Wow, I am not too sure where to start. So many things have happened, culminating into a great week. In our companionship studies we have been analyzing Christ’s ministry to the Nephites. It is as beautiful as we have studied the Savior’s words and compared them to those that he shared in Jerusalem. It is so interesting to see the small changes and differences between Christ before Gethsemane and after his resurrection. The message he shared was the same but as he went through his own trials, and personal growth, he became more compassionate and dedicated to his own cause.

That being said….. I think that is so true, that as we go through our own personal trials in the mission, it enables us to become much better teachers as we have to rededicate ourselves to the cause of truth. As my time with Hermana Steel comes to an end, there is only one word that comes to mind: bittersweet. I love her so much, and I continue to learn from her every day. It is so crazy, we dedicate everything to the work, but helping prepare her to go home and giving advice on her goals has helped me do a lot of personal reflection. It is awful!!!! I HATE KILLING PEOPLE!! It is so painful, especially when it is your best friend. We are in a limbo of constant goodbyes and farewells…. it hurts a lot but, well, I am used to it by now. I am not sure why the Lord has had me in so many situations where I have to think about the life after the mission.

I finished a year in the mission this week. To celebrate we went to eat pupusas, and since we are nice representatives of Christ and the Zone Leaders were out of money they came too. The power went out, and we invited some people to baptism. Really, a fairly low key day. But I cannot believe that the time has come and gone so fast and I am excited to keep working and to use this, frankly painful, experience of killing my comp as fuel to rededicate myself to my own mission. I love the mission. But with so many things happening all at once, I cannot help but be terrified at what the future holds. So, I am just going to go out, teach my brothers and sisters, and invite them to come to Jesus.

Due to some unforeseen illness, we could not do intercambios this week (yay parasites), but we were able to buckle down and work hard in our own area. We have walked a lot, my comp killed a chicken, oh and I totally found out that I am allergic to red peppers…. that was a fun experience, almost died. No, that is a lie. My lips and tongue just went numb and my throat began to swell. So, we ate some ice cream and I took some Benadryl. All is well. This week, we found so many beautiful new families to teach and we have been working with a lot of less active members, trying to help everyone. As we have stopped teaching those who are not progressing, and branching out to areas where we have not focused before, the Lord has definitely begun to bless us.

I love you all. Keep the faith! Be epic!

Hoorah for Israel!

I am not quite sure where to start, this week was filled with so many miracles. I have learned so much, and I am truly left without words….

This Wednesday we had interviews with President Spjut. As always, it was such a beautiful experience, and I learned so much! We talked a lot about the Atonement, and he said something that has stuck with me since. “Hermana Hipol, let the atonement make you happy.” So, be Happy!!

This Wednesday after our interviews we took a trip to Auachapan and I had the opprotunity to be able to work with the sisters from EL Arco. It is called El Arco, because I think they might have stolen the Triumphal arch from France….  It was so great to be with Hermana Avila and Hermana Villatorro again. I really learned so much. They are trying their hardest and I can see that they have lost themselves in the work. Hermana Avila has come so far! We had a great little adventure wandering the fields and small rocky pathways of Auachapan.

The highlight of this week was definitely our baptisms on Saturday. Seeing two families who have waited so long enter the waters of baptism was truly beautiful. The first family, Familia Aguilar, has waited over a year and a half to be baptized. The second, was completing a family part-member family who has been investigating for about six months. President Spjut came, and all of the institute members shared their testimonies. The spirit was so strong, and we tried our hardest to be able to make sure it was a memorable experience. I love them so much, and it was an experience that I will remember for the rest of my life.

I love you all so much! Thank you for everything!

HOORAH FOR ISRAEL!

Love, Hermana Hipol

Coming into this week, I felt so hopeful and excited to finally see a family that I loved enter the waters of baptism. But as the week developed, I became as the father that approached the Savior saying, “Help Thou my unbelief.” The adversary did not want us to baptize this week, and he caused a lot of chaos. The father of this family had a horrible relapse, throwing his wedding and baptism in severe jeopardy. Between us and the Zone Leaders so many hours were spent in that home, praying, trying to be there for moral support. We were so terrified that relapsing would send him even farther away.

I did not understand, how in the moments when I was trying my hardest to be obedient and have the spirit that so many things would happen, just when things were turning for the better. My heart broke in two when I realized that he had relapsed, I felt betrayed and completely crushed. I was haunted by something that Elder Alonso had said when he came, that if we were not seeing baptisms in our area, that it was our own fault and that we were not using the divine power of the atonement. I don’t think I have ever learned more about the atonement of our Savior, or about the divine grace of our Heavenly Father.

No matter what we studied in our companionship this week, it always lead back to that, grace. The more that I learn, the more I realize that I don’t know anything. But I know that as I try to understand more, and try to help others understand that I am filled with so much peace and love and hope that things will all work out in the end.

And when I thought that the week could not get any darker, the Lord send bright rays of sunshine through the darkness. President Spjut came to the wedding on Saturday the Familia Aguilar got married, they have a set goal for baptism and are determined to fight until they enter the font. Naun, a young man we have been teaching came to us and said that he was ready for baptism, he set the date also for this Saturday and passed his interview with flying colors. This Saturday, there will be three baptisms! We also got a ward mission leader finally! I am just so happy. I cannot contain my joy. It has been such a crazy rollercoaster of emotions but at the end of it all, all is well.

I love this work, I love my companion, I love this area, and I love it all.

Hoorah for Israel!

Love, Hermana Hipol

What a week! I am not even sure where to start.

First off, I LOVE my companion! Hermana Steel is so amazing, she continues to teach me every day and inspires me to be better through her example and diligence. She wants to finish these final weeks running through the finish, and I know that we will see miracles this change, we already have!

This Tuesday we got up, exercised, had a great study and we set our goals for this change, what we want to accomplish and how we are going to do it. We set the goal to baptize five people this change and with a prayer in our hearts and some extra sunscreen and bug spray we went to work. In our first lesson we went to visit the famous family of eight. The oldest sister explained that the night before they had a family home evening with another ward family and the theme: baptism. We asked her how she felt about baptism and she said that she was ready. We left the lesson with three baptism goals. After lunch, we stopped by to visit another family that we have been teaching for a LONG time. They have been listening to the missionaries for over a year, and they call themselves the “dry Mormons” because they know everything, they just have not gotten baptized yet. We had scarcely walked into the door when the mother looked at us and said, “Hey I just wanted to let you know that you are both invited to our wedding/baptism this next Saturday.” Words cannot express our absolute joy as we left that home. We laughed without the ability to even begin to express our giddiness. Before we could even continue, we had to take a moment to lift our hearts towards the heavens in prayer, thanking our heavenly father for all that he blessed us with.

From there the week had its highlights and lowlights, but I know that the Lord is blessing us for our diligence and obedience this last change, and as we keep up the work and seek to recognize his hand in all things, I am excited to see what other miracles lie in store.

I love this work. I love you all!

Hurrah for Israel!

Oh, and Happy early Fourth of July!!

Love, Hermana Hipol

Pics: I totally am secretly a butterfly whisperer, they are seriously everywhere!!

Oh, and we totally made chorizo…. I now know why it is on our list of diet “no no’s”