This week was great!

This week was great, but wasn't particularly spectacular. Luckily, there were a couple of great moments :)

One of those moments came last Monday evening. It was Hermana Milliron's birthday and we were celebrating with some families in the ward, and one of the families we are teaching (single mother Edyn and her 5 little girls... 2 of them are baptism age, Xochilt, who is 11, and Angelica, who is 8). It was about time for us to be heading out, and Hermana Toney and I were talking with the members as Hermana Milliron was taking some time with Edyn and Xochilt. We had our extra cake in a grocery bag and I was joking with one of the Hermanos about my Portuguese accent when Hermana Milliron grabbed me by the arm and literally dragged me over to Edyn and Xochilt. Hermana Milliron looked at me and said, "Xochilt has something to tell you". It was then that I noticed this dear sweet 11 year old crying. She looked at me, smiled, and said "My Mom and I are getting baptized on August 3rd". You better believe I was one of the happiest missionaries ever right there. That moment is in my memory forever. Edyn as well was tearing up and I expressed in broken spanish my excitement for them, and gave Xochilt a big hug. Angelica came over and asked what was going on. We said that Edyn and Xochilt were going to be baptized on August 3. We asked Angelica if she would like to prepare to be baptized with them. She said "sure!" and got a huge smile on her face.
BEST DAY EVER. They weren't able to make it to church this past Sunday, but are doing great, I am so excited for them. :)

The other miracle: I have never really felt that fasting has made an impact. Sad, but true. It's just no food for however long and then FINALLY a huge meal at the end of the day. I've just never had a really poignant exerience in my life with it. Until last Sunday. It was fast sunday, and I fasted to be a better missionary, especially with my language. It was a particularly hard Fast Sunday. I was pretty irritable and I woke up with a sore and dehydrated throat. Awesome. But I stuck it out. Then that evening at a FHE, I not only taught better, I also understood more and could even talk and joke a little bit with the members afterwards! And that continued on to the next day where I taught a sold half of the Restoration with a new investigator! I even answered questions about the Book of Mormon. Whaaat? Fasting works?? Guess so :) It was great! And there was a SIGNIFICANT difference. I loved it :) There is power in Fasting, definitely.

Hermana Milliron is now the Sister Training Leader, and Hermana DeLeon is my new trainer. She is a Guatemalteca learning English. She is going home in 3 weeks at the end of this transfer, hopefully back to Utah where she will keep learning English at a school in Provo. She's great! It's been a blast :)

I love being out here. I'm  still working with the language but I feel it coming bit by bit every day as I pray for help and guidance. It's really cool to see. I definitely don't have the language come to me all at once, but I am lucky enough to notice every day how I've grown just a little in it, and I know it has nothing to do with me. I try, but really it is the Lord. There was a lesson where my Spanish was SO GOOD! It was great! And it wasn't me at all. You know those stories where people say "words came out that I didn't even think I knew!" and stuff? It was one of those stories. Words that I didn't even remember learning came to me when I needed them. It wasn't a super crazy experience like I always imagined it to be, though. Usually when you hear those stories, it sounds out-of-this-world, and super obvious. But it wasn't. It was great, but it wasn't as dramatic as people make it sound. I felt the Spirit working through me, I felt the total and utter assistance from the Lord, and I was able to teach a lesson to the best of my abilities, and the best of my abilities was magnified because of the Holy Ghost. It was great :) Hope that made sense.

Well, I can joke now in Spanish too! I understand major ideas and am picking up more words. I improve every week and I can feel it. It's great :) I'm just doin the work here in the South Side! It's great, I wouldn't trade it for the world :)

Hope you all have an awesome week, I love you so much and am glad all is giong well!!

Love Always

Hermana Walton