Letter #77 - Hola - 4.25.2016
Hola Familia, This week was good. It was a normal week, with its miracles and all. I'm really enjoying my time with Hermana Hall in Maquehue. We've noticed a lot this week about how blessed we are to have the families we have. It is a very big blessing to have all of our family as members of the Church and to all be able to communicate and enjoy time together. Today we played tennis round two. I love tennis! We also ate a completo today to enjoy the Chilean food. Thanks for all of your emails this week.
We worked a lot and I realized as I changed my attitude we had a lot more success in our sector. We were able to have different members leave with us than normal. It's been very interesting because we have had many impressions to work with the return missionaries in our ward this week and one return missionary in specific was in our mind for a few days. We had a gran intercambio with our whole zone and I was with an Hermana from Brasil who is beginning her mission. We couldn't communicate with each other very well. But we called this member and he told us we could pass by his house. I wanted to know why me and Hermana Hall have felt impressed to visit him so many times.
We arrived and as we began to bear testimony of the Savior to him he told us in tears that he is struggling very much and that this morning he kneeled down and asked the Lord to show him his love. He said, "I know that you are servants of the Lord because this has been the biggest answer to my prayer. Thank you for answering my prayer. I know that you Hermana Pemberton don't have much time left and it is probably hard in the cold rain, but I would give anything to be walking with the Savior as you are." I felt the spirit so strongly. It was a huge miracle for me in many ways. The Lord takes care of his return missionaries. He loves each of us very much. He gives us tender mercies in our lives because He is a merciful God. I can feel that we are very close to the Lord here. I love feeling that He is pushing with us, supporting us, strengthening us. I have been reading in the missionary reference library, "Our Heritage, the History of the Church" and there is a quote by a man who was in the Willey handcart company. He heard a group of men talking about what those saints went through and questioning why God would make them suffer as they did. The man approached them and said, " The price we paid to become acquainted with God was a privilege to pay." I love this quote because I feel like in my mission I've been able to serve the Lord very little but He has given me the great opportunity to have a personal relationship with Him. I know that the Savior lives. I know that he knows our lives and is guiding them. He loves us and is very aware of our circumstances. He lives!
I gave a talk in sacrament meeting and I was so happy. I haven't given one in a long time, but everyone wasn't sleeping this time, they didn't get bored by my accent this time it made me so happy. It was a very spiritual meeting. The new bishop in our ward has a bunch of animo (enthusiasm)! Love you all and have a great week! Hermana Pemberton