Monday, September 14, 2015

September 8, 2015

Hola familia!  I don`t have my card reader to send pictures today... but next week I will send a bunch.

We had transfers and I stayed in La Florida!! I am so grateful... I know that this is where I need to be.  We have a lot of work to do and I love being here with these amazing and humble people.  My new companion is Hermana Valencia from Lima, Peru!!  She is so cute and sweet and tiny... and is an amazing cook and missionary!  We will be sister training leaders together still... which I am still loving as well.  

This Sunday in one word would be MIRACULOUS.  I know that when we keep the commandments, defend what is right, and work hard.... the blessings come.  They really do.  Three months ago when Hermana Knapp and I arrived to this area together and didn`t know anyone or anything, we found this family... I wrote about them one time... the two boys are named Nico (14) and Jesus (12) and are living with their older sister because both of their parents died.  Well all of them and their little sisters have been begging us to baptize them... though the parents didn`t want anything to do with us.  But Saturday night, right before transfers, we passed by the house and talked with the mom.  And she said, "Yes you can baptize my children." 
"We aren`t going to do anything unless you come to church... because you at least need to know what it is that your children and brothers are doing," the words just came out.

Sunday morning we went by the house... and thye were all ready to go!  They were all brushing their hair and putting their tennis shoes on!  The sun was out and it was so beautiful as we walked to church together.  And when we got their, and Joana (the mom) walked in, she said, "Wow their is a lot of peace in here."  

We sat down in the sacrament room and the members were so sweet and said hi to them.  When the time came for the testimony meeting... a little boy that is 10 -years-old named Jeremìas went up.  He is deaf and severely handicapped... and he went up and tried his best to speak.  And the spirit flooded the room... touching every one of us.  We could see that he had so much to say... he knows so much... and the spirit testified of the little noises that he was able to make with his mouth.  When he finished, his little brother (8-years-old) went up and said, "Amen," to close his brothers testimony.  I looked at Joana and she was crying (along with everyone else in the room).  And Delfina, the little investigator that is 10-years-old, leaned over to me and said, "Can I go up there?"  I told her she could but I asked her what it was that she wanted to say... and gave her a few ideas of how to share her testimony.

She walked right up there, and through her tears, said, "I am grateful that my mom is here and for the missionaries that brought us here.  Because the truth is... I feel really good and I am so happy. Amen."

It was so amazing... needless to say one of the greatest moments ever.  We talked to Joana after the meeting and asked why her brother Nico didn`t come, and she said, "He was embarrassed because he doesn`t have shoes."  All this time we thought that he was avoiding us because he felt pressured... but it was because he has been embarrassed about not having shoes.

I am so grateful for prayer... I know that the prayers of the children are strongest.  And that God heard the prayers of the little kids in this family... and sent us to teach them the way back to Him.  In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

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