Living on a prayer

Bailey and Hermana Gonzalez

¡Hola Todos!

Funny thing of the week:

This week we were talking to a woman and she asked how it was that we are able to live while we are here. She asked if we worked, or how we had money. I tried to say that we saved money before the mission so that we could come and not have to worry about it. But the word for save in Spanish is ahorrar and the word for pray is orar, so when I tried to say we saved money (next to a big, busy road) she heard that we had just prayed before coming to have enough to survive the year and a half.

Reminder: Prayers are powerful, but we must also do our part!

Hope you have a great week!

Hermana Naatjes

Hna Gonzalez's first piece of broccoli ever!  (She was unsure what part was edible...) 

Birthday celebration featuring Bailey's homemade Oreos (see, she makes more than just crepes).

FALL!!!!

Bailey, Hna Wagoner, Hna Gonzalez and crepes.

Hola Todos!!

The good news of the week is that I actually put on a sweater today!!! I took it off after like an hour, but I mean that´s progress!! 

Miracle of the week:

About two weeks ago me and my companion had contacted and taught a man in the street. The lesson was great and super powerful and he was super interested in learning more about the gospel and reading the Book of Mormon. But afterwards, we weren´t able to find him at home, he didn´t answer the phone, and didn´t come to church like he said he could, so we figured he didn´t want anything. 

Yesterday as we were sitting in church, one of the members came up to us and said that someone named Francisco was outside looking for us, and it was him! He had gone out of town and so hadn't been able to come but has been reading his Book of Mormon and came all alone to church! We were super excited!

Love you all and hope you have a great week! 

Hermana Naatjes

14 months!

Bailey and Hermana Gonzalez

Hermana Gonzalez is tall!

Hola Todos!!!

This week was fantastic!! I got my new companion! Her name is Hermana Gonzalez and she is from Montevideo, Uruguay! She is super excited to be here, a little nervous, but very ready to learn! She is super sweet, is a convert (she got baptized 5 years ago), and likes and wants to work.

Bailey introduces all her companions to her beloved crepes with Nutella.

Spiritual thought of the week: Language of the Spirit.

This week I was thinking a lot about the way we can learn to listen to and recognize the spirit. Often we think or assume that it will be easy, that if we just pray we should get the answer, and if we don't recognize it right away we get frustrated. As I was thinking about it and all of the people I have taught and those who have been able to get answers from God and those who claim that they don't and I came to the conclusion that learning to recognize the spirit and understand His answers is like learning a language. It takes 3 key steps: Study, Listen, and Practice. I don't have a ton of time to expound on that but I want to invite you to read, to pray, to take time to listen, and to act when God gives you direction!

Zone Conference

Love you all! Have a great week!

Hermana Naatjes

A Bible, A Bible, and another Bible

*Bailey didn't send explanations with the pictures this week...

  Bailey and friends

 Hola Todos!!!

Big news, I'm going to be training again! Hermana Marques is moving to a new area and I'm getting a brand new missionary to train. I don't know who she is or where she's from, but I'm excited and nervous!

I have no idea what's going on in this picture.  (with Hermana Marques)

Funny story of the week:

We contacted a man in the street this week who has a LOT of faith in the Bible. When he started telling us about his faith we were excited. He started talking about how he had found God when he started reading the Bible, but then we were thrown for a loop when he told us that he has found that the more Bibles he has, the more power he has. 

He told us that to heal his insomnia he started sleeping with a Bible on his chest, and then he needed to sleep with two, and then three (as he bit by bit needed more power to be able to sleep), until he began recording and printing DVDs with 2,000 Bibles on each in different languages (for the power of tongues). He started sleeping with the DVDs and hiding them around his house and neighborhood. He also puts them in places where there are narcos (drug dealers) to mess up their plans and he breaks the DVDs up and puts them in water to make holy water which he has been drinking for years and giving it to his dog as well... 

District or zone conference?

Spiritual thought:    The power of the word of God

The scriptures can have incredible power in our lives, but that power is not in the physical book. The power of His scriptures is found within the teachings that they hold. If we live by the teachings of the scriptures our lives can and will change. 

Minnesota!!

Have a great week!

Hermana Naatjes