Hello, Hola, Howdy. How's it going in the Great Salt Lake?
I don't have too much time to write today, but I just want to share with all of you the highlights from my week, even though as usual there are too many to count.
1. Guess what? It snowed. In Texas! Seriously the weather here is so weird. All the schools were shut down in everything because it was too cold. haha I think about how we'd have 3 feet of snow and still go to school and it makes me laugh a little bit! It was pretty great.
This is what a snowman in Texas looks like!
Okay now this is a story that's slightly off topic, but I just had to include it for the sake of Jake, Tay, and Dad. When it happened I just pictured their reaction to this. So we visited our investigator Celalina, the 73 year old woman and she is just hilarious. That's all there is to it, but I just love her so much. She has been sick for a little while so she began telling us why she thinks she's been sick and it went a little something like this: (have Jake translate for you if you need it) "Pienso que estoy enferma porque de los pedos de mi perrito. Aaaaaayyyyy, que feo. No oler bien. El esta en mi cuarto y cuando estoy dormiendo...sus pedos...y yo respiro y oooohhhh que feo." hahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahhaah I was literally trying so so so hard not to burst into an attack of laughter. It was so so so funny. And the way she talks just makes it all that better. hahaha so funny.
Hermana Hoj is "on the right track."
On a more spiritual note....I have two awesome experiences that I would love to share with you from this past week about the temple and fasting.
So this week we went to the temple! I really am so so lucky that I have the opportunity to go to the temple every single transfer. SUCH a blessing. And I think this is probably the best experience I've had at the temple so far. So Hna. Burnham and I have been looking at our family history a lot recently and when I checked the availiable temple ordinances there were two available! A husband and wife. Hermana Burnham also had one. So we got permission to go to the temple early and do all of the ordinances for them so that we could do the endowment for them as well. So that alone was such an incredible experience. But here comes even greater things. The temple president came to us and talked with us multiple times and I learned so much from him. As we were getting the names printed off he came up to us and started talking about how incredible family history work is in working with non members and how it plays a big role in keeping people strong in the church. Then he came to us again before we began to do the baptisms and told us the story of the Apostles on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35). The Apostles do not recognize Christ until He brakes and blesses the bread. They recognize Him and know Him through the ordinances. Their "hearts burn"--they feel of the Spirit and have testimony, but it is through the ordinances that they know Him. It is the same with us. We can know our Heavenly Father so much better when we begin to understand the ordinances through which we can return once again to live with Him. He shared some things with us again as we were waiting to go into our session. I just feel so lucky, privileged, and blessed to have had that opportunity to learn from him. He gave Hermana Burnham and I one of the most sincere compliments as well and this experience really has had such a profound impact on me. I really want to begin to understand more and more, I want to know everything! But alas, patience comes into play again as I learn things little by little. But what an amazing experience that was for me. (oh and p.s. I am going to send the family names to you so that someone can do the ordinances for the husband and then you can finish the sealing!)
Now for the fasting experience. First Sunday of the month, we all know what that means! We talked to all the members in our area and invited them to include missionary work in their fast. Look at the faith of one of our recent converts as I tell you this story. The incredible Hermana Robles. We sent her that text inviting her to fast with us and she responded back asking what it is that she needed to do to take part in the fast, because it would be the first time that she has done it. We explained it to her and she told us she would do it. Then on Sunday around 3:00 she sent us a text that said "Hermanas!!!!!!!! I'm starving, what am I allowed to eat and at what time can I eat my dinner? Help!!!!!" So we responded saying, "Hermana you are so amazing. You have abstained from two meals, please feel free to eat! The work of the Lord will be so blessed solely because of your faith. Thank you so much." She said "Are you sure I can eat now? Don't I have to wait till at least 5? I mean if I already made the sacrifice I'd like to end it as I should." HOW INCREDIBLE IS SHE???!!!!! Wow!!! Her faith is so incredible and our work is going to be so blessed because of her. And SHE is going to be so incredibly blessed!!
All that I have left to say is that I feel so blessed for all of the experiences that I get to have as a missionary. Wow. How am I so lucky to get all of this? I have such an incredible testimony of this work and I know that it changes people's lives. I know that the Church of Jesus Christ is perfect. The people may not be, in fact are not, because no one is perfect. But this church is perfect and I know that it is through the things that we learn in this church and following the plan that we have been given that we can become like our Heavenly Father and one day return to live in His presence. The Church is true!!!!!!!
One of my very favorite people!
Love you all and have an awesome week!
Con muchisimo amor, Hermana Hoj
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