Monday, September 7, 2015

La Familia es de Dios

Ahh...It's been so long and so many things have happened. Including transfers.....which means I"m going back to BAHIA BLANCA!  I was hoping to get one more transfer in Balcarce especially for the people I've been working with, which was soo difficult to say goodbye, but I know God has something better ALWAYS.  I have tons of faith that Balcarce will continue growing with miracles.  I know one day Liliana will continue to grow her testimony and take that first convenio in baptism and soon after enter the temple. 

Speaking of temples, we taught a lady named Isabel and 3 weeks later, her family.  She had told us for sometime that she had been searching for an answer.  Her son died at the age of 20 and she couldn't get past this obstacle.  One day, we got on the topic of marriage and realized that none of them were married.  So we began our lesson on temples and ended up teaching them about the convenios we do in the temple.  1: That we can be sealed to our spouses for eternity and I got the chance to show them a picture of my older brother and his wife when they got married in the temple and just loved it.  One of the daughters, "jessica", said, "I want this, I'm going to ask my partner" Ha and guess what?  She did just that!  Her boyfriend said, "alright, I'll go look for a ring :)  2: That families can be together forever (sealing) and 3: Baptism for the dead.  That's when Isabel's eyes opened and I'd never seen such a light come through her.  She said, "This is what I want for my son, and how can I get my son to be baptized?"  She said she had been searching for this answer for years and couldn't stop telling us thank you and we probably got about 100+ hugs! She was able to go to church with us in Balcarce these past two weeks, her husband is now listening to the lessons and never like religion but noticed such a change in his wife.  They are now working with "family history" for her family and her son ;).  I'm so grateful for the plan that God has for us, that we can have an eternal perspective and help those who don't have that belief.  I'm going to miss Balcarce a ton, I've never liked transfers and I got nuts every Saturday night we have transfers because I don't want to leave those I love.  Right now, God wants me in Bahia Blance, in Villa Floresta which is in the same stake as TWO of my first areas, Pueyrredon and Pigue! 

Me and Isabel

We recently had a conference yesterday, and I got to see a ton of members and converts!  Angie from Pueyrredon who now is pregnant with a baby boy and is due in October!  We also had two people from our area in Floresta that we met and taught this week that came to church with us.  Brisa who is 11 and Tita and grandma, and they absolutely loved it! This conference was a little different than most.   An apostle spoke and it was directed to all of Argentina and the speaker were Quentin L. Cook and Robert D. Hales.  They spoke a ton about the importance of keeping the Sabbath day holy, the missionary work, and family marriage.  They encouraged a lot of the youth to listen to the prophets to be worthy to go on missions by reading the scripture, seminary and institute, as well as members need to do the missionary work that can be done by technology.  How this is the only generation that has such abilities to really extend the gospel.   And to families that marriage is the door to life eternal, peace and happiness.  As families, we need to help one another in our goals especially that of exhalation.  Sunday turned out beautiful and I learned a lot and I'm excited to apply it to my own life and my future.  

So more about Villa Floresta......well, it's HUGE!  It was 4 Sisters before and now my companion Hermana Palma and I have it all to ourselves. We were blinded because neither one of us knows the area ;) Woo Hoo!  My companion is FANTASTIC and she if from Chile and is 20 hears old with 7 months in the mission and I've learned so much from  her already.  We are both exhausted from all the traveling and walking, running to get to know one member to the other, cleaning out the carpet in our apartment, etc....but I'm sooo pumped for this transfer and I have to admit I love Bahia Blanca.  I've been serving here for more than a year and I'm super excited to continue working close to "Home"! 

So the mission is now giving service every Thursday at 9:00am-4:00pm for those who need an extra hand.  This week we got to clean, organize and plan for a party for foreign exchange students and it's been great to give service to those who need a helping hand. I'm able to feel love for those and get to know them better.  I love the scripture that is in John 15:9-15:

A Day of Service

As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.
11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
and how God calls us His "Friends". Everyone of us are sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father and His love for us is greater than we can ever imagine.  We are able to manifest our love to Him as we keep His commandments and serve Him with all our heart.  I love that, "What we seek, is determined by what we love, that what we think and do is determined by what we seek, and that who we become is determined by what we think and do."  It is so important to build and strengthen our testimonies, because we cannot help people repair spiritual damage unless our own faith is vibrant.  Luke 10:33-35:

33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,
34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.
I love my Heavenly Father so much and will do anything to be able to live with Him again because I know that He is the Light and Life of this world.  I know He lives and loves us.  I am so grateful for His great and atoning sacrifice, His love and His grace so that one day we can have that eternal life.

Homework:  Our mission President gave us the goal to write down future goals, especially those of the family. But how and what we do NOW depends on how we accomplish them.  Write goals and what you will do NOW to achieve it ;).

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