A week of miracles

This has been a week of miracles. On Tuesday, I was in divisions working with another missionary in another part of Puerto when I get a phone call from my companion. "Walleska's getting baptized right now! Come to the church!" There's a wonderful woman who comes to church every week, brings her Book of Mormon with her, and knows that this is the church where she feels the spirit the most, but she hasn't been baptized for fear of what her family will say. She almost asked to be baptized two Sundays ago after she saw a baptism she attended without us even inviting her, but she didn't after all, because she was afraid. But on Tuesday, my companion arrived and told her "there's a family that is going to be baptized this evening. Do you want to join them and be baptized as well?" And she said yes! She was so excited, and so happy. She's 8 months pregnant with twins, and knows that following the Lord will make her life for her children much happier. She also lost a little boy a week after he was born, and she loves what she's learning about how he'll always be a part of her family.

Then on Thursday we were visiting with her neighbor, a young woman who is a former investigator of my companion, one who never went to church while she was teaching her, but who has gone to church 2 times on her own. We were teaching her this week, but she hasn't wanted to accept a baptismal date because she's worried about what will happen when she goes back to the communities, where the church hasn't yet reached. But we had a lesson with her with a member friend, and in the middle of the lesson, the investigator told us, in Miskitu "I feel the Spirit telling me to be baptized. I accept." She was baptized on Saturday, and confirmed on Sunday with her friend and neighbor, Walleska. I didn't plan on either one of these baptisms. I was focusing on other families. But Christ's grace helps us when we've done all that we can do. I just love love love that.

Something that's been dawning more and more clearly this week is the eternal perspective of what we're doing here. Our life continues much, much further forward than what we normally see as human beings. I've been wondering a bit this week if I'm enlightened or just depressed, but I think it's a bit like Moses, "now that I know that man is nothing, which thing I had never before considered." But the transcendent part of that is that God still loves us, and we have a greater destiny ahead of us than we'll ever understand while in this mortal sphere. But that's okay, because GRACE. We're just asked to do the best we can while we're here, and then we'll have plenty of time afterward to do more, and Jesus Christ will make up the difference, if we've been able to partake of his Atonement more completely. The church exists because it's the university that prepares us for the rest of our eternal lives. If we just keep doing the things we're supposed to, and do it for love of our fellow men and Jesus Christ, we will slowly but surely become the eternal beings that God hopes we will be.

Gospel stuff is the only stuff that matters. Everything else that's important to us, school, friends, family, all of that has a place in the gospel as well. If not, it's not helping us progress, and not so worth our time. But it's good to put the explicit, pure gospel at the center of our focus.

And as for me? I'm happier than I've ever been in my mission. I'm in my dream zone, where I've wanted to be since before I entered the MTC (I heard the stories about Puerto Cabezas and said that's for me), learning a third language, super unified with my zone, and seeing a bunch of miracles. And being instructed by the spirit more than I've ever been before. And I have THE BEST companion ever. I think we'll be good friends for eternity, she and I. 

I will have a great week. And I hope you do, too!

Mai latwansa!

- Hermana Ferrin

Hermana "I'm Just Happy to Be Here" Ferrin

Well, this week has just been a dream-come-true. I have waited my whole mission to be in this zone, and I'm so glad and so grateful that I'm here. Here in Puerto Cabezas I feel like I'm living in a mix of The Princess and the Frog for the southern, coastal, african touch, Peter Pan for living in trees, and Home Alone for being a bunch of irresponsible young people doing amazing things that no one expects of them. I just love love love it here. It's like a mix of Hawaii and Africa and, of course, Nicaragua. Not to mention it's a small town, and thus I feel a little bit like I'm in rural Utah from time to time. I have waited so long for this!

Here's the short story:

Monday and Tuesday, I mostly rested to recover from the flu and my trip to Puerto. Tuesday we all gathered in the backyard of a branch president here who has a house on the beach, and had a bonfire where we shared testimonies and Puerto Cabezas mission experiences. That was amazing. We also had our first "Miskitu class" with the Miskitu elders who share our branch with us, as they helped me through my first baby steps in the Miskitu language. One of the most important phrases, which we use every preparation day, "man nani plum wantsma?," or "you guys want food?" Also obtained my pair of rubber boots, a hand-me-down from an Elder who finished his mission.

On Wednesday my companion was on divisions with our sister leader, and I went with her companion to get to know Rama Bilwi. We had a pretty cool experience as we met with a less active sister who asked us to interperet some pretty powerful dreams, in which she was told she had another chance to do things right for her family, and she chose to come back to church.

Thursday, we did zone interchanges, where our zone leaders made assignments and sent everyone out with new companions for the day. I was sent back to the same area, just with the other companion, my sister training leader, Hermana Pochop. The goals we set as a zone were to find two new families and put baptismal dates with two families, contact a BUNCH of people, and, almost as a joke at the end, to baptize one family. And to drink some soda. Well, this is Puerto, and miracles and crazy things happen every day. When we got back together on Friday to finish up the zone changes, we'd all drunk a lot of soda, we'd found a lot of new families, talked to a ton of people, and baptized 3 families. In one day. This is Puerto.

On Friday and Saturday, I finally started to get to know my area, which is all of the city of Puerto. I wish that you could see, that I could explain, what it is like teaching in houses on stilts, full of hammocks and without running water. It is like paradise. I just can't get over how beautiful it is, and how good and faithful the Miskitu people are. We are teaching some special families with baptismal dates, we are working with a bunch of members who speak Miskitu way better than us and can translate beautifully and testify powerfully. The zone is very unified, and often pass references to us of families that are not progressing well in the Spanish language, but who understand and commit to act while learning in Miskitu. The missionaries work closely together, closely with the members, and find prepared investigators. 

And on Sunday, well, Sunday was crazy. Never in my life would I have expected to be going to church in a meeting in a language that is neither Spanish nor English, which I don't understand at all, in a skirt and muddy rubber boots, traveling there in a rundown, refurbished, brightly painted, green-lighted school-bus, full-to-overflowing, with everyone piling out and pushing from behind to get it to restart every so often, as I pass through swamps and pass by houses on stilts in marshes, surrounded by black and brown skin, and listening to people say "meriki mairin yari," tall american woman. But it's funny how personal revelation can send us on new and blessed roads, and how inspired priesthood leaders and personal inspiration point us to doors that we didn't even see before, doors which, when opened, have completely new and beautiful views. And I just love when God confirms that my desires were good, by conceding them to me, such as this desire to be here which I've held on to for so long.

I will hopefly get photos out next week, but just trust that I am so, so, so dang happy here, loving this more than any other adventure, and that I'm just happy to be here.

I love you all, and I want you to know that there exists zero doubt whatsoever that this is true, that this is the work of God, and that the church that has the power and authority of Christ, and all His truth, is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Love love love,

Hermana Ferrin

AU AU AU!!!!

I had changes! I got up at 2:30 this morning to board a flight for PUERTO CABEZAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! When we took off, there was a rainbow in Managua, and when we landed, there was another one waiting for me here. I take that to be a good sign. Here I am now, and I LOVE IT ALREADY!!!! This place is amazing. A-MA-ZING. It's practically a whole other mission. Here the languages spoken are English Creole, Spanish, but more than that, Miskitu, a native language of the Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua. AAAAAANNNNDD...my area will be the whole city, because I am one of the two companionships who teach exclusively in Miskitu, while everyone teaches in Spanish as well, possibly primarily. This zone is super unified, super buena onda, super pilas, and has a whole different culture. And practically, no one leaves the zone until they go home, since a missionary that has learned Miskitu (and we all learn at least a bit, even if we're not teaching exclusively in Miskitu like me) is quite valuable. 

Also, I will be the first white girl working in the Miskitu Branch. Booyeah. I may not be the first gringa missionary who got to Puerto, but I am the second, and I am the first to teach in only Miskitu!

My companion's name in Hermana Ochoa, she's from Guatemala, San Marcos, close to Mexico, and has as much time in Puerto as I have in the mission. Her first area was the same branch where I started in Esteli, just the other half, and she packed up and came to Puerto when I came to Esteli, and has been here ever since. She's just darling, and I'm going to love working with her. 

Other news...Here in Puerto, there are five branches and one...meeting...The meeting is a sacrament meeting and then Sunday School exclusively in Miskitu. That's mine. We only have 2 hours of church, because there's no 3rd hour of auxiliaries. We also have a bus to go pick people up for church on Sunday. WHAT!!!! I know, awesome, right??

More info on Puerto next week, after I've lived here a while!

Love,

Hermana Ferrin

5 am...

Other than the lack of sleep, this past week has been very good. On Monday (preparation day), I had to get up at 5 am to go practice for one of the musical numbers that we performed on Wednesday for the conference we had with Elder Alonso, a Seventy and member of the Area Presidency (one of the general church leaders, or rather, one of the leaders who has authority for a large portion of the world. "Seventy" is an office of the priesthood, one which has always been a part of the true church of Jesus Christ, during the time of Moses, the time of Christ, and today as well). Tuesday, I also woke up at 5, as a result of waking up at 5 the previous two days, and my body having accustomed itself to doing so. Thanks, body.

Wednesday we had our conference with Elder Alonso. As the "official" mission pianist, I had to show up at 6:30 to practice with the various groups that would be performing. Again, I got up at 5. It was a wonderful conference, though. It reaffirmed my testimony that this church is directed by men called of God, having authority. He taught us some wonderful things about boldly offering the blessings that one can only find in the true church of Jesus Christ, such as modern revelation, prophets, the priesthood authority to baptize, and to seal families for eternity. And the coolest part of all was when he pronounced a promise on us at the end, after talking about the difference that came to Peter before and after the atonement and ressurection of Christ, using the example of healing the lame man in the temple entrance, that if we were obedient, we too could "arise and walk," and do amazing things in our missions that we'd never imagined before. And so what did I do? I went out of the church building to take a city bus to go home, and decided to stand up in front and preach to the bus. That was a great way to face my fears, was definitely a first, and we got some good contacts out of it. Now I'm not afraid to talk to anyone.

We've seen a few miracles this week. William continues to be a miracle. He's a man who saw a Mormon.org ad online, decided he liked what he saw, contacted a member and told him he wanted to go to his church. He's been showing up to church on his own, and reading the Book of Mormon with a hunger, and has all the right questions. 

One of the best moments of this week was when we went to eat lunch with a less-active member we met the week before, Carlos Oscar, who invited us to eat "indio viejo" with him and his family. A member told us to look him up, when we met him the first time, and he and his wife told us they'd been baptized 12 years ago, but stopped attending because it was very, very far from their house. And he didn't think that the true church exists on this earth, but loved the Book of Mormon and knew it was true. The problem was that he had loaned someone his Book of Mormon 10 years ago, and they never returned it, and then moved away. He was trying so hard for that whole time to get his hands on another copy. I tried to explain to him how the fact that the Book of Mormon is true means that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is also true, but he didn't quite understand. So, I gifted him a Book of Mormon, and he was overcome with gratitude. I was touched, because I realized that at times I don't treat that book with such reverence. He then invited us to his house to eat with them the next week.

When we returned, he was recounting us all the wonderful things he'd found in the Book of Mormon. "Que cosas mas bellas, hermana!" He absolutely loves the fact that there are more prophets than the ones that appear in the Bible. We then invited him to General Conference, the Biannual conference where the modern-day prophets and apostles direct themselves to the whole church and world, and again, he was overcome. Absolutely speechless. He, so excited, said to his wife "why...let's go! Let's go! Did you hear that? It's not ever day that someone invites you to hear a prophet speak!" She's evangelical these days, but even she was excited about it. Not even my Uncle Loren, the person who loves conference the most on this world, I thought, can match Carlos in his excitement. He's inviting all his friends. I am so excited for him.

Yesterday we were a little disappointed when one of our families didn't come to church with us. After church I was walking around so discouraged and disappointed that I didn't want to talk to anyone, because I didn't feel happy enough to convey the joy of my message with them, when we saw a beautiful young family coming our way. I had an inner battle, asking if I should talk to them or no, not wanting to, but feeling that I should. We did introduce ourselves to them, explained a little of our message, they mentioned that they'd talked with Elders once before, but never had time to visit with them. As we explained about eternal families, they asked us when we could come visit with them. We set an appointment, and then invited them to accompany us to church on Sunday. The wife said "you know what? We will. Because of what happened this morning." Her husband had gotten into a terrible accident at almost 100 km per hour, totaled his car, ruined the other vehicles as well, but he escaped without a scratch. They knew it was a miracle, and were ready to show gratitude to God in the ways he asked. As they left, they told us "we visit a lot of churches, but the one we like best is the one you have, because those young men explained us such simple, basic truths in such a simple way. We're busy, but if we make an appointment and say we'll be there, we'll be there. We'll be expecting you!" 

This time, I was the overcome, speechless one. The Lord blesses us when we least expect it, and I am so excited to see blessings come to that adorable little family.

I love my Savior, I love his gospel, and I love you! Have a wonderful week!

Love,

Hermana Ferrin

Just another week in tropical and spiritual paradise

This week was perhaps not quite as exciting as the previous in terms of speldiforous miracles and noteworthy accomplishments. On Wednesday, the majority of our time was occupied by a multi-zone conference, a meeting with all of the missionaries in our half of the city of Managua and our mission president. We learned quite a bit about how to cast out doubts and worries and become fearless missionaries and disciples of Christ, as Paul was. 

This was centered on a talk by President Uchtdorf, delivered in the conference for new mission presidents and their wives this past summer, which explained the transformation that the apostles underwent thanks to the atonement and resurrection of Christ, comparing who they were beforehand with who they were after. This talk, combined with the wonderful video called Because of Him, has really helped me to understand that I hardly understand at all everything that is possible because of the atonement of Jesus Christ. But now I'm starting to learn, and starting to understand what I can do, through Him. 

On Thursday, I worked with Hermana Corzantes, my trainer, aka my first companion. We ended our time together in January, but have been working together in the same zone, or the same city, since February, and she has been asked to do divisions with the sister missionaries this change, since our Sister Training Leader in this part of Managua just broker her foot and isn't working quite as much as normal. This was both odd and good. It was good to see just how much the two of us have progressed since January, but it was odd to fall back into some of the same habits and routines. I suppose this just serves as a reminder that even changes aren't constant. We can grow and progress, but that progess is subjective to other outside variables as well...this mission has me convinced that I'll never truly understand the Lord's plans, and that trying too hard to read his mind just gives me a headache. I need to trust a little more in Ether 12:27, and understand that all I need to understand is my dependence on my Savior.

This week I've been realizing that since the beginning of 2012, the longest I've been in one geographic location was the 8 months I was home in Provo, from September of 2012 til May of 2013. Other than that, I've been in Jerusalem for a few months, Philmont for a few months, and Estelí, Nicaragua for a few months. Here in Managua, I'm completeing 6 months in one place and going for 7. How odd that the most "stability" I've found in the past couple of years is in a foreign country and foreign culture. How odd that I'm still in the same area after so much time. I'm still trying to figure out what the Lord has in store for me here, but, again, that usually just leads to headaches. I'm looking back and seeing all the miracles of the progression that my investigators and friends have made in coming closer to their Savior during my time here, and that's enough for me. 

I love you all, and I hope you have a wonderful week, and take the time to watch those videos.

Love,

Hermana Ferrin

 

Surprises

So this week we had a few surprises. Obviously, the first being that I stayed here in La Fuente again. We didn't tell our bishop, and he assumed that Hermana Dominguez had left the area, and when I walked into his house the first day to introduce my new companion, Hermana Garcia, he looked like (and admitted that he felt like) he had just seen a ghost. Ha!  

Other surprise, Hermana Dominguez went to my first area in Esteli! She's going to meet everyone I loved there, and they're going to love her!

Tender mercy of the week, I lost my agenda on Saturday. A missionary's agenda is their brain. It has everything you need in it, and mine always has a whole big piece of my heart, with inspiring quotes and notes from my companions. I thought I might have lost it in a "rapidito," they're like shady-looking taxis that run a specific route in our part of Managua, but had no idea how to find that specific car again. But the next day as we were walking around picking up people for church, we just happened to walk into the same street as that same rapidito. He rolls down his window and calls "Hermana Ferrin?" (He doesn't know me. He just remembered that I was the only gringa he'd seen that weekend)

"Si?"

"Did you lose this?" And hands me my agenda. That was a million to one chance that I'd ever get that back, but I know it was a simple way that Heavenly Father had of showing me he was aware of me and loves me, even in silly, simple ways like that.

Next surprise: Last Sunday, my last day with Hermana Dominguez, we contacted a really cool family in the street named Wilfredo and Xiomara. We introduced ourselves and our message, and ended up joking and laughing with them. He mentioned that he'd learned from other LDS missionaries before, and that she'd talked with them a few times, but had never had a lesson with them. When we were writing down their information in order to go by and see them later, he told us his name was Denzel Washington. He starts laughing, and we start laughing, and he says "see? Now you won't forget about us!" That's now our joke with them. When we went to visit them the first time, and got to the part in our lesson where we take out the Book of Mormon and are about to introduce what it is, he says 

"I know what that is. It tells the story of the other part of the House of Israel who left Jerusalem during the time of Zedekiah and came to the Americas. It talks about Lehi and Nephi, and then later tells the story of when Christ came to visit the Americas after his resurrection. Moroni was the last one to write in it, right? I've been wanting to know how to get a copy of that book." 

I was flabbergasted and dumbstruck, and wasn't actually able to respond at that moment. Even though he'd talked with missionaries before, very few people in Nicaragua know that much about the Book of Mormon, and even if they read it, they don't understand for themselves always the connection between the covenant people of the Lord in the Bible and the covenant house of Israel in the Book of Mormon, in the Americas.

He continued: "But I really also want to find a copy of the Doctrine and Covenants. I've been hoping to learn more about the priesthood - that's called by the names of Melchizedek and Aaron, right? - and how that authority of God was restored to the earth in these times."

Again, all I could manage to say was "how do you know that?"

He said "wait here" and went into their room to retrieve a book to show me. That book was "Jesus the Christ," by an apostle of the Lord, James E. Talmage. With that book, everything clicked. Their names, having talked with missionaries before, that book. There was an entry in our area book - the record that stays in the specific proselyting area of the missionaries in order to help newcoming missionaries follow through on contacts and teaching done by previous missionaries - about this family, that they were really open to learning more and even had a copy of Jesus the Christ, but that the missionaries hadn't been able to get in touch with them at that time. I had seen their names in a list of various that needed follow up at the beginning of May, and felt urged by the Holy Ghost to look for that family, but their address (addresses are notoriously bad in Central America, especially in Nicaragua) did not help us find them, and we ran out of leads. Then three months later, we coincidentally run into them in the street. But that wasn't a coincidence at all. After talking with them more and seeing the hunger they have for the truth, I have no doubt that the four of us were guided together at this time so that they could receive the eternal blessings they so crave. 

I told them this, and I could see that they agree. And they are so willing to do all that they learn to do. 

We brought a special family to church on Sunday. They have been so excited to talk with us. They were visited by missionaries not too long ago, but never learned about the Book of Mormon, which really is something key and something special when it comes to strengthening our testimonies of Christ and learning the truth of the restoration of the gospel. They've been so excited to read in the Book of Mormon, and to teach their kids about it, too. And we've been working with the family that our mission president taught and baptized in our ward, and this week they came to church not just with a white shirt and tie, but with the Preach My Gospel that the mission president had gifted to the husband.

Biggest surprise: this week, we went to see a family that we were teaching as they returned to activity in the church, who has a 12-year-old daughter who is not a member. She has been learning with the family, but has been afraid and reluctant to be baptized. We backed off so she wouldn't feel so pressured, and began focusing a bit more on other families we were teaching, but stopped by this week to see them and to teach a lesson on how to receive and understand answers to our prayers. Before we even started the lesson, we asked her if she remembered the question we'd invited her to ask in her prayers.

"yes"

"What was it?"

"If I should be baptized."

"And how have you felt?"

She nods

"That you should be baptized?"

She nods again, shyly.

"Excellent. We're so happy for you, and we know this step will make you even happier, especially as you receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost. Would you like to be baptized on Saturday?"

She nods again, and her parents smile.

So, we had a baptism on Saturday (pictures to follow next week). She and her family are so great, and they have so many huge blessings waiting. I just love them. I just love being here. This is all about learning to see the beloved children that we all are to our Heavenly Father, and treating everyone as such, and helping them understand how to live in the way that will make Him, and them, the happiest. I'm so glad I get to be a part of it.

I love you all!

Love,

Hermana Ferrin

Coming up on 9 months...

Isabela, 3 years old, standing. Adriana, 4 years old, sitting. Isabela's family are church members. Adriana's family are friends of Isabela's and are investigating the church.

​These two little girls picked armfuls of blossoms from a flowering tree outside their house, running back and forth to give them to me. At the end, they told me I looked like a hada, or la hada de los niños, according to my companion. In english, that would be a "fairy" or the "fairy of the children." What can I say, I'm a representative of Jesus Christ? Of course kids love us. For me, that is one of the most special things about the mission, being an ordained representative of Jesus Christ and being able to glimpse, more than normal, the love that He has for every one of us. And people can feel that, if they're sensitive to the Spirit of God. Children more so than anyone else.

This week I've seen so many answers to prayer, from the lesson plans we used to animate the local church leadership to set high goals and work with us, to the people the Lord led us to talk to and teach, to the things I learned in my scripture study in the mornings that were exactly what I needed to know for that day or needed to strengthen me. 

The last week we had changes. The elders left the ward, leaving just Hermana Dominguez and me here to work the two areas. We're excited about the new challenge. This place is so special, and I'm thankful that my Heavenly Father entrusted me with his children here. 

The gospel is true, Christ lives, the Book of Mormon and Bible testify of him, and every day I am so grateful that I can participate in His work, in His Kingdom, in His church. 

I love you all so much!

Hermana Ferrin