Hola de Hermana, 25-3-13

Hola mi familia asombrosa!

I love you all so much!  I can’t believe there are just 24 days left!  Huck nearly killed me when I read that, I haven’t been counting!  Time is just flying so fast.  

It was a little sad yesterday because the two ZLs had to help bless and pass the sacrament, and we want so bad to help the branch baptize or reactivate the three more priesthood holders they need to become a ward.  Remember when I was reading like mad the Hardy Boys mysteries and Nancy Drew series in elementary school?  Wednesday night I dreamed we were desperately looking for potential priesthood holders to baptize, and we ran into Joe and Frank Hardy and one of their friends.  And we learned that they already had three church asistences, so we were able to baptize them the same day!  What a miracle blessing!  jaja, now if we could just find some real people...  

Today I stood up in front of the bus we were taking to Toto and gave a two minute review of Christ coming to earth to save us, and him teaching that to be saved we need to have faith, repent, be baptized, receive the Holy Ghost (I actually forgot to mention that part) and endure to the end, and that to help his children do so, God has always called prophets to teach his word, and would anyone like to learn more about how God has restored his church with a living prophet today?  I was shaking, and almost crying, but I´m so glad I did it!  It was so funny after because a man got up and gave me his seat, and then took his Bible and started preaching from Psalms after the bus got going...  jaja

Please pray for Elmer and Cesar, two young adults.  Please pray that Sonia, who had her baby, will be able to marry and her husband baptize her.  Please pray that the old investigator, Rafael, that we found and his family will progress and want to be baptized.  

This week I´ve thought a lot about our Savior carrying His cross to Calvary.  I´ve thought about what it means when he asks us to carry our crosses.  I love the Joseph Smith Translation of Mathew 16:25-27

And now for a man to take up his cross, is to deny himself all ungodliness, and every worldly lust, and keep my commandments.

And I´ve thought how the very Son of God did not allow himself to do anything that was not worthy of God.  He allowed himself to undergo every privation and suffering so that He could fulfill the will of His Father.  And He was able to do so because He perfectly believed His Father.  Sometimes we don’t know why we are where we are, but we can trust that we are where God wants us to be. And that we are doing the work that He wants us to do when we feel the Spirit.  

And we need not fear changes in our lives, be them a transfer in the mission field, coming home from a mission, or changing universities, or graduating or getting married or changing jobs.  It is the finish of one mission and the start of another.  Even Jesus Christ finished missions and started others.  

...and they never did look upon death with any degree of terror, for their hope and views of Christ and the resurrection; therefore, death was swallowed up to them by the victory of Christ over it.  ---Alma 27:28

I love you family!  You are all doing a great work, and through Christ and His Atonement we can have the joy and hope and peace that ALL things are possible to him that believeth!  And that we truly are participating in the greatest work in existence.  I love you! I pray for you!  And let us enjoy every moment that we possibly can!  HAPPY EASTER!!!  

Hermana Ivy [-]