As for my temple clothes…all the departing missionaries are doing a session on Friday with President and Sister Nattress and he said he would ask the temple if they could provide everything for me. So I will let you know on Monday! As for our other plans, I have a list of people that I want you to meet and some other things for us to do. People want to meet you so I’m sure we will find lots to do. I will accept the request of continuing to e-mail Grandpa! I love that he looks forward to them! I also plan on going to the monthly Sunday dinners when I’m down there for school! The sooner the better on the housing thing! It doesn’t have to end up being the best place because the contract will just be for winter semester and then if it’s awful (which it won’t be :) we can just find a new place for the next semester. Did you look on BYU Housing website? They have a list of places. I’m so happy to hear about your missionary experiences that you had! That’s just great. I loved hearing that you were prompted what to say. That’s the best! What did Deb say about all of it? And you are so right, it is most definitely the people we serve that matter! It is frustrating as a missionary to see people as the Lord sees them and then to also see them not choose to progress and accept the gospel. But I take comfort in the fact that the Lord still loves them and that my love isn’t diminished even in the frustration and for the fact that because the Lord loves them, He still wants them to be happy and to accept the gospel so He will keep working with them until the day when they are finally ready. I guess you help others by loving them, praying for them, serving them, letting them learn how to correctly exercise their God given gift of agency, and trusting in the Lord and turning the rest into His hands. :) I have heard of Do Not Attempt in Heels. I saw it at Deseret Book and wanted to read it, but it’s not really on the approved reading list haha. I’d love to read it when I get back even if I’ve already served. I’m sure it’s got some good stories and advice! Is Max Ann’s son or Emily’s? I’m behind on that. I love how you closed your letter! I would love it if a baptism fell out of the sky like that! It could happen! We are hoping and praying that the Andrades will be able to be baptized this weekend. Pray for a miracle! Then we have to people on date for after I leave…one on the 18th and one on the 25th…funny how that worked out, but it’s all good. It’s not about me, it’s about them getting to have the gospel!
This week has been really good. Last Monday night we had a really good lesson with Natividad. We talked again about the First Vision and prayer and then we sang Joseph Smith’s First Prayer for him. Oh man, was the Spirit strong. I looked at him when we finished singing and I could see so plainly that he was feeling the Spirit. And I told him that. We said a few other things and we made sure to keep it focused on the lesson and make him accept feeling it (sometimes he goes off on tangentsJ.) Then we had another lesson with him on Wednesday night and we followed up with him on praying like Joseph Smith to know if these things are true. It hadn’t gone correctly…so we talked more about prayer and how to really pray with real intent. We talked about the spirit and how sometimes answers don’t come in visions or dreams, but in how we feel. I reminded him of how he felt when we sang and he talked about how beautiful it was and how he could still hear it in his ears…how after we left Monday night he had sat there just feeling the spirit of the song and feeling uplifted. I told him that those are the kinds of feelings he has to look for and wait for. It was another good lesson. He went out of town this weekend so we have to follow-up this week on how praying went the second time around.
Tuesday was great because we got
to go to the temple with our zone! I love the temple oh so much. I received
answers and comfort and had a really cool experience that I will share with you
when you come….it’s a little too special for e-mail and the internet.
Friday we had a “Spanish Zone”
meeting. It was good. The best part was at the end when President Hale came and
spoke to us about some of the experiences he had on his mission and about true
fasting and real, sincere prayer and faith that produces miracles. Definitely
inspired me to exercise my faith more!
And then Saturday and Sunday
brought General Conference. My favorite. I seriously love it. I went in with a
list of written questions. It never ceases to amaze me that no matter what my
questions are, I ALWAYS receive an answer to every single one of them. How is
that even possible? They aren’t assigned topics, they never met me nor do they
know what I need, but they always speak to me needs! It’s such a testimony
builder to me that God really does know us. He loves us and listens to us…to
even the quietest pleas of our hearts. He wants us to be happy and to receive
spiritual light and truth and guidance and so He answers us. Sometimes a little
at a time, sometimes a lot, but he always answers. It’s just the greatest! It
also strengthens my testimony that this is His church and that Christ stands at
the helm…He has called the wonderful leaders we have and has had them set apart
with His divine power. It’s all true! I can’t wait to further read and study
all of the talks. There is always more to learn and more answers to receive!
So it’s really hard for me to
believe that this is my last week. I can’t fully comprehend it. It’s also hard
for me to accept the fact that I have to leave and go home. Don’t get me wrong,
I’m happy that I get to see all of you and be with you again…but this is my
life…this is what I do. I’ve been praying for help and prayed about it in the
temple and I feel a little more at peace with it. I know it’s time. Even if it
doesn’t feel like it, my spirit is telling me that it is. It’s time for the
next step….but actually, not yet! Not until after this week! :) I’m going to give the Lord every last drop
this week. No regrets. No holding anything back. I’m HIS missionary…HIS instrument
in HIS hands. If I let that happen, then I cannot fail. I love this wonderful
work and this glorious gospel. I can’t imagine my life without it. I can’t
imagine my life without this mission. It has truly impacted me forever. I love
you very much and am grateful for all that you have given me and taught me.
Have a wonderful week; I know I will.
Con amor,
Hermana Baria
