Adventures in Rosario: May 3, 2015

Okay... I am going to write about the person in this picture. Her name is Sara! I wish I could explain to you all how amazing she is. 7 months ago, when I was here in Parana, we began to teach Sara. At the time she was living with the father of one of her two children. She is 26 and has two boys.. Maxi (9) and Andres (5).

Since then, she has made a lot of changes. Sara was baptized about 6 months ago. She lives alone with her two boys and works ALL DAY LONG to be able to barely provide food for her little family. They live in a little tiny house that is really cold now (because it is winter) and she is always sharing the gospel and trying to help other people. She stops and talks to people when she sees that they need help or look sad... because she wants to share with them about the hope and light that has come into her life since she was baptized and learned about the gospel of Jesus Christ. They live in an area that is a little bit on the dangerous side, but she tries to provide an environment for her boys that has the spirit and they can feel safe and comfortable. I am so grateful that I am able to know people like her!

Well... we went to church on Sunday. And during sacrament, I was seated next to a new member named Rocio Rios... and she is amazing as well. She is 25 (I think) and basically the only member in her family. And we sat and listened to beautiful testimonies... and I found that I was super stressed about a lot of people in the ward. Many of the new members that have serious problems in their lives and hard things to conquer, members and leaders that are losing work and being robbed and really sick, and investigators that are trying to make drastic (and I mean DRASTIC) changes in their lives and are feeling soo much pressure from Satan. Oh my goodness and before I knew it I was crying. And I ended up crying for a while... and everyone else was as well because it seems that everyone had a very hard week and was very humble and receptive to the spirit.

And the little girl that was in front of me is named Carmela, and she is five years old. She turned around and looked at me for a minute, and I smiled back and cried. And she asked me to lean over to her... and I leaned over and she used her little finger and being wiping away each tear on my face and under my eyes. And she studied each tear and just gently kept on wiping them away. And then she said, "Why are you crying?"

"I don`t know," I whispered, not knowing what to say. And then she kept on looking at me with sooo much love on her little face. "Can I draw you a picture?" she asked.

I know that Jesus Christ has the heart of a child. That He has true concern and empathy. And He wipes away each one of our tears. And He heals us.

I wish I could tell about all of the experiences I had this week. The truth is... there were many many very spiritual and humbing experiences this week. We cried with many families and people in their doorways as we heard many sad and hard things. But I know that Christ has suffered for it all. And I am so grateful I can trust and rely on Him.