Hola de Hermana, 23/1/12

Hola mi famila!  :)

This week has been interesting.  I got whiplash from a second bout of a cold or flu, and am just receiving my voice back.  Tender mercies and disappointments.  And funny chistes.  

We stopped by Vinicio's house and during his hug, he told me "Usted es mi hermanita favorita".  :)  Wish I could tell him he is my favorite person here too.  

We visited a recent convert to ask her if she would accompany us during citas with a senora we're teaching.  I had a fairly strong coughing fit, and the convert grabbed a bottle of a eucalyptus concoction to cure what ailed me.  I felt a bit like  a baby bird getting a worm stuffed down my throat as she spoon fed the stuff to me.  While it tasted okay, I had diarrhea the next day.  I told Hermana S the stuff isn't good for gringas and offered it to her, and she happily accepted.  :)

Hermana S gave me a great idea.  She said she was told to buy two journals for throughout her life.  One in which to record her dreams, and the other to record all the blessings she receives.  And whenever possible, ask someone to take notes in the journal when she is receiving the blessings.  

Luis didn't come to church either of the past two Sundays, and we didn't set up another cita with him.  Atonces, we don't have his telephone or his home direction, and I am praying for another "jacket experience" to find him, or that he'll think to go talk to the members in whose house we taught him.  Or that he'll call us on a public telephone.  We need your prayers.  

Luisa DID assist yesterday, and has received almost all the lessons.  We're going to work with her so that she will have a firm testimony of the Book of Mormon, because that's the only thing left she needs.  She is awesome, and I love her.  I want to work with her to go do baptisms in the temple as soon as possible (usually a week) after her baptism because temples are a fortress against all the temptations of the devil.  I hope you are all going to the temple as often as you possibly can.  I probably won't be able to until the end of my mission, because our area authorities told us our work is for the living and not the dead....  understandable.  (sigh)  :)

I found the scripture reference I was looking for!  Still want to study it.  D&C 84:38 "And he that receiveth my Father receiveth my Father's kingdom; therefore all that my Father hath shall be given unto him."

Another phrase I've thought a LOT about: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."  

From Christ, "Father, forgive Hermana Ivy, for she knows not at all how much that unintentionally hurt her companion", "Father, forgive Hermana Ivy for she knows not how much she offends thee by [not doing or doing something]".  "Father, forgive Hermana Ivy, for she knows not how little that thing matters in relation to Thy Work."

I testify Jesus Christ lives, and it is HIS work that is most important.  I've learned when someone is hurt or offended by me, I really have done something, intentional or not, to hurt them.  And that I need to change me and change MY relationship with my Savior.  It's when I focus on my relationship with my Savior, and not preoccupy myself with others, that I am happy.  And He truly overcame the world and because of His Victory we can and should have JOY here and now.  In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.  

I love you all LOTS!

--Hermana Ivy [-]

Hola de Hermana, 16/1/12

Hola mi familia! 

It's been a really good week.  We're starting to see results of people coming to Christ, and I am so excited.  :)  Yesterday Luisa assisted all three hours of church, and the young women were really awesome about welcoming her and inviting her to mutual.  She is our only temple reference who is progressing.  She is totally awesome, and I'm excited that she can go to the temple after her baptism. 

Remember about a month ago when I told you about Luis, the young man who called us and asked us if he could buy a Book of Mormon?  Well, we hadn't heard from him, and we couldn't call him because he didn't want to give us his telephone number.  Well on Tuesdayish, we were leaving a tienda when I did a double take when a young man with a grey hoodie passed me.  "Luis?" "Luis?""  And it was him!  I didn't understand why he didn't call us, but this last week we had two lessons with him!  And I'm grateful to learn the importance of being obedient with strictness because earlier the day we ran into him, I resisted the temptation to go look at a black jacket I was sure would fit perfectly.  If I hadn’t been in the other store exactly when Luis was...  anyway, I testify that when we do all we can to be obedient, we receive blessings.  And when we are obedient with exactness, we can receive miracles.  And with Luis, I didn't hear or feel any strong promptings, I just knew it wasn't the best to buy a jacket not on pday.  The Holy Ghost really does use gentle promptings.

We've also been working with less active members of the barrio.  I've learned that for several, they had fear about coming to church when they didn't know anyone.  I’ve remembered how it was sometimes hard to go to my singles wards when I felt like I didn't have good friends.  Please please make an effort to love and say hi to all the newbies you see in meetings, and let them know they are loved! 

I love you all so much!  I am grateful for your love and support!  I testify Jesus Christ lives and He knows and Loves you!  I'm so proud of all the work you're doing!

--Hermana Ivy [-]

Hola de Hermana, 9/1/12

Hola mi familia!  

More photos and less palabras hoy!  

The first photo is me, Hermana G, and our latina companeras.

The second photo is me trying not to cry after the abuela kissed me on the cheek after we sang to her Christmas Eve.

The third is after we sang to Hermana R Christmas Eve, where we sang with the light of one candle.  

The fourth is me with Hermana V, who owns a panaderia.  In front of her TOTALLY AWESOME GIANT WOOD FUELDED OVEN!!!  SO COOL!  I love the little panaderias scattered everywhere.  You would never know there are huge ovens in the back by how small the fronts of the stores are.  And they always smell HEAVENLY, fresh bread, as we walk past.

The last photo is of us and the other hermanas in our area, after we were slow to leave the capilla after our zone meeting, after they locked us in when they went to lunch.  It was pretty hilarious.  :)    

Last Monday Hermana S and I woke up walloped out of the blue with head colds.  Hers was a LOT worse than mine, and I attribute in part not getting a lot more sick to eating a tortilla with honey and 2 or 3 raw cloves of garlic Tues-Sat.  Yeah, no vampires around our little apartment... :)  and I feel a lot better.  :)

Yesterday Marcela assisted church!  She has two little children who are members, and she wants to be baptized.  I am so excited for her and her husband to be married so that she can be baptized, and hope that as we teach the husband he too will want to come to Christ.

Yesterday during church the phrase "All that my Father hath" came to my mind, and I haven't been able to find the scripture.  I think it is preceded by "And the kingdom is yours".  Could you try to find it for me?

I love you all so much!  I testify Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer, and through Him we can do all that is expedient and we truly can be angels in doing His work.  

I love you!!!

--Hermana Ivy [-] 

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 [-]

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 [-]

Hola from Hermana, 12/12/11

Hola mi familia!

I love you so much!  I'm so sorry not to write more in email--it takes so much time to copy and paste and write the President.  I've mailed at least two letters to you, maybe three.  So you should be getting some mail. 

I don't know what to write, except that this week was really hard.  REally hard.  I was more homesick then I've ever been, and I wanted your hugs and to talk with you.  But there were always tender mercies to help me.  Yet please pray for me, that I can receive understanding for how to share my testimony and also how to teach it.  That has been, perhaps more than anything, what is most difficult. 

The temple dedications were beautiful.  We attended all three sessions, and the Spirit of the Lord was strong and sweet.  Elder Anderson accompanied President Uchtdorf, and I loved hearing them.  Elder Andersen spoke in Espanol, and while he knew more vocab and grammer, his accent wasn't any better than mine.  :)  hehe  :)  And Pres Uchtdorf, bless him, struggled speaking with an interpreter.  He wanted so much to speak and declare that often he started speaking again before the interpreter had finished, which didn't do much good because most Guatemalans do not speak NEARLY as loud as Pres Uchtdorf.  :) 

…

Jesus Christ LIVES!  He is our Redeemer and our Savior!  Because of Him we can have happiness here in this life and forever!  And I know each of you fought a war in the premortal life and succeeded, and you can succeed now as you do the work of the Lord and bless His children!  In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

I invite you to pray for inspiration how you can invite others to come unto Him this Christmas season.  :)

I LOVE YOU TONS!!!

--Hermana Ivy [-]

Hola de Hermana, 5/12/11

Hola mi familia! 

First, Thank you for your emails!  I'm able to copy and paste them into a word doc and print them, and love reading them!  Even if I don't respond to the details!  Thank you!  Also, Mom, I got your letter from the MTC Nov 29th, and Jane's letter she sent Oct 9 on Nov 29th, and please tell cousin Hazel I got her picture and love it!  (I got it Dec 3).

Thank you for your iPod!  I didn't realize how much I'm grateful for it until yesterday morning when it froze for a bit and we didn't have music.  Thank you!  I can imagine how crazy your power outage for three days was!!!  Way to go to all of you for your service!  And I'm so grateful you are all safe!

Email time is great--I just didn't realize how much time it takes to write to Pres Bautista and copy and paste other stuff...  So I'll copy and paste some from his email and to Mom.  I also am not able to mail my letters to you consistently--when we pass by the national mail office.  I did email a letter to you either Wed or Thurs, and hope to get todays in the mail today or tomorrow.

Candi wasn't able to attend church yesterday, and as such we need to move her baptism date.  Saturday night we called to check up on her and she said her mother's brother had died two hours previously.  We bought some flowers and booked it to her apartment where we were able to meet with her and her mother and her mother's sister (a member).  We sang Families Can Be Together Forever, read Alma 40:11, and sang Mas Cerca Dios a Ti.  Candi was really happy to see us and has kept her reading commitments.  We're excited to meet with her this week and hope more of her family will want to listen.  I'm excited for her.  :)

Usually members feed us for lunch (and then usually meat and no beans :(  ) and we fix dinner.  I've grown to love yogurt and fruit to combat all the white carbs we're fed and also love fast tomato pepper and egg stir frys for dinner.  The blessing was finding that a local bakery chain, Xelapan, ACTUALLY MAKES DELICIOUS CORNBREAD!  I found it about two days after Thanksgiving and couldn't be happier.  I was craving cornbread on Thanksgiving.  :)  We have portable two-burner electric stovetop we use to cook on.  I'm grateful I did so much of my own cooking at college, that's made it much easier. 

Last night we were able to watch the Christmas Devotional broadcast, and I thought about you watching your broadcast too.  And in Dad's email when he talked about you all decorating the Christmas tree, I can hear Peggy Lee singing in my head.  :)  I think my favorite quote from last night was "God doesn't expect us to commit to move mountains, but He does expect us to present to Him our very best." I don't remember if that was from President Eyring or President Uchtdorf, but I loved it.  I also felt touched while watching the wise men make their journey to see the Newborn Jesus.  I felt touched that I too must be willing to make the journey back to Jesus the Christ, no matter how long the way, and be willing to give Him my all. 

I testify that Jesus Christ LIVES!  Glory be to the Father for giving His Only Begotten Son for us!  That through Him we might be saved!  I testify that through Him we may have peace and joy here and now and forever!  In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen!

I love you TONS!

-Hermana Ivy [-]

Hola from Hermana, 28/11/11

Hola mi familia!  :)

Estoy muy agradecida!  It's been a great week.  I'll see how much I can get through in the time I have left.  :)

Because mail is so sketchy, we've been told we can email friends!  Please post my email on Facebook and if other people need it, please send it to them via email, not on my blog.

I love President and Sister Bautista.  They are both very kind and inspired. 

My new companera is Hermana S, from Nicaragua.  I'm so grateful to have a Latina trainer!  I'm with her for three months (two transfers), and we are using the new three month training program the Church produced, which includes guidelines and resources for what to study and what goals I should be meeting. Hermana S is very patient with me, and has a gift for being able to explain simply and clearly when I don’t understand.  She often asks me for my opinion and what I want to do, includes me in planning and in teaching, and is happy and optimistic.  :)  I am grateful.  :)  We are in Quetzaltenango City.  

Wednesday through Saturday we spent five hours every day at the Queztaltenango Temple!  It is GORGEOUS!  We were at the end staffing tables with ~6 other Hermanas answering questions and helping people fill out comment forms that would all us to contact them later.  I had some really sweet experiences.  We handed out copies of The Living Christ and The Family: A Proclamation to the World.  Wednesday night before leaving for the temple I grabbed some pamphlets of the Plan of Salvation.  I gave a copy to the wife of a man filling out a comment form, and she started to read it.  About 15 minutes after they left, they RETURNED and asked if I had another copy, which I gave them.  The Spirit was so sweet and strong.  I am so grateful for them and for the guidance of the Holy Ghost. 

Yesterday we taught the first lesson to Candi, a single mother who lives with her brother Leonardo and their parents, Leonardo and (?).  She accepted our baptismal invitation, and we extended Viernes Dec 16 for the date.  She was excited because it is her birthday!  I was grateful to teach the First Vision part and extend the date part of the invitation, and very grateful Candi was blessed with the gift of understanding in tongues with my English!  :)  We had thought her whole family would be at the lesson, and hope to teach more of them this Jueves.

Finally, last night I had a sweet realization that I'm going through a process similar to what I'll be asking all our investigators to do: stop doing that which is keeping me from doing the work of Christ (English), and diligently do that which will enable me to work for Christ (Espanol).  I'm grateful I can ask God for the same divine help I promise our investigators.  

Suggestions for incoming missionaries:

--Quetzaltenango is COLD.  At night the temperatures are similar to Wyoming when we went camping.  Cement houses retain the cold throughout the day.  At night I wear socks, sweats, long-sleeved shirt, my red sweater, my gloves, and my ski hat.  The little blanket from Deseret Book doesn't help a whole lot: I use a thick flannel blanket and another Spiderman fleece blanket from the mission.  I'm also going to buy another blanket today because I've been told it gets even colder Dec-March.  Hermana S and I are opening an area with two other Hermanas, and our apartment was new: no blankets.  The first night I was freezing.  So, I would suggest that incoming missionaries bring their own pillow and blanket (if possible).  I was also really grateful for the cans of beans Mom sent me because it was a couple days before we bought food.  For Hermanas, bring multiple tights.  I wear them every day, and will probably buy a third pair of wool tights.  It gets really cold after about 6 pm, when it gets dark.  The wind also blows a lot, and Hermanas with "shorter" (knee length) skirts have problems... While it would have been nice to fit everything in the two medium bags I brought, I’ve decided to purchase a big duffle bag to replace one of my hardshells.  I hadn't expected to receive so many books in the MTC (a full third of a half of one of my suitcases), and I am ALWAYS going to take both my little blanket and new blanket and my pillow with me in future transfers.  

Mom, I have felt all your prayers.  I've felt the sweetness of the Spirit often and unexpectedly throughout these past few days, and last night I understood that it was because of all the prayers being offered for me.  That means so much.  I can't thank you enough.  I love you!

I testify Jesus Christ LIVES!  He has established His church once again on the earth, with all the ordinances and covenants necessary to return to live with Him and our families forever!

I love you!

--Hermana Ivy [-]

Hola de Hermana, 22/11/11

Hola mi familia! 

I head out to the field tomorrow!  So many mixed emotions.  All but one elder from my district left at 1 pm today for their respective missions, and I feel a bit like I just got separated from my family.  When my latina companera came back to give me hug before she left, I had one of those heart-crack moments where I just started sobbing.  I’ve felt very tender since then.  I’ve grown to love and respect my district so much, and my latina companera (Hermana H).  What has been comforting has been the thought that I can always increase in love!  I’ve grown to love much in just these six weeks--I can hardly imagine what 16 more months of service and learning and saving will do! 

On Friday we had all day training to prepare us to go to the field.  At the very end, our teacher talked to us about raising our vision.  He had a numerical sequence for how if every missionary contacted 10 people a day, with something like a 5 % conversion rate, about half a million people would be gathered in every year!  I felt the Spirit testify that this is truly the Lords work, and is of the utmost importance, and I felt the thrill of catching a glimpse of His work filling the earth.   If I could, I would shout from the mountain tops for young people to prepare themselves to serve in the Lords army starting NOW.  I would plead for married couples to evaluate and plan NOW for how they can prepare to serve as senior missionaries.  There is SO much work to be done, and there is so much that I wish I had done before coming!  Can you imagine how powerful entering missionaries would be if they had grown up practicing being missionaries in Family Home Evening, like teaching five minute lessons from Preach my Gospel, or practicing how to contact in FHE?  I invite you to evaluate how you can be a missionary now, and also prepare for service later, whether as a young elder or sister or as a couple! 

Finally, today we had a departure devotional from President and Sister Steimle (of the CCM).  I recommend you Youtube search a video by Nolans cheddar, about a rat trap and their motto "seriously strong".  It is so funny.  :) 

(here is the link, included by Ivy's brother:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqlQS5CCmwI)

They also should us a clip from the movie Facing the Giants called the Death Crawl.  It was so moving!  The Atonement of our Savior was an act of perfect love.  He has asked us to give him our hearts, and it is when we do so that He is able to work miracles through us!  I testify that Jesus Christ LIVES!  He is our SAVIOR!  He reestablished His church, as was on the earth anciently, through the prophet Joseph Smith.  The Book of Mormon is tangible evidence that Joseph Smith was a prophet: you can read it and pray to God to know that it is true, and I promise that as you seek to know with a sincere heart with the intention to ACT on the witness you receive, you will receive an answer.  I testify that we have a living prophet today, Thomas S. Monson, who is the Lords watchmen on the tower.  I testify that you are a son or daughter of God, and He knows and loves you.  In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

I am so grateful for this opportunity to serve.  I testify that the work of bringing others to Christ and enabling them to be saved and exalted through Gods ordinances and covenants is of crucial importance, and that we may participate in this work no matter what stage of life we are in.  I am grateful for my relationship with my Savior, and I am grateful that this Thanksgiving, I will be working to bring others to the same Tree of Life.

I love you!  I love you TONS! 

--Hermana Ivy [-]

Hola de Hermana, 16/11/11

Hola mi familia fantastica!  :)

It has been a great week!  I’ll see if I can get most of what I want to say on here before tiempo runs out.  First, Mom and Dad, estoy MUY EMOCIANADA por su trip a Germany!!!  Have a BLAST!  And siblings, I hope you tell me about your adventures while they’re gone

I am leaving the CCM for the FIELD on TUESDAY!!!   (as such, I don’t know if I will get email time next week)  WHOA!  Time has flown!  I can hardly believe I only have 16 months left!  Gah!  I am trying to learn how to best use my time now.  One of the most enlightening moments from this past week is when one of teachers asked us if we’d accomplished our goals for the CCM, and I had this awful sort of realization of "I don’t know.  I didn’t set specific goals before coming here."  That was a MAJOR wakeup call.  And so now I am working to learn and apply how to better set inspired goals and make inspired plans so that instead of just working, I can be diligently focused on ACCOMPLISHING the PROGRESS I must make in order to be an effective instrument in the hands of the Lord.  A lot of thoughts that have touched me have been on this topic this week.  An Area Seventy authority came and talked to us last night, and he said that there are two ways to learn a habit, by obligation or through conversion, and it is ONLY through conversion that we will keep that habit through the rest of our lives.  One habit he talked about is the importance of setting daily goals, and than EVERY DAY following through by evaluating how we met that goal, and then planning for the next day.  This is a habit I want very much, and I commit to learning it by conversion so that I can apply it the rest of my life.  I invite you to do this too!

Mom, the elders and Hermana TOTALLY LOVED the bubbles you sent.  Bubbles have been floating in our classroom for a week now.  That and the Thanksgiving decorations have made our classroom chipper, and much more fun.  The elders love you.  :)

I was called on to give a talk on Sunday in Sacrament meeting.  When I got to the part about being patient with others and their weaknesses, I got choked up.  How on earth can we expect others to want to listen to us, representatives of Jesus Christ wearing His name, if we don’t act, live and love like Him?!  I testify that Jesus Christ lives, He knows you individually, He understands your trials, and He loves you.  We too must seek to understand, love, and help others.  I testify that as we sincerely seek for inspiration, we will receive it. 

A quote I loved from Preach My Gospel, "You can be certain the Lord is pleased when you feel the Spirit working through you"

My favorite language bit from this week: we were walking up the stairs and it smelled like fish.  I told my companion, "It smells como pecados!"  And then we both collapsed in laughter.  It was hilarious.  :)

I LOVE YOU TONS!!!!!

--Hermana Ivy [-]

Hola de Hermana, 9-11-11

Hola mi familia!  :)

Como estan?  Estoy muy feliz, porque grammar principios are beginning to click together and I’m learning so much.  :)  I know these emails are short, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have tons I wish I could tell you--its just days, weeks, and now these past TWO months all kind of run together, and I don’t know what to tell you,...  

One of the biggest wake up calls I had this week is we were in a meeting and the teachers played recordings of missionaries learning English, from very low ability to fully functional (though not fluent).  It was the most bizarre experience to listen to the low level missionaries, who are my age, who sound like 3 year olds.  I sound like a three year old when I speak!  And the reason I didn’t feel like a three year old in my French classes is because we were ALL, more or less, at the same level, so all us three year olds could understand each other!  So, so crazy!!!  Hehe, I’m pretty sure M le Prof never ever told us we sounded like toddlers...  He is awesome. 

That also brought a whole new light to the scripture "out of the mouth of babes".  I bore my testimony, en español, on Sunday.  The most rudimentary espanol ever, with hand gestures, and I struggled to communicate.  But the Spirit was so strong.  I testify that the Lord qualifies those He calls, that even though we are weak, simple, mortal, and totally not perfect, when we give Him our hearts He is able to use us to build His kingdom.  That the language of the Spirit breaches all barriers, even that of spoken language.

Please thank cousin Taylor and our other servicemen and service women for me. 

Hermana G and I are having an incredible experience being coordinating sisters.  Our responsibilities have included finding help for unlocking a bedroom door at 10 pm and another locked door two nights ago that resulted in a crowbar, screwdriver, hammer, and a door without a handle at 1015.  It was way funny.  Chiste! 

I LOVE YOU ALL TONS!  Testifico Jesucristo Vive!

--Hermana Ivy [-]