Heartbreak Warfare.

Mon 9/14/2015 1:13 PM

I'll be honest here.

 This past week was the stinkin' pits! Take it however you want. 

 Satan.. Gosh. Satan totally sucks!!

 Regardless of how it all went, it was a huge eye opener to me. 

Huh, we sometimes have tough weeks, and tough experiences to actually learn something? Say what? Yep. It's super easy to look at these things like burdens rather than lessons, and to allow it to teach us a thing or two. Maybe even to count our blessings more, and recognize what we could possibly improve on. Anyone can easily be the first to ask God, "Why me?", and I'll be completely honest, I questioned that. However, it humbled me down a bit, because I realized that I was wrong. That the Lord was giving me a few trials as a blessing so that I could grow. I repented immediately.

 

With that said, I'll share a bit of what occurred.

All of our progressing investigators dropped us. Okay, I'm not lying at all, and totally laugh at me if you will, but this was the worst break up of my life!! Gee, I never thought.. Don't wanna go there, but let me tell you, when you really love your investigators and they drop you, gosh. It hurts! So bad. I don't think I've ever hurt that bad. It totally sucked. It was "the pits"! (Sis Griffith taught me that phrase, and I'm probably using it in the most incorrect way, but..) 

 Dylan. I'll probably binge on some chocolate after I express what happened with him. This was easily the toughest one I've had. He was doing so well! But when one is doing so well, and is drawing closer and closer to God and Christ, Satan taps on our weaknesses per say, and takes advantage. He doesn't want us to progress, and that's probably one of the toughest things for me, ever. (Like, I'm just so stoked for the Millennium!) Dylan was on this spiritual high, and was ready for his baptismal interview, when Satan knocked on his door.. I don't need to go into any further description, but he shot us a text expressing that he made up his mind after some thought and contemplation, and that he doesn't want to enter that straight and narrow gate- baptism. 

 

I truly felt like Satan punched me in the stomach. We were so heartbroken and distressed. It was the toughest thing. So much opposition all in one week. Don't think I've ever been on my knees begging God to help that person we'd so dearly come to love that much in my life. We were constantly praying for him, and at that point, I didn't even care the least bit amount for myself. I just wanted him to progress and allow God to help him so badly. I didn't understand why this was happening especially when it was for a good cause, but in my heart I realized that I shouldn't doubt God's plan or question His ways. I felt selfish. That he knew better, and knows what was best for Dylan. At that point, I realized that I needed to repent, and accepted what was happening. It hit me how powerful God is and how His way is always better. That this is His work, not mine. I felt as if my Savior's arms were around, comforting me and helping me recognize that we didn't do anything wrong, that it was all okay, and that Dylan would be okay. 

That night, we received a text from Dylan. He expressed that he has a lot going on right now, and that he needed to take things slower. He has a lot of personal things going on in his life, and it's just something that he wants to take slowly, which we understand. The Lord just needs to work on him a little bit more. We're here for him, not us. 

He hasn't kept contact with us since..

 

James. Now he seriously became a brother to me. He's progressed so much, but due to a few things, he's going to have to move. He left yesterday for Oregon. He came to church for his 3rd time and after we had a "Second Sunday Supper" after church, he took us off to the side, and told us that meeting with us has really helped him. That we needed to help his relationship with God grow, and we had done just that. He's felt and noticed that more, thus why he wants to improve that, and the best way for that to happen is by moving elsewhere. He told us that he knows the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is true, and that he wants to find out his answer for baptism. We just love him so much! We've been able to see the Spirit guide us in every possible way to help him and guide him. It's been incredible. We gained so much charity for him, and we're just so excited to find out about his baptism. We were sad that we couldn't be there to teach him and watch him get baptized, but we realized that other missionaries may need him in their lives and need this experience more than we may, which we accepted. He also told us he was taking us Salsa dancing after he's baptized. Total inside joke, but it was hilarious. He was such a miracle. When we bore our testimonies to him, he bore one to us, and he totally cried. It was so tender. We're excited for him. He has a bright future, and it makes all the difference in our lives when we could help our investigators realize that.

 

We realized this past week that a ton of our investigators are in it for the wrong reasons, so we've passed them off.

I'll try to briefly explain the whole car door incident. 

So we went to a lesson I had to each in all Spanish. We didn't have any Spanish speaking members available to join this family we were going to teach. When we arrived, the father invited his brother in. Let's say he thought he was looking for something we weren't. Awkward because poor Sis Ballif didn't speak any Spanish, so she didn't really know what was going on. She did however, know how to read body language, which I'm grateful for. As I was teaching the Restoration, homeboy was just asking irrelevant questions on my personal life. Haha don't know how many times I had to express that my purpose as a missionary doesn't align to whatever his intentions were. Normally I wouldn't mention something like this, but it was hilarious. So I'm teaching about Joseph Smith and I asked him what he thought that Joseph did to receive an answer from God. his response, "Pray, but that's what I've been doing. I mean, I'm praying to find the right girl, and I know you're here for a reason.." and I'll end it at that. No further need to explain more. I expressed that just like he prayed for answers to his prayers, Joseph did just that, and shot straight into reciting the First Vision. After the lesson, I felt so uncomfortable, and his brother expressed that he knew his brother was attempting to flirt. We expressed it's not our purpose, and so now we're handing him off. So here's the best part. I was complaining about it to Sis. Ballif on the way out and filling her in on what happened that whole lesson. i was so annoyed, and as I was talking to her, I yanked the car door open so hard, and the edge of the door hit me straight in the eye. If I were any taller, it woulda knocked my eye out! So that was a humbling experience for me, and everyone thinks Sis Ballif and I duked it our in comp inventory or something. So there's a laugh for ya!

 Anyway,

We're so heartbroken that our progressing investigators left, but we realized that it's all due to the Lord's will, and he knows them best. It was such a privilege to be able to view them as God would, and love them as He would. It makes all the difference when you view them with eternal, spiritual eyes, rather than our physical mortal eyes. You grow to learn what charity is about, and I can testify of the truthfulness of that from the bottom of my heart.

 I was certainly humbled down this past week, and I realized it's another opportunity to trust my Heavenly Father more. I know this experience will help me down the road, and I'm grateful for the blessing I've been given to learn. 

 Again, I invite you all to continue to build your relationship with him. Pray to him. Ask him if He loves you. What he thinks of you. I've done that, and I can't even explain how sacred of an experience I had with that.

 

I love you all so much!

En realidad. Have a great week. I'm praying for you all.

 

Con amor,

Temple Spires.

Tue 9/8/2015 12:30 PM

THIS PAST WEEK WAS THE BEST EVER!

 

Really, every week on my mission is. Easily the best time of my life. Why? 'Cause I've given it to the Lord, and he's molding me.

 

I've felt so exhausted this past week, and words cannot express how good it feels! I don't know. I feel good about my efforts when I get home, get ready for bed, and am able to pass out within seconds. I feel that that's when I've completely given my time to the Lord and he helps me recognize that I did enough that day.

 

So, cool experience. I so made a gangster cry. Actually, it was the spirit that did it, but I was an instrument, and I just thought that was cool. We were working in Spo-Compton one night, and our appt with Dylan fell through, so we just walked around. We found this guy named Raymond, and he was just up to gangster stuff. Spoke to him about the Plan of Salvation, and he softened his heart, and totally cried due to the Spirit. He's trying to quit drinking, and we invited him to quit. I asked him of I could take his bag filled with alcohol, and he said, "You ain't takin' my alcohol from me." We had a good talk about alcohol, and he committed to quit. It was gnarly. So yeah. I felt legit, nbd.

 

Oh my heck. Dylan!!! Ah!

He has just been battling with Satan like crazy! He's been trying to cut down and quit smoking, but each time we leave a lesson, the Spirit comes in knocking on his door and tempts him. We helped him recognize that, and we've just been doing all we could possibly do to help him. We call him every 4 hrs to help him, and stopping by to give him the friendly reminder. It's super cool because our ward including himself and other of his supporters in the area prayed and fasted for him. We've been praying for his desire to smoke to completely leave him so that he'll progress and be able to be interviewed for baptism this upcoming Saturday. He called us Sunday night and told us he went down to just 1. We knew the Lord was answering our prayers. We received a call from him yesterday and he said, "Sisters, I can do it. I'll be able to quit before Saturday. I'm losing my desire to smoke, and I know that trusting God has played a role in this." We couldn't believe what we heard. We totally did a little victory dance as he was telling us about this. Dylan, is breaking the chains of temptation, and watching him go through this has been such a great testimony building experience. With God, everything is possible. He is loving the Lord, and has turned his heart to him. 

 

 

It's so awesome the support he's getting from everyone. So many people support and love him. People he doesn't even know!

One of our members came up to him Sunday and gave him a ton of ties from his mission, and told him that every new member could use new ties. It touched me heart. it's awesome to watch the charity we all hold for one another. Dylan is such a miracle. So prepared.

 

I'd talk about James as well and the best lesson we had with him, but I'm out of time! However, he has learned how to trust in God, and through the Spirit we discerned that need of his, and have helped him meet it. It's such a privilege to be a part of all these miracles!

 

I just love being on the Lord's errand all the time. I wouldn't trade it for anything. I hope you all continue to grow your love and trust in him. Have a great week.

 

Con amor,

 

Hermana Robles

The One Where the Love Story Didn't End

Mon 8/31/2015 12:31 PM

I know what you're all thinking,

"Hermana Robles, why are you thinking about love stories?" Or something along those lines and the importance of having a "locked heart" on my mission. 

Pues, si.

But, let me tell you about the greatest miracle EVER first. 

And basically, this may be all I'll email about today. Quizá.

 

Dylan. Oh man.. Dylan! So remember how I mentioned that he was just "so golden" last week? Yeah, well.. So true! Probably more gold than that calf people used to worship back in the days of Moses!

Dylan is literally the walking miracle of the enabling power of the Atonement. He has strengthened my testimony like nothing else. I don't even know where to begin. This last week was just the best. We taught him some of the best lessons this past week. The Spirit was evidently present, and the strongest. I can't even express how I felt in those lessons. So sublime. So sacred. Powerful, and filled with charity. The best thing is that he recognized it in the first lesson. He's so intelligent, and he's recognizing it more and more. 

 After our first lesson with him last Sunday, we returned Tuesday. We taught him the Plan of Salvation, and it just clicked to him. It was incredible how the Spirit taught him. He recognized it off the bat. He expressed that he was feeling the spirit so strong, and that he understood his purpose on earth and the purpose that God has for him. We spoke to him about the temple and Family History and put him "on-date" to attend the temple and do Proxy Baptisms for Oct 2. Right before Gen. Conference and the end of the transfer. He accepted and expressed how excited he was for that. We're helping him see his eternal perspective and looking towards a goal to work towards. Right now, and based off his desires, the Priesthood and the temple.

After that lesson, he expressed a few things regarding the Word of Wisdom. He's doing his best to completely cut cigarettes before the 12th of Sept. We had a few members with us and asked him if he wanted a Priesthood blessing.

Austen, our WML gave him such a beautiful blessing to help give him comfort and strength. I just love the Priesthood! It's been such a blessing in my life, especially on my mission. 

After Austen gave Dylan his blessing, Dylan expressed that as soon as Austen placed his hands on his head, he felt a surge of energy flow through his body. That he'd never felt anything like it before, and that he knew the Priesthood is real, and so powerful.

Since the blessing, Dylan's gone from 10 cigarettes a day, to 7, to 5, to 3, and is slowly but surely letting go of them. THIS ALL HAS HAPPENED WITHIN THE PAST WEEK! We've been at his place everyday giving him things to help him, and our members have too. The guys even brought him church clothes to wear on Sunday and just been in constant touch with him.

It's so great that the ward has been in unity to help Dylan quit. Such a huge testimony builder. I expressed to him that I possibly couldn't imagine what he's going through and the massive amounts of self mastery that he has. In order for me to support him, I was going to give up something that's been a struggle for me too, and that I just love so much- desserts. I found myself committing to that before thinking it through.. but not surprised. I would do such a thing. It's cool cause Sis Ballif also committed to doing it, and that 3 of us are keeping each other on tabs each night and sharing scriptures to help. 

 

Each lesson we've taught him this past week has been so great! I can't even fathom it. 

However, yesterday's lesson taught me and strengthened both my testimony and conversion more than I expected. 

We "homecourted" him at our Stake president's home. The McCombies are seriously my mission parents. They remind me of mom and dad. It's insane. After church, we all went to their home and had dinner followed by a lesson. We taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Easily the most powerful lesson of my mission. Wish I had time to really go into detail. We spoke about how living the Gospel of Jesus Christ is a lifestyle- the lifestyle to real happiness. The spirit once again stronger than ever. I remember just powerfully testifying and saying things I wasn't planning to say, or even expecting. I knew the Spirit was working through my companion and I to Dylan. When we checked for understanding, he in return taught us through the things he said that he learned. He recognized that without the Lord, we are nothing. That the best and most intelligent thing we could do is let God take hold of the steering wheel in our lives, and TRUST. He understood that repentance isn't an event, but a process. it clicked! Everything clicked.

 President McCombie asked him why baptism. Why does he want to be baptized. He shared the most touching testimony and my heart was just so filled. I bawled lie a baby. This man WANTS Christ and God, and he recognized that he NEEDS them. How they will help him and strengthen him throughout life's perils. He is deeply rooted in to the Gospel. He's tasted of the fruit, and has received a witness that it's good and delights him. He expressed, "Well, baptism would be a love story that doesn't end." Poet. He said that he knows how sacred and serious of a covenant baptism is and that he's in. His heart, mind, will, and actions. He wants it. 

 

 

THE ATONEMENT IS SO REAL. 

 I've been praying to find someone like Dylan that i could help bring closer to Christ, and the Lord has answered my desire. I recognized that sometimes we have to push further and be at that last point before our prayers are answered. That is how God teaches us. He wants us to learn something throughout the process. Proves how loving God is. 

 

This is something I have such a strong testimony of. I know that God loves each of his children and is working in their lives. That his plan is better for us than what we think ours is. That our wants and desires should always point to him. I love him with all I have in me, and he surely has the streering wheel in my life.

 

I invite you all to allow him in your hearts if you haven't.

 

Have a great week!

 Con amor,

 

Hermana Robles