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| My compas ( Her mother loves this picture :) |
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| My friends that gave us lunch on Sunday |
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| Hna Cordova |
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| The baptism of Esmeralda. Perfect |
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| My best friend. I want to adopt her. Denisa. |
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| We had to sing at the Zone meeting |
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| Compas |
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| My Zone. Our Zone leader Elder Ruiz and Hna Gonzales go home this week. SO sad. |
How blessed I am to be in Guatemala. Heavenly Father knows just what I need. I love the United States and my family and life and work there, but there is just the most special spirit here. I just smile and have tingles in my whole body every time I look down a street or see a person walking by us. I guess it would be the same wherever I served my mission, because it is not really the place that matters but the sacred gifts and blessings that come with the calling as missionaries of Jesus Christ. We were at the Bishop`s home this week and he said a prayer and said ¨Thank you Heavenly Father for allowing us to have 3 representatives of thy son, Jesus Christ, in our home tonight.¨ We all opened our eyes crying. It was the sweetest experience. I love the gospel.
It has been the craziest week ever. Hna Cordova was already in this area so everyone is welcoming her, and Hna Gonzalez goes home tomorrow, and it is my birthday this week... so every single person (members and investigators) invited us to their house to eat. Seriously. Every day we eat 1 breakfast, 2 lunches, 3 dinners, and at least one pie or cake. And every night we go home and plan and then lay in our beds and massage our stomachs. It is demasiada comida. But we are so so so grateful for each of these people. I could never say no to anything that they give me (besides liver. I do not like liver).
Esmeralda was baptized on Saturday and she was so happy. Her best friend that just got off his mission baptized her and her boyfriend was one of the witnesses. There was the greatest change in her after her baptism. She looked so happy and peaceful and could not stop smiling. She invited us over to her house after and her mom was so happy to introduce us to her other daughter that doesn`t go to any church. Rosa (the evangelic mom) said in the loudest whisper as we walked up the stairs ¨You guys should talk to my daughter. She doesn`t go to church with me but maybe she will with you!¨ So we talked to her for a while and she is such a sweetheart. We are going to start working with her this week and see how it goes. All the single ladies are flocking to us right now. haha a good part of our investigators right now are young, single, female adults. Jenny went to a YSA dinner dance this week and had so much fun. I love the programs of the church.
We had the most incredible lesson yesterday on tithing and the spirit was so strong. It was a combined 3rd hour meeting with all of the adults and everyone was listening so intently. Right after the lesson everyone walked out and grabbed tithing slips as fast as they could. It brought tears to my eyes to watch these humble people acting immediately on the counsel from their priesthood leaders. Hno Alirio (the one that drove the Polios to El Salvador) taught the lesson and he talked about the history of the law of consecration and of tithing. It was so incredible. I love how this truly is the Lord`s church, and how his doctrine is based purely and perfectly in our benefit and blessing. His purpose is for us to be happy and to be more like him. That is why He gives us commandments.
1 Nephi 17:3 And thus we see that the commandments of God must be fulfilled. And if it so be that the children of men keep the commandments of God he doth nourish them, and strengthenthem, and provide means whereby they can accomplish the thing which he has commanded them; wherefore, he did provide means for us while we did sojourn in the wilderness.
He always sends heavenly help. I know that angels are real. I read a talk called Patience by Elder Maxwell that Dad sent to me a few weeks ago. It changed my life. I loved the whole thing and almost every day a different part has come to mind to lift me up and carry me along. But the part that I have been thinking about most is that we are Heavenly beings, created by an all powerful God, and sent to this earth to be tried and tested and perfect. All we need to do is learn of Him and follow His example. ¨We belong to eternity.¨ We are meant for so much more than what we can see and comprehend here on earth. That is why families and temples and prayer bring the most special spirit into our lives. They are not of this world. They are heavenly things- celestial things, sent to earth from our Heavenly home, to lead us back there. I love the gospel of Jesus Christ. I trust in His will and His timing and I just want to be more like Him.
Thank for you all the birthday wishes! I love you all so much and I am so grateful for the friends and family that I have! You are the best!
Hermana Jane
(Here is the link to the talk by Elder Maxwell that she referred to:
