Feliz cumpleanos: Chase & Jonah Haven
Mi Familia,
Our experience on Viernes
I had a life-changing experience on Friday. I don't cry too often, I
can count how many times I have literally let tears fall on my face
during my mission, this was the 6th time. Let me back-up.
On Friday we got a call from an English member (who has helped us
with all of our weddings and everything) and she asked us to return
the favor, (she is incredible) she needed help cleaning a less-actives
house in the English ward. It was her, her two daughters, the English
Sister missionaries and us, on the job.
This member told us 2 things before we entered this home, we weren't
allowed AT ALL to speak of this womans past family life- because her
husband killed himself, and her two children got taken away TONS more
happened but....no importa, and 2nd rule, we weren't allowed AT ALL to
make a fuss about the house. No gasps. No laughs. No judging. Seemed
pretty simple at first.
We walked in the home, and first we took a step in and I have never
smelt such a horrific smell, but this member brought in a huge box of
cleaning supplies, and we put on our gloves. We all introduced
ourselves with a smile and the less-active looked down and started to
cry. I knew her house was bad. We said a prayer to start out, because
we needed Heavenly Fathers help. Then we divided and started to clean.
Let me describe the house. I have never in my life heard, or seen
anything like this house. My companion and I were on kitchen duty with
Kailee (the members daughter) we walked into the kitchen to see at
first glance long fly catchers that hang from the ceiling completely
black, covered in flies. 3 of them. With each step we took we were
stepping on at least 30 flies. Dead flies. The member told us that
there were at least in this house 10,000+ dead flies AT LEAST Covering
the floors of this woman's home. The sink was brim full, of still
still still BLACK water, thick water, full of black dishes, dead
flies, raw meat, and everything, from sitting there for so long with
mold that took over. You cannot imagine the smell.
The floors, if not covered in dead flies, were full of opened egg shells, dried
milk, garbage, food of every sort, raw meat, thrown up food, and I
won't go on. The other sisters were on bathroom duty.-- you don't even
want to know what was in the bathroom.-- I will add the kitchen was
worse. The stove in the kitchen was covered in at least, half an inch
of mold, magots, flies, spiders..
The member then decided to put Vocal Point hymns on to invite the
spirit, because it was needed in this home. The first song that played
was, I Stand All Amazed.
We started just throwing all the clutter on the floor away, we got
the vacuum but within the first push, it was clogged because of the
amount of flies. We got to taking out the dishes in the sink. We
couldn't see anything we were taking out because it was so full, of
mold and everything so we were just pulling out dishes that were
completely black... You don't wanna know the smell, my companion
started to gag, but our wonderful member who was there, kept shoving
this really good smelling stuff in our faces, so we were okay. After
fishing out the dishes with a long moldy spoon, in the thick water, we
didn't know what to do with the water, we put drain-o down and
nothing, because it was so full of bacteria. So we used the moldy
bowls and threw the water out the window to the outside.
As you all can imagine, there was LOTS of trash being piled up,
so as I was taking some trash out and I realized that I was holding
the trash bag with all of the bad bad trash with all of the stuff from
the sink, and it's started leaking...where?....on my legs. I started
gagging, but didn't throw up.
After all of this there was a big pile of dishes, and I told the
crew, "We have to power-hose the dishes, it's the only way." We nodded
our heads, and silently got to work. Listening to Vocal Point.
As I was walking out the door, with flies in my hair, with moldy
throw upy water covering down the side of my legs, with a huge stack
of black/blue/green/brown dishes in my hands, I started to cry. Tears
streaming down my face. I heard this over and over again in my head.
"I stand all amazed, at the love Jesus offers me, confused at the
grace, that so fully he proffers me." I was not crying because I
thought it was gross, not because of the smell, not because of the
sight, but because those words sank deep into my heart, and soul.
I was so confused as to why this woman had to go through such a hard
life, I was so confused at why does she have to feel what she is
feeling, I was feeling so sad for how bad she hurt inside. Why did she
have to go through this? Why did she have to be the one to ache
inside? Why not me? Why did she get the family she got? There were no
words to describe what I was feeling for this woman. I just stood
there on the grass, with tears streaming down my face. Then the words
rang in my head, "Oh it is wonderful, that he should care for me,
enough to die for me... Oh it is wonderful, wonderful to me."
There was one word that described what I was feeling, only one word that
could help this woman at all, one word that penetrated my heart, and
that was, The Atonement. This woman has one way to go, she has reached
the end, touched the bottom of lifes-hardships, there is only one way
to go now, and that is, up. How wonderful is the atonement of Jesus
Christ. "Oh it is wonderful, that he should care for me enough to die
for me, oh it is wonderful, wonderful to me."
I couldn't wipe my tears away, but I had to shake it off, and wipe
them with my shirt. I knew this woman was in the hands of God. Long
story short...
We worked so hard, the fridge was horrible. Milk from December,
January, April, May. Raw meat, eggs shells, all the food was old and
moldy. Magots and flies covered the bottom of the fridge. It was bad,
but I am glad to say that after two hours of hard work the kitchen
transformed. We had to leave because we had a cita, but literally as
Hermana Woolf and I walked out of the house we couldn't say anything.
I had just seen what depression, bipolar, and anxiety was to it's
extreme. More than that I feel like a got a glimpse of the love that
Jesus Christ has for this less-active women. I saw that He really died
for us, because He loves us. He died for people who have been so low,
that they don't know where to go, He died for people like me, who was
suffering watching the affects of trials and the world, He died for
everyone. Going to this woman's home, changed my life-- para siempre.
How wonderful is the atonement? Where we all have the chance to go
only one way if we use it, and that is up! "Oh it is wonderful,
wonderful to me!"
The house still isn't done, we are going back on tuesday-- but all of
the really nasty stuff is done!
Miracles from this home alone
- We didn't have to call a Plummer, for the sink in the kitchen or the
bathroom. We plunged both with a toilet plunger. Miracle! Literally.
- no body threw up. Big miracle
- the LESS-ACTIVE WOMAN CAME TO CHURCH!
- we are going to bomb the house, literally, with fly killer next
time.. No more flies!
That was my friday!- Because this story took up so much time I'll tell
you all just one more story from Sunday.
Okay, I have to write this story that happened to Hna Alcantar. She
told us a story, and she is seriously one of the strongest members
ever, I love her so much. She said in Idaho last year she went to visit her
son, she was in bed and her back was really hurting. She said that it
was hurting so bad, she could hardly move her arms. It was Sunday and
there was church and her son had to take her to a different building
for Spanish as his family went to the English ward. She closed her
eyes and was just thinking, I can't even move because I am in so much
pain, I can't go to church today. She closed her eyes, and heard a
voice that said, "my daughter, you need to go to my holy house, you
need to go to my house." And she said, "Lord heal me, I can't move,
heal me so I can go to your house.." Then she said, she saw a vision,
two angels came to her, and spoke to her, (her exact words), "they
came and spoke to me in Spanish." She said it was George Albert Smith
and one other man. They put their hands on her head, and gave her a
blessing, and then she woke up. Wasn't in pain, and hurried didn't say
a word. She went to church and bore a powerful testimony and was
healed. Ever since she hasn't taken ANY medicine for being sick. What
an experience is this!!-- Hna Alcantar didn't question The Lord, she
just said, "Heal me".. And she was. She is a very special woman. I
love her.
Miracles-because I have no time because we are going to the Woodstock fair!
-Had a cita with Noelia and she said YES to baptism!!- she was
avoiding us because her son was in the hospital, good excuse!
- had Sisters conference. Our mission president did AWESOME! Hermana
Woolf and I had to do a 15 min, to 4 groups, so (an hour)
presentation/talk to ALL of the sisters, about planning. It went well!
-I got too see ALL of my favorite people at the sisters conference! It
was the best.
-I went on exchanges on tuesday I went to the city! It was great!
Well, we were gonna go to the Woodstock fair, since I got to
Woodstock, right across where we live there were dates to the fair.
Back then I thought, "man I'll never be able to go the fair, it's too
fair away.." And look where I am! Here.... But they took EVERYTHING
down today:( we are so sad! so we are gonna do something fun.
I love my family! Thanks for all your prayers for me!
All of me loves all of you all!
Hermana Hammond
I saw some of my favorite people this weekend! I love them all soooo big!
Hna Buys Mexico MTC comp
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Hna Felt Ist comp in Chicago
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Hna Michaels 2nd comp in Field
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