Hola de Hermana, 2/1/12

Hola mi familia fantastica!  :)

Feliz Ano Nuevo!  :)   I hope you'll write me some of your dreams and plans, and maybe you'd be interested in my dreams for this next month (100 baptisms, 14 referencias received every week, members in every lesson... ah...  Well, at least we're optimistic, working, and blessed with members who give all they have.)  

About dreams, we had lunch with the Familia De Leon this week, and I am in love with 9 year old Vinicio.  He got out his worn-from-use picture book with animals in Spanish and English and helped me practice English.  He has practically everything about all those animals memorized (sound familiar?), and when I asked him what he wanted to do when he's older, he said he wants to discover and name new animals (another deja vous), and after lunch he pulled out two childrens encyclopidias and showed me all the dinosaurs.  I was astounded that at his age he already has the genealogic eras memorized.  I told him there are dinosaur fossils a few hours from my house, and he thought that was so cool.  I was floored at how much he knows, and told his mom how impressed I was.  She told me they don't have money to send him to college, and he won't have the opportunities I have at my home.

Atonces, I am more grateful now for the opportunities I have, and grateful you are making plans to accomplish your dreams.  I want to teach Vinicio the principles of having an eye of faith, and exercising faith.  

I love you all so much!  I testify that we are children of a loving Father in Heaven who KNOWS and LOVES us!  He knows our full potential, and how to help us reach that potential, and also our gifts and talents that we can use to bless and inspire those around us, and to help them reach their full potential too!  He wants ALL His children to get back to Him, and so sent His Son, Jesus Christ, who has prepared a way for us to return to live with them and become like them!  And His way is the ONLY way, and there is only ONE way.  I testify that His church is governed by Him now as it was anciently, with prophets and apostles, revelation, and His priesthood authority and power.  And the evidence that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is His only true and living church on earth today is the Book of Mormon, which all people can hold, read, ponder over, and pray to God and ask if it is true.  And if they ask with a sincere heart, in faith, with true intentions, they will receive an answer from the Holy Ghost that yes, that book is true and of God.  I testify the Book of Mormon is true.  I testify that Jesus Christ lives!, and is our Redeemer and Savior.  In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

I love you TONS!

--Hermana Ivy [-]