Hola de Hermana, 2/7/12

Hola mi family asombrosa!!!  :)

I am so happy.  I love a quote Hna S learned from a former AP: "Debemos ser felizes, but nunca contentos."  Don't get comfortable, always keep working to improve.  I am grateful and blessed that I do feel happy with Hna S, and we're working hard to help the families we're working with.  What is incredible to me is in the 8 months we have in the field, I have never had so many actually positive and progressing children of God to work with.  We're finding 10 nuevos every week, we averaging 20 lessons with members every week, and we are happy.  I don't want to leave.  The biggest trial continues to be helping people understand the need to come to church and them coming.

I am so grateful to be friends with Hna S.  We actually talk with each other at night.  Last night for 45 minutes.  I feel so blessed.  I feel so much love, and am grateful that right now it is easy to love.  I can't wait for you all to meet her when we get home.  

We've seen milagros and the works of the devil this week.  Someone who hasn't drunk in 8 months was completely drunk.  A lesson reiterated for me this week is FLEE from temptation and turn to the Lord. NEVER put yourself in a situation where you will be tempted.  LEAVE friends who tempt you to lower your standards.  Turn to the Lord for comfort and strength and not to vices that are nearly unbreakable to get rid of.  I've remembered something Elder Scott has said, that we will NEVER break a big commandment without first being warned of the Holy Ghost.  

but we've received blessings too.  We were able to meet with Manuel, Alejandra's husband, we had the key member with us, he felt the Spirit and we put baptism fechas for them both the 22 Julio.  But then Sunday he told us he got called to work and couldn't come to church (a lie).  The devil works so hard.  But we also found 27 yr old Josue and he accepted a baptismal fecha for the 12th.  We still working with Jose's family, the Familia S.  And yesterday a miracle of all miracles: we were waiting outside of another family's house and a lady passed us.  A moment later her little girl came back and told us her mom wanted us to go to their house.  She gave us food, and she wanted to know about the temple.  We have our first visit with them tonight at 8:20 pm with the husband.  Last night when I asked how much time they would have she said "We have lots of time."  I have such high hopes for this family (Sandra and Faustino)!

Something that's been a great help to us is using reactivating or recently activated members to accompany us for visits.  When people feel valued and needed they step up to the plate.  I love these people.  

Today we went on a tour bus, hence the photos.  The landscape photo has a large green area near the middle: that's the cemetary here in Calvario, and practically a third part of our area!  And me and my awesome companion.  I love her.  :)  

Happy Fourth of July!  Thank you to Taylor and all the others who have served our country and fought for freedom!  One of my heroes who fought for spiritual and physical freedom: Alma 48:7-18

Mary asked me about earthquakes.  The other day in the morning there was another one where we actually heard noise and the beds shook.  But usually the earthquakes are really small and hardly noticeable--we just feel slightly dizzy after.  :)  It's not uncommon to have a tiny one every day or multiple times a day.

We had a lesson with a 17 year old cousin of Alejandra, Josue, who when we sang :"I am a Child of God", started rocking it out with snapping his fingers, trying to put a beat to it, and body shakes too.  It was SO funny.  We've tried imaging how we could rock out with other hymns...  :)

I love you all so much!  I testify you are children of our Heavenly Father, and He knows and loves you!  We are literally fighting a battle between good and evil, and the devil is working as hard as he can to make us miserable, so we have to do everything we can to do and be good.  And help our brothers and sisters.  We are all in this together!!!  We want "El reino de Dios o nada."  --Pres John Taylor

I LOVE YOU MORE THAN LOTS!!!

--Hermana Ivy [-]