Hola mis amors,

 

Como estan? I hope you are all doing well.  Girls how was the first week of school?  I hope it went well mom told me your all up to great and magnificent things.  Mom how is your training going?  Dad whats new?  This week we as pretty good. 

 

Monday we had an activity at the ward with an FHE.  They did a really great job.  This branch is so cute and has a lot of primary kids.I played piano for a musical number for the missionaries.  Mom, I know you would be pleased to here that I use my piano a lot out here.  I've been the ward pianist since my 3rd transfer so thanks for all the battling you do to help us kids develop those types of skills. The musical number went well.  Our investigators bailed out on the activity last minute which always makes me a little sad but not much I can do about it.    We have been working with the Calle family this week.  We went over and helped David cook molten lava cakes.  I finally met the dad after weeks of begging Tania to let us come over and teach them as a family again.  Jaime the dad told us we could come over on Tuesday for an FHE.  I so excited but then again, I just found out that Im going on exchanges on Tuesday so I wont be there but it's all good I know sister young will rock it and then someday in the new future hopefully they will all get baptized.  In New york I meet so many wonderful people everyday yet they don't understand that there is more to life tme han work and sleeping.  All they can think about is how they are going to get money for the next monthly payment.What kind of life is that?  It's not a long term perspective either.  It's more of a matter of how to get from point A to point B.  David Calle was baptized almost 6 months ago but without the support of his family, he slowly falls away.  The things that are most important to the parents become the most important thing for the kids.  Its hard it really is.

 

Guess what?  Guess who came to ALL of church  yesterday together for the first time as a whole family?  That's right the family Leon.  I was so happy. We called and told them we were going to come over and help them make breakfast to help them get ready for church on time.  Lina called last minute and told us not to worry and that we didin't need to bother but that she was going to come to church.  This would be the 3rd week in a row that she hasn't let us come over to teach and so we weasled our way in and told her that we really wanted to see them.  She ended up letting us come and we read the first presidency message out of the  ensign with them as they ate a gourmet breakfast that lina already cooked by the time we got over there.  The first presidency message is about family by prophet Thomas S. Monson.  The roles of the family members.  Moses and Lina were kind of arguing about see!1!1 It says to treat your spouse with respect!  Lina told us she wished Moses would not spend so much time on the TV and Moses said he wanted his wife to not be so insistent, I just kind of laughed as I thought back to past family experiences. Who does that sound like?  But by the end we talked about the importance of working as a team.  Different roles of the family and working with the strengths to find and develop the unity in the family.  So ya they were getting ready for church really fast. Lina and Moises came together and they brought their 2 beautiful children.  Our ward correlator taught the gospel priniciples class afterwards on the organization and importance of the the restored church.  It was so good.  Moses was paying a lot of attention and he seemed to be having a lot of questions which means he is learning right?  Now all we need is them to start praying and reading everyday as a family and they will get that testimony they need to be baptized.

 

We have this member named Kati who is bomb for missionary referrals.  We were teaching an investigator in her house.  She makes me laugh.  So great.  Marlen is the investigator that we are teaching.  She hadn't read so while we finished up lunch she hurried and read a little bit in her BOM.  She is really funny.  She read for like 5 minutes and she got so much out of it.  We asked her why she didin't do that everyday. She said, "Ya, I should.  I know its really good for me".  Her room mate Maritza was taught in El Salvador but didn't get baptized because she didn't like baptisms for the dead and vicarious work.  Which I think is a little funny because that's one of the most beautiful parts about the church.  She she's both points of the wheel but she does not like it and I don't know what to say to change her mind.  Kati the member gave a good old powerful testimony about is and it was awesome but sometimes you just can't change peoples minds no matter what you say.

 

Walking back from Kati's house we had a man stop us on the street.  He said, " are you girls from this world?"  lol.  We htought it was a strange question so we had him repeat it again to make sure that we heard him right.  He said it again, "are you from this world?"  We thorught it was funny but it was clear he was being serious.  So we just looked at him for a few seconds so he went on to explain himself.  He said, " I've seen you pass by her a few times and every time you do its like lights just walk out of no where. You aren't from New York and you do something really special.  It shows and I can tell.  Who are you and what do you do here? What are you doing? What is it that makes you the way you are?"  We told him we were missionaries for the church of Jesus Christ. He had us repeat the church.  He wanted to make sure he knew who we represented.  We were late for an appointment by like 20 minutes already and so we got his info and told him we would be by within the next week. It's so amazing to know thayou are a representative of Jesus Christ and a part of the most important work on the earth that has eternal significance. If yu are doing your part people recognize you for who you are ande ch they see your difference.  They want it and they find curiousity to find out what it is that you have that they don't.  Never forget that we are representatives of Jesus christ and we are his disciples.

 

 

Juanna is back from Spain which made me really happy. Her mom seems to be progressing along nicely and she seems to be excited to get baptized.  We also hdad a really good conversation with her husband Ismael who hasn't taken very much interest in the church before.  She is planning on bringing her autistic son to church sometime in the near future so that they can be baptized together.  I am so excited fo r her.  They wont' be baptized for a few more months so I probably won't be here but I am excited for them.  They are some of my favorite people that I have met on my mission.

 

Lots of Love,

Hermana Lewis.

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