Hola de Hermana, 19/12/12

FELIZ NAVIDAD!!!  I love you all so much!  Thank you for your prayers!  After Monday I felt a LOT of peace.  Stability.   I have hope.  And I know your counsel and the scriptures are going to help me know how to teach.  

Yesterday Carlos (an abuelo) attended all of church with us, and we're excited he knows an older gentleman in the ward, who is going to start attending lessons with us.  I'm grateful we could meet with the barrio consejo yesterday, and they gave us additional names of members for our other investigators.  I'm very very grateful for Hermano Coyoy, our lider misional de barrio: he and his wife are totally amazing and dedicated to the work of the Lord.  Obispo Paz y Hermano Coyoy feel like the members need to understand the Atonement and the law of sacrifice to be more dedicated to the work of the Lord, and I'm thrilled about working with them to accomplish that objective.

And I've been very grateful for tender mercies throughout this week.  Such as a new investigator, Nicole.  She is about the same age as mis abuelos, and I love her.  I love the little girl I spotted in a bus with a sweet smile looking out the window.  I love the young man Luis who called us after finding a pamphlet Hermana S had given his abuela, and Luis asked if he could buy a Book of Mormon.  Hermana S said out of the thousands of pamphlets she has given out, he is the first to call.  

I have been astounded at how much love I have felt.  If I've felt love like this in the four weeks I've been here, what will 15 months be like?  What will being a mother feel like?  What love does our Heavenly Father and His Son, have for us???!!!  

And God so loved the world, that He gave His Only Begotten Son...

I testify that Jesus Christ came to this world and lived and died for us, His children whom He created, and in whom His Light resides.  Joy to the world that He came, that He fulfilled the Atonement and broke the bands of death through His Resurrection.  Glory be to the Father and the Son that they have provided a way for us to return to live with Them and our loved ones forever as we follow the example of the Son.  Glory be to the Father, and the Son.  I am so grateful.  In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!  

--Hermana Ivy [-]