Hola mi familia!
Sounds like yáll are having a good time. Take lots of pictures :)
This weekend we baptized María!!! She is so cute and her testimony is so strong. The baptismal service for her was perfect. Lots of people came (including investigators) and the spirit was strong. My companions and I and Stephany (a member of the ward who is 18) sang a special song for María, which is called Feliz Para Siempre. It´s a beautiful song and we´ve been practicing over the past couple weeks. Yall should look up the lyrics :) It starts with ¨hace un tiempo atrás¨ and then ya´ll can plug it into google translate. María really was a golden investigator. It all started a few weeks ago at our weekly portuguese class that is held in the church every thursday and taught by Daniel, a member who served his mission in Brazil. Maria´s boyfriend, Michael, has been inactive for years, but he is now actively trying to quit some addictions and is coming to church. The two are adorable together and have been a light in their family. Michael´s family (the ones who introduced us to Maria) have seen how the missionary work has affected María and are more actively engaged in the work of salvation now. They all want to be missionaries! Maria and Michael both want to serve missions, as well as the younger sisters of michael. Every member a missionary!!!
Recently we´ve been visiting a lot of inactive or less active members and trying to help them come back to church or do the things like praying and reading scriptures as a family. It´s great to see these people remember why they were baptized and have a renewed energy to come to church. And on the downside, we also see a lot who just don´t get it. They think that they´re good since they´ve been baptized, and they don´t worry so much about praying, reading, or coming to church. These three things are so important! One member, who was somewhat less active a couple months ago when I first arrived, has, since we´ve started visiting her every week or two, started to become a member-missionary. Not only has she started coming to church regurlarly again and bringing her daughter to mutual, she now actively magnifies her calling and teaches lessons to the youth and sometimes primary every sunday. She also asked us missionaries to help her to do her visiting teaching, since her companion never can be contacted or has no desire to do her visiting teaching. So I went on divisions with this Hermana and we did her visiting teaching together. This last week, we had planned a noche de hogar with this Hermana, and she invited all her neighbors. However, no body showed up. But we told her that her efforts will be rewarded, in the Lord´s way and timing. She shared with us a story that bishop shared this sunday, about a man who was told by the Lord to push a boulder evrey day. The boulder never budged, and the man grew dissatisfied because he never saw the results of his labor. Yet he continued to push the rock like the Lord commanded him. Eventually the Lord came and talked to the man and the man expressed his concern about how he cuoldn´t move the rock. The Lord simply said, Ï only asked you to push the rock every day, I never said you had to move it...and now look at you. You´ve grown healthy and your muscles are strong. This was the end goal.¨ So, even if we don´t see the fruits of our missionary work, we can know that our own testimonies and conversion process are getting stronger through sharing the gospel with friends, family, and neighbors.
There are so many people out there waiting for something that can only be found in the restored and full gospel of Jesus Christ. The field is white already to harvest, so thrust in your sickles and get to work! :) Talk with everyone even if it´s just chatting about the weather. As you talk with people, they will feel or see something different in you guys. I love you all and promise that one day i will write down the funny things that happen to me in the week (Trust me, there are plenty...) that´s my goal, to remember and write down embarrasing, funny moments so I can send them to yall so that I´m not always just preaching. haha.
Mucho amor,
Hermana Sarah Flake
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