Mi familia!
Ah... what a blessing it is to be one of the little sheep in the Lord´s flock. I love this gospel. I love my Savior with all that I am and could not be more grateful to be in Guatemala serving among these, His precious children. I cannot even tell you guys how grateful I am for you! I hope you all have the best Thanksgiving week ever and that you remember- no matter how much money wehave, no matter what clothes wewere, no matter what our talents are... we are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and we have an eternal family. Even if that is all we ever obtain in this life, that is sufficient for me, and we are thus the richest of all people in all the world.
So we went up to Terrero Alto on Saturday morning, did our normal rounds for about 6 hours and then headed back down the mountain for lunch. When we reached home... our apartment had flooded, so that was good. hahaha it wasn´t too bad. Just about 3 centimeters in the bathroom and kitchen and a little flowing into the bedroom. Luckily nothing was ruined. I built a contraption to contain the leakage from my companion´s bathroom until Byron, our landlord guy, comes back from Xela. But that was a little adventure of the week. Nothing compared to those of the Phillipines. Oh man, praying for Hannah and all those missionaries over there every day. Besides that, nothing too crazy happened this week. We are just loving this gorgeous, warm, sunshiney, so-called winter here in Huehue. We had an awesome Stake Conference this weekend and watched a broadcast thing from Salt Lake that was just for Guate and Elder Eyring and Elder Ballard spoke along with a few others. Elder Ballard gave his own talk in Spanish and it was great. So good to listen to them and realize how the Lord takes care of each little section of the vineyard through His chosen leaders.
When I first got to this area with my trainer (almost 5 months ago... what the crazy) we found this couple named Pedro and Regina, but after awhile they weren´t progressing or keeping their commitments so we dropped them for a bit. My companion now, Hermana Call had only met them once and this week she suggested that we go visit them once again and see what´s going on with them. So we prayed a lot about it and felt really good about teaching the Plan of Salvation. When we taught them before we focused a lot on the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith and felt like maybe helping them understand their part in Heavenly´s Father plan would help them connect everything. So we went with this lesson prepared and as we started teaching they listened and answered questions but just look at me with this look I couldn´t figure out. We spent a lot of time on the Atonement and our purpose on earth so we just wrapped it up there and left the rest for another time. At the end of the lesson I asked Pedro what he was thinking and he said, ¨I just can´t stop thinking about what you said at the beginning. You mean that we actually lived with a Heavenly Father before this life and we were spirit children of His...¨ He could not believe it. We stayed for about another 15 minutes explaining more about the pre-mortal life and it was so powerful.
I love when people have questions like that! I love teaching them where they come from and why they are here! And the best part was that it led into a great discussion about the importance of using the Bible and the Book of Mormon to understand one another and learn the FULNESS of the gospel. (Praying that he prays to know the Book of Mormon is true and that this helped him come to that knowledge a little more) I love when the Spirit just helps us feel that things are true. At the end of this little discussion I asked him ¨Do you believe that you lived with Heavenly Father before this life and that you are here for a specific purpose?¨ He just looked at me again with that look of the joy that comes from understanding and said ¨Well if that´s what the scriptures teach us then yes, I know it is true.¨ Mmm... so much joy to know that the Spirit really does comfirm the truthfulness of this message to those who truely seek to understand it.
I have thought a lot about what it says in 2 Nephi 33:1 about how ¨when a man speaketh by the power of the Holy Ghost the power of the Holy carrieth it unto the hearts of the children of men.¨ After the Holy Ghost carries it UNTO their hearts...how we help them recieve it INTO their hearts? One thing I have learned is- Prayer. And then just bearing testimony of the truth. If we want to invite the Spirit into a lesson, all we need to do is bear simple, pure testimony of the truth. These two points, prayer and testimony, are confirmed in Nephi´s following words-
3 But I, Nephi, have written what I have written, and I esteem it as of great aworth, and especially unto my people. For I bpraycontinually for them by day, and mine ceyes water my pillow by night, because of them; and I cry unto my God in faith, and I know that he will hear my cry.
4 And I know that the Lord God will consecrate my prayers for the gain of my people. And the words which I have written in weakness will be made strong unto them; for it apersuadeth them to do good; it maketh known unto them of their fathers; and it speaketh of Jesus, and persuadeth them to believe in him, and to endure to the end, which is life beternal.
5 And it speaketh aharshly against sin, according to the bplainnessof the truth; wherefore, no man will be angry at the words which I have written save he shall be of the spirit of the devil.
6 I aglory in bplainness; I glory in truth; I glory in my Jesus, for he hath credeemed my soul from hell.
7 I have acharity for my people, and great faith in Christ that I shall meet many souls spotless at his judgment-seat.
That is what I am here to do. Declare the word of God. I am not ashamed of this Gospel. It is the truth and the plan for this life. When people truly are prepared the Holy Ghost will testify of the truth and they will accect it. But that does not mean that they conversion is trial-free. Every single person´s faith must be tested, just as the Lord, Jesus Christ was tempted about all and thus was proven competely and perfectly faithful before the Father.
As I studied the Book of Mormon this week I realized a pattern amongst the different journies of prophets and people in the scriptures. Almost every single time they embark in the service of God or following the Spirit and revelations they recieve- they are led directly into some extensive and extremely difficult trial. When Moses led the children of Israel out of Egpyt they had to cross the Red Sea which in the moment seemed utterly impossible and then they still had to wait and wander 40 years in the desert before reaching their Promise Land. Joseph Smith searched and searched and was teased and ridiculed by man and overcome by the adversary himself before he recieved deliverance and reached his Promise Land, as pertaining to his vision. The pioneers left all they had and crossed the most difficult and rugged terrain only to find out that their Promise Land was a desert. And how many times did Lehi and his family leave behind what they had to cross some sort of wilderness and journey to the Promise Land?
There is always a desert crossing before reaching the Promise Land. Sometimes we think that if we follow the Lord He will guide us along this perfect safe and comfortable path to a gorgeous and plentiful Promise Land without any affliction. If we are experiencing difficult things, or perservering through some sort of desert or wilderness right now, we must take courage because we can know with all surety that our Land of Promise is ahead. There must be affliction for deliverance to come. Blessings come from sacrifices and miracles come at a time of distress when we cannot see ahead. But we can be sure that there is always light ahead.
The Savior really will be with us every step of the way. As He says in Doctrine and Covenants 84:
88 And whoso areceiveth you, there I will be also, for I will gobbefore your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my cSpirit shall be in your hearts, and mine dangels round about you, to bear you up.
Faith during affliction. Hope in the Savior. And joy in the promise of eternal life. I love this gospel. I find so much JOY in it´s message. I could not be more grateful and more humble to be one of the Lord´s servants in this chosen time. All my faith and love and prayers are with you guys. I have nothing but faith in you guys! Whatever you are suffering, you can hold on to your covenants, hold on to your faith, and feast upon the words of Christ, basking in the light and peace of His gospel. It will all be worth it.
Hermana Jane McGill
