Hola de Hermana, 21/5/12

Hola mi familia asombrosa!  :)

Today is my 8 month mark!!!  Gah!!!!  I've only got 10 months left, and I think it's way unfair elders get two whole years.  By the time I feel like I've almost got the hang of it I'll have to leave...  So I'm trying to pull up the bootstraps and get the hang of this as fast as I can.  :)

I'm so glad you enjoyed your trip to Florida with Science Olympiad!  I LOVE LOVE LOVE the photos, and am going to show your totem pole to EVERYBODY once I get it printed out.  :)  I love you all so much!  And I am also thrilled to pieces you actually ALL 1 TRIED a rollercoaster and 2 LOVED IT!  Good grief!!!  

Some amazing experiences this week.  Yesterday one of our investigators came to church for the first time in three weeks, and the RM Maco motioned to us during sacrament meeting, with a huge mischievous grin, moving his arm from an upright position and then laying it down...  and then motioned with his finger pointing towards the ground...   And Hna N turned to me and said, "Debemos bautizarle hoy?" so we taught her ALL the commandments, part of the Plan of Salvation, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ in less than two hours during Sunday school and relief society, and the zone leaders were able to come and interview her, and she was baptized at 6 pm!  So many details just fell into place, and she will be confirmed next Sunday.  So yeah, it was a mini "what every missionary dreams about" experience.   :) 

We are also teaching a father of a family with three kids.    His name is Jose, wife is Concepcion, with Lincy, Jose Jr, and Etan.  Jose told us he'll be baptized when he knows the Libro de Mormon is true and he is "muy seguro" it's the right thing to do.  And that when he does, his whole familyl will be baptized.  Please Please Please pray that he will keep his commitments, pray, and receive his answer.  I want so much for his family to be baptized, and we're goign to coordinate with the ward leaders to help us.  Please also pray that Alex, the father of the other family, will receive time and desires to let us teach him and his family.  We're going to ask the ward leaders to fast with us for them.  A member introduced us to Johni, a joven, and another couple Alejandra y Manuel.  Please pray for them.

Hannah, I read Julie B Becks talk "You Have a Noble Birthright" and thought of you.  Please read it.  It might also be good for other cousins.  

I also read President Benson's "Beware of Pride" and President Üchtdorf's "Pride and the Priesthood." I hope each of you take the time to read and reread these two talks.  I felt very humbled, and testify that pride really does come before every fall.  My pride felled me over the last months, and if there is one thing I want to learn from this mission, it is how to not be prideful by being filled with charity.  

Hna S has been teaching us, trying to teach me, how to dance Hawaiian dances.  Drue, you would fall out of your chair laughing, and maybe have to take a walk too.  :)  But I'm determined to get at least one of them down before cambios.  And I want to learn from Hna N how to do salsa.    

Hna N told me the other day that before cambios, she, Hna A y Hna M heard me talking in my sleep.  FLUIDLY.  Teaching a lesson.  Assertively.  I was THRILLED to learn that.  So it's all in my head, it just needs to come out during the day...   But several members commented on Sunday that I'm speaking much quicker than I used to.  :)

I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!  I testify our Lord and Savior LIVES and we are preparing for His return.  Please do all you can to help the missionaries and our brothers and sisters prepare for that glorious day and for life eternal.  Each of our baptisms have been because of members, and I know you can be saviors for your brothers and sisters too!

I LOVE YOU TONS!

--Hermana Ivy [-]