Washington DC- Week 42! November 25, 2013

DC- Week 42!  November 25, 2013

Okay, let's see...

Recently, I think the Lord has been giving me many opportunities to humble myself haha. Just sweetly reminding me that in fact, NO, I don't know everything, and that I really can't stand my own ground without Him right there as my "training wheels", if you will.

This week, I went on exchange to Gaithersburg (Wednesday to Friday) with Hermana Carcamo (from Chile). It was so much fun! Some of the sisters who have worked there have referred to it on occasion as "La Ciudad de Enoch" because it is just near that perfect! And what a cool opportunity to work on my Spanish even more.

Well had a sweet encounter with a little viejito named Oscar. He is about 70 years old and from Peru. Recent convert as of...June, I think? Sweetest man on earth. I have met him on a number of occasions when he's come into the VC. We had stopped by unannounced to say hello, and neglected to bring another member with us. And so, after arriving to his apartment and realizing we needed a third female to enter, we decided we would just bundle up, and sit on his back porch. (It was so freezing by the way). Anyway, we greeted each other, and began discussing some of his most recent concerns and obstacles.  I began to open up about some personal experiences of my own, and must have rambled on in Spanish for...oh...about a good 4 and a half minutes. Upon finishing my testimony, he stared into my eyes for a second, and then leaned on the edge of his seat a tad closer to me (so our noses were about half a foot away) and simply said, "No intendi NADA." Sister Carcamo and I looked at each other, and then just both started laughing and laughing over my shattered ego! It actually was pretty funny, and we ended up patching up the conversation and leaving on a good note.

I had a similar blow to my pride just the other day at the VC when I invited a member to be baptized. Yep. True story. Oh, it was on accident, for sure. But there were like TWELVE people on our tour, and between the number of fellow-shippers, and the number of investigators (who all had different needs, and commitments) I successfully managed to drop the ball in a major way. Plus the language barrier was not exactly a help either haha.  Ehh...they won't go less active over it. Needless to say, after a heaping scoop of awkward silence, and a dash of giggles, sprinkled with some very confused looks, the anxious Elders (who had woken up from their lethargic, slug-like state and now moved to the edge of their seats) redirected me to the mujer who was in fact, supposed to be invited to accept a baptismal commitment. I extended the invitation. She accepted. I re-bore testimony. And we called it good.

Humility? Check. Thanks, Heavenly Father!

Well, that about sums up things for now. Hope you all know I am so NOT perfect, but still keep trying every single day :)

Love you to the Mayflower and back.

Hermana Graff

Alma 26:12 ~Rang loud and clear to me this week :) Remember it.

PS--Happy Thanksgiving on Thursday!! Go eat some pavo.
(We'll be doing it Peruvian style at Hermana Ranjbar's ;) The only real way to celebrate.)