I GOT TIED TO AN ANCHOR

This week was a little tough...physically, emotionally, and spiritually!

I haven´t felt this low...EVER! But before I dive in, let me assure you that through a miracle, wonderful companions and the Savior...I am A MILLION TIMES BETTER!

I got really sick this week, stomach pains and fever increased from the change of food and all the adaptation..Sorry mom and dad for not telling you but I didn´t want to worry you! Remember I´m all better now! =)

I also hit an emotional and spiritual wall. Alberto, one of my investigators, who we´ve been teaching for a month now came to church for the first time yesterday. An event that usually make your spirit grow a hundred time bigger and fills your body with more happiness than you can imagine. This event was quite the opposite. 

Let me fill you in a little background on Alberto. He is 38 years old. He doesn´t believe in God, but has a desire to believe in Him. He has a desire to feel the Spirit like we do. He has hardened his heart for reasons I don´t know entirely. We have tried every scripture and story we could possibly think of this past week and He came to church!

Alberto saw us and was happy, but immediately after the sacrament he started his critics about every little thing he saw or heard...to the point of telling a little boy to quiet down. I was so BUMMED. I felt nothing but sadness, I couldn´t do anything but cry. I prayed and prayed the entire time during the sacrament meeting and I felt the Spirit so strong and I couldn´t believe how someone could hardened their heart so much to the point of not being a able to feel the blunt Spirit in church yesterday. It hurt more because I have felt and seen the love God has for this man. I love this man, he is my brother and want him to return to our Heavenly Father SO BADLY. Why can´t he feel or see that the reason we are always happy is because of the gospel?! He always mentions how happy we are!

We meet with him today and I hope you won´t have to let him go for a while because continuing again.

For these reasons, God has called me and all missionaries to serve, so that men might have everlasting life!

I love my mission, every bit of it because even these hard weeks are a blessing. I´m learning a lot about myself and the special gifts I must continue to develop in order to fulfill my duty are a daughter and missionary of our Heavenly Father. I know this church is true with all heart, might, and mind. I know that my Savior lives and that God is our Loving Heavenly Father. He never leaves us alone.

I love you all and the support you give me! Keep the emails and letters coming! AND MORE PICTURES PLEASE =)

Love your missionary,

Hermana Fernandez ¨Nat¨ =)

P.S. MOM, thank you for teaching me all that I know! You have helped me as I´ve remembered all your love and the example you´ve given me of a strong and loving woman! DAD thank you for showing me how to love others and how to serve and give yourself to those you love. I love you and miss you lots!

2 MONTH MARK :)

Holy Guacamoly! Where does the time go! I can't believe I've hit the two month mark...and everyone told me that the first two months are hard and go the slowest! If that's the case a year and a half is nothing because the time is zooming right past me. But I'm living up every moment!

Quick UPDATE of the WEEK:

- Sencio came to church again...along with all our other investigators who are progressing...literally all that is left for Sencio to be baptized is WATER!!! haha He is truly an amazing and inspirational being I've had the opportunity to meet! And what more than to be on the front seat of his conversion as he comes closer to Christ.

- My companions are heaven sent and sometimes out of control haha

- I love my mission more and more everyday!

- I have lots of our investigators are in the process of getting married in order to be baptized.

- I have witnessed countless miracles as I have learned a new kind of love. As I told a friend of mine, this love is a Christ like love. A love that is beyond any love. A love that allows you to see the eternal meaning of love. A love that allows you to see the soul of a person. A love that allows you to see the greatest potential of a being. A love that inspires you. A love that teaches you to grow and progress. A love that shows us that we are God´s children and we will live in his glory. This love we must learn to develop in this life so that we may have everlasting happiness.

Everyday I wake up right where I'm suppose to be..in Dominican Republic serving the Lord by helping my brothers and sisters and God's children to come back to him. I love everything about my mission...even the emotional rollercoaster because only now can a comprehend a bit more how the Savior feels and how God feels when we turn away from Him and disobey His commandments. I can also comprehend the greatest joy He feels when His children find him again and follow Him. I continually strive to be a great example like Christ was for us. And teach in that same matter...an example because an example is much louder than words!

I challenge you, family and friends, to continue being the example to everyone around you because people know and feel who we are. We are a peculiar people, so live up to what you promised you'd do when you were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.

I love you and am praying for you consistently!

Love your missionary,

Hermana Fernandez "Nat"

MIRACLES HAPPEN...

Although the mission is an emotional rollercoaster...I´m the HAPPIEST I´ve ever been and my face hurts all the time along with the rest of my body because I smile ALL THE TIME..haha how can you not.

I hurt all the time, pray a lot, cry a lot and I´m ALWAYS exhausted..BUT when you see the life of a person change drastically, it makes up for all of that and much much more. It´s amazing when you can see and feel the potencial and love Heavenly Father has for His children. I love so deeply...deeper than I thought I could ever love. Through this experience I´ve been able to see the Hands of God work MIRACLES in people´s life.

I hope those that are reading this know that for themselves too. God is your Father in Heaven. He loves you more than you can ever come to comprehend. We all have a purpose in this life.I challenge you to come to know yours individually by asking God because like I tell my investigators...only he knows us better than anyone one in this world, better than we know ourselves. What great comfort comes with knowing that. He is our Best Friend and our Father, lean on me as He will guide you to where you need to go, as long as we´re faithful and true like ¨Be Still My Soul¨ reminds us. (I miss that Hymn, they don´t have it in Spanish =( but I always sing it haha)

Update on my investigators...I was super sad last week, hence the short email because my investigators weren´t coming to church for two weeks in a row and they´d come up with excuses...I GOT TRIED OF IT!! I gave them all boches (scoldings...in Dominican Spanish)with love of course and the way Jesus Christ would haha....mostly. I prayed lots and boches worked with the help of lots of praying because we had 7 investigators this last Sunday and I couldn´t stop smiling, I cried even! Sencio came to church...that was a MIRACLE! Hermano Rosario, a less active we´ve been really struggling with, came to church...that was a MIRACLE! Oh geez sometimes I think I´m going to be bipolar because it´s truly an emotional rollercoaster.

The trick is, like I tell my companions, ALWAYS SMILE because truly how can you be sad for more than I minute with the Holy Ghost constantly testifying to you that the Church and the doctrine of Christ is TRUE. I know that this is the true restored church of Jesus Christ. I know that Heavenly Father lives and that He loves me. I know that He has a marvelous plan for each and everyone of us. All we must do is believe and act upon that believe.

As for my companion, she is awesome, Hermana Ortiz. I´m teaching her English and she is loving and hating me haha because she never wanted to learn it and now all missionary who don´t already know English must learn it...she is growing to love it and she is progressing soooo much! My other companions I live with are the BEST...I send pictures soon!

Til next week..your missionary,

Hermana Fernandez

P.S. Also, I love PICTURES...please keep sending me some!!! and Thank you so much for the love and support. It´s a booster every Monday! I love you all so MUCH!

TIME is Something Missionaries Don´t Have

WOW!! TIME FLYS TOO FAST...a month and a half already!! 

Lots of growing occurred this week...

I have met the most wonderful people here and I love them so much! I love them more everyday, didn´t know that was possible...the mission is harder because of that exact same reason. Because I love them it hurts when they don´t commit to the small things in order for them to progress. I want the gospel for my investigators so bad, it hurts. I must remember constantly that as long as I do my part, I must allow them to use their agency and do as Christ did...perform miracles and invite His brothers and sisters to follow him.

I´ve smiled more than I ever have. I´ve cryed for people that I barely met a month ago. I´ve prayed harder than I ever imagined.

I got to know a woman yesterday in our ward whose truly a miracle, and coincidentally her name is Milagros (meaning miracles in English) Her story is incredible. She is a return missionary who married a returned missionary...and her husband betrayed her recently. She taught me a lot and helped me with the struggles that come with serving a mission. She is a successful woman raising her three kids alone. Although her trials have been harder than I could imagine, she is truly an inspiration and exactly like the woman described in Proverbs 31:10-31. She has taught me to serve all and especially those that hurt you because you do nothing but ruin your own happiness by holding on to what they did wrong with those that choose to do you wrong.

Inspirations and Miracles are happening everywhere! Look out for them...time was cut short...promise more details next week.

All is well on my end and thank so much for all the support!

Love,

Hermana Fernandez