Hola Mi Querida Familia,
What a week! I feel so blessed to be here in San Pablo. We are indeed seeing so many blessings. I feel that this week has been a week of answered prayers. True that there is always opposition in the work. Pero somos los soldados que combaten error! Que dicha es!
David is excited for his baptism this Saturday. We were able to visit him a couple times last week, MIRACLE, and he opened up and told us that he felt as if a huge peace has settled into his life ever since we started teaching him. He has changed a lot too. He is more open, smiles more, has taken out his diamond stud earrings and reads the Book of Mormon all the time. About the earrings, we didn`t even have to tell him, he just realized it wasn`t right and took them out! I love how when we begin to teach others, light begins to enter into them. It kind of sounds strange, but I have begun to be able to discern how light enters and leaves people. It has to do with their countenance and their eyes. They just seem more true. Please keep David in your prayers so that he can keep gaining light and be ready for his baptism this weekend!
Last week, we were on the bus, running a little late for an appointment. I was a little stressed, sometimes time stresses me, but we sat down in the very back of the bus, there was just one seat. The lady sitting next to me tried to scoot over and make room for my companion, but Hermana Perez kindly declined. It suddenly hit me how sweet the gesture of the lady next to me was, even though all the seats were taken she had shifted to make room for Hermana Perez. It was a small gesture, but as I pondered, the spirit whispered to me, she is ready. I turned to her and started a conversation. Her son was sitting next to her, we got talking and she mentioned how her husband had left her about 6 years ago. She moved here from the coast for her husband, and after he left, she decided to stay for the safety of her kids, even though she has no family here. Diana later mentioned that she knew God helps her everyday, but has never gone to church. We ended up getting off the same bus stop and she showed us to her home and introduced us to her other kids, Kevin, and Diana. Best part: she asked US to come back and share our message. They accepted baptismal dates a couple days later. Sadly they were not able to come to church but committed to come this upcoming Sunday. Such an awesome spiritual experience!!! Pray for the Delgado Family.
Fun facts: We were visiting Cecilia (Recent convert) in Casco and we caught her milking the cow. I wanted to try milking the cow so bad but she wouldn`t let me because the cow was brava (angry) But, Cecilia made me drink some of the milk... I have 2 words.. "utterly" fresh. And surprisingly delish. Luckily, throughout the mission my milk allergy has disappeared. #blessingsfromonhigh. Also I went on divisions with Hermana Conder, and we prayed for service opportunites. After lunch, the member who fed us was outside gutting fish. We were the ones who prayed for service, and the Lord provided. Herman Conder and I learned how to de-scale, cutopen, and clean out fish! What a great life-skill learned! Our hands were covered in blood and fishguts and maybe I had fish gut dreams that night but it was all for a good cause.
This week the Lord has blessed me in my prayers. I made a conscience effort to ask for charity in each prayer, and I feel so much more patient and filled with His love! Its so true when the scriptures tell us, Pedid, y se os darà! What do you need? Do you ask constantly in prayer? The wife of our ward mission leader accompanied us one time and shared with an investigator an example of a mother walking with her little boy passed a candy shop. Her child eyes the frosted cookies with gooey eyes and the mother watches him. She knows he wants a cookie, but they walk by and he never says anything. If the child had asked for the cookie, she gladly would have bought him one. Our father is the same way, but he loves an inifite amount more.
I was reading today in Helaman 3:28-30 and it paints such a great image of our path to eternal life. I remember a long time ago our Dad took us on a hike in Zions called Angel`s Landing. There comes a point at the end of the hike where one must cling to a chain nailed to the rock with instant drop off on both sides. In Helaman, Mormom talks about clinging to the word of God, or reading the scriptures each day, and praying with all our hearts, in order to not fall into the abiss of sin which so easily awaits those who lose focus on what really matters. I imagined clinging to that chain in Zions and looking down. Day to day, we don`t realize that there really are abisses that we and our investigators can fall into if they don`t cling to the word of God. We have to help them. It is our job to help them keep their commitments, not just invite them and hope with fingers crossed that they hold on. We have to be there, cheering them on, sending members to fortify them, and praying in every prayer for their specific needs. Mormon says in verse 30 that our souls we shall be placed on the righthand of God if we hold on tight and help those that surround us. We shall dwell in the midst of the prophets of old. We must be strong, and NEVER let go. Even when the winds come or the storms sink in the rock of our Redeemer is firm and never moves. I love our investigators. I love serving the Lord. I love seeing the light enter into the lives of those we touch. This is the most beautiful part of being a missionary.
Con Amor
Hermana Powley
Foto 1: view from the bridge we cross everyday
Foto 2: Banana split.. you`ll never believe it, but they put mozarella cheese on banana splits here. It's surprisingly delicious.
