Hola de Hermana, 20-8-12

Hola mi familia asombrosa!  

We actually had a baptism!!!  Marilu and Jelder are so sweet.  The baptism went very well, but it was very hot because there were so many people squished into the RS room that there weren´t enough chairs!  While only one investigator showed, about 50 members came, and we were grateful for the support.  After we finished, the members went to watch the rest of Pres Monson´s bday celebration, so we had time to set up the snack of Honduran tacos.  

Last Tuesday Hna V finished 8 months, and we ate a lot of ice cream to celebrate.  I also make pastel gelatina whenever we need to celebrate something, so I made her her own jello cake with banana, marshmellows, and sweet bread.  We also celebrated the 12th birthday of Alejandra, and the other photo shows her pastel.  

We haven´t found a ton of nuevos.  This week only three.  But we´re looking forward to this week and contacting references with members. 

Hna V is fun to work with.  She has a short attention span, so this week I started using the game ´popcorn´ during studies to make sure she was paying attention (popcorn is when each person only reads a part and randomly stops and says popcorn to pass the turn to read to the other reader).  And its working okay.  Her first love receiving language is also gift giving, and I´ve been learning where all those jokes about expensive girlfriends come from.  jaja  But she likes object lessons so this week we´re going to try out using more.  

Random bits of life: The foods that got big in the U.S in the 50s and 60s are big here.  The people LOVE using ketchup and mayonese and those sections in the grocery store, the Dispensa, are huge.  They mix them like we do for that orange sauce in Arctic Circle that I can´t believe I just can´t remember the name...   FRY SAUCE.  And they even put ketchup on chow mein, another food that´s big here that follows another 60s trend...  I´m sure they would be using casseroles too but most people don´t have ovens, or if they do, they´re more for a storage unit...  (people store things in every random space...  one member stores her scriptures in the freezer compartment of her fridge, which she could do because she doesn´t have it plugged in).  Condiments, cheese, and other foods are also sold in plastic bags.  I´m sure America is going to start doing that too to save money and resources... and whoever develops a biodegradable or natural plastic is going to hit it big.  

The photo is of me and Hna D, also from Honduras and baptized here in Prado with her son Brian in February.  She is amazing, and one of those people I think I knew in the pre-earth life.  She lives in a room with a tiny kitchen, the two of which would fit in our living room.  She shares a bed with her two sons.  Yesterday she was just overflowing with happiness after Obispo Garcia asked her if she would like to begin studies for a career beginning this next year.  She was SO HAPPY!  And I still feel chills.  The money we donate to the Perpetual Education Fund goes to people like her, people who are THRILLED to work and learn and have the drive to accomplish it.  She kept saying, with tears, ¨Puedo realizar mi sueño, no importa la edad!´¨, ¨Yo puedo cumplir mis sueños yo!¨and ¨Nos toma en cuenta Dios, Hermana!¨ Ï can realize my dream, and age isn´t important!¨Ï can fulfill my own dreams and not just see those of my children realized! God takes each of us into account!  I am SO THRILLED FOR HER.  And finally, El reino de Deios es grandisimo, y el necesita las manos de cada uno de nosotros!¨¨  The kingdom of God is HUGE, and He needs the hands of each one of us!¨¨  

We are here to not only save our brothers and sisters spiritually, but to empower them so that they too can save their brethren, and that all can participate in ALL of the blessings, temporal and spiritual, that God wants us to enjoy.  The earth is full, and it´s our job to be righteous stewards and loving brothers and sisters.  Christ suffered and died for each one of us so that we don´t have to.   It is our blessing and right to live again through Him, and live fully Now and forever!  

Ï LOVE YOU MY FAMILY!  I THINK ABOUT YOU EVERY DAY and am so grateful for these beautiful experiences.  We have so much to be grateful for.  And while sometimes it´s hard not to be with you, I know this work is the most important work we can do, saving our brothers.  And I pray you will also search for ways to save our brothers too.  It may just be with a smile and ¨How are you?¨.  

I LOVE YOU!  Siga adelante en la obra del Señor!

Hermana Ivy [-]