Opening a new area

So let me just tell you what happened this week. There I was, sitting in change meetings when all of a sudden President Brough announced that my companion and I would be opening a new area.... I was completely shocked! So we were told thatt we would be opening the area de Villa Nueva 1, and so we found are zone leaders and they told us do not worry, they would take us to our house, show us around our area, and ya everything would be great!

So we get to our house and the Elders give us the keys to get inside and say, okay, see ya, good luck! And drive off in their Taxi!! Thank you Elders, how very very kind! and so then we went into our shack.. I mean house to were we opened our door, and let me just tell ya, I am definetly not in Antigua anymore, this is definetly the house of previous Elders!

Anyway, so we open the Area Book to see where uor area is and all we have is like a picture from google maps and no directions or anything of that sort! The previous Elders had not been marking who they had been teaching, so really we did not have anything! So we decided to just go outside and start contacting becuase also we did not have any phone numbers, so this was just turning out to be real neat.

Anyway, the next day we found the number of our relief society president who came to our rescue and showed us the way to our cooks house, who lives about 2 miles away! This area is so huge! SO HUGE! But anyway, we met some of the ward members and they were all so great!

But you know what is the best part? They have not had Hermanas in this area for 23 years and so everyone was calling us ¨Elderas¨ When we walked into Sacrament Meeting, everyone was litterally shocked to see us, but all so anxious to help us, so that has been great!

There is definitely a reason that Hermanas have not been in this area, and it is because it is pretty dangerous, but do not worry mom, I can run really fast! 

We also have an amazing ward mission leader who has helped us more than I can even say. Although we do not have a lot of records of people, converts, or anything, our ward mission leader has helped us to find almost everyone!

We have this one investigator named Roldofo. He is in a wheelchair and has lost most of his vision but has one of the strongest testimonies of Joseph Smith of anyone I have ever seen. OUr ward mission leader gave him the stories of the scriptures and Joseph Smith on a disc and he has just loved those. He feels like he wants to get baptized but feels like he has to wait until he can pay back every sin in his life, poor man, but he has such a strong testimony. WE are so blessed to have him.

If I have learned one thing about opening an area, it is that it is one of the hardest but yet rewarding experiences. I have never had to rely so much on the Lord for so much help and I have seen the Lords hand like never before. We are praying more fervently, working more dillengently and loving more sincerely, and truly I have seen a difference. We are praying so hard that we can see a baptism this weekend and also one in the weekend to come. I have realized that without the Lord´s help, that there in litterally nothing we could do in this work. I am so grateful for all of the small tender mercies that we have seen!

I saw morg, and it was one of the greatest things ever. She is doing so well and has one of the best trainers! I am so so happy for her!

Even though the living conditions are hard, no one really wants to talk to us here, we have gotten lost at least 75 times and we do not usually have time to eat, sleep, or breathe, I am giving my all to this work. I know for a fact that we will see the blessings!

I love you all, thank you for everything!

Ame