This week Hermana Lozano and I decided that to start the new change, it would be a good idea to do a ´spiritual fast’ from things that drive away the spirit, so we decided to do a 40 day purification based on a talk that we received from President Gomez a few months ago. We started with a prayer and a fast and made our list everything we felt that we must change. We made up our minds to sacrifice all disobedience no matter how small (hello repellent and mosquito net!), All thoughts of home and `life after the mission´, singingworldly music, gossip and much more. And really, at first it was (and still is) difficult but every morning we asked for help to strengthen us and invite the spirit and write goals for the day to help us along the way. At night when we come back to the house we kneel and pray and report to the Lord how we did and write how we did in our journal. From the first day we felt a great change in our work and inourselves. We felt the spirit at all times on the street and that same spirit carried us to the people who needed us. Also every conscious thought was related to how we can help our area, investigators, less actives, the ward and the converts. The first day we had so much success I still don’t even understand, but in one day we had in 9 lessons, 10 new and 48 contacts --- and the only thing we did wasfocus on having the spirit. And we really found some awesome families that have the potential to be progress and baptized, one of themhaving attended Sunday. When we arrived here in the area we did not have much and we are seeing miracles thanks entirely to the spirit. But perhaps the most miraculous change we've seen this week is the change in ourselves. We are so sensitive to the promptingsof the Spirit that helps us to change our behavior, and to correct things we had not noticed were wrong before. And sister Lozano is the BEST, as a team we work together to keep our purification on track and she helps me a lot. We still have a month more of ourpurification and I am so excited to see the progress we make. Sometimes we have to sacrifice things to live our lives on a higher level.And we're doing that. By sacrificing worldly songs, sacrificing thoughts that have nothing to do with missionary work, to sacrifice gossip,negative comments, and to give every conscious thought to this work, we have decided to live our lives more abundantly. And now it's as if Satan has no influence over us---I almost don’t even feel tempted to do the things on my list. How wonderful it is to be a purifiedcompanionship and we will continue this way. Yesterday we were walking in the heat as the sun was setting beautifully over the river and palm trees feeling the warm wind on my face and sang `I feel my Savior`s Love` and in such a real way in that moment I really did feel the Saviour’s amazing love in such an indescribable almost tangible way. I love this gospel, I love the people of Iquitos and the opportunity to sacrifice my time and every conscious thought and action to live my life on a higher plane. Best week of my mission so far.
Photos:
1. Our area Punchana
2. Our area Punchana
3. One time one of these fell from the ceiling in the middle of a lesson on to its back and they buzz really loud and it scared me so hard I screamed
4. This P-day we had nothing to do in our area, if you want to know what movie we were watching, see photo number 5
5. Not a movie, We were staring at the wall.
6. A completely unstaged photo of Hermana Lozano and I studying from Preach my Gospel
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