Mi querida famila,
This week was wonderful. We have seen and experienced true miracles. Even though it was a little crazy with transfers, we were able to work a little in our sector, and we hope that this week we will be able to work even more time in our sector. This Sunday was so amazing. We had a really good turnout at church, a lot of less actives that came for the first time in years, 8 out of 9 converts, and 2 investigators!
I`d like to start out talking about David Carlosama. I might have mentioned him before, this kid is so prepared to receive the gospel! He was a reference and he has so many desires to join the church. It wasn`t hard for him at all to accept the restored gospel, yesterday we visited him and he accepted a baptismal date for May 2nd. Its been a little hard to find him the past 2 weeks because he studies all week long in Ibarra, and he lost his cell phone. So we took a leap of faith and went to his house Saturday to leave him a note, inviting him to church. He got the note and came! We visited him after church and he showed us how much he had been reading from the Book of Mormon. In the 2 weeks that we haven`t been able to visit him, he`s made it to chapter 20 of 1st Nephi! We were very happy! We had a very spiritual lesson, on faith, and he was able to share with us how he has been prepared throughout his life to receive the gospel. I can just see him as a missionary a year from now. Anyway, our action plan with David is to send him text messages of support each day this week and visit him on the weekends when he is home. May 2nd here we come!
Another cool story. We were in Casco and a couple of our appointments fell through. And I felt the impression to walk up the dirt hill to visit a less active family and recent convert, the Casco Family. It was a leap of faith because, the parents always work (for that reason they are less active) But when we got there, the father, Feliciano, was home! He told us that he no longer was working weekends, and we had a powerful lesson with him and his son, Juanito about the doctrine of Jesus Christ and baptismal covenants. I remember in a training that we had with President Richardson when he said that we need to invite less actives to renew their baptismal convenants by taking the sacrament, not just invite them to church. So we invited him! And he accepted. This whole less active family came to church yesterday and it was beautiful. Also another surprise on Sunday was that a different less active family, whom Hermana Gonzalez had worked with in the past and had zero success, came to church for the first time in years. Recently this family`s cousin, William, has returned home from his mission and has been working hard with them to help them reactivate. I was able to see how William, being a returned missionary is bringing a making a positive impact on his family. I hope to be able to have a similar effect on those whom I come in contact with after the mission. The mission never ends!
I know that my redeemer lives and loves us. It doesn`t matter how many weaknesses we have, just that we trust in Him and believe that he will mold us as we pray with real intent and prove true to the commandments. We have seen repeated rejection, and also sweet, sweet miracles here in San Pablo. This week I have felt Satan working hard, trying to downsize my testimony. But we had an amazing zone meeting, where we all shared our testimonies with the zone. This helped me so much. I was able to realize as I shared my testimony, that no matter how many people tell us we are wrong, no one can deny the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. This church is true because I know without a shadow of a doubt that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. It contains the doctrine of Christ in its most pure form. When I try to think of the one moment I truly received testimony of the church, I think of many successive moments that compile to the overwhelming fact and knowledge that I have felt the Holy Ghost in every meeting, testimony, and study. Its simply sad when others do not open their hearts to hear the music. But I know that as we keep working, God blesses us with people like David, and the Casco Family. I know He loves us and wants the best for us. And he will grant us success.
Have a wonderful week Everyone!
Con amor
Hermana Powley
Fotos:
Yo y Hermana Perez (so cute)
A pig trail that we found....
Carlitos tiene un nuevo perrrito!!
