Hola de Hermana, 14/5/12

Hola mi famila asombrosa!  :)

I am so happy!  It was WONDERFUL to talk with you yesterday, to hear your voices, and to end hearing my big brother say good-bye.  :)  I love and look up to you all so much, and am grateful you are witnesses of God and all times and in all places.  I'm confident you'll have amazing opportunities to share the glad tidings of the gospel in Orlando, and shine like lights to everyone you meet!  And I can't wait to hear how this trip goes!  And please find a Mars bar to eat for me!  ;)   

I LOVE LOVE being in a trio with Hermana N and Hermana S.  They are amazing.  I feel so comfortable, safe, and confident.  I am really looking forward to see what miracles happen this transfer.  

 Last week in our zone conference Elder R talked about examples in the scriptures where the children of Isreal were often led through deserts.   He focused on the "we're going through a desert" part, but I remembered Ïsaiah 35:1-2 where the desert will blossom as the rose.  And how this was literally fulfilled with the pioneers in Utah.    In my agriculture classes we learned how, in general, desert blossoms are the most brilliantly colored flowers found naturally in the states.  I feel like while we've maybe been working in a desert, we are about to find those brilliant blossoms...  I am so excited.  I feel like my faith is up and running again.  :)

An experience for the diary yesterday.  Hermana N and Hermana A had been working with a recent convert, Edgar, of a year who has been really struggling with alcoholism.  Saturday we had a good lesson with him and a reactivated member, Juan, who is full of fire and going to start a program for addicts.  Sunday morning we went and picked up Edgar for church, but left him at the chapel with another recent convert while we left to see if we could bring one more investigator.  In those five minutes, Edgar escaped the chapel and we didn't know where he went.  I remembered Pres Bautista exhorting us "do NOT return without the plates!", and we left the chapel to go find Edgar.  30 minutes later after checking out all the local cantinas we could think of, and praying, we were on our way back to the chapel with Juan when we saw Edgar chatting with friends in the park.  He was SO insistent he wasn't going to go to the church, and Hermana N was so angry that even his family said things like he'll never change, but we were able to get him back to the chapel for the closing prayer.  Instead of sitting in principles of the gospel, we went outside and tried to have a lesson on the Atonement and his potential as a literal son of God, but he just wanted to leave.  We left with him to escort him home, and he insisted on buying 5 quetzals of liqour.  I admit I tried to exercise unrighteous dominion by attempting to escort  him out of two tiendas...  but then I felt so dumbfounded as I watched him practically run to some "friends" drinking in a bar, and CHUG a glass they gave him.  

It was so interesting.  I'm still trying to process what I would do differently.  I know every child of God has their agency.  But those who struggle with addictions have lost so much of their agency and become captives of the Adversary through their disobedience.  And I CANNOT force anyone, and I cannot always teach with power that will always change the desires of someone else because they have their agency.  But I know it's not me that is the Converter.  The only real converter is the Holy Ghost, and the ONLY being who has the real power to save is our Savior. 

And yet I never felt angry with Edgar.  I felt angry his family had no faith.  I testify that those who have faith, hope and charity love their brothers and sisters, their grandparents, their neighbors, their parents, their friends, and believe that through the atoning power of Jesus Christ natures and hearts can be changed.  In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.  

I LOVE YOU TONS!!!

--Hermana Ivy [-]