all into one email...

Monday.. we went to see Despicable Me at a member`s house and then after we went to play soccer as a zone, not anything too interesting happened though. That night we were only able to have 3 lessons, but we talked to Benjamin who has been progressing slowly, but hasn`t come to church for about 3 weeks now... Although he does call us a lot to say hi and see how we are doing.. (we should be having a family home evening with him and some members tonight)

Tuesday we had a work visit and I was left to fend for myself in our area.. haha no but everything went ok, I only got lost once. I was with Hermana Arriaga from Iquitos Peru.. it was definitely a different pace.. Hna Zarate and I have gotten used to our teaching style and everything, but it went well and we ended with 9 lessons which was absolutely awesome.. We invited Maylin to be baptized (she`s a 14 year old girl) and she was really excited! Her grandma Lily is a member and practically raised her so she is helping Maylin to get ready! 

Wednesday morning we switched back and then had our district meeting.. I really relish the time we have in the chapel because I have a few minutes to play the piano and sing a little. We had a short day with not many lessons after that. We helped the Ayra family to do a little bit of their geneology on familysearch which was super great. I am literally so stoked to get home and work on my family history.. we`re gonna see how much farther back I can get (if it involves having to do some research leaving the country.. even better.. haha). 

Thursday we were able to teach Maylin again and she is progressing little by little, for the first time she prayed out loud in a lesson with us. She is really shy so that has been a struggle for her. I had a prompting in the night that we should visit a sister in our ward so we headed to her house. We were hungry and cold, but we got there with a little time left in the night to share.. to our surprise she had made way too much soup and served us dinner.. (blessings!) and then we were able to teach her non-member husband for the FIRST time!!! It was so awesome. Afterwards we went to visit a recent convert, but she wasn`t home so we headed to a less active sister who never receives us, but to our surprise yet again the Lord prepared her and she let us in and we had a great lesson (tonight we are going to have family home evening with her and her non member husband as well). We were really able to see the hand of the Lord during the day.

Friday we had another crazy day full of lessons. Hna Zarate got sick and well is still sick with the flu I think.. or a really really bad cold so the weekend was really rough for her. We had Arlleth`s interview for her baptism on Saturday and then we were able to visit quite a few less active members.

Saturday (the craziest day)... we had a blitz with our whole zone in the morning to help an area to progress more. I went with Hna Soberanas (from Australia) and we found a wonderful family for the Elders to teach, we are excited to see how they progress! After we realized that we hadn`t called anyone to fill up the baptismal font, so we had to clean it in our skirts and fill it up.. oops! Then we went to tell Arlleth about the things she had to bring to her baptism.. we went to her house and she had left!!! What.. two hours before her baptism and she wasn`t home!! We called everyone we knew to call.. went to her house 4 times in the course of the two hours and without luck... Finally a little before 6, an hour after her baptism was supposed to start the ward mission leader called us to tell us Arlleth was there in the chapel waiting for us.. Quickly we headed to the chapel! We got there and Arlleth hadn`t brought a towel.. or interior clothing.. oops again! Haha so we headed to the market to buy things quickly. (it`s not over yet..) Everything good and we start the baptism.. Arlleth enters the water and then gets scared and didn`t want to be submerged.. 3 times! We consoled her and finally the 4th time everything went well!

Sunday Arlleth couldn`t come to her confirmation because her dad was in town and he only comes like every few months or year.. And then the saddest day in the chapel.. because we only had 1 investigator... After church we did divisions and then finished the night.

Over all it was a CRAZY week.. with lots of struggles but also lots of blessings. I have learned this week that however small a prompting might be... we must follow it and the blessings will come! I also continue learning that the Lord works in mysterious ways and His plan is always better than our own. I love you all! Take care this week!!

Hermana Imbler