Greeting from the Greensboro, North Carolina!

Yup, where in the world is that?! Its about 2 hours north of charlotte. Infact, Sister Fragoso and I are in the furthest parto of the mission. Super close to Virginia. i have been assigned to the Piedmont Branch which a spanish speaking branch! I didnt thin i would be serving spanish speaking so soon but it happened! The mission office is sending me my new nametags soon :) Since the ward is small, we are working with the inactives to get them coming again and to also get refferals from them. I'll share with you one of my favorite things that happened this week.

The Gomez family is inactive family who haven't bee to church in a while. We went to their house and i we used the "were new to the area and want to meet the branch's members!' card and the "im new to the mission! can i practise on you!" card haha. Sister Gomez said we could come back on saturday when her family would all be home. So we did. Sister Fragoso (14 months on the mission, from Merida Yucatan Mex) said that the best thing to do for inactive memebers is to do the Restoration with them. That lesson is very powerful and always invites the spirit. Doing so will enable them to remember how they felt the first time they heard it. So we had that planned.

When we get there, they let us in and Bro Gomez right of the bat tells us why he hasn't gone to church. He said someone from his ward back in utah really did him an injustice. He said the man who stole from his was a person who he trusted and when the member did that to him, he just coulnd't beleive. He said he didn't want to be around people like that so he left. His wife continued to go but she felt uncomfortable since she felt people from the ward labled her as a single woman. So she left. My companion and I listened to this and felt that we needed to remind them of thier testimony. Remind them that their conversion and testimony isn't to the people, but to our Father in Heaven. So we taught them the restoration. When we got to the part of telling Joseph Smith's vision, the room was filled with the spirit. We invited them to think back to when they first heard the story of the first vision, and then proceeded to tell them. As my companion recited the words of Joseph Smith,  the room felt as if it was sucked in and shut off from the world. It was so powerful. We all had tears in our eyes. Then brother Gomez said, "I have to go back.  I know i need to. I have been away for far too long and i want my family to be happier." He then turns to his wife and says, "Ive alway known this is true. It was good to have them remind us." I felt like crying. I felt so happy for them and so glad that they felt that.

As missionaires, our purpose is for others to feel and know what we know. I am a child of god. YOU are  childl of god. That in it's self is something that could change the world of an individual. That knowledge. And we as missionaires get to do that. But we can't do it without the members. As members; missionaries and not missionaires, it is our job to bring the world it's truth!

One last thing i wanted to share, that really made me reflect. We went to a less-actives house. When we asked if he missed coming to church he said, "no, not really. Im really comfortable the way i am." That stuck with me for the entire drive back home. I asked my companion if Happiness is synonimous for comfortable. And we came to the conclusion: The Gospel of Jesus Christ is something that never leves you stagnant. It will always make you grow. She then said something i loved:  Faith is uncomfortable. As members, we know that living the gospel means we are constantly changing. We are always wanting to improve and never "comfortable." Better yet, if we are comfortable, something is wrong. The Atonement of Jesus Christ is to be utalized every day. Everyday we should be making changes that make us better, make us uncomfortable and make us grow.

Are you comfortable?

My dear freinds, ward members and family, I love this Gospel. I love the blessing and opportunity it is grow. I love that mistakes are allowed and even encouraged, because then and only then can we become what we were meant to be. Be strong and be missionary always.
-Hermana Garcia

5281 Hilltop Road 
Apartment R 
Greensboro North Carolina
27407