Como estan?! I have decided that being a missionary is just bipolar. There is no consistency it is always up and down with emotions and events. So this last week was definitely like that. We started out with an amazing experience with a less-active named Hermana Salgado. Our first week here everyone told us to go find her. We went and went and she was never home. Finally we found her and she was all alone in this dinky little trailer and did not talk much. All we could understand was that she might need some food. Coincidentally the day before we had been at a members house who had housed the Elders before we got here. He gave us all their extra food. Because we had been moving around so much we just never took it out of our trunk. So when we thought she said she needed food (yes our Spanish is still not so great, but the spirit makes up for it) we went out and brought her the food. We said we would come back and we kept trying, but she was never there. Finally this last week we had a lesson fall through and the member Sister Tveten was still with us so we asked if she wanted to try some other people. We went and saw Sister Salgado and it was amazing and so sad. Sis. Tveten speaks Spanish and just started talking to her. We found out that her husband had left her and gone to California, She had just returned from a trip to Mexico to see her dying mother (who did die while she was there) and go to the funeral of her son who was shot while trying to cross the border. She made tomales to save up for the flight to Mexico and when she came back her husband left her and she had no money, no job, and couldn't speak English. She had been so lonely and literally starving. We were the only people she had seen since coming back and the food we had brought her had saved her. Wow! The Spirit does work in mysterious ways. I watched as Sis. Tveten addressed each of her concerns, went to her car and brought all the food, money, and medicine she had and gave it to her. Then she went and started to massage Hna. Salgado's neck while she told us her story. The next day she came back with the Bishop and food and now all her needs are being met. It was a true witness to me of true Christ-like love. This is what the church is about. Not just offering help, but giving it. Not just saying I love you, but showing it. I was so humbled by this great service.

After that the week was pretty rough. We have met everyone in the branch and were quickly running out of names to try. All week we were really stretching to find people to teach. Then on Saturday everything suddenly turned completely around. We met with Jennifer who was our investigator. She wanted to know if she could be forgiven of her sins. We taught the Plan of Salvation and then she said "oh I have my answer. If I want to be forgiven I have to actually change what I'm doing and really be sorry. I'm not sure if I'll be able to do that. I'll have to think about it." It was so amazing! She finally understands! She wants it, but she's not sure if she's willing to do what it takes. We haven't seen her for a few days and so hopefully we'll be able to see her soon. We're definitely praying for her.

Our next miracle was Kathryn. We had tracted W. Whitman street completely out. We weren't going to go back for a while but we wanted to try one more door. Kathryn opens the door and invites us right in. We taught her the Restoration and she said it made complete sense and it felt so right. We invited her to be baptized and she said yes! She said she had been praying to find the right church for 15 years and finally felt like she had! She came to church the next day and that was a whirlwind. I was talking, Sister Donaldson was singing and translating, and a recent spanish convert was speaking, and we had an investigator in church that we had to accomodate for. It was crazy, but amazing! She said she loved it and she came to all three hours. The Relief Society lesson was on Elder Holland's talk about the 11th hour workers. She started crying and said she felt like the 11th hour worker just coming into the field and that now she knew that God still loves her and she can have all the blessings we have. It was so incredible! We were so excited! And then we haven't seen her since. We were supposed to have a lesson with her and she wasn't there and we called and called and she hasn't answered. Hopefully all is well. We're going to keep on trying. Miracles will happen!

For Willis and Leanette - I forgive you for pulling my hair ;) and Celeste's records have now been transferred to her correct ward and so the Bishop can start working with her. The missionaries in the area have her information and are going to tract into her. I'll keep you updated. Unfortunately Lisa does not want to learn more she is very happy where she is at. Hopefully in the future sometime.

Another random connection. The parents of an Elder Frank are in my ward and he is serving in the Tulsa, Oklahoma mission and knows Sister Reeves very well. He says she is an amazing missionary and works really hard. That's my cousin :)

Well the work is continuing. The Church is true! Miracles do happen! I'm finding that if we daily count all the tiny miracles that happen than the big mishaps don't really matter so much.

I love you!

Sister Probst