Hola de Hermana, 4-2-13

Hola mi familia querida!!!!  y asombrosa!!!  

I love and miss you!  But when a member asked me if I´m baggy I told him there hasn’t been time.  We are working harder than I’ve ever worked in my entire mission, and thankfully also the most intelligently.  For sure I´m learning tons every every day, but when I look back and see how far I’ve come, it´s amazing.  And I just know that you all are changing and growing and getting closer to our Father too!  And I wish I could see your changes too!  So we´ll just all fall back amazed at how much we´ve all changed when I get home...  

We have so many investigators.  We´re figuring out how to meet with them more often so that they receive the follow up they need.  But I´m just amazed at how many are reading in the Book of Mormon, and that we are actually getting several to church.  We just feel like we´re just SO CLOSE to helping them be baptized.  And I think it just requires that little extra bit of effort.  That little extra love.  That extra dependence on the Savior.  

Last night I wasn’t looking forward to a visit we had put with a man, Wilson, that we met two weeks ago.  He actually pulled over on his bright red motorbike and INSISTED that he wanted to visit with us, telling us he had seen the Florida temples and thought they were beautiful.  But because in part that almost all the insistent or pushy men here are a little drunk, and I was thinking he was showing warning signs of being a predator, I just flat didn’t want to visit with him.  So I told him he had to come to the chapel instead of offering to go to his house.  The first visit fell through and yesterday was the second try, and Hna W told me she felt like the visit was going to fall through again because I wasn’t trying to love him as Christ would.  And she was right.  He wasn’t at the chapel, and didn’t answer his phone even though we had confirmed the visit during the day.  Hna W wanted to look for the house but I didn’t because I was happy he wasn’t there, and I said we should go look for another investigator.  Almost the moment I said it I lost the Spirit´s companionship.  And we were walking for 6 minutes in discomfort, and our member felt awkward, until I apologized and said I didn´t feel good about going for the investigator, and asked if she wanted to go back and look for Wilson´s house.  Well the MOMENT we turned around to go back, the Spirit came back and we felt happy.  The MOMENT we turned down the callejon or small street to go look for wilson´s apartment in the apartment complex the Spirit was strong.  Even though he wasnt home, we refound a family we had contacted earlier and learned that Wilsons dad died about 20 days ago, very shortly before he first contacted us. 

I have felt so humbled.  I´ve been reminded that we are ALL children of a Heavenly Father who loves us dearly.  And we ALL have some amount of the light of Christ and now I have felt how Wilson, no matter how rough he is on the outside, truly is seeking for truth and spiritual comfort right now.  And we are following the Spirit to seek to help him be born again through Christ so that he too can have his eternal life. 

I LOVE YOU FAMILY!  We are doing to work of the Lord!  I invite you to join it in whatever way you can!

LOVE YOU TONS!

Hermana Ivy [-]