Hola de Hermana, 17-9-12

Hola mi familia increible!

Lots of good things are happening and also the devil works hard too.  I´m so grateful for your emails and animo.  Extended family and friends can email too (there was a question about this last week).  

Once Elder Brewer wrote he had a dead owl in the freezer of his apartment´s freezer.  There in the CCM I cracked up, and had the goal that I wanted to be able to say something as random as that at some point in my mission.  This text message we received thursday reminded me of that dead frozen owl.

Un volcan erupciono... no es nada alarmante, pero esperamos tengan precaución... cualquier anomalia pueden llamarnos y acudir a su obispo... feliz noche les apreciamos mucho... zonies

Well, the volcano erupted and this was all we knew or have heard about it.  No ash no nada.  But sweet Marilu, bless her heart, distressfully told Hna D that a mountain was spewing blood, and D had to explain that lava is like rocks turned into liquid fire, and that when it cools it becomes rock.  That made my day.  

Today what made my day was when we were leaving another area´s chapel with the two other hermanas in our zone, calmly walking to a bus stop.  We waved down the bus that was leaving, loaded, and turned around to see the 18 elders and two zone leaders RUNNING the couple hundred yards to catch the bus before it left.  About 15 gringos, 4 latinos, in white shirts and ties running down a dusty road...  The bus driver, us, and the other passengers were laughing, and I think that´s why the money collector only charged all the missionaries (and hermanas) Q2 instead of Q2.50....because they had provided such a good laugh.  

Shortly after getting into my first area I wrote I was combating a headcold with raw garlic and honey.  Well Griselda showed me how to make hot lemonade and I´ve been using it with honey to combat another one.  Much more pleasant AND it seems much more effective.  

Someone once told me they felt their purpose was to change me.  That memory helped me this week.  I´ve been working to see the good and remember that I am not here to change anyone.  But to live as Christ lives and to teach as He teaches, and when appropriate, invite people to live the gospel.  Because living the gospel of Christ is what changes our nature to become like the Holy One of Isreal.  And this invitation to change doesn´t come from Sister Ivy´s head but from principles from the Gospel.  What else matters other than those principles?  Certainly not if someone doesn´t wash the dishes or thinks too deeply about some things.  It does matter however to read the scriptures, pay tithing, and live the 10 commandments. Yesterday I had the thought that Christ only gets  MAD with people when they KNOW what they are doing is wrong and they do it anyway.  Other times, He understands that people are doing the best they can with what they have, and he patiently waits to show us how we can be better through the inspiration of the Spirit as we study the scriptures and pray.  As a representative of Christ I´m to teach people and invite them to change according to His gospel, but not to worry and stress about changing what isn´t important.  Good grief what a ramble.  We are trying to challenge people for baptism the first lesson.  That invitation matters.

I LOVE YOU FAMILY!  I testify our Lord and Savior lives.  Through Him our natures can be changed to be like Him.  We literally are spirit sons and daughters of God living in mortal bodies fighting a war against the Adversary.  With the goal that we can return to live with God and be like Him.  And thank goodness that in that day we will have ALL our memory and bodies of gods.  I am so grateful.  This life really is very very short.  And there is such a huge magnificent future and exaltation to work for!

LOVE YOU TONS!

Hermana Ivy [-]