Hola de Hermana, 30/1/12

Hola mi family!  

This week was really good.  On Thursday we were able to have a multi zone conference with a member of the Area Presidency, top general authorities of the church with stewardship over our area, Presidente Falabella.  It was SO GOOD.  And I understood pretty much every thing he said, contextually if not word for word, a MAJOR improvement over the time he spoke to us in the CCM when I had to listen to the translator.  

He showed us our mission stats for the last year, and honestly, we have a LOT we need to do differently to achieve the results we want.  The mission family baptism rate is really low, and Pres Falabella drilled it into us that we must baptize FAMILIES and MEN because families can go to the temple, and men can receive the Priesthood.  And when strong men come into the church, families and women come too.  *Emphasis on teaching and baptizing men because although women are often tons more receptive and in tune with the Spirit, their husbands are much less likely to follow their example.  And we are NOT here to split families apart through the Gospel, we're here to unite families and make them stronger.

Pres. Falabella thundered NEVER to teach a lesson without the father present.  I wish I'd known this before we found and taught Luisa.  She wants to be baptized but her mother doesn't want her to be baptized before she’s 18.  I wish wish wish we had insisted on teaching with her mother, the head of their household, present.  Because now we're trying to receive inspiration for how we can teach the mother, and I feel like it would have been much easier had we started teaching with her from the start.  And it is true that it is pure respect to emphasize teaching the head of the household.

Another thing he taught that hit me so hard is that different results require different actions.  If I want to achieve results that are different and higher than the norm, I have got to find and do those different things that are inspired by God.  And that extra different effort isn't easy, but like the quote he told us, The easy path makes men and rivers crooked/twisted.  

Tambien, Presidente Falabella said those who give missionaries references before their mission get references on their mission.

Also, I loved learning that an expression for "to give birth to" in espanol is "darse a luz" or "to give light to".  I LOVE this.  I LOVE how light is connected so intimately to life, and how it's the same in the scriptures, with the extra added meaning that Light is Life and Life is Christ.  D&C 88

I testify that Jesus Christ LIVES.  He IS the LIGHT of the world.  He overcame Death for US, and through Him and His Atonement we can be cleansed from all that is wrong and be made whole.  We can have eternal life with Him and our families forever as we choose to follow His example and keep His commandments. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

I love you all TONS!  

Hermana Ivy [-]