Letter#55 - The Beautiful Story of Easter - 3.21.2016
Happy Happy Easter!!!
It's Easter and then the following week is conference! I can't believe 6 months has already passed by. It feels like we just watched conference yesterday! Crazy! I hope you all are thinking of your questions and preparing to listen to all the inspired talks! Can I just say how so very grateful I am to have a living prophet and 12 apostles of Jesus Christ in our day!
“There are lives to brighten. There are hearts to touch. There are souls to save.”—President Thomas S. Monson
This week was another week of miracles. We didn't have any emergencies this weekend which gave us time to really get to know our new sector. My companion has learned not to say "This weekend there is going to be an emergency" because everytime she said it we would be in the emergency room Saturday or Sunday night. Haha!
We have been praying to find another family of 6 in our new sector that all had the age to be baptized. Every time we prayed we imagined the part of sector that is above the hospital. So, we went and started to contact there. We were blessed to find several families in the streets and in their houses because we were able to contact over 60 people just in two days. The second door that we knocked on was a family of 6 who all had the age to be baptized. Two little kids answered the door with their dad in the window. We made an appointment with them Sunday. When the kids came to the door to get the pamphlet we asked them how old they were and their names. They said 11 and 8. We asked the 8 year old if he was the youngest and he said yes. My companion and I looked at each other and smiled. At first, it was hard to get them to let us teach them, but by the third time that we passed by they came and opened the door. It's all about persistence, right?! The mom and the oldest daughter didn't want to listen, but we know with a lot of faith, prayers, and time that they will come around. Orlando Pincai, Dayana Pareja, Abraham Pareja, and Anahi Pareja all have baptism date for April 9th!
We also found two young boys Aron Azanza Moreno (16 Yrs) and Kenneth Salazar Moreno (15 Yrs) who are extremely interested in learning more about the gospel. They came to church Sunday and invited one of their friends that also live in our sector. They loved it and can't wait until next Sunday. They read the pamphlet that we left them and they were really excited when we taught them more about the Book of Mormon because it was the first time that they knew that there was more scriptures than just the bible. They were in awe and were so excited when we told them that we had one for them.
They didn't accept fecha (yet) because they want to learn more first, but we know as they continue learning more and come to church they will know that it is true. they are such good kids though. When we asked them if there was anything that we could do for them they asked us to pray for them so that they would make good decisions this week and think of the concequences of their actions before they made decisions. We have an appointment with their mom on Wednesday. She said she will come to church the next Sunday. She is a nurse and had just gotten home from working all night. She said that she needed to sleep before her next shift, but we are hoping to be able to teach the rest of the family on Wednesday.
“We are all in this together. With fellow ward members and missionaries, we plan and pray and help one another. Please keep the full-time missionaries in your thoughts and prayers. Trust them with your family and friends. The Lord trusts them and has called them to teach and bless those who seek Him.”—Elder Neil L. Andersen
I have studied a lot about the attributes of Jesus Christ this week. I'm so amazed of who he is. The character that he has, the faith he shows through every action, and love that he has for each of us. He is the perfect example that we
become
what we want to
be
by consistently being what we want to become each day. His example teaches us that righteous character is more valuable than any material object we own, any knowledge we have gained through study, and any goals we have attained no matter how well lauded by mankind.
Wherever He taught, He changed EVERYTHING!
I know that humility is the attribute and quality that permits us to be taught from on high through the Spirit. That when we are humble through exercising our faith, repenting, and live our life of obedience and good works we will have more spiritual direction in our lives. We will be shaping our character to apply those attributes that Christ has taught us is necessary for us to have in order to return to live our Father in Heaven.
I know that Jesus Christ LIVES. I know that He suffered for you and me. That He knows our names and a whole lot more than just our names. He loves us more than we comprehend. That it is through Him we can have ETERNAL LIFE. That we each have the opportunity to become like Him. Neither Satan nor any other power can destroy or undermine our progress to becoming like Him. Only we do. I hope each of us will try to emulate His perfect example in our lives daily. That we will continuously strive to learn from His perfect example that He set for us as our older brother. Strong moral character results from consistent correct choices in the trials and testing of life. I promise as we choose to make these correct choices, put our faith our Savior's example by acting in all righeousness, and believing in the promises that await us, we will see our weaknesses become strengths. Those things that we once believed in will become a reality. I love my Savior Jesus Christ. I know it is through His sacrifice we have hope to a better tomorrow.
D&C 58: 27-28
27 Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness;
28 For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward.
Have an amazing week. I love you all with all my heart!!!
Love always,
Sister Pemberton
