This first week of the transfer went pretty well! We actually were able to have a few good lessons and make a few appointments for this coming week so that is just great. We don't have lots of investigators, but we are working with this 25 year old kid named Luis. Luis still lives at home with his family and is super super sweet. The only problem is that he has super low self-esteem and often times finds himself very unhappy and depressed. We have been working with him since I got here 7 weeks ago and he has progressed little by little, but yesterday I was able to invite him to be baptized the 13th of February and he finally said yes!! It isn't set in stone, but with faith and lots of prayers, I think that he will be ready by the 13th to follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized!
One of my favorite experiences this week would be when we ate with a recently returned missionary here in San Martin named Vicki Lang. It was her 3rd day home and we got to eat with her and her family last Friday! As we opened our scriptures to share a message with them at the end of lunch, tears started to roll down Vicki's face and the Spirit filled the room. Instead of giving the message, she was now receiving it. This moment made me realize how short our time is as missionaries, and how my mission will soon be coming to an end in about 2 1/2 months. At the end of our message, Vicki shared her testimony with us and she said, "Now being on the other side of things, I now recognize that missionaries truly are representatives of Jesus Christ. You both are glowing representatives of our Savior Jesus Christ, and thank you for choosing to serve the Lord." I know I still have a little under 3 months left of my mission, but his sacred time has been everything to me and has gone by so so fast. I am so grateful to be apart of the greatest work there is upon this earth. I know I am a representative of our brother Jesus Christ and just as I desire the salvation of God's children, so does He. Just as I am rejected daily, so was he as he walked the streets of Palestine. But just as he changed thousands of lives, I know I can too. And though I haven't had hundreds of baptisms, I have done my very best and planted seeds that I pray will one day be harvested. And I too will be able to send an email like this one I received a few weeks ago:
"Hermana Boerum,
Sorry for the email from a stranger...
I was a missionary in Bolsón in 1980! The city had been closed for about a year when we got there.........
......I was looking up photos of my old mission cities for a misson-prep class I am teaching and I found your blog, so I decided to send a letter.....
.....Thanks for your service. You will treasure these memories for your entire life. I hope you are having success harvesting all the seeds I planted for you 35 years ago.
Cháu Ché"
I know I will treasure these memories from my mission for my entire life :) I love being a representative of our Lord and Savior.
Love you all so very much and thank you for the constant prayers and love!
Quote of the week:
"You'll have eternity to think about what you did in this life."
-Elder Gary E. Stevenson
xoxo
Hermana Anika Van Boerum
sorry, not lots of pics this week!! Just a few with my comp on Sunday and then one of our desks and my pension decorations :)
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