Monday, May 26, 2014

Miracles and Melodies

Well it's safe to say that everyone in Mexico knows that Hermana Neuberger loves to dance and sing....and I might have to admit that a few people might have witnessed me bust a move here or there.  I found out the other day that a large percent of the people I know here believe that I'm gonna be crazy famous some day because of my singing and dancing skills.  If that isn't proof enough of the fact that nobody has actually seen me dance for real I don't know what else is :) 

Second of all my teachers in the MTC did not even come close to informing me about how much trouble people would have pronouncing my name.  I love how the same things always go down: 1) Hermana Neu....... 2) Hermana Young and Hermana.... 3) Hermana....Youre just the best 4) Neubaby (the new one from this week that's really caught on) 5) Gerber.  
Nuestra Panderia
Safe to say people here don't have a clue unless they've sat around to take the time and luckily for me a few incredible souls really have!!! 

So it's also safe to say we need to get our new building finished pronto because as much as I love sacrament meeting under a tarp, I don't exactly love the grass that rains down like snow throughout all of sacrament! The tarp has fallen down every week for the last month so every time we  get to sacrament on Sunday there is a new unique configuration of how it's being held up after being ripped down by the storms.  This week they were using brooms, rocks, ladders, and trees.

Future Missionary Adriana
Well I'm not trying to brag on my converts or anything, but I'm highly certain they will never cease to amaze me.  There really isn't enough that can be said about Adriana other then the fact that she wasn't just baptized, she was converted with all her heart, might, mind and strength.  Now she's doing all she can to help others also get that experience!!! She comes out with us everyday and wants to be a missionary with a name tag so badly.  When we told her the other day that single sisters can serve missions at any age she jumped up and down with joy (I'm pretty sure I heard every single guy in a mile radius groan haha).  Someone gave her a future missionary name tag the other day at church (pic included) and she's thrilled out of her mind.  The other day when she went out with us (I forgot my name tag......) she stopped and contacted a family all on her own and then said the reason I had forgotten my name tag is because she deserves it more then I do :) Gosh I love her so much! Plus she loves seeing us which always makes my day.  I made the mistake of mentioning transfers last week and she started crying at the thought that we might be leaving.  She now checks every week to make sure that it's not the week we could be leaving.  I'll stay here forever if I can just travel around with her as my companion!

I seriously love less actives and how much they love the gospel. Plus seeing them grow again and use there dormant faith is sometimes even better then new investigators. We currently have a family that doesn't want to take the lessons any more, wasn't attending church when they were taking the lessons, and now that they're not taking the lessons have been at church 4 Sundays in a row......are you as confused as i am?? They're also the family of Adriana so that's pretty laughable :)

We've been working really hard to find every person in our ward, now that we've finally obtained a ward list that is.  In one colonia we officially have FHE every week with two less active families (the Cruzes and the Rojas), who happen to kind of be neighbors!
Family Home Evening
It's a really big deal and makes me so happy every Wednesday night. Last Wednesday night, my comp and I were 10 minutes late and they would not let it go that we had shown up late.  The amazing grandma, hermana rojas, said she'd been waiting for our smiles to brighten her house since 6 (an hour early) and my heart just melted!!!! They've now reached out and invited members in the area and other friends, so basically pretty soon there's gonna be 30 people attending FHE and I think the more the merrier for sure!!! The hard part is that the reason they can't attend church is money oriented, BUT yesterday they were all there and radiating so much joy that I'm pretty sure I gave them each 10 hugs.

So if that's not enough miracles for you i'll just throw in another as icing on the cake. Yesterday we went to a whole new area that we though was where some families on our ward list lived, simply because no one had ever heard of the streets before and because no one knows that area.  We wandered for a while and found a few of the houses, but nobody was around.  As we were walking we ran into this old man (didn't think anything of it), walked down another street, passed him again, and then as we were coming back from a dead end we saw him again....so it kind of felt like time to talk to him.  He knew the person we were looking for and lead us right to the house. The man who lived there wasn't home, but as we were walking down the street another man dropped his water jug cause he was so excited to see us and gave us the most enthusiastic handshakes.  Turns out it was Miguel, the guy we'd been looking for, and if we hadn't taken the time to talk/walk with the other man we would have never run into Miguel because we would have already been gone.  Miguel hasn't had contact with the church for 5 years, but reads the gospel doctrine manual every night and studies the scriptures.  He's 70 and lives all alone and basically told us to pass by all the time.  As we were leaving, he told the guard to always let us through.  He must have said that we were missionaries from his church at least 10 times and just couldn't stop smiling.  I have to admit my vision was quite blurry as I left due to the abundance of joy I was feeling.

So is this work worth it?? You better believe it is!!!! When we find the right people nothing else matters because I'm truly there for them! There are days where I get laughed at and ridiculed for how much of my life I'm wasting, but then the flip side happens and people call me marvelous, an angel, and a miracle all in one day and it's safe to say my happiness is so sky high that the other moments really can't get me down!  People always say to do what you love and love what you do....so I'm thinking of a new career path: Life long Missionary :)

I love you all!

Hermana Neuberger

Rockin' my new soccer jersey!


The jersey has my favorite number and check the name! Awesome!

Saturday, May 24, 2014

If I Only Had One Thing To Say

I finally truly understand what Bishop Bezzant meant when he told me to ponder on what it meant to have an "eye single to the glory of God" (DC 4).  For some reason that idea came into my mind quite often this week and im pretty sure missionary work is the only time in which we are truly following through with this action.  Heavenly Father has said that His work and His glory is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of his children and here on the mission we are those tools.  Here we have the chance and the means of bringing about the salvation of those souls who have never before had this chance to experience a fullness of joy.  I can be honest in saying that there is no greater blessing then keeping an eye single to the glory of God.  I rejoice in the fact that i never seem to be thinking of myself throughout the day because here on the mission it isnt about me, its about them (jesture to the rest of the world), my brothers and sisters who need this gospel of joy and happiness just as much as i do.  Thats why im here and when i see others find the joy it only makes mine that much more full! I love this gospel and I love my Savior.  I consider myself blessed everyday to wear his name on my chest, because He is who I want to represent!

Monday, May 12, 2014

That One Where I Had No Time

Well today we hiked a mountain....to see the lamest pyramid ever....but the hike was amazing and sooooooo fun!!!!!!! But now I only have 20 minutes so that happened.....

Funny story of the week:
We ran out of tp late at night (which for us missionaries means it was like 10pm) so we had to go run and get some.  Naturally the corner store was closed so we had to run like three blocks and for us it felt like it was 1:00 in the morning and I was giddy from being a "rule breaker".  We purchased the tp and hid it in my coat and started running up the hill fake shouting, "I got the tp" (totally thinking of Sydney/Connor Black and that AMAZING summer!!!)......and then the police came pulling up to the house I was right next to...two cop cars....life is just awesome!!!

Told you it was a great hike!
I've also now experienced two earthquakes here in mexico.  For all those who have asked, I'm doing just fine, thank you for your concern! The damage wasn't anywhere near me, but we certaintly felt them and we keep thinking the volcano is going to explode anyday now...that would be the day!
So I loved talking to my family on Mother's Day! It was wonderful to talk to them and hear their voices. And since I'm so crunched for time I want to share somehthing that my friend Elder Schmidt sent me in his letter this week that I absoluetly love and I think sums it all up so well!

"Is your mission hard?"
Let me ask.
Don't know what these are, but they like food
Is it hard when you get the door slammed in your face everyday?
Is it hard when your investigators are not at appointments?
Is it hard when [21] people are lined up for church and only one is there?
Is it hard when people don't understand the blessings you can help them find?
Is it hard when you find solid people, who live in other areas?
Is it hard when you feel you just don't live up to what is needed?
The answer to all of these-- yes. 

But let me ask, Is it worth it?
Is it worth it to find an investigator and teach the Restoration of God's church?
Is it worth it to teach people there is hope in this life and also in the one to come?
Is it worth it to see the one investigator at church find a home in the ward?
Is it worth it to see a light come on in someone's life as they understand God?
Is it worth it to help someone make the first steps towards baptism?
The answer to all of these-- Absolutely!

Everyday is hard and yet everyday is a grand new adventure! You never know of the blessings Heavenly Father has lined up for you that day until you go out and get them. Yeah there's bad days and the days when I think of everyone back home and all the fun things that I could be doing.....but one moment, one blessing reminds me of how worth it this all is and I really couldnt think of anywhere else I'd rather be!!!!





I'm sure there's more I'd loved to say and that 'Ill remember in like 20 minutes, but I guess that's it for now. Until next week keep making the world smile wherever you are!!!
Hermana Neuberger :)

Monday, May 5, 2014

How Is It Already May?

Wow what a week of miracles! Add to that the too short bathroom curtain, the lady who invited us to her birthday party on the cambi (which of course we went to), the fact that I wouldn't be surprised if I was out of layers of skin, the rejection door (story to follow), the fact that I had oysters for the first time in my life (yes Cara DeBellis I admit that I've been lying to you for years. No hard feelings??) AND CARNIVAL and you're talking about one of the most crazy amazing weeks ever!!!

I really was gonna take the time this week to tell about all my investigators/friends but I talk to my family for real this Saturday and I want to have stories to tell them so I leave that as a promise for next week.

The highlight of hilariousness of this week for sure had to be when we trying to find a family that we had contacted the night before in the street.  Basically we knew the address they were giving us was incorrect along with the last name because their younger daughter said, "that's not us" before they could silence her, but we went to find it anyway hoping the Lord would plant a miracle in our path as He has done so many times before.  This miracle happened to be the one of straight up laughter!!!! We found the door and my comp knocked only for us to notice a second later the sign that was in the upper corner of the door that said something along the lines of: This house despises all other religious sects, we do not allow soliciting, we persecute other religions, all Hail the Virgin Mary!......yup, so that happened.  We gracefully covered our tags with our hair when the guy opened the door cause i certainly would prefer my face to stay in this same arrangement. We walked away dying of laughter! Usually it drives me insane when people give us fake addresses but the fact that they took the time to give us the address of the rejection door....well oddly I was okay with it!

This week was another testament of how boss the scriptures are....I sincerely hope you don't consider that sacrilegious of me to say.  I just couldn't stop finding amazing scriptures all week that just had me fist pumping like crazy.  The best part is that most of them were just those amazing one liners. This week I took a break from reading Moroni 7 (always gets me) and read my favorite chapter from the Bible, Romans 8, again for the first time since leaving on my mission. WHY HAVE I NOT DONE THAT BEFORE?!?! I was once again reminded of why the scriptures are so true.  The thing I want to "read" to you is Romans 8:31.  Summarizing from Spanish it basically says, "If God is for us who can be against us?" Amazing! Basically I've been thinking a lot about that this week.  We shared it with a ton of people and it just always put a smile on my face cause its simply a testament of truth.  We can do everything when we are in line with the Lord.  It reminds me of 2 Nephi 2:24 (all things are done through God who knows all things).  We have the greatest power in our corner and when the day looks dull LOOK UP and remember it!!!!

Have a blessed week and laugh a little for me,
the church is true,
Hermana Neuberger