Friday, October 31, 2014

Short
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My title line is short, because literally I have no time to write... Sorry everyone! I am stuck looking for all the classes I have to take... I think real life is a little more stressful than missionary life..

First off.. HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD (tomorrow!) I love you so much and hope you know you are the bestest dad in the whole wide world! Thanks for your example in everything!!!

This week has sure been a good one! We have gotten to know many new people and we are seeing the ones we love progress! Facundo is the nephew of Miguel that was just baptized, and we are teaching him.. He is only 8 years old, but probably one of the most intelligent kids I have ever met. We are planning his baptism for the 15th.. the good news is that he has a great uncle who will help keep him on track!

David Soto is a 22 year old kid who has come to church quite a few times in the last few months, but every time we had tried to teach him he was always busy or our appointments fell through, but finally this week on Wednesday we were able to teach him. He is a pretty shy kid and gets embarassed really easily but has a lot of desires to learn. We invited him to be baptized and.... He accepted!!! So November 8th we`ve got his baptism planned and we are really excited for him! His older brother is a member and is engaged to one of the members of our ward.

Looks like the bell just rang... and I`m outta time! I love you all! Have a great week!

Hermana Imbler

Monday, October 20, 2014

It`s hot... and when I say hot I mean hot! Out of nowhere San Juan de Lurigancho upped the degrees and we are now in Summer.. although at night when then sun goes down it is still pretty cold.. I know I say this a lot.. but where does the time go? 16 months in Peru and only 2 to go until I will be not only dreaming of a white Christmas but living it.

This week I have had a lot of time to reflect on my time as a missionary and really look at the changes I have made.. and there is nothing better I can imagine doing... The experiences I have had have truly changed who I am and have changed who I will yet become.. I have come to love the Gospel more fully and more intensely than before, and I couldn`t have asked for a greater blessing than that. 

During the week we had some really great experiences..On Wednesday we were able to do service for a sister that is in a wheelchair and her husband left last week for Venezuela. We had one of those ¨First observe, then serve moments¨. At first we were planning on helping her make earrings, because that is her work right now, but entering the house we made an observation and decided to clean and organize what we could. After 2 hours and a house much cleaner we helped her start making her earrings. Her daughter Adizela who is 17 has been really close minded and cold with us.. but after seeing how we helped her mom she really opened up. She is less active, but we are praying that little by little she will open up.

Edith and her sister Alejandra are doing ok.. I would say Alejandra is a little better. Edith hasn`t come to church since the first week we met her. She still listens and has desires to be baptized, but she isn`t fully putting in her part.

One of the best experiences we had this week was Thursday... we were a little late leaving the house in the afternoon and then every single one of the lessons we had planned fell through.. we needed to stay close to the house because we were going to do divisions.. so we thought about it for a while withoutmuch success.. I then remembered a great contact that we had made the week before so we headed to her house. To our surprise she happily opened the door and invited us in. Felicita has 4 kids from 8 to 27 years old. Her husband passed away 6 months ago and she has been struggling a little bit. We talked about the plan of salvation and the Spirit was strong. We really feel as if she will progress. 

I`m thankful for the time that God gives me to learn.. every moment we have is really precious..so let us not waste time being sad, angry, resentful, but let us rather enjoy the peace and joy that the gospel brings. I love you all so much!! Take care!

Hermana Imbler

Monday, October 13, 2014

Llama, Conference, and Spiritual Promptings

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Hayley Imbler

Attachments10:37 AM (2 hours ago)


to Kathleen, me, Michael, Tania
After almost 16 months in Peru I finally found a llama and was able to take a picture with it! Haha I know that that probably isn`t the most exciting of news, but for me it was pretty cool!!

How is everyone doing? I`m here starting my 4th week with my companion here in Bayovar and we are doing great! We don`t have any baptisms planned for this month unfortunately.. many of those that were progressing have dropped the lessons.. such as the Gordillo family.. and a few others.. So we are working on new investigators! We have found a whole lot this week which has been awesome and we have been blessed by following many promptings of the Spirit. On in particular sticks out to me.. we had a lesson not so sure planned that was close to our house.. we were heading there and I felt as if we should look for someone to teach that was nearby before going to the other lesson.. when that thought came to my mind my companion turned to me and said ¨I feel like we should go teach Elba..¨ I agreed.. we knocked on the door and found that Elba, a member (almost active haha) had some of her family over to visit.. Her sister, niece and husband, are not members, but have heard a lot about the church from their family members. Elba´s sister Ana was not too excited or willing to listen, but Evelyn and her husband were definitely prepared beforehand to receive the message. I prayed fervently to bless Evelyn in the operation she is going to have this week and we began to share.. the whole time I felt the Spirit so strongly and words filled my mouth.. Tears of joy filled Evelyn`s eyes.. They are not going to be investigators in our area, but I feel so grateful to have had this wonderful experience! Never put off a prompting from the Spirit.. no matter how small it may be.

I was greatly blessed to be able to watch conference both last week by internet and this week it was transmitted in our chapel.. I feel like I got double revelation.. haha, but honestly it was the best! I love General Conference so much! I feel like every single message in some way is directed personally at me. I loved listening to the talks in Spanish.. it was super cool to hear their native language for the first time ever! Hugo E. Martinez said something that really hit me.. Ël que sirve sirve, el que no sirve, no sirve.¨ Translating to the best of my ability.. He that serves, serves, he that doesn`t serve, doesn`t serve. So we must serve others or we are useless servants.. Maybe that`s a little strong, but in the scriptures it does tell us that when we are in the service of our brothers we are only in the service of our God. 

I loved so many things, and will probably make reference to many in the next few emails these weeks, but what I loved most was what our beloved prophet Thomas S. Monson shared.. We do not have to walk physically where Jesus walked to follow His ways.. How true is that statement! We don`t need to walk the shores of Galilee to follow the steps of Christ. We must follow Him in word and deed, thoughts and acts. Let us be Christlike in everything we do. One of the greatest blessings of serving a mission is that I have learned to become more like Christ. I am far from being like Him, but closer than when I started and I know He would be pleased with the progress I have made. So I invite you all to make a goal.. before you make a decision, however small it may be think.. ¨What would Jesus do?¨ It will change you.. little by little, and then looking back you will see the difference.. you will see the changes you have made.. it`s not hard, in fact it`s the easier way. 

I love you all so much! Thanks for your continuing support!
Have a wonderful week!

Hermana Imbler