Go Tell it on a Mountain

So many miracles have happened this week.

I had a feeling I was getting transferred. I felt like my time was up in Corona and that I did what I came to do....the Ga*** Family. I felt like it was my time to leave, but I was wishing I had more time to build the area some more. Our family we were working with had just fallen off date and they were pretty much paused. Our other investigators were not progressing.....I just felt like the transfer was ending on a low point. I prayed for the last two weeks of the transfer. I prayed that we would find SOMEBODY elect and prepared for Hna Sorensen to work with for the next transfer. I also had a goal to get somebody other than the Ga*** Family to church. I realized halfway through the transfer that we haven't been able to get anyone else to church.

First off, we had an incredible less-active lesson with a family I didn't even know existed until last Sunday when I saw them at church. Turns out a couple of months ago they moved over into our proselyting area.  We set up an apt with them and it was AWESOME! We taught about the Libro de Mormon and it turns out his wife doesn't even feel like she has a testimony of the LdM. The husband talked about how this new year they set a goal as a couple that they were going to start coming to church and that he was so excited when we reached out to them! I have never had a less-active respond like the way he did....a lot of the times they don't want to see us. He was ELATED that we were in his home and we told him that we are coming by every single week to help them get back in the Libro de Mormon and back to church. They were so down for it!!!

Second, we had one of those long miracles in the process when we found Alicia! Her two teenage daughters got baptized on their own, which is super cool....but now they are inactive. The mom is not a member and neither is the younger brother. Well, we tried stopping by her like FOREVER ago but the people there said she moved a year ago.....so we crossed her off of our list. Well, one day we were organizing our area book and I found a teaching record for her!!One of the Hermanas put her new address in there but didn't update it in the ward list. So it was a miracle! Until there were dogs everywhere and we couldn't get to her door.....so we called her and got an apt for this week. WOW. INCREDIBLE LESSON. Okay, the reason she was paused like a year ago was because she never went to church and wouldn't make the time for the missionaries. Well, the day after we called her last week, she got a call from work saying she would be working less but longer days so she could spend more time with her family. So she wouldn't be working Thursday-Sunday. She knew it was a sign from God that she need to make time to take the lessons again. Then, I asked her to read Mosiah 2:41 and her Book of Mormon feel open right exactly to the page and she FLIPPED. She was all, "How did I happen to open it to the right page? What does this mean?" We were all, "Uhhhhh..........???" But then, I decided to leave her with Alma 7 to read as an assignment.....her Book of Mormon opened right to it.....again. She really freaked. She even tried opening it for the first time to see if it would go to Alma 7 again but it wouldn't...She was all, "WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?? Me:"Pienso que Dios quiere que lo lea." [I think God wants you to read it.]

Then I said it again with even more boldness.

It was pretty cool, not going to lie. Heavenly Father works in mysterious ways....because that was a new one for me. She said she was going to read the chapter and come to church the following Sunday!!!!!

Then, Juan came to church on Sunday and we picked up a family on Saturday!!!! I finally felt at peace leaving Corona in HERMANA HARPER'S hands. Crazy that she is taking my spot!

My last lesson was super sad with the Ga*** crew. I cried a lot....he wrote a song for me and it broke me. It's really cool though because he said he is going to make that song a tradition and sing it to all of the missionaries that leave. It was also sad because that might have been my last Spanish lesson ever.....I testified at the end of that lesson with such emotion because I knew it may have been my last time. It breaks my heart to be leaving Spanish Land, but I know I am where the Lord needs me.

So yes, I am now in Anza/Idyllwild.....two branches up in the mountains in the Hemet Stake. I am with Sister Bryant which is super funny because I told her that one day we would serve together in Anza because that's the only time Spanish and English get to serve together. And look! One Elder remembered me saying that and he said he's convinced I am a prophet. I am excited for this new adventure and to follow in my trainer's footsteps. Plus Sister Bryant is already a good friend of mine so I am excited to work with her as well. The work is picking up here and the Spanish Elders found a family last week (because last transfer it wasn't zebra so they had to come up)....so I may get to teach them!!!! It is difficult because they either go here to the English branch and I translate for them or they drive 45 minutes to the Ramona Ward where I served in the beginning of my mission and those Elders get to teach them....so we will see! It will be what's best for the family for sure.

I love y'all so much!

Hermana Tonini

P.S. I am taking Sis Ford's spot and she is the love of my life and I am super sad she goes home this week #rip

One Year [B]older and Wiser Too

Well, I have officially hit one year in the field, and it doesn't feel real. I got to celebrate with Sister Wilson since we had exchanges that day. It was super neat because she goes home with me and she was celebrating one year in the mission field. I love this girl so much, she has the biggest heart in the world!

On Thursday we had an eventful day. We got a door slammed in our face and a man who we contacted in the street said, "I don't want to be having this conversation right now. Goodbye." Then we ran into this girl named Yasmine who was freaking out because she thought her boyfriend was getting arrested by the police and wanted us to walk with her because she was scared. She told us she is in the foster system and was addicted to drugs at the age of 13. My heart ached for her and I felt saddened of how easily it is for Satan to lead us astray in this day and age. However, I know that light always wins and that even in a world as dark as this that there is light, hope and peace. How grateful I am for my Prince of Peace.

So, from multi zones this week they challenged us to share verses from the Book of Mormon during our street contacts instead of just testifying about it. So on our blitz, I decided I was going to do it and we just so happened to contact some yard workers who spoke Spanish! The guy let me share a verse with him and it was a success!!! The Book of Mormon is such a powerful tool and I can't wait to keep utilizing this herramienta in my contacts! (I know this seems pretty simple/basic, but with our other mission president, he had us contacting in a specific way so all of this is a new movement with our new mission president.)

Also, we had an awesome recent convert lesson with the Ga*** fam, in the which I ended in tears because we were reading in Enos talking about the gospel of Jesus Christ and I testified of the changes I have seen in their family. I am sad to possibly be leaving them in a week but very humbled to have been a part of their conversion. They are the reason I was sent here to this mission. Without a doubt.

Love y'all!

Hermana Tonini

Luz

Here is my journal entry from the 15th:

"We had our appointment with Maria B. She STILL hasn't come to church nor to any of the activities we have invited her to. So we get in there and start teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. We hit faith and repentance and we started on baptism. I felt impressed to share Moses 6:52 and it was a miracle that I found it because I never use it in lessons so it wasn't even marked in my Spanish scriptures. I hit the fact that receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost is part of the covenant we make at baptism. I asked her who the Holy Ghost was and her answer was kind of iffy so I started in about how He doesn't have a body of flesh and bones so he can reside in us and testify of truth through thoughts and feelings. I asked her when she felt the Holy Ghost in her life and she answered, but her answer led to her opening up to EVERYTHING. Turns out her husband has cheated on her multiple times. Her suegro (father-in-law) used to be in a gang, has killed people before, and was very involved in alcohol and drugs. So that was the kind of household that her husband grew up in. Her husband and kids are also in a cult....? 'Legua, una creencia cubana, santanelia' is what she wrote down. Turns out the table when you walk in? Not cool foreign decorations...it's a shrine. She said the cult does animal sacrifices and sometimes human....????? She fights with her husband all the time about getting rid of the imagenes. She feels like there's so much darkness in her home and that it's holding her back from following Christ and living the gospel. I talked about the power of light and how it ALWAYS wins but that she has to believe in the light of Jesus Christ. I got emotional as I felt impressed to ask her if she knows she is  a daughter of God. I wanted her to know her value and her worth SO BAD. She talked about wanting to find herself, to get out of that house, and live a life dedicated to God. I felt strongly impressed to read "Value Beyond Measure" by Joy D. Jones, which I had just studied the day before. Little did I remember this line, "When I found the gospel, I found myself." I legit stopped in the middle of reading in awe and wonder, pointing out to her that this is her desire. She just feels so much pain and unworthiness for the things she has done in the past...Hermana wrapped it up by saying God loves her and that he sent us here for her and that the light she so desperately needs is AT CHURCH. She was so bold yet loving...it was awesome!!!She heckin' invited her! A part that absolutely killed me was that she said there have been multiple "religious" people like us who have come by but when they ask about the table, and she explains the shrine, they stop coming....well, she said the closing prayer and she got super emotional when she said, "I know that You sent these girls to me and they have such a special light." By the end of that prayer we were ALL in tears. What an incredible lesson!!"

THEN, last night when we were over at the Ga***'s, Diana leans over in the middle of the lesson to tell us that she has a friend who has a Mormon sister living in Utah. At the end of the lesson the friend SHOWED UP. Turns out, she comes from a less-active family! We looked her up in our ward list and the hermanas before us had written next to them that they are a different religion now and don't want missionaries to visit them....so we weren't planning on going over anytime soon! However, she said we can stop by and share a message with them! I think with having Diana, a recent convert of a very active family, as a close friend, we can bring her back! WHAT ARE THE ODDS. Diana didn't even know that her family were members of the church, so it was crazy!! You should have seen Diana's face when her friend said she was baptized, priceless!!





Well, I am staying here in Corona with nugget, and I am super pumped!! We have rescheduled the temple trip for the Friday after Christmas so we are super pumped!!!




Love y'all!!


Hermana Tonini

P.S. We took a Spanish pic because Elder Bailey is leaving us :(

And the Day Marks Three Months

Sorry, this has to be a short one, I have 0 time.

So last Pday we went to check out a potential, which wasn't even a guy who spoke Spanish. HOWEVER. He wanted to hear a message of Christ and at the end he said his mom died in January and that he sat down with her Bible to look through it for pictures or notes and as soon as he opened it we knocked on his door!!!! We had to send him off to English land though, but it was still way cool!

Also, we had a way successful week! We picked up five new investigators!!! We had so many miracles it's crazy!

So I had a really bad night this week and I prayed that night to feel the peace that we can feel from our Savior. We have been teaching about the Prince of Peace the last two weeks, and I thought to myself, maybe I should practice what I preach. So, I went to the Prince of Peace to calm my troubled soul. The next morning in my studies I decided to study John 14, and the first verse reads "Let not your heart be troubled." First verse. I felt peace like I had never felt before in my life. He truly is the Prince of Peace, we just need to seek Him.

Also, got bashed with a Spanish woman for TWENTY MINUTES! I tried to leave like five times. Like shook her hand three times and everything and she would not let me leave. Patience and love truly are key in a 20-minute bash. The one time I wasn't with Hermana Chandler, and had a temp English comp. Rough.

Also, guess who is designated driver this week? YOU GUESSED IT. Which is weird because Hermana said that usually they only do that if I am going to be staying next transfer. But she just got called to be the STL for the area. So now it is like 50/50 on who is staying here in Hemet next transfer.

On Sunday we had SIX AT CHURCH!!!!! What was hard was trying to get our youth investigator to feel welcomed. The youth were not even trying to talk to her. SO FRUSTRATING. Hindsight is definately 20/20 because I am sure I was the same way.

Also had a crazy strong garage lesson while seeking with faith and the man starting crying while I taught him God is our loving Heavenly Father.

Also here is a pic of Sister Blanchard and I, she left back home and is already at BYUI. Crazy, huh?



Sister Tonini
California Riverside Mission