Week 63- What a wonderful Life

Dear Friends and Family,

My District

 

I can't even begin to tell you how fast the time really flies by... and worse when you are having fun. Being a missionary has not been the easiest thing I have ever done in my life. Actually, one of the hardest but most worth- while experiences.

 

Recently, I have been thinking so much about the importance of good friends. I can honestly say that my family are my best friends!!!! And the Lord loves me SOOOOOOOOO much to send me a companion right now who will be one of my best friends forever. 

 

What makes a good friend? My mom always says that there are so many good people, but if they don't make you a better person, they're not a good person for you. I can't say my companion is a friend because we have fun together or because she says nice things about me. What I truly admire is that she loves me enough to help me be a better person and tells me exactly what it is that I need to become that person. At first there were so many things that annoyed me with her and I felt awful. We talked a LOT about how things were in our companionship and made a LOT of goals. Haha. The crazy thing is how much prayer and charity really help. I absolutely love my companion now and feel like in such a short time, I have made more progress than ever before. She has helped me become a better person and more importantly, the person that I really want to become.

 

Baptism

Well, enough of my life lesson for the week, on to more exciting news!!!!! Luisa and Dayvis were baptized on Wednesday!!!!!!!! It was the best because the whole family was there. Hervi (the return missionary who is Luisa's son) baptized them and there were SOOOOOOOO many people at the baptism. There weren't enough seats for us or the Bishop to sit down. It was so beautiful and what was nice is that my companion and I back in January had found them and taught them so much, but it wasn't their time and I had the privilege of being there right now when the Lord knew was their time.

 

As for being a Sister Leader which a lot of people have asked what it is like.... STRESSFUL!!!!!!! Another reason why I love my companion. When things happen, we just learn to laugh and enjoy the moment. Our travel plans this week were completely ruined. We had planned to leave early Thursday morning... until all of transportation was on strike... So we left much later and were going to come back Sunday afternoon. Also another failed plan. We found out that Sunday night, Puno was going to be on strike too! UCK! So we had hardly anytime to visit the hermanas in Puno, but I was able to see a lot of members and it was so nice to see them and feel the love they expressed for me!

 

While in Puno in my old area, we visited a lady that I had taught a lot... Silvia. Well, She FINALLY decided she wants to be baptized October 12th!!!!!! Miracle. It was so cool to teach her and feel the spirit SOOOOOOO strong and to be there in the moment that she decided that she wanted a change in her life for her and her family. 

 

Family

I was also in another area in Puno. The fun part is that I was with my family in the mission... My sister Hermana Tamariz (who was also trained by Hermana Olivera) and then her daughter... Hermana Wahlen. We took family pics together and it was awesome because they were trained the same way I was and we all happen to work in the same way. 

 

Well, I am out of time, but being a missionary is THE BEST!!!!!!!! Life couldn't be better right now and I am so grateful that the Lord loves me enough to teach me how to be more like Him! 

 

Have a wonderful week.

 

Love,

Hermana Lang

Week 62- Learn to Love People



Juliaca

Dear Friends and Family,

So this week has been an interesting one. Tuesday, we had a meeting with all of the leaders in the mission and it lasted ALLLLLLLLLL day. Wednesday, we traveled to Juliaca and there, we had SOOOOO much fun. We visited 2 of the sister missionaries there and we were able to get a LOT of work done. I sometimes am not sure how I am helping, but at the end of the day, they said, it would be so much nicer if you guys were always here, we were able to accomplish way more than what the 2 of us do in 2 days.

I learned a lot about learning how to love people. Usually you love the people that you know. I found myself loving these people that I had never met in my life and will probably never see them again after this day either. I have learned that love isn't something that necessarily comes with time, but it is something that you have to learn to develop.. that is the talent of loving. With praying and a lot of practicing, it is something that comes a lot more naturally. 

 My zone

This week's letter is SUPER short because the internet is having problems, but I hope that you are all doing well and know that I am here better than ever. Thank you for all of your prayers. They have helped a LOT! Love you all.

Love Always,

Hermana Lang





Funny pic of my zone

Week 61- Meet the People I Love

Everyone and My companion and I

Dear Friends and Family,

 

So this week has been different. We spent a LOT of time working with Rocio. 

 

Rocio. She was baptized and confirmed on Saturday. She is absolutely wonderful. We were teaching her this week and she told us that she was reading every night, SOOOO much that her son has to turn off the lights so that she stops reading her Book of Mormon to sleep. It was so cute. She says that she loves it.

 

Gabriel. Her son. He is a member that isn't coming to church. He prayed for the first time in public at the baptism of his mom. He was just beaming. He said thanks about a million times and was beaming saying I NEVER thought my mom would actually get baptized.

 

Marleny. Rocio's sister. She has schizophrenia and she also smokes. She is hilarious. She is working on stopping smoking because she wants to be baptized too. She is absolutely crazy and yesterday she prayed to God Joseph Smith (oops... we will have to teach her about how to pray again.)

 

Estrella. Rocio's daughter who doesn't live in our area but came to the baptism and said that she had never seen her mom so happy and well, Estrella is pregnant and said that she really wants to look into things more because she wants her son to grow up with good values.

 

Rocio and Elder Mamani

Fidelia... Rocio's mom who is 80 years old. She was just furious the whole time and didn't understand why her daughter was going to be baptized again when she made sure that all of her children were baptized at birth. I couldn't help but laugh when she was steaming from the frustration, but then she cooled off and said you know what, my daughter looks SOOOOOOOOOOOO happy.

 

I can truly testify that Rocio was so happy. She just looked so beautiful in white. It reminded me of the temple and I know that heaven will be the same.

 

The crazy thing is that we had the baptism planned perfectly and then EVERYTHING crashed and burned and nothing went as planned. The night before everything fell through, my companion for some crazy reason prayed that we would be calm the next day. We were SOOOOOOOOOO calm. I cannot believe that I had the patience to deal with not having someone to baptize her.  They opened the church an hour later than when the baptism was supposed to start. The gas ran out, so the water was cold and a bunch of other things, but you know what, when you see her smiling face, you'll realize what I realized, there is nothing better than this. She was SOOOOO happy and nothing else mattered.

We all have glasses.

 

Well, I hope you all have a wonderful week. I love you all and I hope you can feel the joy of Heavenly Father's love in your own life.

 

Love Always,

Hermana Carly Jo Lang

 

Week 60- Weak things become strong

Dear Friends and Family,

 

So last night, I was feeling SUPER sick and decided to sleep a little bit early so that my body could rest. No big deal, we had already planned and we were all just up talking. So I climbed into bed and was super happy with my bottle of hot water to keep me warm and snuggled with my 4 comforters. I was sound asleep until I heard shouting. I open my eyes and the other 3 sisters are on the other bed peering out the window. I was TOO tired to really understand. So in the morning when I woke up, they told me that someone had tried to break the door that enters into the 8 apartments where we live. The people shouting were the other tenants of the apartments telling the police that it wasn't just a drunk fight but people trying to enter to rob where we live. Anyways, that has been the excitement of the week pretty much. It hasn't been the most eventful week. We have been working with the same people. We have the baptism of Rocio this Saturday. Luisa and Davis the 25th and we are looking for one more this month to reach the goal we had made. 

 

Something I have been studying a lot this week is that your real character shines in your reactions. It is something that I have been trying to fix. Let me tell you. I can be kind and polite, but when someone makes you mad, you are just well... mad. Or irritated or stressed or whatever the feeling may be. In those moments, your reactions are a lot harder to control and that makes my task a little harder. However, that is the magnificent part of the gospel. Jesus Christ said if men will come unto to me, I will show them their weaknesses. Well... my weaknesses are quite clear. But I will make weak things become strong. I know this church is true. For many reasons, but in particular this week because anyone and everyone can change. You can become strong. The key is to be humble and then to put your actions to work. 

 

I love you all and thank you for your support and hope this week finds you well.

 

Love Always,

Hermana Carly Jo Lang

Week 59- Life is about LEARNING!

Dear Friends and Family,

My companion and I in our area yesterday!

I have learned a lot this week and it wasn't really the way I planned on learning these things. I will just sum it up with a lot of really hurtful things happened and the only thing I could do was to forgive and not only forget but to learn to REALLY love the people that had done the hurtful things.

Wow, I really hope I can choose my future spouse to be like my current companion. She helped me out so much. They always say that a mission is preparation for what comes after, for all of your life. Well, she was there to help me out. And I was all ready to just let it go and be fine and forget. The hard part was the loving part. When you have been wronged, some like to confront it and it becomes an explosion. I just prefer to let it go, put some distance and with time, everything will be alright. Right? No. My companion taught me that I had to learn to love them now! Um, how do you trust someone that you have lost all trust? You pray and then pray some more and then PRAY a LOT more. All I can say is that forgiveness works and that is why Christ had to suffer. I don't know how I could live with all of the harsh and hurt feelings from before. It's WAY too stressful to live like that, but I am so grateful that my Savior loves me SO much to help me in that process. Today has started out like a day in heaven. Everything has gone perfectly. Who wants to learn how to forgive people in ways like this? No one, but I am grateful that at the end of the day, I can kneel down and talk to my Heavenly Father and tell Him about how everything is and how I feel and that He loves me so much to send me more blessings than I deserve in the hard moments and you know what? When everything is over, I can truly say that I am grateful that Heavenly Father blessed me with the opportunity to learn and to grow closer to Him.

Well, on a lighter note, this week in other aspects has been EXCELLENT. Rocio (who has been investigating the church for years) finally has decided she wants to be baptized the 14th of this month and then Luisa who I taught forever ago wants to be baptized the 25th with her youngest son! So cute. We invited them to be baptized the 21st and her son said, is there any way we can do it the 25th. We looked at each other and I was like um... ya, but that's kind of a random date. Why? And he said because it is his birthday! SOOOOOOo cute! The neat part is the oldest brother is going to baptize and complete his family!

So all in all, I LOVE being a missionary. Life isn't always easy or as planned, but I do know that I have a loving Heavenly Father who loves me and loves me enough to help me to be the person that I should be. He loves me and He loves you!

I hope you all have a wonderful week.

Love Always,

Hermana Lang