In the very moment

Dear Family!

For starters... Happy Birthday to the best mom in the whole wide world!!! I love you so much mom I hope your birthday is full of Love and happiness!!

My week starts with a member that was truly inspired. I met a girl named Jane who was so sweet and we started talking about my mission and when she served a mission as well. She said she didn't realize how many blessings would actually come after a mission, it was the hardest thing she ever did but has brought her the most joy. We could relate on many levels, I think as missionaries we only focus on those of other faiths but forget how wonderful members really are.

Prayer of the Heart...

So weeks ago I told you about Travis how I prayed with him on the phone and he said he felt peace. Well I've been staying in contact with Travis and checking in with him every once in a while. I felt like I needed to contact him a couple days ago and I received a message I will never forget. He said that the missionaries have come and he is really interested in what they are telling him!! And then he sent me a text and said.... Jenna i said the closing prayer last night! Tears just filed my eyes I was so humbled to be a missionary in that moment to experience the pure joy that comes from others feeling the the spirit. He then asked if i could call his friends and tell them more about this gospel. We never know what a prayer will do. I've prayed for Travis by name for a month now hoping he will receive a witness that God is listening to his prayers. What more can you ask for in life? This is pure joy.

June...

An Asian man and his son came to temple square both doctors and very smart if i say so myself. The man was kinda closed off but Sister Phillips took the son and I was talking to the father trying to get to know him a little. I was able through the spirit to bridge to the book of Mormon and bare my testimony of Jesus Christ. I read him 3 Nephi 11.. and he just stood there and looked at me like he was trying to remember why he heard it before. I said June do you believe Jesus Christ is your savior? He replied and said my wife is the religious one not me Sister Mettra. And I said, June Jesus Christ didn't just die for your wife, he died for you and me he loves you so much. I went on to bare my testimony of what a blessing this has been in my life, to know what life is really all about. He grabbed my arm and got kinda close to me ha I was nervous for a sec. And he looked at me and said, " You are a very beautiful girl, when I look in your eyes I can see something and when I listen to you speak I feel happy I am very lucky to have met someone like you." I just smiled and said, June your feeling the spirit and the light in my eyes is the light of Christ. He smiled and said I had left an impression on his heart.

Indie Jingle Bells sure its Christmas right?

So this little indie band comes in from Seattle and totally in thrift store clothes and ha well super indie brek knows what I'm talking about. I started to talk to them and they were really funny asking me a lot of questions that they heard on south park about Mormons... ha not the best source but I've heard it all before being at temple square! I started to bare my testimony to why I came on a mission and how happy it makes me. Then i told them I was an opera singer haha bad move. They wanted me to sing with them! haha out of no where they started busting out into Jingle Bells and made me sing with them ha all the guests stopped and I just sand jingle bells with them haha. They asked me why Mormons are so happy and i explained the real meaning of who Jesus Christ was.. I'll never forget them!

Mosiah 28:3 is real

I had a moment this week that changed my mission and really my life in understanding the importance of this message! I met a guy named Brandon from San Diego. We only had about 10 min together and they were asking just about where things where on temple square. I tried to bridge something to the temple or something and for the first time i was a little intimidated ha lets just say Brandon was a really beautiful person haha. I taught about eternal marriage and they thought that was interesting, they really didn't have a religion themselves and so I tried to find something to teach about. Well the father was really interested in family search and I gave him the information he needed they were in a hurry. And when i shook Brandon's hand goodbye its almost like his spirit spoke to mine and said I want to learn why didn't you teach me. He said he Sister Mettra maybe I'll see you one day in New York singing nice meeting you....I smiled and said yes maybe... they walked out the door and almost immediately after my heart started beating fast and i was sick to my stomach... I didn't invite for missionaries! I felt so bad I actually lost sleep that night I woke up 4 times replaying over and over what I could have done different to bring the spirit in faster. I will never let that happen again! My soul really did quake and tremble after and for days later, but I had to forgive myself and promise never to let it happen again. Brandon will be in my prayers everyday for missionaries to find him!

Gift of Tongues is real!

This was the crowning moment... I met Jose last night at the desk! He spoke no English at all only Spanish and I prayed to understand him. Like many times on my mission i wished i could speak Spanish but i had to trust in the spirit!.. I ended up grabbing all of the Spanish pamphlets I could find and English ha and started teaching with the broken Spanish i did know haha. I realized very quickly the language barrier was not going to be a problem the spirit would make up for what i lacked! Jose was actually from Santa Ana! So we could relate on that level and i started to teach about El Libro de Mormon. I used the New Testament gallery to help explain more of Jesus Christ. I will never forget looking at the painting of Christ being baptized and wanting to explain the authority. But I used everything I could and I said Jose don't you want to be baptized like Jesus? Now those that speak Spanish would laugh so hard if you really heard what I said ha including, Juan the Baptist e agua , mirror and so much more haha. But I took him to the garden of Gethsemane and just stood there with him and prayed Heavenly Father would just help know what to say. I ended up telling him how much Jesus loved him and that he wanted to know about this gospel. And be baptized like he was. I bore my testimony of prayer and who the Savior is to me. Tears filled Jose's eyes he understood every word I said, Jose and I were speaking spirit to spirit. I had a spanish sister make sure he could understand what he was accepting... and later the sister came up to me and said I didn't know you spoke spanish Sister Mettra?... I said no no sister Chavez i don't. She just looked at me and said, Jose talked to me how you taught him about baptism and being baptized like Jesus and when he came to the Americas and how his family can be together forever, Sister Mettra he understood. My heart was full of gratitude to be able to see this man as God sees him. And help him understand the importance of the message. You don't have to know their language to teach, you do have to trust God.

Terry Terry Terry

This man called in very angry and swearing he wanted someone that spoke English, i guess one of the Asian sisters had called him... Well i calmed him down and said Sir all she wanted to do is share a message about Jesus Christ is that so bad really?... The conversation went on and i testified of the Book of Mormon and how he could know if its another testament of Jesus Christ. He started to cry, the spirit had changed this man's heart, he was no longer angry but kept saying I'm sorry I'm sorry. Come to find out he lives in a little rock cave house and has no money. He is ashamed of who he has become and was afraid of the missionaries coming over. I said, Terry this gospel will get you out of your cave, you can be happy again I want this for you, Let the Lord help you. He just started to cry and said thank you bless you Jenna for your kindness and mercy on me.... When you love people anything is possible! We will be teaching terry this week!!

Well that's about it for now crazy week If you ask me!.. And this weekend over 100,000 people will come to the square to be spiritually uplifted by the prophet of God! I am soo excited for conference! As you watch conference this week have a question in your heart, and i promise you that if you have faith , the Lord will answer your prayer through his servants!

i love you All!!

Sister Mettra