June 23, 2014

June 16, 2014

Nothing too exciting happened today except after Pday!! We emailed at the internet café and it is horrible hahaha! Later we emailed again because my companion’s sister is in the hospital!! But I didn’t really get on because nothing new happened in the middle of the night!! My mission president isn’t strict about emailing—we can email all day as long as our companion is not just sitting there! But he does care about traveling around on Pday to see the touristy areas. No beuno! A guy started talking to me and telling me I wasn’t Christian cause I cut my hair! It was so funny! I feel bad though cause I just start laughing and I shouldn’t but it’s so funny and so hard for me to not laugh all the time. We taught a Ugandan FAMILY!! It was the best!! So spiritual! Man missions are THE BEST!! They really are! SO Great! And so awesome!!! We talked about eternal families! AND THEY LOVED IT! They are really Catholic!! But they have so much potential!! They fed us a small dinner! The Ugandan family was in Area 9, which is a very Muslim place with a Muslim temple. So we aren’t allowed to teach many in that area so we’re happy to find a family to teach there!! And not just anyone! A great, great family!

I feel like our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are so loving. I love the verse in 1 Nephi 21:14-16 that talks about how our Father in Heaven doesn’t forget us. I wonder what it’s truly like to lose one of your children. It has to be hard. I can’t even imagine. If you look at the prophets they are literally begging us to come to Christ. And God talks through the prophets! It shows the love He really does have for us. He literally is begging us to come back. He also talks about every member a missionary. Remember that. Just cause I’m on a mission doesn’t mean you can’t help with the work. Especially you mom you have SO many friends who don’t know about the Gospel. Although our Heavenly Father is merciful, he still is just, and who satisfied the demands of justice? Jesus Christ. Its important to remember our Heavenly Father does love us but he expects a lot. His plan shows the love He has for us.

June 17, 2014

Today was the best day ever!! We taught Andrew and he said he prayed and felt joy that he knew the Restoration was true. Missions are THE best. They really are so cool! I can’t believe it! He is struggling to accept the Book of Mormon. He says he can find revelation through the Bible so why would he need a Book of Mormon! BUT, still AWESOME, right?! He has been avoiding us a lot lately but we’ll keep trying.

We also taught Steven the Plan of Salvation! THIS MAN IS SO HUMBLE!! He believes different stuff but accepts what we are teaching him immediately! It’s so awesome how willing he is to learn!! Humble people are great!! His dad is in charge of something in the Catholic Church so it will be hard so pray for him and his family.

Mkwandari!! AWESOME GUY!! He’s probably my favorite guy ever!! He is so awesome! He is so humble! He is an elder for the Presbyterian Church but he is absorbing everything we are teaching! We haven’t taught the Restoration yet! But he loves the Plan of Salvation and eternal families! We gave him a picture of the temple and he wants to go so bad! It’s hard because every church pays their people to work for them but if they know it’s true then they’ll be willing to give it up. Heavenly Father made the greatest sacrifice for us by letting his Son come to the earth and atone for our sins. And this was done for all of us so we have to be willing to sacrifice for Him as well.

THREE LESSONS in one day! Tons of fall-through lessons but that always happens TIA (This Is Africa) . We usually plan for nine lessons and always expect fall-throughs.

2 Nephi 1:25, shows the importance of doing things for the right reasons. Remember it’s never about recognition just following our Heavenly Father.

June 18 2014

MAN the mission is the best!!!!! My mission is already going by so fast I don’t want to come home! I miss you guys but you’ll be there in a year and a half and these people won’t! I love the people here!! So many people are mean to us too but its okay. We got canceled on a lot today.

We did taught Noah. He didn’t really understand the purpose of our visit but thought we were there just talking about God. But it was still good. The guard behind us was listening the whole time!! Sweet, right?! And we talked to him before we started with Noah because Noah was late (TIA). The guard is more interested than Noah so that’s good!!

FREDDY!! We taught Freddy!! He is AWESOME!! His father was a polygamist and his mother fed him beer when he was 10. But he has basically changed his whole life around!! Awesome guy!! He is a Pentecostal. Man they are tough--believe they are saved by grace, no works. But he has so much potential. He is VERY interested in how our church is organized with prophets and the 12!! He is like amazed!! That’s basically where we left off!

The Bible is so cool!!! It testifies of Christ and the Book of Mormon so much!!! IT’S SO COOL!! So many verses talk about the Restoration and the temple ordinances and the priesthood and everything. I wish I read the Bible more before my mission.

As I have come on my mission, I have learned a lot. I feel like I understand the relationship with our Heavenly Father a lot better. I feel like I understand how much he truly does love us and how much he truly does care for us and wants us to come back. I have felt so much love for these people. I can’t even imagine how our Heavenly Father feels about the people here. It must be so hard for Heavenly Father when people rebel because He loves them so much. I feel like the atonement is so perfect. It shows so much love but it also shows us that Jesus Christ did not just atone for our sins. We have to turn to him. We have to become clean through Him. Like everything in this Gospel, it shows how much Heavenly Father loves us.

June 19, 2014

We did a service project today!! Man it was awesome!!  I felt like I was back in Tijuana or Fiji or Uganda again!!! I loved it!! So much fun!! We worked on a farm with cow manure to help fertilize the plants. My companion and I were COVERED in manure and when we got home, the showers were turned off hahaha!! We served in the village--the most humbling place of my area. It’s great though. All our appointments fell through today but it was probably our fault. The service project went longer than expected and we couldn’t ride with the ZLS or DL because its not allowed. We had to go with the lady who owns the farm. And she was a little slow. Haaha but it’s still okay!! And it was still a great! We met with some members and some youth that are inactive! The priesthood is so needed in Africa. Well, actually punctuality is needed because no one comes in time to prepare the sacrament and we start a half an hour late every time!

June 20, 2014 - MIRACLES

We met with Grace who literally is the sweetest lady and lives next to the church. She has a Book of Mormon that the branch president gave her. She has been taught by missionaries and loves discussing the gospel. We talked about 2 Nephi 31, which talks about the authority to baptize, and she LOVED it! And it was so inspired that we talked about it because she asked us, “Why did Jesus walk all the way to John the Baptist?” The Lord is a miracle worker! We explained the priesthood quickly because we had to go but we will teach her again!  AWESOME right!!

The next guy we visited was Mkwandavi!! AMAZING moments like this make a mission all worth it! We talked with him about eternal families and he LOVED every second of it!! I wish I could describe it! That’s the thing--mission moments are indescribable. He is so humble and so willing to learn. He didn’t know he could be with his family again and when we told him, he was just shocked and amazed. He kept repeating things like “you have enlightened me” We asked, “Do you have any questions?” “No I agree with everything you are saying.” “Well we aren’t perfect teachers so we might be confusing” “No You are perfect; you are called by God to teach this message to me’. After the lesson, he said, “When we get up to Heaven, I will point you out to God and tell him that you two sisters were the ones who inspired me.” Man what a miracle lesson! (teared up a little).

The next guy we taught was so prepared by the Lord. He called us because he’d read a pamphlet and that NEVER happens but he did and we asked him why and he said, “Because you guys were different. To be honest, I’ve met many missionaries (Jehovah witnesses) but you guys were just different.” His concern was that his baptism was not done correctly. Man that was a miracle guy that just walked into our hands.

This first month of my mission has been amazing. It has made my whole mission worth it.

June 21, 2014

Today literally every lesson fell through. :( You can have the longest day though and still be happy.  We did teach two people. My weaknesses as a missionary is being bold. My companion is great--actually every African is great at the bold thing. But I am horrible at it. And I always start writing in my journal and go to bed a little late. So I’ve got to work on those two things.

BUT!! Missions are the best!! If I had days like today for the rest of my mission, my mission would still be the best! Lessons, personal study and learning the importance of prayer have changed my life.

Personal study has changed my life! It really has!! It’s so great! The Bible and Book of Mormon are so cool and they work hand in hand! I’ve read the scriptures before but studied them like I do here? Not really! And I promise myself to never just read my scriptures again. I wish everyone understood the beauty of really studying the Book of Mormon. It’s so awesome!

Teaching--I could write a whole page about teaching but I won’t. It’s indescribable. It’s the best feeling in the world when you see someone’s face light up, when you see something click and when you see them feel the Holy Ghost. It’s the best.

I set a goal to pray aloud and on my knees daily. I never did that before my mission. It changes your life, your perspective. Do it.

Sunday, June 22, 2014

CHURCH IS GREAT!! There are about 40 members!! And it’s awesome!!!

After church we met with a family that believes they are saved by grace. They are the greatest family ever. They fed us and we taught them a small lesson! Man they have so much potential to be amazing leaders.

Today we explored area 1 which is a dead area. There are huge houses but no one lives in them!! Except a miracle happened--we met a young girl who is so prepared to find the gospel. She said she lost Jesus and is just barely figuring out her life. She is very interested and is so stoked to read the Book of Mormon! Missions are full of miracles. Actually everyone’s life is filled with miracles

The best missionary advice I would give is to go and accept that you aren’t going to be perfect and don’t get upset with yourself when you mess up. Just rely on Heavenly Father and the atonement. I’m far from being a perfect missionary. My advice is to just go. Just do it and then rely on your Heavenly Father. It might be hard but its so WORTH it!! It’s the best decision I have ever made.  

Love
Sister Falco