Mi Querida Familia,
"Mas tu voz escucharè, `calma yo te guiarè.´" This week I have been able to learn even moreso that we need to rely on the Lord in EVERYTHING we do. I was reading in Luke when Christ tells his disciples and the Farisees, "Remember Lots Wife." Lets think about that warning for a moment. Lot`s wife looked back. Even more than looking back we can understand that her heart was placed in the things of the world. She looked back to her past. As missionaries and members of the church we can never look back. We can`t look back, changing our view towards the world, we can`t look back and be focused on past mistakes or choices. That's why Christ came and paid the price, so we don`t have to look back. We need too look forward. To the promised land. As of right now we don`t have any investigators coming to church. But today we are not looking back. We have goals and a new week. Our teaching pool is dwindling but its a blessing in disguise. We fasted to be able to find families that progress. When we drop investigators its like finding a new opportunity at the same time. A new opportunity to teach those who are ready and prepared to make changes in their lives. And we won`t be able to find these people if we don`t depend in El Gran Maestro, Jesucristo, or in other words lets all look forward!
We still have miracles everyday. On Wednesday we had a visit with a family that we visit on and off, the Familia Males, and we taught the Restoration so well until they understood that they needed to be baptized by someone who had the authority. I will admit I was a little nervous for this lesson. I just remember praying in my heart that God would give me and Hermana Espinoza strength. And he did. The spirit was so strong in that lesson. We challenged them to pray and see if Joseph Smith was a prophet. And they said they would come to church, but the adversary works hard too, and they had to go to Otavalo last weekend. We jsut have to shelter them this week so that they can go to church next week. But this family is solid. they have so many desires to change and a genuine curiosity.
Also our recent convert, Rocio came to church on sunday and a member of the stake high council came to speak. He came to greet us the missionaries before the meeting and told us he was going to talk on family history. But when he got up to talk, he just testified of tithing and temple attendance. It was inspired and the spirit was there. After all three meetings we started talking to Rocio and she was full of questions about how to start paying her tithing so she could attend the temple with the branch at the end of February. Miracles! She is the best. We love Rocio. We are also teaching her son, but he disappeared off the face of the planet this weekend so he couldn`t come to church. Oh well. We`ll get him next week.
This week we had an amazing Capacitacion Especializada (Special Traning). We rewatched Lynn G. Robbins and Jorge Klebingat`s talks from General Conference, and talked about diligent repentance. I NEED to be more diligent. I need to let virtuos thoughts of diligence garnish my thoughts unceasingly :) I have set a goal to repent for specific things in my prayers each night. I will meditate on what I need to change at the end of the day and write in my prayer journal (idea tagged from Herman Richardson) what I need to repent for. That way we will be able to target our progress in a more thoughtful and thorough way. We make mistakes each day, and without repentance we aren`t asking for Christ`s help in the changing process. The purpose of our life is to repent. Also recently, we as a mission have been memorizing The Living Christ.. it has been such a blessing. No matter what people say, I can always testify of the savior and the vocabulary from The Living Christ helps me testify with even more power and concrete faith. So great to use the words of apostles and prophets when testifying of Christ, which just proves through the spirit that Christ`s true church has been restored! I know that Christ is at the head of this church. I know that we are endowed with power to preach the restored truth to the world. We are serving our fellow man, and we are serving God. I love being a missionary!
Con Amor,
Hermana Powley
