Only Two Types of People in This World

Hi Everyone!

Last week we were walking in the street, already late for a meeting at church, and we passed a drunk man sitting in front of his house with his friends. He said, “Hey, stop here and talk to me”. I exchanged a look with my companion and decided to at least stop and not be rude. He said, “Just answer me one thing, if we are all children of God, why did he make you beautiful and me ugly?" We told him that he was right, we are all children of God, but if he would like we could schedule a day to come back and explain more to him, but right now we are late to a meeting. He started to yell … “Children of God don’t have meetings! If you were truly children of God you would have patience with me! But you aren’t a child of God, YOU ARE A CHILD OF THE DEVIL!!! We started laughing and said “okay sir, have a good afternoon”, and tried to shake his hand but he didn’t go for it. I love these experiences on the mission, they just add some variety to the days!

My mom has always told me that I would hear her voice in my head when I was serving here, but I never knew that it would be so haunting. Every Sunday, when we don’t have anyone who knows how to play the piano, I remember her counsel to me when I was younger taking piano lessons and wanted to quit. She always said, "One day on your mission you will be serving in a little branch, and they will have a piano with no one to play, and you will be able to invite the Spirit more strongly through playing hymns for them." EVERY SUNDAY I HEAR THIS IN MY HEAD. So this past Sunday, I had had enough, and I miserably tried to play the piano during sacrament meeting. I don’t have rhythm, and there were many notes that I miss hit, but it’s the thought that counts, right? Haha, children really never forget the words of their mothers.

We had a miracle this week! We ate lunch with the family pictured below, and usually these meals are very tense with my companion and I just trying to eat … trying not to do anything that would entice the irma to get mad … seriously, it’s tense. Haha, but this Saturday my companion and I just had nothing to lose. We started talking to them a ton and asked them about how they met, and it was one of the best meals ever! We were all laughing and they even pulled out the old family album to show us wedding pictures and everything! It was a 180° turn from the other times, and now we are best friends. If I have learned anything on my mission, it is that you can’t be afraid or insecure to talk or break down barriers with anyone, you just gotta go for it! There are truly two types of people in this world; people that you love and people that you don’t know yet! This will always be one of my fondest lunches. It was incredible and literally the miracle of the week. This family went from so cold to so hot!

This week we had a Friday the 13th. At home, my sisters and friends usually did something rowdy to celebrate, so part of me was just hoping that something WILD would happen. Haha, and so it did. We sprinted home that night because there was a huge storm! The minute we entered our apartment we heard a huge crashing noise! As we looked outside we saw that the roofing of our building fell exactly where we were only minutes before. Tile roofing was just crashing to the ground. It was a humbling experience to know that Heavenly Father looks out for His little missionaries.

Also this week, I had exchanges with Sister Varrela, a new sister from Chile! It was such a fun day. We practiced a ton talking to people in the streets … it is one of my favorite things. We helped each other get really comfortable, and like I am I usually don’t care what people think of me, she thought it was cool how I just say whatever comes to my mind. It was weird how she was just amazed at how we taught our contacts, and she was asking me for advice and tips, but I still feel so young and inexperienced! Haha! One man, Antonio, wasn’t too interested in our message and just wanted to “bible-bash” with us. But when we taught him about the Restoration of the Gospel, the Spirit was so strong. Afterward, my companion and I looked at each other and commented that we both were teaching really well and TRULY felt the Spirit. HE SHOWED UP AT CHURCH THIS SUNDAY! It was awesome and so unexpected.

I am good and happy here. I love talking to people on the streets. So many have no idea what their purpose is on earth and in this life. It is a blessing to tell them that they are children of a loving Heavenly Father (not the devil … haha), and that we one day we can have the opportunity to return to Him. But if anyone says that we are here on earth to return back to our Heavenly Father they are actually wrong. He wouldn’t just send us here to just go back the same way we left. We are here to become like Him, to develop His attributes and characteristics, and chip off our imperfections. In reality, like any father would say to his child, "I don’t want you to be like me, but I want you to be better". He wants the same for us. I know that we all can do it, and better yet, I know that HE KNOWS we are all capable.

I love you all, and please pray for my little dog. Today when I was getting ready to come here to send this blog via email, I looked at my companion and confessed that I was, "nervous to email because I felt like something was wrong with our dog or something". Well, as I logged on, I found out she has been in the hospital for two days. I am so worried and tears were shed. I told little Sadie when I left that she wasn’t allowed to run in the road or get sick, because I needed to see her when I get back. She is a part of my family. I love you Sadie! I know that everything will be alright, because all dogs go to heaven, and that little dog with go directly to the celestial kingdom.

Sister Vance