Capitulo 3, Semana 19

NO ES COMIDA SI NO HAY FRIJOLES

Familia,

 

Thanks for the emails - they're getting me so excited to talk to you all!! I miss your guts. It's been a great week and to top it all off - we hit standards finally! The last couple weeks we've been short ONE number, which is frustrating but it's made us work harder, and finally it's paid off!

 

We had a great Thanksgiving - un dia de pavo, paps, panecillo, y postres - delicioso:) We went to the Quintana's (one of my favorite families) and there were a ton of people. It was so fun and I'm so thankful for family away from family! We had the normal food and then all the Mexican's that came each brought a different form of frijoles. We had normal beans, refried beans, bean soup, bean pie, and bean cake. No es comida si no hay frijoles:) The next couple days were a little smelly....;) Just kidding. Kind of. What a blessing it was to share shat I am most grateful for with others on Thanksgiving.

 

The city of Deming is having a Christmas parade this Saturday and we're making the float for the church. The theme is "Cowboy Christmas" (Grandpa Batty's proud, huh?;)) and it's going to be really cool if it all works out! I'll take pictures. Sister Magnusson and I are crazy and decided to plan a tri-ward activity this Sunday. I don't know what we were thinking haha We're going to have a dinner before we watch the Christmas Devotional and organizing everything is so stressful but we hope to have a lot of non-members and our investigators! It'll turn out great, I'm sure:)

 

We brought Lupe (member) to a lesson with Geovani and he told a little bit about his past. He was addicted to meth - smoked it everyday for 6 years, $250 a day, and weighed 98 lbs. His wife and 8 year old son got baptized and every Sunday for 2 years his son, Pepito, would ask him to come to church...and he's decline. Then one Sunday, Pepito snuck bread and a water cup from the Sacrament in his pocket and brought it to his dad. Obviously, that struck a heart string and he started taking the lessons, quit meth, and got baptized. Now, he's a member of the branch presidency and is awesome! The gospel changes people!

 

The work was hard this week - Mexico is of the devil. Everyone was on vacation and it was tough to find people to teach! But the Lord provided - He always does. We're teaching a lot of families right now which is awesome and I love it, but I'm feeling the pressure! Especially with the Renterias because they are brother and sister of members in the branch and I just don't want to mess anything up! haha I have so much hope for them and pray the Lord will help us know how to help them. We were teaching the Renterias the other day and at the end of the lesson, we extended the baptismal commitment to the whole family. Lupito asked his mom if she had already been baptized and she said yes. "But it was one of those incorrect churches, right?" Haha I love kids sincerity! It's unreal the love I feel for this family.

 

I'm so excited it's December and that we get to focus extra on Christ. President James E Faust: "Knowledge comes through faith. In our day and time we must come to know the truthfulness of what was on the golden plates without seeing them. They are not available for us to see and handle as they were for the Three Witnesses and for the Eight Witnesses. Some of those who actually saw and handled the golden plates did not remain faithful to the Church. Seeing an angel would be a great experience, but it is far greater to come to a knowledge of the divinity of the Savior through faith and the witness of the Spirit. You can also come to know what you knew as a valiant son or daughter of God in the premortal existence. It can happen to you. But it won’t just happen automatically. You will have to exercise faith. The only way to acquire spiritual knowledge and keep it burning brightly is to be humble, prayerful, and to strive diligently to keep all of the commandments." What a perfect opportunity to come to know our Savior better this month.

 

23 days until I get to see your faces! Don't worry Sara, I'm counting too:) I got your package mom and just a warning, we're going to have a lot of Hispanic visitors after my mission - they're all in love with German chocolate:) Thank you so much! Thanks for the pictures too - it looks like you had a great Thanksgiving. Don't have too much fun at the Christmas markets and eat some candied almonds for me! I love you all a ton!

 

Hairy-mama Stewart