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