Familia!
I love the mission. I love it so much. I know that Heavenly Father is so aware of us. Transfers - I'm just going to keep hanging out in my same area and Hermana Call is heading out. Who knows where she will go, but we are just getting all packed and ready to head up to Xela first thing in the morning! Journeys to Xela are so tiring... the luggage on top of the bus flopping all around and praying that it won't fly down the mountain since it isn`t latched to anything, chickens everywhere, people selling full dripping fruits all down the isles for 2 hours, people shaving, cutting nails, nursing, kissing, throwing up, blasting music, at least 10 different lanuages being spoken, and us just talking to everyone about the gospel... best. Definitely not the most spiritually inviting atmostphere but that is something I have learned- it doesn`t matter where you are, when people are prepared they will listen and understand through the Spirit. It is always fun to got to the bus terminal in Xela see all the long lost missionary friends that come down from the aldeas and mountains and join there to see where the Lord needs us next. Before they called about transfers last night I was saying my prayers and felt the most tender spirit surrounding me. I felt Heavenly Father say ¨I am right here with you. Right now in this very moment. I am watching over you and guiding these steps in your life. It is all going to be great. I love you, Jane.¨ It was probably one of the most powerful experiences on my mission yet. I realized that I often feel promptings in my mind and heart that apply to whatever I am praying about but they don`t feel so present- as in - if I could see Heavenly Father, he would be looking down at me and saying those words to me right in that very moment. I don´t know quite how to describe the feeling and the spirit that was there, but it was something I will never forget. His love is so real. He is my Father.
He just keeps taking care of us, leading and guiding us, and touching the hearts of these precious people here. I got a letter from a friend this week that talked about the power and influence that Heavenly Father has in this work. "He is a God of miracles". That hit me so hard. It was right after a planning session and I was just thinking about all these people and how we can get them to take these steps towards baptism. I just felt those words seeping into my heart and staying there. All day, as everything played out and everything was happening, I kept thinking about that- My God is a God of miracles. Trust in His power. We had many special little miracles this week. We went to Ashly`s house again and she was just the same... "I can`t be baptized until I have peace and figure out this situation with my husband (common law). I can`t be baptized and then live in sin and leave the church right after if he comes back to live with me and I can`t marry him right now. I need to make a decision and be faithful to it." A la gran... no matter what we testified of or how we tried to help... she was set on waiting. We were still praying fervently and invited all of the members to pray too. We had an awesome zone meeting and talked a lot about how Heavenly Father will not let people be baptized if they have not truly repented. That hit me hard for her. She cannot get baptized and then move in with her husband right after. We planned a great lesson on repentance and all the sudden she called. We went to her house and shared the lesson we had planned. And at the end she said "I made my decision. My husband is not a good man. I need something better. I need to dedicate my life to God. I have truly repented of all that happened, I am not getting back with him, I went and put my statements in with the government yesterday and it is all settled. I am at peace and will be baptized."
¨...For notwithstanding I shall lengthen out mine arm unto them from day to day, they will deny me; nevertheless, I will be merciful unto them, saith the Lord God, if they will repent and bcome unto me; for mine carm is lengthened out all the day long, saith the Lord God of Hosts.¨ (2 Nephi 28:21)
I love it. Heavenly Father helped some things happen that week in her life to help her make the decision. It was miraculous. Her baptism was so beautiful and she was amazing. We sang the ¨I love to look for rainbows song¨ and she was just in tears. We all were. She is clean and ready to start fresh with her darling children. She received the Holy Ghost on Sunday and bore her testimony in front of everyone. It was probably one of the best convert testimonies I have ever heard. I love her! I am so grateful for a merciful and loving Savior that will lift us and lead us and guide us so that we can return to live with Him forever. We were visiting her right before her baptism and a guy was walking the streets selling these crazy blankets. He told us all about how he needed money to pay his passage to get to the other side of the country... Ashly started giving him the low down on how if he doesn`t pray and fast and dedicate more to God it doesn`t matter how much he sells, he can`t be happy. She`s awesome. Satan did not want it to happen though. Her husband pulled up to the house right as we did the day before her baptism, her children were all crying, and it was a crazy day. We went to plan the baptism with the ward mission leader and I just had a weird feeling so I said "You will be there for the baptism tomorrow, right?" And he said "Actually hermanita... I am leaving for the states at 5am tomorrow morning." Oh that was good to know. But with faith rooted firmly in our God of miracles, it all worked out.
We also had a fija fecha with Claudia for last Saturday but she fell into some more problems with drinking so we are up and at ´em again trying to get her off of all that. We chucked all of her alcohol and coffee out of the house and we talk to her everyday so that she can quit that habit. She was in tears and we had the most tender lesson on repentance and faith. We talked all about Ether 12:27 and she loved it. The second she made a decision to be baptized, or started reading her scriptures, or praying, or leaving for a church activity, all her friends would call and invite her to come out and drink. They would all bug her about it too if she said no. She went on a ride with her Mormon friend to get away from everything and they passed a fair. They got out to walk around and of course, in front of them was a GIANT table of alcohol... a lady was calling them over and they kept saying no. Then she would tell them to just come because nobody would see, and they would say no again, so she came down and tried to help them across the street to drink... talk about Lehonti and Amalickiah (Alma 47). She ran away, got back on the moto and left. She came to church and loved it and hasn`t drunk in the past week. Keep praying for her so she can be clean and keep her fecha for the 15th.
So tortillas are a staple here. You eat them with every meal, without fail. But they are different- homemade and corn. Real good. I'll bring you some. But anyway, an hermana from the other stake in Huehue moved her tortillaria over to our area and we have become buddies with her. She is actually has become good friends with Ashly since she moved in and has been a great support to her and help with her baptism. But we put a bunch of different folletos in her place and they have been a hit! She has gotten us some good references and we have some fun families to go contact this week. Pray for these people. We are loving the work and finding joy in every step of the journey. I know that this is the Lord`s work. Joseph Smith was called as the prophet in these latter days to restore the gospel of Jesus Christ to the earth so that we can learn and grow and prepare for the coming of our Lord. There is no other way.
8 Now, the decrees of God are aunalterable; therefore, the way is prepared that bwhosoever will may cwalk therein and be saved.
All I want to do it teach these people the way they need to walk so that they can be saved. I love being a missionary and I love dedicating myself to the work of my Father. This truly is His kingdom, here on the earth. I keep feeling Him say to me ¨Bring these people to my church so that I can love them and take care of them in all the ways that they need.¨ That is my greatest desire and I will never be tired of seeking to bring these souls to Him! Praying for you all and loving you always,
Hermana Jane McGill
