8-11-14 Mangos were falling on a tin roof

My dear family,

Well, even though I didn't get to stay with my dear Hermana Hernandez in Roosvelt, I haven't changed wards (personal record!) and I now am here with the lovely Hermana Herrera, from Peru.

She has a couple more months in the mission than I and is (as we say in El Salvador) super pilas. I really felt like the Lord inspired these transfers, because even though we're not very similar in personality, Hermana Herrera is exactly the companion I've been praying for. I know I'm going to learn so much from her faith and her exactness.

The ward is doing pretty well. I still want to help the members capture the Lord's vision of their potential and how much they have the potential to do to help others come unto Christ. I feel like we lack unity and Christlike love somewhat and there is a bit too much of gossip and bitterness (somewhat typical of the culture here...people tend to hold grudges). In sacrament meeting a few weeks back, one of the members of the ward gave a talk about anger/hatred is like holding burning ember...it only hurts the person holding it. I really hope these words can just sink into our hearts and we can apply them. (I continue to learn patience as people progress at their own rate and not the rate I wish they would).

We are supposedly in the rainy season here, but we've been in the middle of a drought, which means any of our investigators or less actives that are farmers (quite a few) have been losing their crops and don't have money to come to church. And possibly not enough to feed their family either. But, as an answer to many prayers, it FINALLY rained this week. And, boy did it rain! (see attached). In one of these grand torments, we were trying to teach a lesson and ended up just shouting (because our investigator has a tin roof and mangos were falling so there was a lot of background noise). We had adventures heading home that night, wading through flooded streets and jumping over puddles because our friend the taxi driver didn't answer.

But I think my biggest takeaway from my time here in San Miguel (aside from the excitement of adventuring through the countryside), is seeing the effects of breaking the commandments more clearly, and wanting to help people overcome the effects of their mistakes. We have been helping several families that have problems with alcohol, and I see now why it is so destructive and why God would advise us to abstain from it.

There are so many people in this area that have desires to change their lives and I am so happy to help them do so. The Gospel of Jesus Christ, as taught in his church, has the guidelines to a happy life. Not without trials, but with an internal peace because we have the promises of God that he will help us carry us through them. We have been given this life to show Him what we are willing to do, and we have been given the right to choose. I love Dad's column of the week, that even though sometimes we feel powerless, this is just our attitude...we always have the ability to choose. And I know that we see more results when we are proactive.

Thanks for your love and support! I want to hear what you're all up more often. :)
Love,
Hermana Romero

8-4-14 I am here to be bold.

Dear Family,

Birthday shoutout to BETH!!! I hope you and Hannah and the whole family can do something excellent this week to celebrate! All my love and a ton of virtual hugs!

This week was super awesome becauuuuuse we had investigators that came to church! An entire family (a couple, their son, and the grandma). We have been teaching them since my first week in Roosevelt, and it's basically a miracle every time we teach them because they have tons of questions, want to learn everything... They had some trials, such as they didn't want to get married, and the mom of the family has classes ONLY Sundays. But this week, they showed up on their own (thanks to August vacations) and loooved it! We were so happy. We also contacted a part-member family that is interested in learning and progressing.

One thing here that marks the culture here is that everyone likes to give us food (hah and my waistline is showing it a little bit)... and although I feel bad when I can tell they're not in a great situation financially, I remember that we represent Jesus Christ, and the way they treat us corresponds with that title. I feel really honored sometimes with the chance to be a missionary.

Scripture of the week...I love 3 Nephi 5:13, "Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called of him to declare his word among his people, that they might have everlasting life." I love how clear and bold the scriptures are. This is the Lord's work, and I am here to be bold.

I hope you have all been having personal success, in your studies, in your jobs, in your personal relationships. I hope that you feel the love of God in your lives. Sometimes we feel he has abandoned us or doubt that He exists, but he's only a prayer away. I invite you all to put this to the test this week!

Love you so much,
Hermana Romero

7-28-14 Sometimes it's so hard to be a missionary...

Dear famsauce,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!!! May your week be filled of celebrations, delicious desserts, and kind words from family and friends.

We had a week of adventures. First, we went to visit some less active members who have to travel TWO HOURS to get to the chapel! We took a bus, walked an hour and crossed a river and a sugar cane field to get to their house. By the time we got there, we understood why they aren't active...four hours traveling every Sunday just to get to church. But they are such sweet people and have such a testimony of the Gospel. (Hermana Hernandez has some photos that I'm going to send next week since time is a little short...I'm only sending you my photos of the BEAUTIFUL scenery we passed to get there). We want to try and form a branch there so that it's a little more convenient and they can enjoy the blessings of coming to church--recharging spiritual batteries, feeling the Spirit, edifying one another, etc.

The river we had to cross
on our way to visit some less active members

Crossing the river!

The sugar cane field we walked through.
The whole trip took TWO HOURS!

We have found a lot of new families (I am so excited because working with families is my dream as a missionary. I know that my family has been so blessed because the missionaries taught my parents, and I want to help other families learn of and live the Gospel) in these past weeks and I am so excited to be working with them. I am so excited to work with them. Hopefully more news next week because we're really just starting with a lot of people. (and continuing, as always to help Karina and Alex...who have recently had some problems with the Word of Wisdom and need our support more than ever).

Sometimes it's so hard to be a missionary because I want to help the people to make changes in their lives, but sometimes they are stubborn or don't do the things that they know will help them. Sometimes I don't see the results I hope to see, but I will not cease to work as hard as I can. I am learning so much about patience, love, and charity. The Atonement of Jesus Christ makes it possible that we can be different. It doesn't just cleanse of our sins (although I know that it does that as well) but it enables us to be better, to have more faith, to have strength when we feel like we've given everything. I know that the message of which I testify every day is true, that God has restored his church and his Gospel in the earth, and that it is the guidelines of a loving Heavenly Father to have a happy life and the only way we can have an eternal happiness.

I love you all a ton.

Hermana Romero

PS: If you're wondering about the Almendarez family, well...the wife and children and extended family still haven't come, but Brother Almendarez came! And he stayed for the second hour, which he hadn't done the week before. We're making progress with this family, and I know they're going to continue making changes in their lives.

7-21-14 "What was Jesus like?"

Dear friends and family,

We have some excellent news this week! HUGE breakthrough with the Almendarez family. Who are they, you might be asking? Well they are a less active family of probably 20 people (including friends and extended relatives that they bring to church with them) that we have been working with my entire time here. This past Wednesday, we visited them with a verry direct sister of the ward who got right to the point and asked them why they hadn't been coming, since they've been through the temple and made serious covenants with God. Sister Almendarez really opened up and told us EVERYTHING. We discovered they've been having some pretty substantial family problems.

Fastfoward to Sunday (which is basically like taking the final exam for missionaries). Hermana Hernandez called to invite them to church. Brother Almendarez said that he wasn't going to come, even though he had promised the previous week that he would (which he had never done before!). My companion, who has been working with this family her whole mission, was devastated. "What more can I do for them?" I could only recommend patience, waiting for a moment when, like Enos 1:3-4 that "the words which (this family) had often heard (the missionaries) speak concerning eternal life, and the joy of the saints, sunk deep into (their) heart."

Turns out that moment wasn't too far off! About five minutes before Sacrament meeting started, we saw Brother Almendarez walk through the door. I felt so blessed, that the Lord had listened to our prayers, and that we were able to see this great change. I know the Lord can touch our hearts, and that he often does it through other people. I hope to see many more changes in this family and others as I continue to serve here in Roosevelt.

(Small miracle that probably made this all possible: This sister and her husband returned to visit the Almendarez Saturday night! I am so grateful for the members in this ward. They are definitely getting more excited about helping others come unto Christ and I am so happy for the chance to serve with them.)

And, as always, not complete without a funny experience. Hermana Hernandez asked in a lesson, "What was Jesus like?" Answer: "When he was born, he was thiiiis big, and fat, and white and curly haired...and when he was 30 years old, they killed him." I think we were expecting something like, loving, kind, humble, etc. but we just rolled with it.

Have a great week! With much love,
Hermana Romero

PS. I forget to mention this every week, but THANK YOU!!! so much for the package you sent! The nutella and peanut butter and the adorable photos have been greatly enjoyed. I love you guys so much :D

7-7-14 Fatima & her mother got baptized!

Remember Fatima, the young woman I was teaching in America [Ward] with her mom that was really excited to come to church? THEY GOT BAPTIZED THIS WEEKEND!!! I am sooo happy!


Hermana Romero is no longer in that ward, but she was sent the following pictures with the message:

Fatima y su Mama se bautizaron este fin de semana. Fatima esta SUPER feliz. Y quería que ustedes supieron! Las amo mucho. Aquí esta un ejemplo de los frutos de su labor...sigan trabajando con todo!



Fatima is SUPER happy

Fatima and her Mama

7-7-14 Making valeadas - delicious!

Dear family!

Well this week I learned (more or less) how to make valeadas, a famous Honduranean flour tortilla because we visited our bishop and prepared a dinner for him and his family. He served a mission in Honduras, and my companion is from there, so they've been talking about this for weeks! They turned out really delicious!

We had a bit of frustruation/disappointment Sunday when so many of our investigators who had promised to come to church just couldn't make it. We felt we had worked as hard as we could inviting and bearing testimony, so it was definitely a bummer. But we're just gonna keep working as hard as we can.

I'm working on a project for Mom's birthday, so I don't have time to write more this week. Have an excellent time at the family reunion! I love you lots! (but I'm happy for the chance to be for a missionary)

Hermana Romero

7-14-14 "I know that what they've taught is true."

Dear Family,

So happy to hear good news from all--that all has been going well with Kevin's move, that Mom and Dad are safely back home (and getting to rest), and that Pete's been hiking some pretty sweet mountains.

It's been a great week for me too. On Tuesday, we had exchanges with the sister training leaders (I was with my mission mom, Hermana Winters!), in which we set some goals that encourage me to be better in certain things that are hard for me--opening my mouth and talking to everyone, inviting people to baptism, being urgent, etc. I've had some great experiences really trying to complete these goals. In the other letter I sent to Mom and Dad, I mentioned the family of a investigator Leslie, that we started teaching recently. When we went to teach them this Sunday, her younger sister mentioned that she had been reading about baptism in the chapter we had assigned her to read (3 Nephi 11), and we read about the instructions Jesus left to be baptized. We talked about the importance of baptism, and then we invited them to be baptized and they said yes!

Other incredible experience of the week...Friday, we had an AMAZING lesson with a contact, a young mother expecting a baby boy. She almost didn't let us into her house because "in this house we're Catholics" but her mom told her she had to let us in because you can't turn away the word of God. (I love that about this country... so many people have this policy (that all the word of God is welcome in their home) because it makes it really to find people to teach.) About halfway through the lesson, the Spirit just flooded the room, and you could tell that the grandmother was really attent during the whole lesson. We invited them to pray to know if what we taught was true, and invited the grandmother to give the final prayer. She said, in her prayer, "I know that what they've taught is true."

It's moments like these that make all the walking (this area is huge!), and being rejected and having alllll your appointments fall and every other disappointment worth it! I have been so grateful for this week in which I've had the chance to learn to rely on the Lord a little bit more. Thanks to a talk I read in the Liahona and the encouragement of my companion, I was able to overcome some discouragment and improve my personal prayers and my personal relationship with God. In the words of President Eyring "You can be a great model, an average one, or a bad model. You may think it doesn’t matter to you, but it does to the Lord."
May we all try to be a great model by following the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are the light of the world, and we should live such that others are inspired to come unto Christ by us.

Looooooooove your daughter/sister/best friend,
Hermana Romero