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| 4th of July with the Zone. We bought American flag cupcakes |
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| Party with Mari and David and her daughters |
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| P-day dinosaur museum visit with the Hermanas |
Well... this morning was interesting. I woke up at 5:30am to my companion yelling my name and telling me to come over to her bed. I stood up real fast and almost fell over because the floor was shaking so bad. I ran over to her bed and between the things falling of the shelves and the glass picture frame falling and shattering in the other room and her yelling, I figured out what was going on. Earthquake. (I have definitely gotten good at sleeping soundly while here in the mission) I got her out of her bed and we ran to the doorway and got down on our knees, covered our heads, and I prayed. I felt such a peace come over me. After about 35 seconds or so, the shaking stopped and everything was calm again. We stood up and our bodies were both still shaking a little bit. After we called and checked on all the hermanas I sat down on my bed and the most overwhelming feeling came over me- testifying to me of the importance of missionary work. Natural disasters happen all the time but they only change things that are temporal. The spiritual disasters are what we are preparing for. We cannot let the winds and rains of temptation and Satan enter our homes and our hearts. These people need the gospel of Jesus Christ. We need living prophets to teach us how to prepare 72 kits and food storage, just as we need them to teach us about scripture study and family home evening. We need the power of policemen and firemen, but more than that we need Priesthood power to lead and guide and protect and heal and help our homes and families. I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to be a missionary in this special time. I trust the Lord and His will and His timing. But we must prepare and do all we can to build our homes and lives upon the rock of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
This week really was great, though. The fourth of July was SO wonderful. We woke up early and went to the temple with the zone because of the goals we completed in June. I walked into the front desk, already crying because of how much I love the temple, and all the sudden I saw the members of Cerrito (my last area for 10 months) showing their recommends at the desk. I bit my tongue so hard before I let out a little yelp of joy. We entered the session and I just felt so much joy and peace and happiness. I could not believe that the Lord put that little miracles in my path. Being in the temple with my first ward... best day ever. Then we went to Mari and David´s and made a chicken ceaser salad and they decorated everything American-ish and it was so great. Their daughters are finally warming up to us and we are still just working hard with them. They come to church every week and love everything but just want more time. If they don´t start progressing a little more towards a date for baptism we are going to have to drop them... just keep praying. They are so wonderful. Her uncle that is a sealer in the temple is so good to them and brings the most special spirit into the lessons with them. She feels the difference and wants to do it. Patience and faith. Agency...
Then we had the best week with Brenda. She is the daughter of the less active family that we have been working with that I told you about last week. Her dad doesn´t want her to get baptized because he is lonely and doesn´t want all of his family to be members but him but he will not listen to us. Her mom told us this week that Brenda wants to be baptized and that we just need to show the dad that she was ready for it. So we made her calenders for her prayers and reading in the Book of Mormon so that every day she can mark things off and show her dad that she is progressing. She loves reading in the Book of Mormon with pictures and is always so happy to do it. We are hoping that this week her dad will see more of her progression and her desire to choose the right and will sign the paper.
We found this super angry man named Juan and I didn´t want to enter his house but he kind of tricked us into it and we were with his neighbor who is a member and she wanted to enter... so we did. He started getting a little bit firey and telling us why we were wrong and everything and finally he just turned to me and asked me ¨How do you know that the Holy Ghost actually exists and touches your heart and that it isn´t just you being confused or following your conscience? How do you really know what is true?¨ Oh how I loved that question. It was the sweetest moment for me to testify of the power and influence of the Holy Ghost in our lives. I explained a little bit and then testified of Joseph Smith and the restoration and the room just felt different. The Spirit was there. And he felt it. He was a little quieter after that and asked if we could pray. Now every time we see him in the street he just smiles and looks at us with this wonder in his eyes still trying to figure out what was different. I love having the Holy Ghost as our constant companion.
This week I learned a lot about covenants. After the multi-zone meeting with president, the zone leaders asked me to give a lesson during the time that we were waiting for our interviews with president. I spoke about covenants and the importance of repentance. I love a quote from Preach My Gospel that says ¨Before baptism we show our willingness to enter a covenant to keep all the commandments for the rest of our lives. After baptism we show our faith by keeping our covenants.¨ As I entered the temple I thought about that quote and how much I want to be better at keeping my covenants. I then sat in Sacrament Meeting pondering on everything that had happened this past week and all that I needed to do better. We sang There Is A Green Hill Far Away and I thought of Dad and how great he is at being his best self. I thought to myself ¨Can this sacrament really make me clean and empower me to be better and change all that the Savior needs me to change?¨ I immediately felt a tingle from head to toe that cleansed me or something. I cannot really describe the experience but basically I just testify that peace follows repentance. I am so grateful for the Spirit that we receive as we make and keep that covenant every single week. ¨Trust in His redeeming blood, and try His works to do.¨
The trial of our faith can come in many different ways. Whether it be through repentance, forgiving someone else, consecrating more of ourselves to the work of the Lord, dedicating time our families, following a prompting, reacting in a certain way, or just being still and quite and seeking the Lord earnestly every day- the trial of our faith is precious and priceless.
I love this gospel. I love being a missionary and I am so grateful for all of you guys. Thanks for everything! Our time here is so short. We are just living and loving every minute of it :) Have a great Monday!
Hermana Jane
