Superar y Vencer

Wow. What a week. Well, on Tuesday we had an appointment with the Sab*** crew. They were beating themselves up for not going to church because they promised us they would...so we tried to get them to look forward to the future and change! We read the Intro with them, since they didn't do that...and when we got to the line "tells men what they must do to gain peace in this life and eternal salvation in the life to come" he stopped us.....which no one ever has before. He said, "Well, what if I had never met with you guys and learned about this book? Or the people who never learn about it.....you saying they don't get salvation?" We taught and testified of the Plan of Salvation and the Spirit World....how the people who didn't have a chance to learn and accept the fullness of the gospel will still have the opportunity. This is because our Heavenly Father loves us and wants ALL of His children to return home to Him....for this reason He will provide everyone one of us the perfect opportunity to accept and live this beautiful gospel. How beautiful is that!? Well, Jack loved it! He said it was an answer to a question he has had for a LONG time. He was always worried about the kids in Africa that never get the chance to learn about the Savior....how would they be saved? It was really neat to see how the fulness of the gospel truly does have the answers to the questions of our souls. We also put him on date so we were super pumped!

We also went down to Hemet for exchanges and interviews....and there we got our SMART PHONES. We are still trying to figure everything out and our heads are spinning. It will take awhile...but it's going to do wonders for the mission once we get a handle on things!

Sunday was a little rough...the Sab*** didn't show up and may or may not have paused us....? Still not sure....they just texted saying they weren't ready for church and I think they just felt so bad because they said they didn't want to be a waste of our time.....which is SO NOT TRUE. If only our investigators could just know how much we really do truly love them. We express it to them, but they don't really grasp the fact that we pray for them every day....we fast....we constantly think of what we can do to help them live the gospel more in their lives and be HAPPY. I just have so much love for them and we are praying things get better because they do have a lot of desire.

Then, we also found out from our branch president that our recent convert Samantha will be kicked out of her house once she graduates.....and it broke my heart. We had no idea....and at church she was SO DARN HAPPY. She is incredible. She is the strongest person I have ever met. She is so so so HAPPY but in her home, her life is in shambles. It breaks my heart, but at the same time I'm not worried one bit. The branch ADORES her, and President Hol*** said there will be someone to take her in, no questions asked. Even if she stays down with him down in Hemet, whatever it takes. Oh how I love this branch. It has my heart. OH!! And she was confirmed yesterday, which she was anxiously awaiting!

Well, that's another week in the books. I can't wait to watch General Conference and to celebrate the risen Lord. I know and testify that He lives, and oh how I love and adore Him.

"There is no greater joy in life than being anxiously engaged in the service of the Lord." M Russell Ballard

Love,
Hermana Tonini

How beautiful is Anza? This beautiful.

Facebook Post #1

Hey family and friends as you can see I am back on Facebook! Our mission got approved for it but my focus is still going to be on bringing people unto Christ. I can only email on Mondays still so if you desire to contact me, please use my email, corina.tonini@myldsmail.net. Please don't tag me in anything that wouldn't represent Him!

I love y'all and thanks for continuing to love and support me as I serve the Lord.

Uhhhh..

This week was very long, very full, and very good. We had FIVE recent convert/less active lessons, picked up three new, and got in lots and lots of seeking AND service time. Needless to say, my brain is fried and I'm feeling a little burnt out....but I will have to get over it in about eight hours because then we are back at it again! I can't believe I only have four precious months left....it's not enough time!!

One of the people we picked up was a husband of a less-active who we didn't know existed! We found her through a member....from Lake Elsinore! Most of our success up here comes from members, and I am so grateful for them!! We are excited to re-activate Lisa and help Jack progress in the gospel towards getting baptized. Things are really picking up!!! I love the work and I can't wait to see what's next!

Hermana Tonini

No Dudéis; No Temáis

WOW WOW WOW.  Samantha's baptism yesterday was INCREDIBLE! during our lesson with her this week we asked her if there was anything she wanted to change to her program before we made and printed it. She decided she wanted to change the closing hymn to a hymn she heard at Stake conference last week that just won't get out of her head......CALLED TO SERVE. So we sang Called to Serve for her baptism! I loved it! Could she be more perfect?

Brother Boyd, my favorite member in the branch, came up to us when we were setting everything up and told me something that brought me to tears. He said that in Elders' Quorum they were talking about divine design....and he asked Daniel (Samantha's boyfriend who is 19 and wasn't planning on serving) if Samantha's conversion and her getting baptized was done by divine design....he said yes....so he then asked if it changes anything about him serving a mission and he said he thinks it does. What a miracle. It's been so neat to see Daniel's part in this whole process and watch him grow just as much as Samantha has grown. He pretty much taught her all of the lessons before we did...he made our job easy! I truly believe that his role as a member missionary is what will get him out on his mission and he is going to change so many lives. I just can't wait. Sister Loranger came up from Hemet to do the Restoration presentation which was really nice because she was also baptized when she was 18 and her family was not supportive....she told us that Samantha told her she is considering going on a mission! If these two go out on missions that would mean everything. Nothing could possible ring me greater joy.

I think my favorite part of the whole baptism was actually right after it happened. She got out of the water and I BOLTED. (with my companion in tow of course) I ran to the bathroom and told her to come out of the stall before she got dressed and she was in tears. We embraced, both in tears, as we soaked in what this all meant for her. This has been a long journey for her....the trials never ceased. Even Sunday morning her and her dad got in another argument..but it never stopped her. She never doubted. She never feared. All she wanted was to enter into a covenant with her Heavenly Father and nothing was going to get in the way of that. Oh how I love that girl, and I am excited to anhelosamente look forward to going to the temple with her this transfer. That's actually what she chose for her program cover....a picture of the temple. Good things will happen here in Anza/Idyllwild with Sister Bryant this transfer. We are ready  and pumped for round two!

Hermana Tonini

White all around

Ummm, I couldn't even tell you what happened this week. We had Multi-Zones and exchanges....so it was a really packed week. So, since I can't seem to remember anything....let's talk about what went down this weekend.

So we had Stake Conference and it was SO GOOD. Elder Jay D. Pimentel spoke about what it means when the scriptures talk about a broken heart. He used a baseball analogy so of course it was fantastic. Having a broken heart isn't like a teenager who doesn't have a date to the Prom or who didn't get a text back from her crush, implying that it needs to be fixed.....it's more like breaking in a baseball glove. He explained how to break in a baseball glove and of course I could say the process along with him. (Aren't you proud of me, Dad?) So here's the thing. If you don't break in your glove, you will have a very difficult time trying to catch it....because it will just fall right out of your glove. Once you do the whole process of breaking it in, the ball stays exactly where it needs to be. He compared it to us...that we are the glove. When we have a broken heart we allow God's hand to work in our lives. He tells us to "Hold to to this. Let go of that. Hold to this. Let go of that." It's all about humility.

We also heard from Elder Taniela B. Wakolo who was INCREDIBLE!!!!  I can't even express into words what the Spirit taught us through his talks. He is such a powerhouse and it was cool to be able to shake his hand as I walked off the stage after translating.

Samantha was able to meet President Hammon which was really good for her! She told us she is good to go with next Sunday! She told her parents she was going to be baptized next Sunday since she will be 18, and they were a little more supportive this time!!! We don't know if her dad will be going to the baptism, but at least there's no more turmoil in her home. So she had her baptism interview last minute right after conference...AND SHE WAS FOUND WORTHY!!!!! SHE IS GETTING BAPTIZED NEXT SUNDAY!!!!!!! Man, it was so good. And then we had Ada's fireside bc she leaves for her mission to Germany in a couple of weeks. She had Samantha bear her testimony.....in front of  a TON of people and she killed it! We cried so hard. It was so precious to not only hear her strong testimony but to also hear her gratitude for missionary work and how it has changed her life. We, as sister missionaries, also bore our testimonies and the Spirit was so strong. It was one of the most Spiritual firesides I have been to in my whole life. Ada's outgoing testimony was so powerful.....lots and lots of tears were shed. It was truly a perfect day.

I love y'all so much. I love this work. I love my Savior. The Lord is truly hastening His work, and what a blessing it is to play a part.

Con amor,

Hermana Tonini

p.s. it snowed for like one day in Anza and it was fun while it lasted!

p.p.s. We get transfer calls on Saturday and who knows what will happen with us honestly.