11/14/16 Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween! 

Well, even though Halloween is not celebrated here, we carved a melon and had zone games!   :)    It was really quite fun, not to mention that I won the obstacle race!#Fox pride!    :)  

Well it has been a great week!  So on Tuesday this week, we had a HUGE STORM.  The thunder would sound and the ground would shake, big!   :)  I had borrowed my umbrella to a member that was accompanying us, and secretly I was as happy as could be.  There was so much water, it was almost like swimming and I think that is the closest I will get to swimming on the mission.  It was great!  There was so much mud and water.  Flooding.   We had lots of good laughs as we walked down streets in knee high water!  

On Saturday Alvaro was baptized!  It was so nice. He has been waiting for this opportunity for quite some time now.  We had to keep pushing back his date for trips and for unexpected challenges, but it finally happened and he was as happy as could be.  It was so beautiful to think that one more of Gods children has opened the door and started walking on the path to the Celestial kingdom!  

So M. was doing really great all week.  We taught her the Word of Wisdom and she was really excited to start!  She was been smoking and drinking for years.  For  a couple of days she was doing really well, but when we went to visit her on Sunday, she filled us in.  Her boyfriend is getting mad that she is changing.  He threatened to leave her and take her baby with him.  He was really upset to say the least.  She feels caught in the middle, because she has received an answer from God that the Restoration happened and that is what she needs to do, yet it seems as if her life is falling to pieces and burning.  All I can say is that Satan is working hard.  He does not want even ONE of Gods children to make it back to Him and have eternal life.  BUT...that being said...God is there and willing and ready to help us make it work.  He is a God of miracles.  He is not silent!  I'm so grateful to have the gospel in my life.  It has helped me come to know my father and Savior and understand more of the GREAT PLAN of HAPPINESS that they have prepared for me.  I love this gospel.  I love being able to share it.  There is no greater joy!

See you soon,

Hermana Fox

starlee.fox@myldsmail.net

10/24/16 Hello Family and Friends!

Well, its been a good one!  The work moves on! 

Funny story:  At lunch with a member this week Hermana Zabala got a kick out of me, becuase I had told my companion that every time a firework goes off, (which is all the time or every time there are soccer games), that, it is a shooting and that people and someone is probably  dying.  And if its not that, it is just a signal to those in Brazil that their drugs made it across the river safely.  We all had a great laugh about that!  :)

This week we were able to work with a couple of the young women here in the ward.  It was so great!  We went with Carolina and Ingrud and Oh, what a difference is made when there are members present in the teaching!  The spirit was so much stronger, and truly felt by all.  I am so grateful for the faithful members around the globe who do all they can to share the gospel and edify Gods kingdom on the earth!  I love this gospel.  Being here, it has all come to life.  Jesus is real.  He loves us.  He has done so much and continues to help us daily.  He is my Savior.  He is my King.  I will do all I can to bring honor to His name.  He and us are part of a perfect plan made by our Father.  We CAN make it back to Him, and we will in our own due time.  Words cannot express how I feel about Him.  I know He lives.  This is His gospel and His Church.  In the name of Jesus Christ amen.

See you soon,

Hermana Fox

starlee.fox@myldmail.net

10/17/2016 Turn to him!

These pictures were taken today at 3 fronts.  Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay

Hi Family,

Well its been a great one!   The sun has come out and boy, can I tell you....IT IS HOT!!! I am a bit, well,  FRIED!   :)    It is incredibly humid and oh, what a happy day it is when people receive us under the tree shade! 

 

Well, I want to share a bit about another investigator.  Her name is Mi. We had taught her a couple of times and she is on FIRE!  She is sensitive to the spirit and takes everything to the Lord on her knees.  This week her neighbor asked her why she is listening to the Mormons?  After asking her she told lies about us and the Mormons.   She thought that was a bit weird, because her neighbor never talks to her.  She told us, "I think it is just Satan, because he doesn't want me to be happy.   So after my neighbor talked to me, I went and asked God what He thinks of me listening to the Mormons...and I felt, OH SO GOOD! "  Yesterday we met her boyfriend and although he is not a fan of us he came out when we started singing.   :)  Mi. told us that through her example, He will start changing!  I love the faith of this woman!!!

 

 

The church is true.  God is aware.  Turn to Him.

 

 

See you soon,

 

Hermana Fox

starlee.fox@myldsmail.net

10/10/16 Hola Famila!!!

---

 

It has been a great week!  The sun is shining, and I'm burning!   :)  The word is being preached and people are feeling it!

  So we have been teaching a woman M.  She is so kind, and always listens.  As we have taught her the Restoration she kept saying, " This is so different than what I have learned.  Why haven't I ever heard this before?"  All was fine until her daughter in law came in.  She came in and started to bible bash.  I was just thinking...NO!  We are going to lose her.  How is she going to progress with someone like that in the house!  This is never going to work.  I took a big deep breath and prayed with all my heart to know what to do.  I was amazed to open my mouth and something started coming out.  We were able to testify with the spirit.  And within 5 minutes that complete feeling in the room changed from Hostile to Peace!  It was incredible!  In the end we could see the difference in the eyes of this daughter in law.  She thanked us and invited us over again and promised to read the Book of Mormon!  We are so excited to go back and see her progress. I know that the gospel has been restored.  It is truth.  This mighty work will move forward. It will be preached to every person.  It is the truth that Christ wants us to have and live.  It is how we prepare to live with Him again.  I feel so incredibly blessed to have this gospel in my life.  I love my Savior and know that He is! 

This week we also visited D.  She is doing so great!  She reads from the Book of Mormon so much and is starting to get it!  She prayed for the first time in her life last week and is feeling the difference that it is making in her life!  This week we went with a member and well, the situation was less than ideal.  Her mother doesn't really like us, so she kept coming in and interupting the lesson.  We had started to share about the Restoration and I felt bad knowing that we were not in an envirnment that the spirit would be able to testify of these truths.  So we quickly wrapped up the thought and decied to share that with her later. BUT...when we asked if she had questions she turned to the recent convert and asked,  " What was it like when you were converting? "  Carolina bore such a beautiful testimony and the spirit that we had wanted to come the whole lesson, came.  ALL distractions stopped and her mother even listened intently to her testimony.  It was such a beautiful experience!  The spirit will come in the precise moment that it is needed.  This is such a special work and I feel blessed to take a small part in it. :)

 Love you all!

See you soon,

Hermana Fox

starlee.fox@myldsmail.net     (Sorry on the last email, I accidentally put .com with my email and it is .net.)

10/03/2016 Feliz Octubre!!!!

I can't believe that October is here!  Months fly by!  I hope you all enjoyed conference as much as I did!  It was such a great opportunity to listen to God's chosen servants.  There were so many moving talks, but one theme that really stood out to me was that of JOY.  The gospel is joyful!  It has been created to make us happy.  It is the eternal RULE BOOK and if followed closely it ALWAYS leads to happiness and joy!  I have felt it and I know it to be true!  The only right way, is to choose Christ.  Make Him the center of everything you do and Whala!  Eternal Happiness!

So this week Alvaro had his baptimal interview and we are hoping to have his baptism on the 14th!  We are really excited for him!  I believe I have sent a couple of pictures home of him.  He is a 10 child, and we are reactivating his mother as well.  I love their family and love to see what the living the gospel brings into their home!

This week A. and D. should have had their baptismal interviews as well, but their mother has declared that they are not ready.  We are doing everything we can to help them take this leap of faith and know that God will continue to teach them and allow them to grow after their baptism.  It is so sad to see their mother impede on their agency.  They have been quite sad since she said that, but continue to faithfully read their scriptures and pray.  We are leaving it in Gods hands.   :)    All will work out in His own due time. 

Today was the last transfer for my mission.  I am happy I will be staying here and continue serving with Hermana Buckles.  I am excited.   Argentina has prohibited all packages so please don't send any at this time.  Thanks for all your support!

I love this gospel.  I dont know why I was so blessed to have grown up in it, but I will forever be grateful!  I love my Savior.  He is my King and my all!

See you soon,

Hermana Fox

starlee.fox@myldsmail.net

09/26/16 Hello!!!

 

Well, spring has officially arrived, but I would call it SUMMER!  It is getting so hot, but at least it is cooling off in the night still.   COUNT YOUR MANY BLESSINGS!  So this week has been special!  I got a call from President this week and he invited me and my companion to dinner at their hotel.  Can I just tell you how out of place I felt walking into there?  It was so very nice!  We were treated to a 5 course meal and great conversation.  Can I tell you what it feels like to sit down and spend 2 hours to eat a nice meal ?  After shoveling food in my throat for the last year in a hurry to get out the door and to work, it was amazing!  Ha.  I love President and Hermana Svek.  They are so good to us.  Our leaders are so inspired to know how to help their missionaries!  P.S.  I ate Sushi and LOVED IT!  Then I ate some weird robin egg or something like that and I LIKED IT too!  Ya, what?!   The next day we had a zone conference.  It was so very nice!  

Yesterday we were in a lesson with a woman.  All was going well.  The spirit was strong and she was understanding and feeling the spirit as well.  Let just say that getting a call in the middle of sharing the first vision isn't exactly what I had it mind.  The spirit was driven away quickly, but nonetheless we were able to invite Him back and it turned out well.  I was led to think about how sensitive the spirit is.  It doesn't take that much for Him to be offended or driven away.  If we are not careful, we may not even notice.  It is our decision how much we invite him in our lives and how long we allow him to stay with us. 

I got to go see an awesome baptism of a great man we taught in Barrio.  See picture.

So, as much as I hate the feeling I get from sinning, I am so very grateful for it.  It is the perfect way to be able to recognize sin and get back on the right path.  The burden is immediately lightened as we ask forgiveness and repent.  I am so grateful for the Savior and the gift of becoming clean that he gives me!  I love this gospel and am so grateful for it in my life! 

Thanks for all your support and prayers!

See you soon,

Hermana Fox

starlee.fox@myldsmail.net

09/21/16 Hola Familia!

Bueno, I hope all has been well for you, as it has for me!  Well, I'm sure it hasn't been PERFECT, because things in life usually aren't that way.  If things always turned out how we wanted them, how would we ever grow, change, and learn?  Life would be pointless and we would finish, being the same as when we came.  This week has been great in the Lords book, but different from how I planned it out in my book.  

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK:

Alecis and Dani came to church this week!  BUT...WITH THEIR MOTHER!! For the first time!  It was so great to have them all there! This has been their hold up for baptism.  (They wanted their mother to get to the church and support them in their decision.)  So, they are taking one small step closer to their baptism and their Savior!  We had had a lesson with their whole family during the week that was really special and helped us better understand where they are coming from. It was a "Christmas day"  in the life of a missionary, to see them walking into the church!

Last night we had an excellent lesson  with familia Morinigo!  It was so fun to see their faces as we explained about the Book of Mormon.  Her eyes got so big as she grabbed it out of my hands.  "I have got to buy glasses this week!"  she said.  She was so touched that we would just gift the book to her and invite her to read it!  The spirit was strong and we invited them to be baptized on the 22 of October!  WAHOO!  They rejoice fully  accepted!

Well, also A. and her son came to church this week!  She is a less active, that has great desire to come back to church!  We are teaching her son and preparing him for baptism!  

All is well, God has been good to us, and we are happy!  I am so grateful for the experiences that I have had.  I am grateful for the relationship that I have been able to have with my Heavenly Father.  He is so good, patient, and merciful with me.  I love Him more than words can describe, and will do whatever it takes to make it back to His presence.

See you soon,

Hermana Fox

starlee.fox@myldsmail.net

09/12/2016 Hey Family!

 

Well its been a great one! 

On Monday night, my two daughters went to Asuncion together for TRAMITES!  It was so fun to see both of them.  The memories come rushing back and it made me think about how much I have really changed even in the last 7 months! (The term daughters means that I trained them.  Tramites is legal papers.)

We had two children that were supposed to have their bautismo interviews this Saturday and on Friday they started to share some of their doubts and then on Saturday they didn't show up and we haven't heard from them still.  It is amazing how hard Satan works on us.  Each time we are doing something right, the fear, the problems, the opposition seems to take a few steroids!  We are hoping to see them tonight and get them excited again!

My companion has been a bit sick this weekend and so I had some extra time in the pension. It took my back to the time when I was sick with dengue.  I had an angel companion to take care of me and now I have been on the flip side!  It was nice to be able to reciprocate that love and service.
 

On Sunday we had a great lesson about develping our talents.  Something that impressed me was the promise that if we use and develop the talents that we have, God will bless us with more.  So, with my companion being sick, I started to draw again!  It was really fun, and as odd as it might sound it was kind of a spiritual experience drawing Christ.   :)  See photos.

Well, I can just say that I am so happy!  I am so grateful to a loving Heavenly Father.  I am grateful to my Savior.  I am so blessed for this experience to serve! I love you all and Im grateful for you!

See you soon,

Hermana Fox

starlee.fox@myldsmail.net

09/12/2016 CURVEBALL!

Well, it has been an EXCELLENT week!  God threw a curve-ball on Tuesday that I am still trying to figue out how to hit!   :)     I have been transferred to a new area, training a new american, and doing a whitewash! (meaning we are both new to the area)   WAHOO!  This is like all of my mission dreams coming true at once.  So I have been on  a bit of overload trying how to figure it all out, but all is well!  My  new companion is an angel. We are SO incredibly similar!  Her name is Hermana Buckles from Indiana and she is special!  We have already become the best of friends!  

 Tuesday was quite an emotion filled day and it was quite draining, but in the end I was able to get my bags picked up and find the new pension.  It was late at night and we only had 2 hours left of proslyting.  We dropped my bags and out the door we went again to go and find someone to teach!  We were guided and blessed to find Angela and her two stepdaughters.  We had a fire lesson with them!  The spirit was so strong, and they felt it SO DEEPLY!  We have visited them a couple more times and they are progessing towards baptism. Now we just get figure out how we are going to help her boyfriend join along!  :)  It was such a tender mercy to give us a bright hope that first night.  We both so desperately need it!  God is so good!

 

 

So, I truly am loving where I am what and what I am doing.  But I'm not going to lie and just say that all is pretty rainbows, flowers, and cake.   :)  It is been SO hard!  I have been thrust down on my knees so many times this week, PLEADING for help!  I can not do this alone!  I am so weak, and I am nothing!  God has been so good to me.  I have felt His guiding spirit so strongly this week.  Time and time again, He has led us to people and has guided the lesson.  We have been so blessed and I am so incredibly grateful to God!!! I know that my Savior lives!  I know He loves me.  I have felt that so strongly this week at times that I didnt even know if I loved myself.  He is forgiving. He is healing, and He is the reason to live!

 

 Love you all and hope you have a great week!  

 

See you soon!

 

Hermana Fox

starlee.fox@myldsmail.net

08/29/2016 PROGRESS...

Hello!

Well, last Monday night I decided that I wanted to set some new HIGH goals for the transfer.  We just had transfers and I will be staying here serving with the same companion.   This week we worked like crazy to reach them.  That has helped me focus more on WHY I am here and not so much in my current situation.  We have seen miracles of how God places people in our paths if we will just open our mouths and just talk to them.

Fran :  Fran is great!  He is a reference from a less active member and is truly progressing.  We taught him how to pray and the importance of prayer in our spiritual progression.  We invited him to pray about the restoration and he was so happy to tell us 2 days later that he has recieved an answer!!! It is so special to witness someone who really seeks the truth and desires to follow it!  He even came to church alone the last 2 weeks when his member friend flaked out!   :)

Well, I have also been studying about the spirit this week!  I had started to feel like I wasn't feeling the spirit anymore, which started to scare me.  I opened up Preach My Gospel and the scriptures and studied HOW we can feel the spirit.  I found  the ways that He can speak to me and then wrote experiences of when I have felt the spirit in that specific way.  EYE OPENER!  I realized that I feel the spirit a lot and I am not always recognizing and giving Him the credit!  I love the gift of the spirit and am so grateful for it!  Some scriptures that called to my attention were John 14:26-27.   :)

Love you all!

See you soon,

Hermana Fox

starlee.fox@myldsmail.com

08/8/16 Miracles!

Well, it has been a great week in every way!  Miracles have been sprinkled on us all week long!  God is so good, and how blessed I am to be in His work!

Familia AZ.   :  I think I have mentioned them.  SA. and AO. They have 5 children, and they are actually married!  We found them contacting a couple weeks back and then they came to watch MEET THE MORMONS.  Then on Wednesday they came to Game night in the chapel, and then they came to church on Sunday!  They are really struggling, and I know without a doubt that nothing can help them like the gospel can!  They are still trying to find a testimony, but something that they always love and mention is how sweet the members are to them!  Can I tell you how important members are in missionary work?!  Well...They are everything!  We are not always there to help them, but a good member friend is!!  I invite each of you to find those who are new in your ward and BEFRIEND them!  They need you and YOU need them!  I love being able to help them find the light that they are looking for!

CR. and SA.  :  CR.  is an inactive member and SA. is his nonmember girlfriend.  They have come to church the last two weeks are really loving it!  They want to get their lives straightened up, and the gospel will do just that!  They are taking good care of us and never let us leave without feeding us! 

Being a missionary is the most humbling experience.  I LOVE it!  I have realized that I am nothing, and I can do nothing.  My work doesn't amount to anything compared to God's power.  If I am not dependent on Him and in unity with my teammate (companion),  we accomplish nothing.  It is amazing how quickly I forget Him, and His power.  If I could just be a little bit less of a natural man. Ha.  It is a constant struggle, but I am loving it!  It is worth it!    I love what I am learning!    :)

Love you all!  Thank you for your prayers and all you do!  I have the Best family and Best friends!  

See you soon,

Hermana Fox

starlee.fox@myldsmail.net

8/1/2016 I'm grateful for answered prayers!

Well, it has been quite the week! 

Tuesday, my companion had to travel to Asuncion and so I stayed here with my good pal, Hermana Villanueva.  It is always a pleasure to teach with someone new and leave the the routines that we would normally have.   :)

On Friday we also had divisiones and I went to Minga Guazu with Hermana Vera!  Well the Mormon world is very small I have learned!  The sister that gave us lunch was talking and in some way or another we found out that her sister married my cousin's brother-in-law!  Ya, what!?  That was fun!  She started sending pictures that way real quick!! Haha!  That was a small tender mercy of the Lord, letting me know that he is aware of me and reminding me of all the love and support I have coming from home!  

On Sunday we had an activity in the church!  We watched, MEET THE MORMONS!  A family of investigators came and loved the movie! We were about to take advantage of the situation and give a tour of the chapel!  It was so great, and now they are planning on coming to our Wednesday night activity!!! Their progess is slow, but moving along!  

So on Friday I was having a bit of a rough day.  I was praying and God answered!  Right before going to bed that night, the zone leaders sent a scripture.  It was exactly what I needed to hear at that time.  I know that it was a direct answer to my prayers! I am also so grateful for those who follow promptings of the spirit!  God works in mysterious ways, but He works miracles!

Yes, the picture of me last week with the other sister was of us plucking the feathers off chickens.  It was gross, but I did it!

I am so proud to say that I am a Mormon.  I feel so blessed have the gospel in my life!  I know that God loves us.  He guides us and directs us.  I know that he hears and answers prayers! He is my all! 

See you soon,

Hermana Fox

starlee.fox@myldsmail.net     (Sorry the email listed here last week was wrong. This is the correct one.)  

07/25/2016 Hello from Paraguay!

Well, it has been a nice week.     :)

Can I tell you how incredible the gospel is?  If we truly live the gospel, we are so BLESSED and HAPPY.  We are teaching an inactive that strayed from the church about 22 years ago.  He started singing, (like a rock star) and that brought him into a new group of friends.  He fell quickly and started drinking, and doing things that he knew he shouldn't do.  It is so sad to see the mess that his life is.  We were talking with him and the one thing that kept coming to mind was, "If you had lived the gospel, you would not have ANY of these problems."  The gospel is a protection for us.  It is a play book for how we can be happy.  If you want to have lasting happiness, LIVE THE GOSPEL.  I know that it brings happiness, I have felt this in the short time I have been here.  I am happier than I have ever been.  I have found a peace in life, a reason to keep pushing on. God wants to help us be happy and he has given us all the steps that we must take.  THAT is the gospel!  Im so grateful for my Savior and for the gospel.  It doesn't matter what is happening, because our Heavenly Father and Jesus are always there for us!  

So this week, we have been trying to look for new people to teach.  That always includes some interesting conversations.  There was a woman this week that started talking to us about how turkeys reproduce.  YIKES!  

CA.  is AWESOME, when we are with her.  The problem is that we can hardly ever find her.  We still have hope, but the progress is a bit slower than we would like to see.  She is still looking forward to her baptism.  We are just having to push it back a couple more weeks.

All is well!  I love you all! 

See you soon,

Hermana Fox

starlee.fox@myldsmail.net

7/18/16 BUEN DIA!

Hi Family and Friends!

 

Wow, what a week!  Its been quite the journey!  Well transfers on Wednesday meant that we had to start traveling on Tuesday night.  With the lack of sisters having transfers, I had to travel with my companion to Encarnacion and then cross over into Argentina to look for my new companion!  Wow!  That makes for a long 24 hours of traveling!   I had a riot!  It is always a blast being surronded by missionaries and getting to know new ones!

So, Hermana Nacimento, is GREAT!!!  This sister has got so much energy and well, she is just HAPPY!  She is from Brazil.  So, with the two of us foreign sisters, both speaking a language that is not our own, and between the 3 languages we can figure out just about everything we want to say!   BONUS:  She is teaching me Portugese and I teach her English!

Well, I'm sorry to sound like a broken record, but I have been sick again since Thursday. I've had a sore throat, head and body aches with a fever, most likely viral.  This weekend was a bit...TRANQUILO.  I'm doing some better now and we are getting back into the work week.   :)

Anyone that knows me, well knows that I am terrified to play piano in front of people, right?  Here in the 1st ward, I play the piano in sacrament meeting every week. I am pianist for all of the songs.  YIKES!  There are two things I have learned with this.

  1- When I pray and ask for help beforehand, the Lord helps me and it all turns out fine.  2- STOP being prideful!  I have learned that it is ok to not be perfect.  

 Lets just say it has been humbling!  I have acually started enjoying it and God really is blessing and helping me devellop this talent.  

Fun fact of the week:  We went to a Brazilan restaurant with a member.   I ate a CHICKEN HEART!!!!  It was cooked rotisserie style...and I actually liked it!  The arteries gave it a good crunch!  

Love you all!  Have a great one!

See you soon,

Hermana Fox

Sorry for the lack of pictures.  I am still not able to send from this area.

7/11/2016 Rohayhu!

Hello!  It has been another great week in the service of the Lord!  We have really been focused on finding new people to teach.  We continue to help Fatima and CA. progress as well!  CA. sadly came down with the flu and was unable to come to church this week, BUT she continues to be very excited for her baptism!  She came to an activity in the ward this week and she pulled us aside and asked us, "So what type of clothing will I need for my baptism?"  Ha!  She is like a little girl waiting for Christmas!  FA. is doing well, we had a lesson with her husband as well! Oh how I would love to see an entire family embrace the gospel...and here is my chance!!  

So this week we  did divisions and I went with my dear friend Hermana Cannon.  We went to  see a young man that we had taught once.  His mother greeted us at the door, and told us that he was not home... :(    But that's ok, because our message is for EVERYONE!!!  We started talking to her, and as she started talking about Christ she cried.  She told of the change that she has felt as she has accepted Christ in her life.  Then she asked us if we could talk to her son.  We went and sat down and her 2 teenage boys came out, then her daughter, and then throughout the whole lesson more and more children came.  At one point there were 10 children surrounding us, and intently listening!  It was so special, there was complete silence as a group of Gods children were eagerly listening to 2 of His servants. 

Well, we have been informed of changes.  I will be staying here with a new companion, Hermana Nacimiento! She is from Brazil.  I'm excited for a new adventure, but sad to see Hermana Lopez go!  I am so grateful to be able to serve the Lord and spread the good word!  Rohayhu!  (I love you!)  Have a great week, and remember the One who is over all!

See you soon,

Hermana Fox

ps.  I am sorry I am still not able to send pictures here.

7/4/2016 Happy 4th of July!

 

Well, Happy Birthday AMERICA!!! Oh how blessed we are to live in Los estados unidos de America!  Well, of course we had to celebrate!  We had a zone celebration!  The day was filled with lots of great friends, good laughs and a good game of kickball!  We had cake, hot dogs, and of course we sang the National Anthem!    :)    Wow, I am so proud to be an American!  

This week was FANTASTIC!  We have been so busy and SO blessed!  The day in the life of a missionary is not like anything else.  We get to do what no one else does, with a power that very few people have.  It is so thrilling, emotional, exciting, spirit filled, and well, just simply AMAZING! 

We got to meet Presidente y Hermana Svec this week.  It was a short moment, but oh how great it was!  I know that he is called of God and the mantle has been placed on His shoulders.  Each calling is important to God, and He has a reason for every calling.  We are called for a reason, and as we fulfill our callings to the best of our ability, he places power behind our words and actions.  What a great opportunity it is to serve Him, in whatever capacity we are called to.

CA.   This woman, is so special.  She was a reference from a member.  Her boyfriend is (was :) ) an inactive, and she agreed to get to know his church.  We started teaching her last week.  On Thursday we had a lesson and had invited her to pray about Joseph Smith, and it see if this is the TRUE church of God.  On Friday we received a text from her saying,  "Hermanas, I am so incredibly happy!  Thank you so much for you support, and all the time you dedicate to helping me.  I cant wait to see you tomorrow!"  On Saturday when we met with her she told us of the experience she had while praying.  She described the spirit as feeling "like I was in heaven.  I have never felt that before.  I know that what you have taught me is true, and I cant wait to take the first step by being baptized!"  Nobody could have wiped away the ear-to-ear smile I had in that moment!  God answers prayers when we ASK IN FAITH, DETERMINED to ACT.  She then looked at us and said, but I believe I need a Book of Mormon to be able to learn more. We had not even mentioned the Book of Mormon at this point, but she had read about it in the pamphlet.  I looked at my companion and she looked at me.  We gave her a Book of Mormon and oh how she treasured that.  She could not believe that we would gift her a Book of Mormon. She said,  "I cant wait to be able to learn more about Jesus!"  Oh how sweet is the conversion!!!  I love being able to participate in this great work!  There is nothing sweeter, more worthwhile, or fulfilling than working for the One and Only who created all.  I know He lives, He loves us, He answers those who seek, and He wants us to succeed!  CA. is preparing to be baptized the 30th of July! 

On Sunday, we were seated in sacrament meeting with about 15 minutes left of the meeting.  I was thoroughly enjoying the testimonies, when my companion jabbed my side.  She pointed to the door, and there in the window were three familiar faces!  FA. and her 2 children came to church!  What a happy surprise!!!  We found her contacting about 2 weeks ago, and felt something really special from day 1.   We were so surprised that she came, but so incredibly thrilled!  Sometimes all is takes is an invitation!  

Well, its been a good one here, and I hope all is well there!  Enjoy yourselves, and Remember Christ in all!  I love you all!

See you soon,

Hermana Fox

Sorry for the lack of pictures...Virus infested computers.  :(

6/27/2016 New Beginnings!

Wow...it has been a week to remember!!!!

So, we went to Itiapu today, which means we went to BRAZIL.  Itiapu dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Parana River located on the border between Brazil and Paraguay.  It is the largest power plant on the earth!  That was awesome, but I am not able to send pictures, so they will be coming!  The dam is HUGE!  It sustains 80% of all power in Paraguy and 12% of Brazil.  It was quite the sight!  We went with a group of missionaries and it was really fun!

It was a good week.  It went by fast.  We have had quite a few lessons.  There are a few who are progressing.  We are teaching 2 couples who are young.  The males are inactives, and the women are investigating.  THEY BOTH came to church this week!  THAT WAS AWESOME!  We have a lot hope with these part member families.

Well, President and Hermana LaPierre are headed home.  We had our last zone conference with them, and WOW can I tell you, it was the BEST conference I have been in.  It was EXACTLY what I was I needing in this moment!  Early in the week I had been feeling like I wasn't enjoying the spirit as much as I would like.  I felt like I was going through all the missionary motions; speaking of Christ, testifying of Him, and inviting others to come unto Him...but I felt like it was without feeling.  I had mentioned to my companion, and we had a good discussion.  After much prayer and 2 days, God blessed me with an abundance of the spirit.  It was so incredibly special!  I have never felt like that in my life.  Since then I have really been trying to NOTICE the spirit in every moment and to keep my thoughts centered on Christ.  Being a missionary we have spiritual experience after spiritual experience, and after a 1 year, I think I started to forget how special that REALLY is.  It was really nice to reflect and remember how special the gift of the Spirit is.  I am so grateful for him, and the comfort, guidance and love he shows me.  Oh what I would give, so that everyone could feel this way!  There is nothing quite like it. 

 

I am so grateful to be on a mission and be able to experience each moment.  There are days I wonder if I am really accomplishing anything, but as I look back I see there is no greater convert than myself.  Oh how grateful I am for my Savior and Father who has given me this opportunity to serve them.  It helps me to see a bit their greatness.

It was a bitter sweet goodbye to President and Hermana LaPierre.  I know that they have finsihed what they were sent here to do, and another has been called.  May God bless them and each of His servents.

See you soon,

Hermana Fox

6/20/2016 The most important work of all!

 Missionaries at the bus terminal in Asuncion Paraguay.

Temple in Paraguay.


Hello!

This week has flown by so SO fast!  On Monday night we hopped in a bus and traveled to Asuncion for legal paper work for Paraguay.  We spent half the day there before returning late on Tuesday night.  It was a great trip, but the most special was seeing the temple!   I have not seen a temple in 1 year!  We were not allowed to do a session, but we sisters snuk in and the temple workers brought us temple role papers.  We sat in the front room for about 4 minutes adding names to the prayer roll.   Oh how special it was!  I can not explain the peace that is found in the temple! I have missed that place so much and can not wait to go back!  The rest of the trip we got to go to Pizza Hut and McDonald´s, and had lots of fun with missionaries!  I am so grateful for all my peer missionaries, and have made some of my dearest friends!

Friday we had divisions!  I got to go with Hermana Ehlert, my old Companion!!!   We had such a great time!  It was just like old times, teaching together!  Oh how I love that angel!

This week we had to push back the baptism date of CA.  We are still working with her, but hope to see more conversion, before she enters into her first covenant.

 

There are a lot of people walking around with machine guns guarding homes and businesses.  At first it freaked me out a little, but I am used to it now.

Yesterday, I met AO.  That was quite the "charla"!  He is an old investigator.  Lives here in Ciudad Del Este (CDE) alone.   In the last couple of months all of his family has been baptized in Pilar, which is about 9 hours away.  The hermanas had dropped him because he had excessive questions and lack of faith to find the answers.  In the first part of the charla he started to enter into asking tons of questions and thinking in circles.  We weren't getting anywhere.  We were trying to REALLY listen to him and to the spirit, and the spirit TOOK IT AWAY!  We asked if he really desired to find the truth, and join it?  He sincerely said," YES" .  In the end there was an agreement that He will live like a latter day saint, and learn all he can, being completely dedicated for ONE month.  And in the end if he doesn't receive answers and feel something, we will let him be.   :)  But at least he has to TRY the cake, and not just judge it from the outside!  I am so excited to work with him!  I know that whatever person who is TRULY looking and PUTS forth an effort to find the truth,  IT WILL BE FOUND!

I am so blessed to participate in such a special work.  There is nothing like it.  THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT WORK IN THE WORLD!   It is the work of Salvation!  I dont know why the Lord trusts all of these 18-20 year olds, but oh am I grateful that He does.  It is changing me, and millions more.  I love my Father in Heaven, and Savior, Jesus Christ.  This is their work, and it will press on!

Thank you all for all your support and love!  I appreciate it, and hope all is well with you at home!

See you soon,

Hermana Fox