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| Alex's daughter. She is a rock and praying for her Dad to be baptized. |
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| This old man loves me. |
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| This old woman loves me. |
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| Visiting our sick member (lying on the bed). Missionaries, new covert, members, and less actives. So good. |
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| Antonio is amazing! Look at his decorations. He should be on the cover of the New Era. |
Frist of all- everyone`s letters recently have been perfect. Thanks for all the love and advice. And thank you SO SO SO much for the family calander. Laura, you are the best. I cannot tell you how much me and my companions loved looking at that! Everyone is SO grown up. I could not believe it. So beautiful and tan and wonderful. I have the best family.
So this week was definitely an adventure. Hermana Sanchez came and stayed a week. She is a gem. By the end of the week with us she was laughing and talking and sharing in the lessons, carrying her scriptures with her everywhere, suggesting places to go and things to do and talked almost only about the mission and the work. It truly was incredible to watch the Spirit work in her and help her remember why she is here. She is wonderful and will do great things in her new area. She would always thank Heavenly Father for all of our blessings and all of our trials... that always touched me. Every single time she said it. I love her. All the companions are the best. She has now been assigned to a new area, but we loved our time with her.
I am so grateful to be here. I adore this country. We were contacting a guy in a store when all the sudden this huge dude walked up and started talking to his little cousin. Hna Stephens started talking to him and long story short... he is from California and was just visiting family in Huehue. He asked where we were from and I said Utah but that I gew up in Virginia. He then said ¨Virginia! That is sweet. I was in jail in Viriginia!¨ hahahahaha oh my goodness.
I adore this ward! Ah. They are all my best friends. Like wild flowers picked from a garden and put on the podium in a pot used to make soup on the stove because nobody has vases. This weekend a couple from the ward was sealed in the temple. I didn´t get to go to the sealing (bummer) but the bishop had them both share their testimonies in Sacrament Meeting and it was so special. They were such menos activos for the first couple months I was here. He didn´t go on a mission because he was not very active and they got married and then just forgot about the church for a bunch of reasons.. I remember visiting them so many times and trying to help them and they would come to church and we would be so happy! And then they would stop again... and we would go read the Book of Mormon and do famiy night... and then it just all came together- they started working hard and with the support of the ward they did it! They made it to the temple.
In Sacrament Meeting, Hermano Henry (the one that got sealed to his wife) talked about this being the last of the covenants we could do on earth, and how that all covenants and ordinances are given so that we can one day stand at Jesus´ side and live by His side for all of eternity. And then he just looked straight at me and thanked the hermanas for all they had done to help them get to that point. Oh man, I just had tears on my cheeks. His voice was slightly trembling as he talked about the indescribable peace in the temple. He said ¨I now understand what God´s plan really means. And what my purpose is in it.¨ Wow. I love the temple. I love the process of conversion. I love bringing the fruit of the Tree of Life to these precious people. Those who have tasted it before, and those who haven´t.
15 And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one asoul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!
That whole section is the best, but I love those verses! We have what they need.
Alex is coming along. We are so close. This week is the final stretch, and we are just hoping to make it until Friday night for his baptism. Pray pray pray pray. We talked so much about faith and the power of the Atonement. The ward is supporting them so much and it is unreal. Joel also has a fecha for this weekend. He is from la Viña but since they closed that area, we are in charge of all their people until more hermanas come to take over the area. He is a carpenter and is so pure. He lost contact with the hermanas and then found us and said, I want to go forward with my baptism for this weekend. He is awesome. Praying for him. Celeste is the best and has not missed a church activity since we met her. She is even participating in the stake choir. We talked to her this week and asked why she was doing all this and what she wanted out of it. She said ¨I want to find peace. I want to change my life and be a better person. And I know I can do it if I am closer to God.¨ Her fecha is for the 22nd and we just need her abuela to sign the paper. More prayers.
The work is moving forward. Success comes as we testify of Jesus Christ and invite Him to be part of our companionship. I love verbally inviting the Spirit to be in the room before I tell the sacred story of Joseph Smith or testify of the Atonement. His power is real. If we feel like we can´t forgive someone, He can. If we feel like we can overcome some temptation, He can. When we feel discouraged and disappointed and distraught- His hand really is stretched out still. I am so grateful to be a missionary. Serving the ward. Serving the investigadores. Serving the hermanas. And a servant of my Lord and King, Jesus Christ. I love Him. Studying 3 Nephi 11-27 this week was incredible. I felt as if I was living in the time that the Savior lived. That I was watching Him walk those streets and do those things. It is not just a story. I testify, with all that I am, that Jesus Christ lives. That He really did in some incomprehensible way suffer all of our pains and infirmities and that He knows how to succor us perfectly. I adore Him. I worship Him. I seek Him daily. Everything the prophets have said is true. He came and He will come again. He is all that we hope He is. He is just as glorious, just as powerful, just as kind, patient, and perfect as we hope He is.
It is all true, and it is always worth it. I love you guys so much! I am so happy. I am working hard. And I am trying to be better and better every day. Thanks for all the love and support. YOU ARE THE BEST! I pray for you always.
Hermana Jane McGill
