Week 34: Mi familia puede ser eterna

Happy Tuesday everybody!!!

This Saturday was Kattia´s baptism :) . She was so happy. She shared her testimony afterwards saying that all she felt was pure joy. She is amazing. Damian, a recent convert of about 8 months, is who baptized her and it was his first time baptizing. He was able to be in the lessons with her and saw the change that she went through. His testimony helped her many times throughout these last 2.5 months that we´ve been teaching her. So that was special too.

We are helping the Family Montero to prepare their daughters to be baptized by their papa, who is a convert of 3 years, but was inactive for about 2 years after his baptism when he fell back into his addictions of smoking and drinking, and has about 4 months in returning to activity and in a process of repentance so that he can be worthy to baptize his daughters, camila and ana, 9 years old and almost 8 years old. They will be baptized the 7th of February and we are so excited for them.

Lots of less active members are in the process of coming back to activity in the church. That makes me so happy. Yesterday we were invited to a family home evening by a less active member who is in a process of repentance. She is 16 years old. She invited us and gave the lesson on repentance, and her inactive father participated as well. It´s amazing seeing when people, investigators and members, come to the conclusion that they need Christ, that life is so much better with Him. We need to accept our Savior and realize that life is so much more full of peace and joy when we let Him help us. I know my Savior lives. I need him so much. He carries our burden when we allow Him to.

Something that impacted me in my personal study this week that I´d like to share with yáll.... We are part of God´s family even before we were born. God is our Heavenly Father, and for that, we are all brothers and sisters. Our Heavenly Father wants us all to return to live with Him as part of His family. These restored truths not only help us to understand our place in God´s family, they also give us greater hope in having a strong and happy family in this life. I know that families are ordained of God, because having families here in this life prepares us for the eternities when we will be with God´s family as well as our personal families. I am so thankful for this knowledge and the opportunity to share it with the people of Costa Rica. Mosiah 18:8-9 We must always be witnesses of God and His restored gospel at all times, in all things, and in all places. Acts 5:29, 32, 40-42  is an example of the apostles being witnesses of the restored knowledge that Christ is our savior and redeemer in their day. Matthew 5:14-16 we have been given a great light, and we have to let it shine for others to see. If we have integrity and we are constant in living according to our beliefs, the people see it. and if we radiate joy and happiness, they see it even more. So be happy. We have the knowledge that we can be with our families even after death. Let your happiness be your style of life.

Con mucho amor,

Hermana Flake