Let the Holy Spirit Guide

I am a good teacher, but I realized this week, I'm a good teacher as far as skills go. I realized that what has been lacking in my teaching has been the reliance on the Holy Ghost. We read "the 4th missionary" talk this week, and I realized that I have very much been a third missionary. (*The 4th missionary talk goes through the 4 different types of missionaries type 1: disobedient/goes home 2: disobedient all throughout mission but stays, 3: serves mission, is obedient, but still reserves thoughts/desires/will for herself, 4: gives thoughts, heart, will to the Lord). I've been obedient, I've been working hard, but I still kind of reserved my thoughts for myself. I have always been a plan-aheader, but I came to the realization, that on the mission I very much have to be living in the here and now. 

My personal prayers have improved dramatically since coming on a mission. I read an article in this month's Ensign about what our personal prayers reveal about us. I've been trying to set aside time each morning and night to really pray, really communicate with my Heavenly Father about my area, my companion, the sisters in the zone, everything. I have felt the influence of the Holy Ghost so much stronger since implementing this. 

We had a miracle with this. One Morning, during a personal prayer the image of my companion and I knocking on the door of a less-active, Hna Perez, we had tried the Sunday before came into my head. I didn't pay much attention to it, but later that day, the same image popped into my head during another prayer. We visited Hna Perez and came to find that it was a family that has been sealed in the temple, and hasn't come to church in 7 years! We found out as well that next door lived the son of this less-active woman. On our way out, we tried him. He wasn't too thrilled to see us, but his girlfriend, Ashley, was. She asked him if we could come in, but he hesitated because he was about to watch a movie, and so she said, "fine! well, I'm going out there to talk to them." She came out to talk to us, and told us that she had seen our car the Sunday before. She had been thinking about how she needed to find a church, or start going to a church. She (Ashley) had texted a Jehovah's Witness friend asking if she could study with them, but for some reason that option wasn't available. Ashley had been so excited when she had seen our car on Sunday, but we hadn't knocked on her door. She had seen our car again that day, and had said to herself, "If they knock on my door, I have to talk to them!"

It was such a miracle, and we were so happy and thrilled! We know that it was a blessing for our willingness to let the Spirit guide our work. I love moments like these. I am trying so hard to improve myself so that the Lord can use me as an instrument in my hands. Sometimes I get frustrated, because try as I might, I can't seem to help investigators to progress towards baptism. It has been a humbling experience, but this week, as I realized the difference as I've been trying to depend on the spirit more and more I thought, 'I'm glad I haven't had a baptism! Because, I don't know if I would have learned all I've learned, or tried as hard as I'm trying.'

I don't know if Heavenly Father will bless me with the ability to see the fruits of my labors. But, I know that if he doesn't it is all for a wiser purpose. I love the plan and trust in the plan my Father in Heaven has for me. 

In other news: 

-Roberto & Manuela dropped us. :( They were given some sort of Anti video by their church.

-Brenda & Joaquin totally back together!

-Milton may or may not have asked us about the Abrahamic Covenant and how it relates to the Libro de Mormon. He brought up the 12 tribes of Israel last week, and went Isaiah chapters on us. It was great.

-I went on exchanges with Sis Maile & Sis Kidd. They are brand new to the mission! It was such a great exchange we made friends with a Vietnamese Catholic priest, who wanted to practice speaking English with me, and called us that same day for a finding faith in christ DVD.

- Had a leadership training meeting in Liberty, TX. There's a Spanish area there, and it is COUNTRY. I want to serve there more than anything. I drove for sooooo long.

- Elder Golden of the 70 is coming to the mission to tour. I have to play the piano for a zone conference and I'm super nervous!!!! pray for me!

With love,
Hna Flores

p.s. sorry no photos! It's so hot, and my hair is in a bun ALL THE TIME!