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| Pina Colada party with the one and only....Hermana Draper! We have fun! :) |
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| Nightly planning on exchanges. Hermana Linares is easily the most beautiful human. She loves cats and is the worlds greatest example of just a Hispanic human who loves to share everything and would give you all of things off of her back. |
Okay I'm sure you remember cute Es and Jo, although I don't
think I've talked about them in a little bit.. Welp, they're still
trekking along towards their February 13th baptism/marriage date (can
you say so far away? Like, in normal human time that's 'just next
month' right? But in mission time that is the equivalent of like 3
light years away.. Haha.) Anywho, we haven't been able to see them as
much lately because of work and craziness, but we finally got to have
a lesson with them.. As well as with Jo's dad, Jo. It was
AWESOME. So beautiful. Jo el papa, as we so lovingly call him, has
just seen the hugest change in his son and has wanted for a while to
know what all the fuss was about.. And, welp, the stars have aligned.
Taught the restoration, extended an on date invitation for the 30th of
January, and he accepted. You should have seen Jo and Es's
eyes... They basically popped right out of their heads. He had to work
yesterday so he couldn't come to church. That being said, don't know
if he'll make the 30th BUT it was just the happiest of all miracles
and goes without saying that our examples matter! When we allow the
atonement of Jesucristo to shape us and change us, people take notice.
I feel like all I have to give is little baby updates, but our friends
here in Chesterfield just keep on keeping on. Hermano A, Hermana
P and their niños are just precious. Basically they're just trying
to get married and even though they have loads of faith there's just
tons of obstacles that keep popping up. They went to court on
Hermano's day off with full faith that they were going to tell them
that everything was cool and they could get married tomorrow but..
Basically, they said that they couldn't do anything for them. They
didn't call us afterward, so we figured no news was probably bad news.
When we went over to see what had happened, they were a little bit
bummed, but the glimmer of faith still shone in their eyes. They just
have such a desire to renew their baptismal covenants and to be sealed
as a family. And because of that, I know that Heavenly Father will
answer their prayers. We watched the Mormon message, 'Good Things To
Come' with them and I was reminded of these sweet words from an
apostle of The Lord, speaking for Our Savior when he says:
Don't you quit.
You keep walking.
You keep trying.
There is help and happiness ahead.
Some blessings come soon,
Some come late,
And some don't come until heaven.
But for those who embrace
the gospel of Jesus Christ
They come.
And I feel like that's what Heavenly Father's been trying to tell me.
These past few weeks have been a really interesting turn of events.
Your close to returning or returned missionary friends tell you about
these really hard times they have when Satan just beats up on them so
hard right at the very end and you give them advice and think, "wow,
I'm so grateful for that warning so that it won't happen to me" and
then.. It does. And you're wondering why he waited this long to come
at you until you realize that you're heading towards the end of THE
MOST SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE up to this point in your life and like
Moses, after speaking face to face with God was approached by the
adversary himself, that the adversary wants nothing more than to make
the last year and a half count for nothing. I know that Satan is a
real being set on destroying us. I know that, as Elder Klebingnat
says, we're given times to prove ourselves and to prove our faith in
our Savior, in His atonement and in our Heavenly Father's love. I know
that, while the adversary shouts in our ears, our Savior's voice is
much more subtle. He whispers peace. I have learned that we are never
never never alone and that Heavenly Father really does answer our
simple prayers. Before going into lessons, I've started praying
specifically that I can receive answers.. That I can feel peace..
That we can have a spiritual experience and- we have had some of the
most tender experiences with our brothers and sisters here. I dunno, I
guess what I'm saying is that life is just full of ups and downs but
we have this beautiful precious constant in our Savior Jesus Christ
and His promises. He leads and guides us and His work is so good. I am
grateful to this little black name tag, and to my Savior. Put the two
together and I am given the sweetest opportunities to bring light to
the lives of complete strangers.
Love you all! Remember that you're not alone. And I'll close my
missionary soap box for now. LOVES.
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