This week flew by so fast, I honestly don’t know where all of the time goes. No matter what I do we go from Tuesday to Friday to Sunday and then it is Monday again and we start all over. But this week was packed with so many crazy adventures, I really think that crazy is the new norm…

I honestly do not even know where to start. This week I had my first intercambios as a sister training leader. Hermana Rodriguez and I went to Ataco, about half an hour away to visit with both companionships of sisters there. I got to work with Hermana Caicedo from Columbia and Hermana Chee from New Mexico. It was so much fun, and even though I had no idea what I was doing, I learned so many things. Can I just say that sister missionaries are flippin’ awesome! Right now, we are working with Sister Spjut to plan a training for all of the sisters in the mission and I am so flippin’ excited!

This week, we also got a call from the Zone Leaders. The elders in a neighboring pueblo needed help animating one of their investigators for her baptism on Sunday, so we went for a short visit. Turns out we, did not know how to get back by ourselves and so we had to stay with the Elders for a little bit. They took us to visit another family they were teaching and a miracle happened.

This past week, one of their investigators was killed in a work accident and the elders were left in charge of all the funeral arrangements. Pobrecitos…. they were so stressed out. So, when we showed up, they were in the middle of the viewing. It was so awkward at first, I did not know anyone or how to console them. I honestly had no Idea why we were there, but I felt in my heart that is where we needed to be. We went to the cemetery and watched the burial. (Funerals here are SO different!) There were so many people there, and the Elders were able to dedicate the grave. The spirit was so strong, and it was a great missionary experience for the dozens of people who knew nothing about the church. The coolest part though, was after the burial. I was standing with the other missionaries and the young man’s girlfriend walked up to me. She asked me if I was the sister that had sung when we all went to the temple a couple weeks ago… I told her yes, that it had been me. She got tears in her eyes, and said, “Thank you so much. I felt the spirit so strong and he did too. He loved hearing you sing, and after going to the temple he told me he wanted to be an eternal family.”

The spirit hit me so strong. I did not even know her name, or who she was. The song I sang at the temple was a total train wreck too. But I felt the spirit so strong, and in that moment I felt so much love for her. In four months she lost her child and her boyfriend, literally had everything taken away from he, but she still continues with so much hope and trust in her Savior.

Sunday was all-out madness. Running through two areas trying to get people to attend two different wards is a little crazy, but hey, we only do craziness here. As we were finishing the meetings, a less active sister came up to me crying, and asking to talk to me. We went into an empty room and she told me some of her struggles and she asked me if I would say a prayer for her. I felt so much love for her. She took my hand and I started to pray. The spirit hit me like a brick wall and consumed me like a wildfire from within. My mouth quickly stopped being my own as the spirit gave me the words to say. I felt so much love for her and through me the Lord promised so many specific blessings to this wonderful woman. I think this was one of the first times that I had truly ever experienced the power of  my calling, being a missionary set apart and given power to teach and represent the Almighty. I am no one, a poor servant, and I have so many things to do better. It was a very humbling experience, and we both left blessed with a touch of our Heavenly Fathers love.

On Sunday, we also went back to visit the Elders in the baptism of the first young woman that we had gone to animate. They asked us to sing the special musical number and Hermana Rodriguez and I sang “Lord, I would Follow Thee.” The spirit was so strong, and it was a beautiful baptism. I did not really know her but we took a pic anyways…

And then the madness continues… this week we hit nine months…. I have been thinking about all of the things I have done these past nine months, and the things that I want to do these nine months that come… I was reminded of the ageless question of whether the cup was half-empty or half-full. Many missionaries are so quick to countdown the days ‘til they can go home… others dreading this day. Before y’all go accusing me of being “trunky”, this has been a time of great self-reflection… and it does not help that my dear comp only has three weeks left in the mission. But I am so grateful for the time the Lord has blessed me with to work and to serve my brothers and sisters. I have seen so many miracles and been touched buy the beautiful people here. I have had nine months of some of the greatest trials too. I have had to truly forget myself, and as I have done so, I have learned to better remember the things that count. I love my Heavenly Father and have had nine months to study the atonement and see it in action every day. I am so excited for the next nine, for all the adventures that still wait.

So for me, the cup is more than half full, it is filled to overflowing.

I love you all so much. Thank you for your support, your love, and your prayers.

Hoorah for Israel!!

Love,

Hermana Hipol

P.S. We hit rainy season!! Juayua is so beautifully foggy all the time! It is also horribly muggy but we try to stay positive

I know it is quickly becoming redundant to say that it was another crazy week… but I think that the madness of the mission has become the norm for me, so it is just a matter of adapting to the craziness. I love the mission, and really the Lord taught me so much this week. I am way to much of a control freak and I really learned that I don’t need to stress out to much because the Lord really takes care of me and always shows us miracles.

Really there were so many tender mercies this week. All week long we had meetings in Santa Ana with the other leaders and with the Zone. Along with the madness of leadership, we also had to finish moving all of the stuff out of the house in Progresso. We officially only have one house now, and I am so grateful for that tender mercy… I wasn’t too keen about living in two houses at the same time. We missed buses, had tons of bags of trash, but always got to where we needed to be in time, and our house is not too messy. The responsibility of Training Leader has not driven me completely crazy, so that is another plus. But this week we will start to do interchanges with the sisters to help them in their own areas. I am excited, but I have no idea what to expect.

I think the greatest miracle this week was our baptism on Saturday. I have not had a convert baptism in months, and the Lord finally poured out his blessings. I don’t think that I have ever fought harder for a baptism. This young woman, Tania, is a miracle. Though she is from the old area of Sister Rodriguez, and I did not really do anything, it was such an honor and a blessing to feel of her sweet spirit. Tania has been listening to the sisters for a long time, but was always making excuses to not be baptized, mostly out of fear. But, she finally accepted the date, passed her baptismal interview, and we finally came to the final day before her baptism. She called us in the morning with new doubts, we could not find keys to the church, or witnesses, or white clothes, and we had an hour window to have the baptism. There was so much madness going on, but I felt a great peace in my heart and I knew that everything would be okay.

And, the Lord took care of everything. She made it to the church in time, we had witnesses, and water in the font, and she looked beautiful in her white dress and the spirit we felt was so strong. Not many people could come so I had to conduct the baptism… I had no idea what I was doing, but I was so happy I could not take the goofy smile off my face. After the baptism, Tania told me, “When I entered the water I felt a great emptiness in my soul but as I left the water I was filled with the spirit. I feel happy.” Such a miracle. Though I had not taught her that much, I felt the spirit so strong and so much love for her. I love the Lord, and I am so grateful for his tender mercies.

The miracles did not stop there. On Sunday, we had so many investigators come to church. Well, considering that our area has two wards and we were running all over Juayua to make sure people were in church, it was a miracle. We had been fasting to be able to find someone that is prepared and ready to accept the gospel. We walked into the chapel and there, sitting reverently and waiting to listen, was an ancient investigator that I taught once with Hermana Little. I had honestly almost forgotten about her, she never could come to church, and we had lost contact for about a month. But she had vacations and felt the desire to go. She called a member and asked her if she could go to church with her. We talked to her a little after the meetings and she said that she loved church, and that she wanted to be baptized. Hermana Rodriguez and I were literally dancing with joy!

I know that if we are patient the Lord will bless us. All we have got to do is keep the faith and work our hardest and keep doing what we know is right. I love you all so much. Be happy! Be patient. Be epic!

Hurrah for Israel!

Love, Hermana Hipol

Hola!

Wow. Just when I think things cannot be crazier, The Lord brings me to a new level of craziness, and really, all I can do is laugh and keep working. I love being a missionary.

This week we had changes! Hermana little finished her training and they sent her away to open an area. I am so proud of her! I love her so much.

My new companion is Hermana Rodriguez! She is the first sister here in the mission from Spain. She is crazy and I totally love her!! Changes meeting was madness. A lot of missionaries went home and not very many came in. I was also blindsided with my new assignment… Hermana Rodriguez and I are Sister Training Leaders. I have no idea what I am doing, but I am excited to see what the Lord has in store… The thing is, that Instead of having us both in one area, they decided to mesh our old areas together. So Hermana Rodriguez and I are currently living in two houses, we have two areas, two wards (but we only attend one), and it is madness. We have definitely had to master our planning skills.

Besides changes, our schedule was so packed! On Thursday we had Zone meeting, and on Friday, we took our investigators to the temple in San Salvador. They told us last minute that Hermana Rodriguez would be teaching and I would be doing a special music number. So, we were up til about three in the morning making sandwiches for the investigators, and making a giant plan of salvation for her class. I ended up singing Beautiful Zion with two other Elders and it actually turned out really pretty. The spirit was so strong. I just love the temple! I invite all those who can, to take the time to get to the temple this week and just feel the love of your Heavenly Father.

Well, we finished with the Temple and then on Saturday and Sunday we had a beautiful General Conference. Thanks to some technical difficulties, I could not watch it in English. It was a little bit of a bummer but the spirit was the same and I learned so many things. How interesting that they talked so much about the families right? So crazy! I think that my favorite talk was definitely that of Elder Uchtdorf when he talked about Grace. If I have learned anything on the mission, it is that we really do nothing. The Lord asks us to give our all and he will always fill us to overflowing. I have not been able to take one step in this mission that was not powered by the grace of my Saviors Atonement. He carries us and helps us achieve our potential.

I love you all so much. Never forget that the Lords atonement applies in every aspect of our lives.

Now, go change the world and apply what you learned in Conference!

Hurrah for Israel!

Love,

Hermana Hipol

Another week, and we are officially in Semana Santa! I honestly cannot believe how fast time is passing. This week we have changes again, but I will stay here in Orquideas. My daughter, Hermana Little, is going to have changes and I cannot help but feel a little sad. I love her so much, but we will see what the Lord has in store.

This week, to be honest all of the weeks are just meshing together and I am kinda forgetting all that is going on…. We just work, and sweat, and work some more. I know that the Lord has miracles waiting ,we just have to be patient.

In preparation for Conference, and a trip we have to take investigators to the temple we had the coolest district activity. In the park by our house they have a huge street fair every Saturday. So, we got two tubs of water, bought some Tang and handed out free lemonade in an attempt to contact people and invite them to the conference and to the temple. We contacted 180 people in about two hours. It was so much fun, and it was a great way to contact people. We found a bunch of people that were super positive. I hope that they come!

Saturday evening we also got to see the General Women’s Conference. Thanks to some tech savvy members, we got to see it in english, and it was such a tender mercy to hear my native tongue, that I cried almost the whole time for joy. I loved it so much! I think that it there were so many beautiful messages. One of my favorite things said was “God can only make perfect souls.” If I have learned anything in the mission it is that no one is perfect. But the Plan that our heavenly father has made is perfect, and all we have to do is put our trust in him.

I just love you all so much. Be strong. Be happy!

Hoorah for Israel!

Love,

Hermana Hipol