Well my mind is spinning and I don't know exactly where to begin...but we got a call this morning and Rosie wants to be baptized tomorrow! So we are trying to get everything together in one day. I am so happy for her. This woman is unbelievable and she is so ready to be baptized, she has just been tossing dates around for a long time. Mom she is like Mexican version of you :) She has been through so much as I feel most people in the world have at this point. But it shocks me sometimes how low people can go. And when they are prepared how receptive they are to what is important and what true happiness is. Rosie is the true example of someone who has experienced this change of heart. When I first got here, Rosie's Sister asked us to go by and visit her~that she was struggling and just to see if Hermanas could do the trick. Elders had stopped by before, but she was pretty much like I am Catholic. So we went by and reviewed the Restoration and I remember feeling something so clearly that she knew exactly what we were saying was true, but she just couldn't convince herself to listen to it because she is Catholic and her daughter was going to catacism. But then a couple months later she just showed up to church, and told us how she had started reading the Book of Mormon and it offered her the exact peace she needed. And now she explains to us, I always found my happiness in material things like my house my clothes...and now that I have experienced this it all seems so different. I can't go back, my whole perspective has changed!! She has this beautiful house and is an extremely talented decorator so it makes sense, but there came a point where she had this new perspective. Those things weren't the most important thing. Saving her family through the Savior was more important.
I've been thinking lots about this change of heart. It sure is a gradual thing. But one of my favorite scriptures about this is in the Book of Mormon in Mosiah 5:7 it says, "And now because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons and his daughters, for behold this day he hath spiritually begotten you; for ye say that your hearts are changed through faith on his name; therefore ye are born of him and have become his sons and his daughters." The way we truly experience the love of God is through making promises to him. That first one is baptism. How cool is that...it makes sense that we have to act in order to have a change of heart and feel even more of his guidance and love in our lives.
Also, last week I believe I mentioned we were teaching a lady named Rebecca. We had some interesting conversations with her this week. She basically just told us, I am doing everything you tell me to. I read, I pray, I go to church and I am interested but I don't feel anything. She then she went on to explain how she is never happy. She has a smile on when we are there, underneath it all she is not happy. She is always angry with her kids, she isn't happy with her husband, she doesn't like to go out and basically has a hard time getting up in the morning. So...ya that is pretty depressing. She is super smart, logical and anaylitical so she reads the Book of Mormon like a bunch of cool interesting stories but is having a hard time feeling anything. It is one of the hardest things to explain how an answer from a prayer feels right? Everyone is different and you don't know how it works for them...but our goal is to help her know how to recognize what could be answers. To help her know what she needs to do to receive an answer. It is so hard to see someone trying so hard and just not know how to recognize the presence of the spirit. So interesting...but she keeps moving forward, and I know that those who don't give up always recognize the blessings and answers at some point. Even though sometimes it takes a while...Heavenly Father likes us to struggle because that is how we learn. I've been struggling for practically 15 months, but feel like I've learned more than I have in my entire life. Sure is something else what happens when you give your life over to the Lord.
Ok last but not least Joselyn! She is the one in the attached picture. She is the cutest thing in the WORLD. She rides horses with those big mexican dresses and her dad carves marble so last night she gave us this carving of a man riding a horse on a big slab of marble. It is the coolest thing but probably the heaviest thing i've ever owned as well. She is so excited to get baptized, if her Mom would just bring her to church. Kids are incredible. Adults, me included are full of excuses. Last night, her Mom went off on all the reasons why she couldn't come to church and hasn't been able to go in years. My perspective has become so black and white. And ya I don't have kids and can't relate to having a husband who needs this and that...but one thing I have figured out, is that all of us at some point are going to stand before our Heavenly Father and our Savior Jesus Christ, and I really don't think the excuses we use here are going to fly when we are standing before them. When I think of it like that, those decisions that my busy life can complicate become so much more clear. Hopefully she will see it like that someday.
We had leadership training this week and I learned a lot. There are always SO MANY THINGS to work on. To be a truly effective missionary I feel like I have to learn how to be good at all aspects of missionary work at the same time! Quite the challenge, but I am working on it. Hna Wagner found a new investigator and taught a first lesson in spanish all by herself! WOHOO!
Well familia y amigos, we sure have lots to be grateful for! I can't even explain how grateful I am for all of you. I never knew how blessed I was simply to grow up with parents who taught me the difference between right and wrong. Sure makes a difference in the whole rest of your life. Entonces..Gracias a thousand times Mom and Dad for everything you have done for me. Most of all thank you for teaching me about my Savior Jesus Christ and his Gospel, because that has made all the difference. I love you all so much.
Gracias por su amor y sus ejemplos. En este tiempo de gracias no se olvide para dar gracias al senor por todo que el ha hecho para uds. Se que el vive y podemos saber por la oracion lo que necesitamos hacer para ser realmente felices. Ay les quiero muchisisisisisimo. Se que el evangelio de jesucristo restaurado es la respuesta a todos nuestros problemas. Busce el senor y el va a guiarles ...aveces nos toma tiempo para reconocer su mano en nuestras vidas pero siempre esta.
FELIZ ACCION DE GRACIAS
Hermana Holland
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