HAPPY BIRTHDAY Papi!!!!!!! One year older and wiser. And I didn't forget this year :) Hope you have an AWESOME day today. Ojala que su dia es increible. There is so much to tell. This week was CRAZY as is every week. But really MILAGROS are happening. Every day we start out wondering what in the world is going to come of this day...at the end of the day we can't quite believe how it all happened. The theme of my week...1 Ne 4:6 "And I was led by the Spirit not knowing beforehand the things which I should do." I have never seen so much tragedy in one week. But when you find people who are hurting and searching, they listen. They are so much more prepared to hear the message of the Gospel.
Mari is the miracle of the week. We went to dinner at a members house planning to share a message suggested by Thomas S. Monson to help get member referrals. To our surprise, the member had invited one of her friends to have dinner with us. WOHOO! She is interested in learning more and we are planning to teach her this week. But while we were eating Mari stopped by to drop of a movie she had borrowed. We met her, then the member went on to tell us after she left her husband just passed away 2 weeks ago. I asked for her apt # and phone number and if it would be okay to stop by. After dinner I really felt like we should go over and talk to her. So we knocked on the door and Mari opened it with tears in her eyes. She was trying to understand a letter in English from the Hospital about her recently deceased husband. We helped her translate it, then started to teach her about exactly where her Husband is right now. You could see the hope in her eyes change as she began to realize that he really does have the opportunity right now to learn about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She can live with him again with her 4 boys. As we explained the Book of Mormon the light bulb went on...oh its about the other sheep Jesus says he needs to visit...the people here in the Americas. She is the most prepared person I've ever seen. That lesson was completely guided by the spirit, and was taught completely to her needs. We invited her to church and she said she would come! We knocked on her door yesterday morning for her to follow us...hoping and praying she would answer. She answered the door saying 5 minutos 5 minutos...her boys were running around getting all ready to go to church in their new clothes people had given them. Mari had on a new blue sweatsuit someone had given her, with a sticker tag still on it. Hna Batchkoff lovingly took it off telling her how beautiful she looked. They all jumped in there van and followed us to church. We got in our car almost in Shock. Is this really happening. A WHOLE family following us to church. They stayed the whole meeting. The Gospel is a miracle. It will change their life. I am so excited to keep teaching her. She is incredible.
Another crazy experience...We found an older lady this week visiting her daughter from Mexico. The same day we met her we told her about a Relief Society Activity at the church and she was like ya! I want to go...WHAT?! So we miraculously found her a ride and she CAME. She brought her grandson...little did we know, the reason she brought him was because the boyfriend of her daughter they live with is abusing him. He is afraid to be alone and so she takes him to the park stays with him as much as she can. But her daughter isn't speaking to her...and she doesn't know what to do because he isn't her son, but wants to protect him. The poor woman is trying so hard to do what is right but just doesn't know what that is...she has no phone, she isn't in her Country, and her own family isn't speaking to her. Every time we've stopped by this week to see how she is doing she "happens" to be alone. One time we stopped by we asked her if she wanted a blessing. She agreed to it and the Elders jumped in the car and ran over to give her a blessing. So incredible. Blessings are a privilage a way for our Heavenly Father to talk directly to us. She was brought to tears in a moment of sincere desperation.
Last night we were visiting former investigators and came upon a family who were actually members...less-actives we didn't even know about. We quickly learned their son has brain cancer and they haven't been able to come to church because he is undergoing treatments and can't be around people. Again, Heavenly Father led us to them. No doubt. This little boy has been through so much...a stroke...poisonous medicine...not being able to go to school...it breaks my heart. He told us how he can't run anymore. He said, "I used to be the fastest kid, now I am the slowest." Sometimes life just doesn't seem very fair. But we do have a loving Heavenly Father and all these crazy trials are a part of this life.
From child abuse to death to cancer...the thing we all need most is to Get to know our Savior Jesus Christ. We had a Zone Conference this week and a psychologist spoke to us...really interesting stuff. But what hit me the most was when he asked. Do you really KNOW your Savior Jesus Christ? Get to know Him. He is the one who will help us the most in the worst of situations. His Gospel is the way. And as I explained to plan of salvation to a mourning widow with 4 boys to take care of, again I came to realize...how much our Heavenly Father loves us. IT is unbelievable. He has created the most perfect plan. And I know His Gospel has been restored. The only way we can be saved is through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
I've never lived such an obedient life, but found it so hard to be happy with myself. It shows me how real this work is. Heavenly Father wants us to be happy, and Satan wants us to be discouraged and disappointed in ourselves because then we are less effective. We really are on the front lines..but not in a physical battle, but instead a battle of powers we can't see. CRAZY. Still some nights I go to bed and just feel like I am living in a dream...is this really my life...did normal life really exist before??? This is the hardest thing mentally i've ever done, as i've said before but most definitely is the most important thing i've ever done. There is so much pain in suffering in the world. But there is a way to be happy...and a reason to be happy through it all. Because we have our Savior Jesus Christ.
I love you all so so so much. You all mean the world to me. Seeing families breaking apart, suffering...without the Gospel of Jesus Christ breaks my heart. I hope they will accept the help Heavenly Father has sent to them. And I hope we can always always remember how incredibly lucky we are as a family. Really....I am amazed every day.
Yo se que somos en la iglesia verdadera. La expiacion de Jesucristo es amor. Dios quiere que tengamos felizidad...y a veces no podemos ver por que nuestras vidas son muy ocupadas y dificiles. Pero hay esperanza y una razon para ser feliz. Por que tenemos un amoroso Padre Celestial y Salvador Jesucristo.
Con todo mi amor,
Su hermana y hija
Hermana Holland
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