Full circle - the final countdown :(

 

Hey y'all! 

This week was incredible!! 

First off, COVID restrictions are now officially (almost) over for us in California!! Like a million days later than the rest of the U.S, I know. But we can FINALLY knock doors!! Woohoo!! Lol my mission has now come full circle. In Argentina our primary finding source was tracting door to door, but unfortunately here in California, it's not too effective so not too much has changed, but it's nice to know we can knock a door if we want to! Haha. We can also teach inside homes now and so that has been a huge blessing. The spirit is so much stronger when we can teach inside the homes of our friends and kneel in prayer together. And I also had my first zone conference in PERSON here in the Arcadia mission!! Lol my first and last sadly :( but it was good to get to feel the missionary spirit and receive revelation all together! It made miss zone conferences in Salta. 

We had a great lesson with our friend Gloria and a member where we helped her understand the importance of keeping the word of wisdom before her baptism. The spirit was strong as she committed to keep the commandments, but sadly has not been progressing in the way we would have liked to so we will see when she will get baptized. We did everything in our power to try to get her ready as soon as possible, but at the end of the day there are many things that are simply out of our control. But I take peace and comfort knowing this is the Lord's work and it will go on according to HIS will and not my own. It was a hard lesson to learn but I know we did everything we could and she will get baptized on the Lord's time table. But I'm so grateful I could help her in her progression! 

There is a special family that we have been teaching that is literally golden! It is a single mom, named Rebecca and her 3 sons. And I love that family so much! On our second visit, we gave the boys the children's Book of Mormon to start reading, because they had little to no knowledge of God and basic doctrine and we came back and Angel, the 10 year old, had read the WHOLE BOOK! Like he went from knowing like nothing, to knowing all the prophets and Book of Mormon stories and was asking us about baptism in just the third visit. And her other two kids are so awesome as well and probably the most well-behaved boys I have ever met. It's been so cool to see their progression as we've taught them the basics and they have seriously retained it and understood it so well! Like idk it's hard to contain our joy sometimes in the lessons with them because the boys just surprise us every time. Rebeca is also incredible and we have been working on gaining her trust. She has had a hard past and works two jobs as a single mom which I can't even imagine how difficult that must be. She doesn't have a strong religious background but knows that she wants her boys to know about God so we have really been focusing on them as a whole family and how the gospel can bless them. They are a family that I had been praying my whole mission to meet. 

We also were able to invite our friend Mario to be baptized yesterday and the spirit was so strong! Mario is a friend that told us he felt the spirit immediately from the first time we contacted him in the street. He was motivated to want to come to church and has literally been every Sunday since then, but hasn't met with us super often because he is a workaholic (that's basically what he told us haha). But anyways we have just decided to teach him literally right after church and so this past week have had more lessons. On Wednesday we invited him to be baptized and he straight up said no, because he said he wasn't ready so we invited him to pray about it. On Sunday, we just decided to read in 2 Nephi 31 and talk more about baptism and the spirit was very strong and so without planning to we invited him to be baptized again. And he said yes! This time more confidently and with a greater understanding. I know there is power in the Book of Mormon and especially because he has been trying to read more consistently in the scriptures and meet with us, he has felt the spirit give him clarity and confidence to take that step! 

Blanca and Wilbert also have been progressing slowly but surely. Last night however we decided to just focus on the Book of Mormon and we read with them in 1 Nephi 8. They honestly surprised me with how much they understood and absolutely LOVED Lehi's dream! Like they had just an excitement and light in their eyes from reading that story that I haven't seen in a long time. I am so happy I got the chance to meet and teach them and see the Book of Mormon and gospel literally change their lives and their relationship together. 

Altogether it was a miracle filled week, even though the majority of the blessings and miracles we were able to see were unplanned and came surprisingly from other investigators. I love this gospel so much and I'm so grateful for El Monte and for the growth I've seen in others and myself during these 6 months here! I know this has been where the Lord has wanted me to serve in order to change and grow and I would not have wanted to do anything else with my life. Amo a mi salvador con todo mi corazón y yo sé que este evangelio es verdadero! Yo sé que este obra es la obra más importante sobre la faz de la tierra y estoy agradecida de haber tenido una parte en ella! Y ahora para terminar mi misión trabajando al máximo por traer almas a Cristo!DyC 18:15-18 :) 

Con amor, 

Hna Tate 

Went to Chinatown in East LA



Zone conference!! Saw my fav Chinese sisters



Our friend Ruth from Honduras, she is so sweet and LOVES to talk. Haha

We finally had a lesson in Lorena's house!! A good lesson except her dog hated us and would NOT stop barking

Rebecca and her kids!! Love them so much!


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