Monday, December 30, 2013

El Testimonio de la Hermana Mather [The Testimony of Sister Mather]

2 December 2013  [a written letter written in Spanish (below) and translated by her brother Nathan]

During my mission, I have realized that the gift of life is beautiful.  Life is precious, and my family is extremely important to me.  I testify that the Book of Mormon is true and can bring us closer together as families.  This book testifies of God’s love and concern for us.  God wants us to return to him and live forever.  To achieve this goal, God has provided a plan … a marvelous plan!  A plan of happiness!  The Book of Mormon says many times that the Plan of Salvation has been prepared from the foundation of the world.  I know that we accepted this plan before living on the earth.  We saw all of the challenges, difficulties, problems, and sorrows in the pre-earth life, but instead, more importantly, we saw the family, the moments of inexpressible joy that come from obedience to God’s commandments.  I have met many people here in Spain, and all have their own difficulties, but no matter their circumstances, the gospel of Jesus Christ brings them security and reason to keep moving forward and fight for the good in life.

In the beginning, we accepted this plan as spirits – to obtain a body and live outside of the presence of God.  We knew that it would be difficult and that we would fall.  But most of all we knew there would be a Savior, our brother Jesus Christ.  The coming of Jesus Christ to earth gives us an example of a perfect life and of God’s love for us.  God showed His love for us by sending us His Son and Jesus Christ showed us His love by sacrificing himself for us.  I love my Savior.  I know that only through Christ, we can be clean and overcome our imperfections and sins.  Only by the sacrifice of Christ.  Life is difficult!  My mission isn't easy either, but it is one of the times of humility that I see the power of Christ the most.  Christ has sustained and lifted me.  At times, He is the only One that understands what we go through – the sorrows, the disappointments, our thoughts, sicknesses, etc.  Only He knows.  Thanks to Jesus Christ we always have the one friend in the entire world that never failed us (Romans 8:28-29).  I have seen the power of the Christ’s grace by pressing forward when I think that I can’t.  In truth, I can’t according to my strengths, but with God all things are possible.  ANYTHING.  Because of this, I want to remember the sufferings of Christ every day of my life, because it makes me think how I can improve and serve others.  I am extremely thankful for the atonement, this miracle in my life, and I want to share it with everyone!  Only through the atonement, we can feel clean of our sins and receive the power of the Father.

I love my family and I know that it is ordained of God.  It is in the family that we can feel the most joy and pain because we have close ties.  In my patriarchal blessing, it says that, “you were blessed to be born into a family of parents and siblings who love you.  Memories and experiences with your family will be significant to you for the duration of your life.  You will remember the experiences that you learned at the feet of your parents and the special feelings and relations with your siblings, and these things will strengthen you.”  I don’t have my family by coincidence.  They are the ones that help me in any moment and we were ordained to be a family before the foundation of the world.  The principles I learned at the feet of my family mean the world to me and God knew that I would need good parents and siblings.  Truthfully, these relationships strengthen me and support me in difficult times.  My testimony grows with the support of my beautiful family.

I testify that God’s power is real.  According to my own strength, I’m weak (Alma 26:12), but when I can’t continue moving forward, the Lord comes and lifts me up.  In fact, God is there every step along the path.

I know that everyone on earth is fallen and imperfect.  God only has imperfect people to work with.  More than ever I see my weaknesses every day, but I have seen that God uses us to work miracles.  There are people prepared for this gospel, and even though I’m not perfect, God makes me humble to see His hand more in my life.  God is all powerful and wants to help us at all times, even if we turn away from him.  I am grateful for my weaknesses because we can come unto Him, and see that weak things can be strengthened through the power of Jesus Christ (Ether 12:26).

I Love You, My Beloved Family :)

Move forward in this path.  Please, send me your testimonies as well (in English if it is easier)    :)

With Love,

Sister Mather


-------------------------------------

2 Diciembre 2013

El Testimonio de la Hermana Mather

Durante mi misión, me ha dado cuenta que el don de la vida es hermosa.  Vida es preciosa, y mi familia es sumamente importante a mí.  Testifico que el Libro de Mormón es verdadero y puede acercarnos como familias.  Este Libro nos testifica del amor y preocupación de Dios para nosotros.  Dios quiere que regresemos a su lado y vivamos para siempre.  Para lograr esta meta, Dios ha proporcionado un plan … un plan maravilloso!  Un plan de felicidad!  El Libro de Mormón dice muchas veces que el Plan del Salvación ha sido preparado desde la fundación del mundo.  Yo sé que aceptamos este plan antes de vivir en la tierra.  Vimos todos los desafíos, dificultades, problemas, tristezas en la vida preterrenal, pero en cambio, más importante vimos la familia, los momentos de inexpresable gozo que vienen de la obediencia a los mandamientos de Dios.  He conocido muchas personas aquí en España, y todos tienen sus propios dificultades, pero no importa sus circunstancias, el Evangelio de Jesucristo les brinda un seguridad y razón para seguir adelante y luchar por lo bueno en la vida.

Al principio, aceptamos ese plan como espíritus – obtener un cuerpo y vivir afuera de la presencia de Dios.  Sabíamos que sería difícil y caeríamos.  Pero más que todo sabíamos que sería un Salvador, nuestro hermano Jesucristo.  La venida de Jesucristo a la tierra nos da el ejemplo de una vida perfecta y del amor de Dios para nosotros.  Dios mostró su amor por nosotros por enviarnos su hijo, y Jesucristo mostró su amor por sacrificarse para nosotros.  Amo a mi Salvador.  Sé que solamente por medio de Cristo, podemos ser limpios y superar nuestros imperfecciones y pecados.  Solamente por el sacrificio de Cristo.  La vida es difícil!  La misión para mí no es fácil tampoco pero es uno de los tiempos de humildad que veo el poder de Cristo lo más.  Cristo me ha sostenido y me he levantado.  A veces, Él es el Único que entiende lo que pasamos – las tristezas, las decepciones, nuestros pensamientos, enfermedades, etc.  Solo Él sabe.  Gracias a Jesucristo siempre tenemos el amigo en todo el mundo que nunca nos fallaba.  (Romanos 8:38-39)  He visto el poder de la gracia de Cristo para  seguir adelante cuando pienso que no puedo.  En realidad, no puedo según mis propias esfuerzas, pero con Dios, todo es posible.  TODO.  Por eso, quiero recordar el sufrimiento de Cristo cada día de mi vida, porque me hace pensar en cómo puedo mejorar y servir otras personas.  Estoy sumamente agradecida por la expiación, este milagro, en mi vida, y quiero compartirlo con todos!  Solo por medio de la expiación, podemos sentir aliviados del pecado y recibir poder del Padre.

Amo a mi familia y yo sé que es ordenada de Dios.  Es en la familia que podemos sentir lo más gozo y pena porque tenemos vínculos cercanos.  En mi bendición patriarcal, dice que “tu fue bendecido a nacer en dentro una familia de padres y hermanos que te aman.  Memorias y experiencias con tu familia serán significativas a ti por la duración de tu vida.  Recordarás las experiencias que aprendiste a los pies de tus padres y los sentimientos especiales y relaciones con sus hermanos y estas cosas te fortalecerán.”  No tengo mi familia por alguna coincidencia.  Ellos son los que me ayudan en cualquier momento y fuimos ordenados ser una familia antes de la fundación del mundo.  Los principios que yo aprendía a los pies de mi familia significan el mundo para mí y Dios sabía que yo necesitaría buenos padres y hermanos.  En verdad estas relaciones me fortalecen y me apoyan en momentos difíciles.  Mi testimonio crece con apoyo de mi familia hermosa.

Testifico que el poder de Dios es real.  Según mis propias fuerzas, soy débil (Alma 26:12) pero cuando no puedo seguir más adelante, el señor viene y me levanta.  De hecho, Dios está allí cada paso a lo largo del sendero.

Yo sé que todos en la tierra están caídos e imperfectos.  Dios solo tiene personas imperfectas con quien trabajar.  Veo a hora mis debilidades cada día más que antes en mi vida, pero he visto que Dios nos usa para obrar milagros.  Hay personas preparadas por este Evangelio, y aunque no soy perfecta, Dios me hace humilde para ver su mano más en mi vida.  Dios es todopoderoso y quiere ayudarnos en cada momento, aún si le dejamos.  Por eso, estoy agradecida por mis debilidades porque podemos venir a Él y ver luego que las cosas débiles pueden ser fortalecidos por el poder de Jesucristo (Ether 12:26)

Les Quiero, Mi Querida Familia  :)

Sigan adelante en éste sendero.  Por favor, envíenme sus testimonios también (en inglés si es más fácil)    :)

Con Amor,

La Hermana Mather

The true Christmas Message is not seasonal, it is eternal :)‏

30 December 2013

Merry, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Family, it was so nice to talk to you all on Christmas! That was the fastest hour of my LIFE! haha. Like I told you, I hadn't slept for the past 2 nights, because I was excited, and nervous to talk to you. I really do love all of you so much! I am sorry I cried the whole time!!!! I really turned into an emotional mess since we were able to see each other for the first time since I saw you all as I rode the elevator down at the airport and I saw all of you goofballs waving at me and making silly faces.

Christmas Eve and Christmas really was a unique and unforgettable experience. We had a little Christmas miracle, when we got a call a couple of days before from a lady that we met our FIRST day here in Alcobendas almost four months ago. We hadn't heard anything from her for months, even after she had agreed to be baptized, but she called us again, because she walked past the church and thought of us! What a blessing that she remembered us, thought to call us, and invited us to visit with her again! So, on Christmas Eve (it was POURING rain all day) we rode a bus out to Algete and caught up on all of the difficult things that has passed in the last few months, how she had been reading the Book of Mormon, and she has time to meet with us again and change her life. A little tender mercy miracle!

The night of Christmas Eve, all of the missionaries in Madrid got together for a wonderful devotional where President and Sister Jackson talked to us and their friends that are in charge of the Jerusalem center came and spoke to us about the holy land too! As missionaries, we felt very special, and even though it is hard to be away from home, we know that we are supposed to be here, and next to home, this is the best place to be! And everyone is experiencing the same thing! It was incredible to hear about their insights of Jerusalem, where our Savior was born. I loved what one of them said, that the true Christmas story is of covenants and promises, the promise God gave to us to send His son and gave us the Plan of Salvation. And we have a chance to talk about it every day! Also, Hermana Jackson gave us a picture frame of many of the names of Christ, which was really neat, because I just finished reading the entire Book of Mormon, highlighting each time Christ is mentioned. I love the extra emphasis we are able to have of Christ as missionaries this time of year especially. We have really enjoyed warming up members and investigators lives by giving them simple gifts for Christmas and reading The Living Christ with them.

Christmas Eve night was fun! Sister Aagard and I set up our beds on the floor the sleep by the heater (almost as good as the fire and a big Christmas tree!) and we woke up, still did exercises in between opening little presents that we bought for each other!! Good memories. My favorite part of Christmas morning finishing the section of Jesus the Christ about His birth, and reading The Living Christ. WOW. We cried through the entire companionship study... I felt the Spirit strongly testify to me that Christ is my Savior, and that he came to earth to suffer for my sins. Then, we had the incredible opportunity to eat breakfast at President Jackson´s house, and lunch at the Bishop´s house next door! These are the only houses I have ever been to in Spain (the rest are all little apartments) and it was so homey and felt like being with family. The bishop was sweet to give all of us missionaries gifts and we played games like Pictionary while the turkey cooked. My favorite part of the day was what followed... TALKING TO FAMILY!! Oh goodness it was so great to see all of you and catch up a little bit. 

This Saturday was also Pablo´s baptism!!! Oh I love this man. It is incredible to see the change in these people as they accept the gospel, and it happened so fast. This man has had 8 lessons from us total. We simply were instruments in the Lord´s hands that found this man when we had searching for the truth for much of his life – the perfect example of a prepared man. There were 5 baptisms total from our ward this day. INCREDIBLE! There were so many people in white. I will hopefully get some pictures sent to you. Our investigator Agostina came and is excited to be baptized in 2 weeks (she is 67 years old and her dad told her over 50 years ago that one day she would listen to our message... how cool!). We have seen so many miracles here in Alcobendas, and I feel so blessed. I know this gospel is true. I have seen the power of the Book of Mormon in my life and in the lives of so many others!! I love you all.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

Love, Hermana Emily Marie Mather :) 

Our district with the ward mission leader… SEGUNDO!!!

Pablo´s Baptism!!  Hermana Mather, Alcobendas Bishop, Pablo, Hermana Aagard  :)

Below: we love eating a Rosa´s house. She is like my Bolivian mother here!
She is the one closest to me, and the other is her sister Maria

Cool grafitti. Sanse [your city] is short for Sansebastian de los Reyes, where we serve!!

Christmas day at Bishop´s house!!!

Pablo, Hermana Mather, Hermana Aagard, Mervin

Last day of baptisms at Alcobendas!
What a great day. Mervin, our recent convert, baptized someone for his first time,
one of the people that the Elders had been teaching!

The Chapples! The new senior couple here that work in the office. Sister Chapple knows [Aunt] Sandy and [Uncle] Noel. She is from near Spanish fork. I love feeling like I have grandparents here in Spain :)

Mayte, who I told you about a few weeks ago, who had waited a year to be baptized, and finally was!

Breakfast at [the Mission] President's house!

Monday, December 16, 2013

9 Days 'Til Christmas!!!

16 December 2013

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

We went to the temple again this week and I had a fun intercambio with a crazy little new missionary from Ecuador, I loved it :)

Well, I received a packages the other day from the Bennion and Crisler families (I don't know if I told you already!) and also from Shauna Sperry! I have been trying my very best to wait to open them!!!!! We have a little foot-tall Charlie-Brown-esk Christmas tree and I have kept them close there, but just so you know, I got them. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! I It's wonderful to feel so much love and support while I am away from home for the holidays :)

A little overview of this week! I know that God truly takes some of the strangest situations and makes them just perfect for the people we are teaching. haha, this week, we had a lesson outside of a little art museum with Dominga (we love having lessons out of her house, because then she focuses less on the depression she has, and gets ready for the day. She is so much happier) when we got there, we found an old Spanish man sitting there talking to her. The old Spanish men sure love to just talk and talk and talk and talk. We did not get ONE WORD IN. Ha. it was quite amusing actually, as we tried to take everything he said about living through the war and how we sing like angels and tie that to a gospel topic. Sometimes lessons are just this way, but Hermana Aagard and Dominga and I just had the biggest fit of laughter I have had in a LONG time. (Mom, it reminds me of how hard we laugh together haha). But I think Dominga needed that. We felt like we reached a new level of friendship with her, and I truly believe laughter is the best medicine. I am so glad that not all lessons are that crazy to control.

Speaking of Dominga, we are planning on her getting baptized very soon! We were shooting for the 21st, but she wants to feel sure and completely ready. We have already seen so much progress spiritually. She is so much happier when she is busy, and she doesn't read very well, but whenever she feels tempted to pick up a cigarette (she has smoked for 40 years), she says she picks up the Book of Mormon and reads. What a powerful tool! She is already reading and understanding so much better. some lessons we just sit there and have her read the little pamphlets, checking for understanding after every sentence. She has such a desire to learn.

And Pablo, a man from Chile that we contacted on the street, is just thirsting for the gospel in his life. He has been searching religion for many years, baptized in the Catholic church, and has finally found what he feels to be the truth. This man is incredible, he is reading the Book of Mormon by looking up all the scriptures by topic in the guide to the Book of Mormon, and takes notes and writes answers in his pamphlets. He will also be baptized by the end of this transfer, depending on his work schedule :) He sure studies things out, but most importantly he says he FEELS in his heart that it is true. He also came to church this week (his second time) on 1 hour of sleep after a night shift and still came all cheery and full of good questions.

Also, Augustina!! Another lady from the Dominican Republic. We have taught her a few lessons and she has been to church twice now :) and she loves it. She is probably about 60 or 70 years old, and is a very "go with the flow" lady. She left us with a closing prayer the other day where she asked The Lord in her prayer to help her to know when she should be baptized because she knows she wants to be. And she told us an incredible story about her father that before he died she told her that she would listen to the Mormons. 40 years or so later, here we are, and she is feeling the truth of our message. Miracles happen!

As usual, P-days are crazy packed and stressful, so I do not have much time left, but I wanted to tell you one last experience. Like Wade said a while ago, Sundays are the most stressful days as a missionary, as we are stopping by to pick up investigators or calling people or waiting for them at the door or finding members for them to sit by...etc. Don´t get me wrong, I love Sundays, but they just take a toll on me!!!! I leave feeling very stressed out, but my favorite time to just sit and think is during the Sacrament. This sacrament was special. Last week, Mervin blessed the sacrament for the first time and this week he happened to be the one to pass the Bread and Water to us. Here I was, in my stressed out state like usual, and then Mervin comes by in his new white shirt and tie that the bishop gave him to pass us the sacrament. I just started crying, feeling incredibly blessed to witness this little miracle here. I thought of that first day we had a lesson on a bench with him, and met with him almost every day since, and how this man has not missed one Sunday since the day we invited him. He is incredible. After family members, he is the first man I would love to just give a big hug to after my mission! He is always serving and never thinks of himself. He was also called as Ward Mission Leader and goes out with the elders all the time, and we are sending the missionaries to his family in the Dominican Republic :) wowowowow.

Well, that is all for now!

Christ gave His life for you! What are you giving to CHRIST for Christmas?

Love, Hermana Mather            3 Nephi 5:13

p.s. Family, I miss singing with you so much! we have a missionary Christmas concert tonight in Madrid by the temple with 150 missionaries and a couple is directing for us who were in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir for 18 years, and I am suuuper excited, but it is not the same. I can't wait to sing around the piano again :)

p.p.s. "Perhaps it is true that we are weak, perhaps we are not wise or mighty. But when God works through us, no one and nothing can stand against us." -Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Monday, December 9, 2013

Christmas is in the air!!!!‏

9 December 2013

FELIZ NAVIDAD!!!

It sounds like it has been CHILLLLLYYY in Colorado, Amber and Aaron are little lucky ducks with two days off of school and a delayed start! Wow I can't even imagine what a snow day would be like anymore. It has been getting VERY chilly here, I am so grateful for the coat that I have.

I have really enjoyed starting off this Christmas season with reading The Living Christ every day. I hope that you all decide to join me :) I learn something new every day, and I have started marking it with different colors to show: different names of Christ, truths restored through the restoration, truths about the plan of salvation, and all of the things Christ has done for us. I am a missionary, and we extend invitations every day, so I feel like I should invite you to read this wonderful document about our Savior with me every day until Christmas!! I think it will be great to be a missionary during the Christmas season, I love that we are putting SO much more emphasis on Christ, exactly where it should be. Ha, we even taught our English class to sing "Silent Night" in English, and they loved it. That was really fun.

We will be having a huge Christmas concert at the temple in Madrid with 150 missionaries and we will invite all of our investigators. There are even Christmas lights all set up outside! It is almost like Temple Square!

All in all, a great week! We will be having intercampbios [exchanges] every week now, which I actually like a lot, just getting out of the groove a little and learning from other missionaries, and I went to another part of Madrid this week. There are many things to learn from every missionary I have been with, I love it. But it really always reminds me of how much I love my companion and this area. I feel so blessed to be in Alcobendas. This week, one day in particular was full of lessons with people who we feel like have A LOT of potential. It was incredible because after one of our lessons (I believe it was on Wednesday) we walked out and we couldn't even remember what we had said. Hermana Aagard said that I had sounded like her trainer before she went home when we were teaching that lesson. I didn't even remember what came out of my mouth, but we both left feeling that it was the Spirit working through us, having the Lord saying what He needed us to say. That feeling is incredible, I am certain I was sent here to not focus so much on what was said but rather whether we were teaching in accordance to what the Lord would have us say. We are teaching one of my favorite men, named Jorge, from Barcelona, who reminds me a lot of Dad, very intelligent and sincere. He jokes with us and is just a real person who wants to know the truth.

There were a couple of miracles we had this week, just when we were starting to get a bit down, looking at all of the people we had who weren't progressing, and how we haven't seen ANY of our street contacts turn into solid investigators, but we actually had two people that we contacted on the street come to church this week. The Lord sure seems to step in right when we start to lose faith. I love seeing little miracles like this.

This week, we decided to write down a few reasons of why we love being missionaries, and I would like to just share a few with you next week because I forgot to bring the paper that I wrote them down on!

Oh, we also got a new senior couple that will be in the office here! They are Sister and Elder Chapple, and she knows [Aunt] Sandy and [Uncle] Noel. She is from Spanish Fork. She just loves Sandy and Noel, and we are so excited to have them. It was their first Sunday there and she was scared to death and doesn't know any Spanish whatsoever. She is terrified... it reminded me of my first day in the field feeling terrible because I didn't understand much and I was overwhelmed by culture shock. I tried my best to translate our Relief Society class for her (mom, our class was on Joseph Smith, too!) and we had a great time eating at President's house after church so I think they are feeling more and more comfortable.

There was also a baptismal service yesterday!! Mayte, the 17 year old girl that is not baptized because her mom wouldn't let her. But she is always sharing the gospel with her friends and at every young women's and seminary that there is. It was a miracle. The whole ward has been helping her and supporting her and hoping for her baptism very soon, and finally a set of Elders in our ward had the impression to ask her mom once again if she could be baptized, and long story short, she was baptized yesterday!

Well, that's all for this week! I love you all and hope you have a great week!!!

Love, Hermana Emily Marie Mather

Friday, December 6, 2013

Happy Thanksgiving and Happy December!!!‏

2 December 2013

HHEELLLOOOO there!

You would be very proud. Hermana Aagard and I made our own version of pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies and pumpkin pie from scratch (we found chucks of pumpkin that they sell here and put it in the blender and shake it up real good for about 15 minutes haha) and we had the Elders make some chicken. I will have to send you a picture next week. It was really fun :) The American family invited me and my companion over and one set of elders and we sure got all stuffed. Mom, I missed you, they ALMOST tasted as good as your rolls :) haha. Then our Bishop invited us over yesterday and we had some German dumplings and goulash, homemade Oreo and chocolate chip cookies. AH! It is not often you have delicious food like this that just tastes like home!! We were so happy to be there, and that they invited us over for Christmas, too!! It will be nice to be with a family celebrating some fun German traditions.

This week was a pretty normal week!! Hermana Aagard and I did a presentation and practice at district meeting about the importance of the Restoration of the Gospel, and every time I study this topic my heart is touched, because I see the incredible dedication and determination it took for Joseph Smith to restore this gospel. And what a loving Heavenly Father we have to bring back to the earth the power and authority to efectuar [perform] ordinances to return to Him. This makes our message different from any other! The mission is such a life-changing experience in this way, helping me realize how I can be better every day, ensuring that I can show the Lord I am willing to do his will so that he might be able to work miracles through me. I am trying to do all that I can so that the Lord will put prepared people in our path and put words in my mouth so that I can testify of the restoration.

The other day we had an incredible lesson with Dominga, the lady that we found while knocking doors the other day.  Mervin went with us so that she could start building relationships with members better, and it was incredible. She suffers severe depression, but she sure lightens up when we share gospel messages with her. She can´t read all that well, but tries her little heart out when we ask her to read the Book of Mormon. I love that she calls us her little rescuers. Mervin showed her how he reads the scriptures and highlights words when he doesn't understand. And He gave her his number and is going to help her to find work and feel more self-sufficient. He gave her to sweetest long hug after and told her everything will be alright. God´s Hand is present in this story where the lives of Mervin and Dominga cross. Of course, I started tearing up, and ended up walking out of the lesson trying to pull myself together. I feel so blessed to witness miracles like this. Mervin also told her that the Book of Mormon is like his "office" haha. Any questions he has, that is where he goes. I love him. He also made us pizza! yum!

With this being our third transfer together, Hermana Aagard and I have been trying to really look at what we are doing and how we can be better missionaries, and change our desires and actions to be more like Preach my Gospel Missionaries. We still have days that we call sanctification days where God humbles us, but just in time for us to appreciate little miracles.

Sorry it’s a short email this week!! I sure love you all and look forward to reading your emails every week!

Con Amor [With Love], Hermana Emily Mather

p.s. I thought of my dear parents this week when I read Helaman 5... I am reminded what great principles I was raised on like these men in the Book of Mormon. I sure love you. Read this chapter and you will see why I thought of you. Also... we have been invited to read The Living Christ everyday up until Christmas to keep Christ in Christmas more. Will you do this with me? And watch The Christmas Spirit Mormon Message :)