Changes!Well, another week has passed! I cannot believe how fast time flies here in the mission. This week was so crazy. A week with a million obstacles but full of blessings. The biggest blessing this week was the baptism of Cesar. It was such a blessing to be a tiny part of this big day on their road to eternity. I cannot wait to see this family in the temple, and watch them grow and be an eternal family :)
Sorry today is short, with transfers mondays are always really crazy. But I loved this transfer with Hermana Zarate - I was able to learn so much and I know that I will keep learning and growing. My new companion is going to be Hermana Johnson! Another gringa from Utah so it's bound to be a fun time. Remember that this week is Conference! I invite all of you to prepare for revelation and spiritual enlightenment. I cannot wait to hear what the Lord has prepared to tell me. Love you all! Thanks for your love and support! I hope you have a great week! Hna Terry Smile You're in OrizabaThis week was something....Crazy. Crazy crazy crazy. I can't even believe how many things happened this week. Just to give you an idea... Tuesday was a very full day... In the morning we had a Mission Zone Conference! And then later we had the Noche Mexicana! It was such a fun night! I loved celebrating Mexico here in Mexico! We even got permission to sing a Mexican song with the Jimenez family who are recent converts. It was so fun! They are such an amazing family. It's always a great time with them. But we also got to see a lot of different culture dances and eat traditional Mexican food! And the best part was that we had a lot of references and investigators there! In our weekly planning thursday I felt really prompted that we needed to call Andrea - a menos activo in the ward. When we finally got ahold of her she told us that her Mother-in-law was in the hospital with cancer and that it took a turn for the worst and didn't look promising. We went right to work calling and getting a brother of the ward to go with us so she could get a blessing and we could help her family. In the afternoon we were in the hospital for awhile and we met Susana and she got a blessing and we shared a little message with her. She isn't a member but we know that she is going to accept the gospel in the spirit world! Sunday we got the call that she passed away. . . Saturday we got another chance to see the Plan of Salvation in action. We got called that one of the sisters in the ward passed away. We then went to her funeral and sang some hymns with her family. Hermana Gloria was 90 years old and a faithful, faithful member of the ward. Last week we went and visited her and her testimony is so strong and unbreakable! I know she's gonig to be a powerful missionary on the other side! This week I got the change to really reflect and strengthn my testimony of the Plan of Salvation. And especially in eternal families. I know without a doubt that familes can be together forever, and I'm so grateful for my family and the example that they are to me. And that I get to be with them forever. My purpose in going on a mission has always been along the lines of the phrase that says "A missionary is someone who leaves their family for 18 months (2 years) so that others can be with their families forever" This sincerely is my modive. I want every family to have the blessings that I have in my family and will someday have in my future family. There really is NO other way, no other path that will bring us true happiness. And to see the happiness that the gospel brings to people is something I wouldn't change for anything. Friday I got the change to go to Mendoza in divisons. It was such an amazing day! The best part was at the end of the day. The lession that they had planned fell through so we ran (In pouring, pouring rain...) to visit a recent convert that lived close and we started teaching her when her uncle came in to listen to what these "mormons" were teaching. He started asking all sorts of questions about the restoration and we started to teach it from the beginning. As the lession went on I could tell that it was really affecting him...When we started explaning the Great Apostasy the power went out. It somehow made the lesson perfect. We had a couple cell phone lights on so that we could see a little bit and it applied perfectly to the Apostasy. That the lights were off, the world was in darkness, and the only way for it to be fixed is for the power to come back on. Sure there are tiny lights but it can't light up the whole room. It isn't sufficent. And we then started talking about Joseph Smith and the Restoration of the gospel. The spirit was so strong that when we invited him to baptism he had no other option but to say yes - because he could feel the spirit and he knew that it was true. One of the best lessons in my whole mission - I'll never forget the spirit that was there in this moment! Well the only thing left to say is that I love you all! Hope everything is going well. That you're all making good choices and strengthening your testimony every day. Working to be a better person and starting every day like it's going to be the best day of your life! I started thinking this about a week ago - Every day I wake up and tell myself it's going to be the best day of my mission because I know that I have the power over whether or not a day is going to be a bad day, a good day or an amazing one! So that's my invitation this week, Look for the blessings in every day because you won't have to look hard to find that there are a million. Hermana Terry Pics. . . Today we went to a little museum and then later to a little zoo that's by the river. The best part of today - Hermana Skousen wanted a picture presenting a Book of Mormon to the monkey and he gladly accepted it! The only problem was that he couldn't actually take it through the fence and he got a little frustrated. Sharing the gospel with everyone - like a good missionary! Not a single one from Mexico...But Mexican at heart. Smile you're in Orizaba. Singing with the Jiminez family.
Viva Mexico!Feliz dia de Independencia México!
Everyone here is a little crazy about 4th of July - Mexican version. Today is the "Grito" and tomorrow the big day! Complete with a huge Mexican Night in the church. Woo! This week was one of the best weeks ever! Every day was full of huge blessings! Obviously with opposition, but at the end of the day amazing! This week I also had the best lesson of my mission so far. We went to visit a reference who went to an activity a while back and when we got there he wasn't there yet so we started talking to his mom Inocencia. She was pretty interested but when Enoc came she left to go help her son with his homework. Enoc is so receptive and honestly so ready! We went to the lesson with a returned missionary in the ward and it was such an amazing lesson. It was like a companionship of 3 because we were all teaching and testifying and the spirit was so strong. When we invited Enoc to baptism he accepted and accepted a baptismal date as well. What we didn't know was that his mom had walked in and heard the last five minutes of the lesson. She started asking us all sorts of questions about Enoc's baptism - like if he would have to go on a mission if he became a member and all sorts of things. And then before we even knew was happening I started testifying to her and invited her to baptism and she accepted as well! It was such an amazing lesson, I will never forget it because the spirit was so strong. This week we also had a baptism! The missionaries one day contacted a family and started teaching them and then come to find out the mom is a member! Ezmeralda is 8 years old and is so, so happy all the time. Especially to be baptized! The blessing in all of this was that her dad was able to go to church and part of her baptism and is now fully preparing for his baptism! So after sunday school we went to go check how the water was doing in the baptismal font and come to find out...It wasn't filling up at all. The ward mission leader forgot to plug the drain so the water would keep filling up...And the baptismal font takes three hours to fill up completely. Neadless to say we were all freaking out a little bit that we were going to have a baptism in one hour and the baptism font wasn't full. So we started doing the only lodgical thing - using buckets of water to fill it up. All the ward members started helping - everyone going to the neighbors and asking for water, primary kids bringing cups of water from the bathroom and one sister mopping up all the water that was spilling. It was so. so. insane. But also amazing. To see all the unity of the ward to make the baptism happen! It will definitely be a baptism that NO one will ever forget. Especially Ezme! When we all got back into the room to start the baptism we started singing hymns to bring the spirit and it was such a spiritual moment! Sometimes things are crazy, and it seems like nothing is going right...but there is always something good in every situation. You just have to look for it and you'll find it every time. That's a lesson that I'm learning a lot right now. A characteristic that I didn't know I had - that there are blessing in every moment :) I hope everyone has a great week! Hermana Terry OrizabaThis week in Orizaba was crazy! I've never seen so much rain in my life! Every day we walk around in the rain, splashing in puddles and trying to stay happy! It's really hard because when it's raining we can't contact, and we can't find anyone in their houses. But this week was full of miracles as well. Every day was one challenge after the next but it was really great and strengthening as well! Saturday was such a great day, we worked so hard and meet a lot of really great people! One being Mirium. We actually met her in my first week here in Orizaba but for one reason or the other we could never find her in her house. We finally were able to meet with her saturday and the lesson was so amazing! She is so receptive, and ran to get her bible and notebook when we started teaching. She lived in Canda a few years ago and when she was there she joined a Christan church but ever since has felt like something else is missing. When she said the closing prayer she started to cry. Moments like this are what really get me through. It is so amazing to see people change their lives and start to enjoy the blessings of the gospel. One of the pictures is us at a FHE with a new convert family that is amazing! They are so happy and so excited about the church! It was such a fun night to be with them and just feel the spirit radiating from this newly baptized family! Cesar is ten years old and makes me think so much of Mace. He is always doing cute things for his mom. For Grandmother day he gave his mom a flower and told her "Feliz dia de abuela!" She got all offended and told him she wasn't a grandma yet! And he just told her, but Mom! Someday you'll be a grandma when I have kids! It was so adorable. Well despite the rain, things are going great here in Orizaba and I'm growing so much every day :) I hope everyone has a great week! Hna Terry Me and Hna Zarate after the streets flooded from so much rain.! Jimenez Family NDH (FHE)
This week in ORIZABA! I always have funny experiences and things like that in my head and then when I get to email time I have no idea where it goes!
Today was a P-Day very, very stressful! We helped Nogales - my old home! - Move to a new house because the apartment they were living in is pretty terrible. And on the 5th floor - So that was fun!) The best part though was to see Hna Jensen! She is honestly such an amazing missionary and my best friend. Well I'm going to be honest with you all. This has been a week very very...strengthening. Strengthening to my testimony. And especially my testimony of the Restoration of the gospel. I´ve never felt and seen so much opposition of the restoration here in México. Every day we were attacked by people about Joseph Smith and prophets, the apostacy the Book of Mormon and really just any part of the restoration. We met a few people that were amazing! We were led to them, and they were led to us by the spirit but just didn't have that true intent. The key to everything to feel the spirit and have a true conversion. One of these people was Sophia. Sophia was a person that we met who was cleaning her patio and we offered to help! (Like good missionaries haha) She started talking to us and was really interested in everything until she found out the Church of Jesus Christ is also the "Mormons". She then suddenly wanted to bible bash and have us show her the scripture in the bible that says "Book of Mormon" This is the trial of faith. Because the scripture that says " the Mormon church is true, and Joseph Smith was a prophet!" It just doesn't exist. What does exist is the power of study and prayer. Of a sincere heart, with true intent, and FAITH - which is the knowledge of things we can't see, that we can't read. And the answer comes by the spirit. There really is no other way! I know without a doubt that Joseph Smith was called in these latter days to restore the true Gospel of Jesus Christ here on the earth. That the Book of Mormon is true, and combined with the bible is the word of God. I know that every missionary is called by a prophet of God to share the gospel - the gospel of Jesus Christ. And that the only way we can return and live with him and our families forever is through the gospel of Jesus Christ. Faith, Repentence, Baptism, Receiving the Holy Ghost and Enduring to the End. And that for us as members of this gospel have a responsibility to share the gospel our whole lives. It's part of the deal, it's part of enduring the to end! It's part of showing your love to your neighbor, your friend, your family. To our Heavenly Father and his son Jesus Christ. And that if we aren't living the gospel, we don't just hurt ourselves but we hurt others. Because sometimes the best way to share the gospel is by being an example. Hna Skousen (sister Missionary serving our ward that is amazing!) She always says, "We always should be sharing the gospel. And sometimes we use words" (translating from the spanish translation to english again...haha) It's honestly so true. Lets all strive to be representatives of Christ, witnesses of God at all times, in all things, and in all places. A scripture that I really liked from my personal study this week was Helaman 5:9-12. Actually I'm just loving Helaman right now. The Book of Mormon is honestly my favorite book. :) Sorry I lack pictures! And great stories! Promises for next week: Fun stories and a real picture of me and my companion Hna Zarate! Hope you all have an amazing week! Hermana Terry |
My name is McKenna Terry and I have been called to the Mexico Veracruz Mission. These are my stories. Hermana McKenna Terry
[email protected] Hermana McKenna Terry
Mexico Veracruz Mission Calle Altamirano #27 Entre 1 de Mayo y Carranza Col. Flores Magon Veracruz, Ver 91700 Mexico Archives
July 2015
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