Yo quiero vs. Dios quiere :)‏ [What I Want Versus What the Lord Wants :)]

28 Julio 2014

Holy cow, this week has just flown by... actually this transfer in general, and I am not really even sure what to write today! Sounds like the whole family is super busy and happy and healthy, I am glad!

Each day this week really has been a challenge and I have been finding it a little hard to keep up "the fire". Trying to keep motivated and believing that God can work miracles. I think back to the beginning of my mission and how energized and motivated I was (but a little too stressed out all of the time, jaja) and I always pray to have that same motivation. It is amazing to see the new Elder Howard here, he reminds me of that "FIRE" that we should always have. It can just be hard when we feel like we are doing all that we can, and baptism dates are still not reached and we don’t fully comprehend the Lord's timing or measure of success. But he constantly teaches me:

1 Thou therefore, my son (my daughter), be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

10 Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. (2 Timothy 2:1, 3, 10)

…and I feel that one day we will understand why things shouldn't have gone as WE (weak, limited humans) plan things, rather how GOD (all-powerful, all-knowledgeable) plans them and His way is always better. It is a constant thought in my mind... what I want versus what the Lord wants. Learning to leave behind my wishes and desires and following Him.

The woman we are teaching, Marcela from Bolivia, is progressing slowly but surely! She is working a whole lot more than before and we can only see her once a week, but finally she said that she wants to be baptized and has confidence that she will see miracles in her life as she keeps God’s commandments! She especially needs his extra help in bringing her three children here from Bolivia. It’s a lot of crazy paperwork, time, and money.  It makes me sad knowing that they live so far apart and it could be a long time before they are all together as a family again.

Victor, oh Victor! He is still progressing. It looks like he had another setback. We will figure that out this week. It is hard when he seems to struggle to not have one foot in his old life and one foot in the new life as a changed, better version of himself. It can be SO DIFFICULT for me to just do our part and let the rest play out. Trust in the Lord and His timing, even though it can be painful to see setbacks and trails. But, through this, we have been able to come in closer contact with Veronica, the mother of Alison, Victor’s daughter. It is a pretty complicated relationship, (I have NEVER been so involved or known so much about people's personal lives than I have as a missionary!) but I always wanted to get to know her better. And now we are starting to and she is so sweet, a great mom, and has a great potential to accept the gospel. We will be teaching her tonight. God is very aware though, if ALL of these trails and setbacks and changes of plan hadn't happened, we wouldn't have gotten to know her better. I am excited to work with her :)

Suelin and Irene are doing well! I sure love them! They've been busy, but they do what they can and are progressing at their own pace :) and we mop their stairs when Irene is feeling stressed out with all that she has to do. It’s nice to see the smile on her face when we help her. (Especially when we are wearing dresses while cleaning, hehe)

For Pday today we went to Teide!!! POR FIN [finally; at last]! Oh my goodness I needed it... it was a breath of fresh air!!!!! It was incredible to be at the top of a huge mountain and see the ocean out in the distance. I miss the mountains. It was nice to breathe some mountain air :)

I hope you have a great week!!!

Love, Hermana Mather

PS. This week I also had an intercambio [companionship exchange] with Hermana King. She is an incredible missionary :) and she reminds me how much I love music and how it touches my heart. That is the most impacting way for me to feel the spirit. It reminds me of many nights spent singing around the piano as family! We sat there in companionship study, as I just listened to the lyrics and cried. Music is so beautiful! You should look up the song "Blessings" by Laura Story:

"What if your blessings come through raindrops
What if your healing comes through tears?
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know you're near?
What if trials of this life are your mercies in disguise?"

I think we all go through moments when we can identify with these lyrics. They are very touching :)

Ever heard of Harry Pooter? hahahahahaahah

Teide!!! Me, Hermana Palomino, Suelin!

Elder and Sister Hatch, a senior missionary couple

Tu Obra No Està Terminada, a Penas ha Empezado!‏ [Your Work is Not Done, It Has Just Begun!]

21 Julio 2014

Hello Familia!!!

Guess what!!! I got all of your family letters!!!!! Wahoo!!!! Oh my goodness, there is nothing better that getting all of your letters in the mail... it was a difficult 4 weeks and I really wanted to hear from all of you and I appreciate the time you took to write about what is happening in your lives and print out talks and dad your journal entries, sending leaves, it all means so much. I think my patience was just being tested, and all the sudden I finally got ALL the postcards and letters from all of you. THANK you! And Wade, I am so happy you got your package!

Mom, I hope things get better for you, and less stressful with everything happening with Mr. and Mrs. Rose. It sure does sound like a crazy week. Just keep swimming! You're in my prayers!  I am glad they have all had a good time with scout camp, leadership conference, and all. It's so good to hear from you. :) Thanks for making time to write during all of this craziness.

As I have looked back at all that we have learned and experienced this week I would just like to say: Now behold, I, Hermana Mather, cannot write all of the things pertaining to this week: our joys, trials, spiritual experiences, etc, But what I do write, I hope will benefit you and I. This is a record of my small plates, the spiritual experiences that I hope will benefit those of my people. hehe. Here we go...

As for this week, do you remember how I told you that I want to be better in recognizing and following the spirit in missionary work and in my life? Wow, just like an answer to my prayers, it truly has been a pattern in our week. As we ended Pday last week, we were concerned because Victor hadn't been answering his phone for 3 days and all of our plans had fallen through, I had a strong feeling that we should pass by his house, which we had never done before... and so we did. To our surprise, he had fallen again. :( This time he went out with friends Friday and didn't show up at home until Sunday, gone for three days and he didn't even know what had happened. Yikes, he sure was regretting everything he did, very humbled and confused about what to do, as everyone around him (even family) laughed at him for falling into temptation again, worse than before. How grateful I am that we followed the impression to pass by, even if it was just to stand in his doorway and assure him that the Lord wants to forgive, there is still hope, and he has these weaknesses for a reason. I fully believe that he needed to pass through this trial one last time to help him realize quite a few things and make immediate changes NOW so that he can be baptized. He needed to feel God's love for him in THAT moment. And during this week, we have seen him bounce back and really hold on to what he knows, stronger than before and more determined. We watched "Pueden Hacerlo Ahora! [You Can Do It Now!]" and he said he felt like Dieter F. Uchtdorf was talking to him. He has spent the whole week reading the Liahona, talk after talk and loves to tell us what he learned. He says, "Estas revistas te hagen hacer cosas buenas! [These magazines make you do good things]" hehe.

We were able to recognize God's will as well Tuesday as we had planned to go on splits with members and had so many lessons planned, but the day turned out completely different...one member fell through as did many appointments, but sometimes what seems like a disaster to us (not meeting our high expectations of numbers in one day, pulling out the huge map of the city when we aren't sure where our next investigators live, etc.) is EXACTLY how God planned it in the end. This is the day we met Irene and Suelin. God guides us and makes what seems like a very imperfect mess all pulled together at the last minute something perfect. Irene and Suelin are incredible. Every day since our first lesson with them, Hermana Palomino and I have said that we feel like we truly knew them in the pre-earth life, we feel like they are our family. It was one of the most simple and spiritual lessons we have ever taught of the Restoration. And we both feel like we have known them for years!!! I want you to meet them someday. They are from Venezuela (I love the people from Venezuela). Irene is Suelin's aunt. Irene (we contacted her on the street) has been here for years and Suelin just arrived not to long ago, they both have such faith and great values. They came to English classes that we teach and the Ward activity we had in Las Terrasitas, too! They are just so easy going and fit in with everyone. Both of them came to church on Sunday, too. Irene sat there agreeing with everything that was said and making her own little comments. We were surprised that they stayed the whole 3 hours, but they really enjoyed it. :) Time goes by so fast with them. Mom, Irene reminds me a lot of you, the way you care for me and watch out for all those around you. She is very selfless and has a cute sense of humor. We have found a little piece of family here. After 4 weeks of not seeing much of the fruit of our labors, we met them. :) Sometimes we don't see the big picture or realize the small whisperings until after the fact. I have no doubt that the Lord was preparing us and the both of them for some time to meet. We feel so blessed!

During Zone meeting this week, and for the following days after, I kept having the most interesting thought in my mind: Your work is not done, it has just begun. I suppose it was because we heard 4 missionaries bear testimony for the last time before they go home and it made me reflect a lot on the work the Lord has for each of us to do here. I also read the talk that Natalie sent me (what an inspired little cousin I have). Lately, I have such a thirst for knowledge and a desire to do MORE. That can be a bit of an overwhelming thought, when it is hard to keep pushing and I feel like I could collapse from how tired I am sometimes. But I feel very strongly that there is so much more work to be done. There are more people who need to hear this message here, more people who need to be loved and served, more people like Irene and Suelin so prepared out there. And this mission I am serving now will not end that work that needs to be done! It just means another chapter! I suppose this is what the gospel does for us -- it helps us to keep this hunger of knowledge -- spiritually and intellectually. After personal and companionship study, Hermana Palomino and I have a list of OTHER things we want to study and we don't want it to end, haha. It is the same with language study and so many other things. The closer we come to Christ, the more we come to realize that we are not alone in these goals and aspirations that we have and we desire that he guides our path to achieve the potential He tells us we have. I hope that we can always feel this way: with a strong desire to serve and learn and love and do the Lord's will. I know that God lives. I know that the more I learn about Him, the more I realize that I truly don't know. I know that He guides our lives and tests our faith to show is that He is the one that looks us in the eyes and tells us that we can do it! I know that my family is forever and this is the greatest blessing that I could ever ask for.

Also, in the July Liahona, you should read "Becoming Perfect in Christ". Its great!  I pray that we will all come to the day that we will look Our Savior in the face, feel comfortable in His presence, and recognize and embrace him!!

I hope you all have a great week!

You're in my prayers, always. Things aren't easy here, but its not meant to be. Thank you for your prayers and support in letters and emails!!!

Love, Hermana Mather

The mail Man.. a missionary´s best friend!!!!!!!

YESSSSS all of your letters that I was missing came all at once!!! What a happy sight!!! THANK YOUUUUUUU!!!

Our Ward activity at the beach!!!!!! 

Don´t worry we didn´t go swimming... someday  hehe :)

This is Suelin on the left!

From left to right, Irene, Elder Bird, Hermana Palomino. Suelin, Victor!

Playin' dodgeball and volleyball on the beach as a Ward!

I fell...

Suelin, Hermana Palomino, Irene, Yo :)

Con victor :)

Mary, Paco, Arelis, Barbara  Not sure how much I have told you about them. They are from the Lalaguna ward. Mary sure takes good care fo us!

Oh Mary… Made us Pabellon, a Venezualan dish. MY FAVORITE. She is the best Venezuelan grandma I have ever had

Seeking For and Following the Spirit :)‏

14 Julio 2014

HOLA!!!!!

This week has been full of moments that test our faith and make me reflect on many things. While I feel like there aren't many people willing to listen, or accept a follow-up appointment, or answer their phones, we feel a bit lost and tend to think.. what are we doing wrong?!? Or better put... where does the Lord want us to improve? What is the Lord trying to teach us? I feel like so many people we teach have just fallen off the face of the earth! Haha but these weeks come every once and a while, we just learn to that the Lord wants us to focus on a different aspect of the work! From my studies and experiences this week, I have learned so much! I love looking back and seeing how it all connects together.

I want to be better at learning how to do MY PART or what the Lord asks of us as missionaries (or really our lives in general, since the mission really is just training for being strong members and leaders after). The Lord simply asks us to: be worthy of guidance from His spirit, follow the promptings we receive, and constantly seek this spirit. I still feel like I have SO MUCH to learn about recognizing what a prompting is and following it without question, because I know it is key in missionary work. And I was thinking about it as I studied.. I ALWAYS want to seek His spirit. I cannot imagine living in this world and trying to be a student, daughter, sister, or mother without the Lord's divine guidance. I know that when we do OUR PART, always seeking to become better and live His will, we can be assured that we are His hands and feet and we are having little victories along the way in His eyes.

Did you know that ACTS in the Bible is often called "Acts of the Holy Spirit with the Apostles"? (not sure if i translated that very well form Spanish to English... hehe). To help me recognize the importance of this spirit more, I began to read and take note of why this guidance is so important and how we feel when we follow it. I LOVE IT!!

37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call

...and what we feel when we live according to the promptings of the spirit that we receive:

42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.

44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common;

45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.

46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,

47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

While studying I wrote this is my journal: WOW this is incredible to recognize the role of the spirit. The apostles LIVED  to have the spirit with them, how scary that would be to be walking next to Christ everyday and then find yourself looking for the same feelings of peace and comfort that they had with Him. I should live for this same spirit in my life. I am so grateful that we do not walk alone, this is the promise Christ gave to them and it applies to us. I want this spirit to guide me in my life, in everything that I do. We need these "fruits of the spirit everyday of our lives. So that is my long-term goal for life. It is hard to describe the "cloud nine" type of feeling when we study the words of the Lord, but I know they give me a desire to be better, live on a higher plane, and it is as if the Lord sees us with a great potential and gives us small goals to achieve so that we can become like Him. I want to return to Him, look at His face, and feel comfortable in His presence in that day, and I want my family by my side, I want to be sealed with them for all eternity. What a beautiful gospel we are a part of! Why not share it!!

Also, a little side note

14 For the body is not one member, but many.

15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?

16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?

17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?

18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.

19 And if they were all one member, where were the body?

20 But now are they many members, yet but one body.

21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.

22 Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:

I read this and thought of all those moments that we feel weak and inadequate, or when we judgmentally look at others. But is that what Christ taught? no! We are ALL needed in this work. Especially when we feel weak. So I thought to myself, if I am just an ear, that is okay! As long as I am an instrument in the Lord´s hands and He has need of me, He has need of each of us. He is preparing us for greater things!

I love my companion. I love that she pushes me to be better EVERYDAY!!! I love having studies and feeling so spiritually uplifted afterwards, and the strength that we find in teaching and testifying together. It is truly inspired that we have companions to push us in so many ways.

Victor continues to progress :) He is basically a member of the church, sometimes I forget that he is not. He said to us the other day that he didn´t think it was fair that he can't serve a mission, haha because he is 35 years old.. he has experimented so much change for the good and come to know his Savior, but we are working on helping him to share little by little with his family members who live here. And Marcela... little Marcela.. haha her and her little timid jokes are great. Still progressing slowly. She teaches me patience and that I need to obtain more Christlike Attributes, haha.

I hope you are all well! I love you so much!!!!

Until next week!!

Love,

Hermana Mather

Difficulties and Trials

7 Julio 2014

I wanted to share a few quotes that well sum up my week:

"How much do we overlook in life as we wait for the rainbow, before thanking God for the rain?" -Dieter F. Uchtdorf

"We should never end the day as the same person as when we started the day"

"Stay the course and see the beauty of life unfold for you" -Jeffery R. Holland

"Endings are not our destiny. In Our Heavenly Father's Plan, there are no endings, just everlasting beginnings!" -Dieter F. Uchtdorf

It has been a week of all sorts of difficulties and trials! We have been struggling to work with members, as we are looking for many new people to teach, members and investigators aren't able to make it to appointments, etc. It is all pretty normal missionary routine; it just took a bit of a toll on me this week as sometimes our numbers don't seem to show how hard we truly worked!! More than anything, I LOVE our companionship! I feel so blessed to be with Hermana Palomino... I feel like we are always on the same brainwave and I feel like myself with her. I did from day one. She loves waking up early to be able to run in the mornings and finds joy in the little things. She reminds me to enjoy life when she makes me look at the ocean view and be grateful for all we are blessed with!

Even with such a great relationship as companions, we still have difficulties! Satan seems to attack me through my thoughts, telling me that I am not capable and I cannot make a difference here. I read the talks: “Maintaining an EternalPerspective”, “Cast Not Away Therefore Your Confidence”, and “Grateful in Any Circumstances”... all words from the prophets that have helped me throughout my mission! I am so grateful to God as I look back in my notes of what I have studied this week, personally and for the people we teach, and He leads me to discover how I can improve and feel more happiness flow into my life. I love that the "Maintaining an Eternal Perspective" talk teaches us about the need we as humans ALWAYS have to remember God's goodness to us. I reflected a lot on why I am here... how the Lord truly guided me in decisions to choose the right friends, leave behind those that wouldn't lead me in the right directions, allowed me to attend BYU where I found so many great influences, whispering that I need to do something more. When I came to recognize more fully the goodness of God in my life, I decided to serve him... and what better way to do it with all of my heart, might, mind, and strength, 24/7 as His missionary? As I recognize God's goodness in my life, my outward symbols of God's goodness to me (my Ebenezer) are my journal entries and prayers full of gratitude to the Lord. How soon we are to forget the miracles God has worked in our lives and the blessings we have already received! Do we wait until our problems are solved to thank the Lord rather than "thanking him for the rain"? I have already noted a difference in my prayers and my happiness as I actively search each day for His tender mercies and demonstrations of his love and sense of humor. I understand why gratitude is a commandment! Because the Lord wants to bless us with the happiness that comes from searching for blessings!

Hey, I also have a funny story for you! hehe. Elder and Hermana Hatch, the senior couple here were out eating at a Chinese restaurant, and Elder Hatch sure has got such an excitement for sharing the gospel with others, so he asked his waitress if she would like to hear the message we share as missionaries, and he can bring two girls who can teach her. She kindly agreed, and they took us to pass by their restaurant this past Thursday... it was a bit awkward, like she didn't actually think we would pass by... so we bought ice cream and casually ate it, waiting for her to have a free moment. At the end, we tried talking to her, but there is a bit of a language barrier, she didn't understand much of the religious vocabulary in Spanish (she was Chinese) and when we said we would like to share a message with her, she looked and us and motioned, and motioned like she thought we had come to give her a massage!!! HAHAHA we just about died laughing, especially Sister Hatch when we told her later because she didn't understand our conversation in Spanish! haha she had accepted for us to come back even though she wasn't even sure what she had signed up for. A MASSAGE! hehehe. The incredible thing is that we actually talked with her quite a bit via her iPhone translator about passing by another day with a Chinese Book of Mormon and she accepted, saying that Christians, in comparison to Buddhists, always seem to be so much happier. So we also have a return appointment, even without giving her a massage! hehe language barriers...

Wow, it continues to amaze me as well all of the strong people I am surrounded by, like our investigator, Marcela. She has three children who live alone in Bolivia, all under the age of 17 and she is here working to support them. Her husband left them, which she said is probably better because he always came home drunk. It is better that they just live alone, go to school and cook and everything on their own. She calls them many times a day, always worried about how they are. She is a cute little woman and I admire her so much! She has progressed sooooo slowly and that has been hard for me, but she has progressed so much lately. We put her in contact with the church employment to help her find a job that can help her to bring her children here. She hasn't spent Christmas with them for 9 years. Wow, that just breaks my heart. We also gave her the address of the church near to her children in Cochabamba, Bolivia, so that they can start going to church, too. I feel so strongly that her decision to follow the Lord's path in her life will bless her and her children immensely... and although it was hard for me to love her before as I wasn't sure if she was willing to progress and learn, I have come to love her so much, with a love more profound that can only come from God. The kind of love that makes us desire she take the step of baptism. I pray that she receives this same confirmation soon!

There are moments in the mission that make me doubt myself and doubt my testimony, but I surely know that God loves us with an infinite and perfect love. I am amazed by so many of my companions who have family who aren't members or who are less-active, or fathers who left their family... they have sacrificed so much to be here and fully trust in the Lord. We are told the greatest details of people's pains and fears and lives: marriages fallen apart, children emotionally damaged from separation of parents, problems with drugs and alcohol, etc. and it really opens my eyes to many things and I feel so blessed to have this gospel in our lives and I know that if we stay close to our Savior he can find HIS PEACE and serving him will bring us the greatest blessings and joy that the world cannot offer.

I love this scripture, Helaman 10:4-6: (you can insert your name here! This is my goal, to have the Lord say these words to me at the end of my mission, and at the end of each of our lives)

4 Blessed art thou, Nephi, for those things which thou hast done; for I have beheld how thou hast with unwearyingness declared the word, which I have given unto thee, unto this people. And thou hast not feared them, and hast not sought thine own life, but hast sought my will, and to keep my commandments.

5 And now, because thou hast done this with such unwearyingness, behold, I will bless thee forever; and I will make thee mighty in word and in deed, in faith and in works; yea, even that all things shall be done unto thee according to thy word, for thou shalt not ask that which is contrary to my will.

6 Behold, thou art Nephi, and I am God. Behold, I declare it unto thee in the presence of mine angels

I love this gospel. I love my family, and I feel privileged to have so many friends serving missions too. I hope you have a great week! You are in my thoughts and prayers!

Love, Hermana Mather

Fourth of July picnic!!!! We are quite patriotic!

I love Hermana Palomino :)
The day we went to teach the Chinese couple in their restaurant.
We can see the whole city of Santa Cruz and our apartment from here!

The beer factory we live by.. this says, How lucky to live here! heheeh

Hermana Palomino

YUMMM our investigator Clever made Venezuelan arepas!
They are my favorite :)

Family home evening with Victor and a family here from Paraguay, Natalia and Daniel :)

My decorated agenda!

Miriam, a member here wanted to give us pedicures for Pday today. Haha
I love her, she is so generous and loving and makes us feel at home.

Being Constant and Trusting in the Lord´s Timing?

30 Junio 2014

HELLO FAMILY!!!!

This morning I was passing over all that has happened, and all that I have studied.  I feel like no matter how many words I write cannot express even the smallest bit of what we experienced and felt, but like every week... I will try!

I hope this email finds you all happy and healthy.  I pray for you and hope that you are well!!!

I have been thinking a lot lately about being diligent and consistent. We talked about it in district meeting. Being on a mission is like running a marathon that teaches us consistency. With every day, every step, every month, every transfer, we are trying to build these habits and follow the Lord and being true disciples!! Just like training for a marathon and running the marathon cannot be accomplished with one quick sprint and we are finished, God knows how we learn, little by little every day. We learn to seek his will not just in the difficult times, but every step of the way. We cannot use all of our energy at the beginning or all of our energy at the end. He needs us to be constant and steady!

27  De cierto digo que los hombres deben estar anhelosamente consagrados a una causa buena, y hacer muchas cosas de su propia voluntad y efectuar mucha justicia;

28  porque el poder está en ellos, y en esto vienen a ser sus propios agentes. Y en tanto que los hombres hagan lo bueno, de ninguna manera perderán su recompensa.  (Doctrine and Covenants 58:27-28)
We fought so hard for our agency before this life and we must use it wisely while we are here. As we choose to follow the Lord constantly, diligently, we are blessed immediately, and in the end, this diligence helps us to learn and change for the better and slowly obtain more Christ-like attributes. The gospel that we are teaching begins to become more a part of who we actually ARE.

I remember one time before the mission, someone told me that we should finish each day and think: did I feel the spirit today? And often times, I found myself thinking.. I am not really sure! But I feel so blessed here to be able to say, that we truly live and breathe and seek the spirit every moment, and this is what changes us and urges us to be a little better every day. I ask myself, how can I better look to the Lord in every step of this journey?

With that, I wanted to share a couple of experiences of being constant and learning from mistakes!

First, this week we got really caught up in a lesson and ended up arriving late to a lesson with a less active family that I just adore and we were going to celebrate the son´s birthday. I was so sad, they had been waiting on us and the rest of the night I just felt like a failure, the worst missionary ever. but I love my companion!! She taught me that we need to learn from it, move on and trust in the Lord´s timing of it all. We ended up having another family home evening with their family, and it has made us really focus a lot more on them, and we have felt the spirit so strongly as we have taught them, and simply listened. He has been through so many hard things with his divorce. And he feels like he has no one to talk to, and feels uncomfortable with his friends that aren´t members of the church because of the things they are involved in, and also feels uncomfortable returning to church with all of the questions he is being asked. I think that the Lord knew through our mistakes that we would know we need to focus more Ulises and his family! Turns out, he is very talented in writing music and poems, and he helped us present a family home even for our ward with special music and poems he puts together. He felt needed and we all felt the spirit. It was incredible! We could see his testimony grow as he was reminded what it feels like to share it!

Also, with Victor, the biggest trial of learning to accept the Lord´s timing and will. It turns out, that he will be baptized more in the future, because he feels that he needs to help his daughter Alison understand that he needs to move out. I was feeling so worried about him, because I know that Satan will be working really hard on him this coming month, and it will be important to be constant, helping him, protecting him. But I trust in the Lord´s timing. He has the scriptures downloaded on his phone, and he just can´t stop talking about his love for the church. He says she feels selfish in worrying only about his own salvation, he wants it to be a family effort and wants them all to be happy!

Well, I had better go now!! I hope you have a great week!

Love, Hermana Mather

p.s. Pictures from pday today! Tree hugging and family home evening with Ulises

I love my companion! We run everyday!!!!!!
And a good pace too.  God knew who I needed.
She is obedient and diligent and makes me want to be better.
This is us with a less active lady we have been working with.