August 11, 2014
Hola mis queridos!!! :)
To start off...Can y’all believe that tomorrow I hit my 5 month
mark?? Um, that’s seriously so crazy!! I, for one, can not believe it! It’s
crazy how the time flies!!
So this last week was an interesting one. To be honest I can’t
really explain a lot of my feelings about last week, but I’ll definitely tell
ya a little bit of what’s been going on.
Carmen. Let’s start with Carmen....and Malena. We went to
visit Carmen and Fiorela one morning in order to get permission in order to
baptize Malena. Well when we got there Fiorela had to go to a meeting at her
kids´ school. So that was a super big bummer. But then Carmen talked to us for
such a long time that we were STILL THERE when Fiorela got back jaja, so that
was awesome. So we talked to her and she told us the Malena had gone to an
Evangelist church a while ago and wanted to get baptized then too. She said she’ll
get baptized as long as someone tells her to. So she said she doesn’t have a
problem with her learning more and going to church, but she wants her to wait a
year or two. Basically I was crushed!! :( HOWEVER! Ustedes no saben que pasó
con Carmen! In that same meeting we were talking with Carmen and we asked her
if she remembered her Baptism date and she totally did! And then when she
realized it was that coming
Sunday all she said was, wow the time passes super fast!! So she
was totally cool with being baptized the coming Sunday! She also told us to
remember that in the beginning she didn’t want to get baptized either, but that
changed. So yeah, I still have hope for Fiorela and Malena!
Now more about Carmen. Last Thursday we reviewed all the baptismal
questions with her and she was awesome! Like SOOO ready to be baptized!! Then Friday she
told us that she had a problem. She said that all her kids had to work on Sunday
and that her grandkids wouldn’t be able to go to her baptism. She asked us if
we could change her baptism to the next
Sunday (this coming
Sunday) because she wants her kids and grandkids to be there so
they can feel the spirit. But if she had to be baptized the 10th she said she
would do that even without her kids. I wanted to say that she had to get
baptized this Sunday
soooooo badly jaja. But I KNEW that that wasn’t God’s will. I knew in that
moment that she needed to be baptized the next Sunday. I mean obviously her
desires were very sincere and reasonable. So we have postponed her baptism to
this coming Sunday.
I think it will be an incredible experience for her and her kids and grandkids.
I know it will also be an awesome missionary opportunity. And ya know, as a
missionary, I LOVE them missionary opportunities. :) She bore her testimony to
her grandson and it was so beautiful. The change I have seen in her has been
unreal!! I love it so much!!! She also went to the temple last Saturday with
the whole ward and it was a super awesome experience! She absolutely loved it
and really wants to be able to go inside one day! We waited with her at the bus
stop with the other members and when we sent her off I felt like a proud mom
sending off her child to her first day of school jaja!! I can’t even tell you
how bummed I was that we weren’t allowed to go with her!!! :(
So that leads me to the other thing I wanted to talk
about--- The Temple. Oh how I absolutely LOVE the temple! I was studying about
the temple last week in preparation to teach Carmen about the temple and it
made me realize just how much I miss the temple!! Before the mission I really
always tried my best to go to the temple every week, and now in the mission I’ve
been able to go once in Argentina.
I literally can’t even explain how much I love the temple and how much I miss
it!! The more I teach the gospel in the mission the more I understand the true
importance of the temple which, in turn, makes me love and miss it more! The
temple is like my home---which was something I learned last week---that the
only thing that compares to the sacredness of the temple is the home! Think
about it...YOUR home is the next closest sacred thing on earth to the temple! I
think that’s really important to recognize as you build your home, so that you
always strive to have a home of peace and harmony, where the Spirit can dwell. It’s
just something to think about for all of you who have homes. ;) Ah, I just want
to go on and on about temples!! But, I’ve already written a lot jaja. Just
remember to NEVER take the temple for granted!! We are SO privileged where we
live with SO many temples! I have come to realize that so much in my mission!
With so many temples so close, there is not an excuse in the world to not go to
the temple! I know the temple is the House of the Lord. The Lord visits His
temples. Of that I’m sure. Please, go to the temple this week!!
So I’ve been kinda long in this letter jaja! So much
happened this last week! Please keep Carmen in your prayers that she can be
baptized this week! The week before the baptism is always the hardest (so I
hear, haven’t had one) because Satan throws every obstacle in their way because
he knows and understands exactly how important the covenant is that they’re
making. Anyway, I love you all lots and am so grateful for all you do! I hope
you all have an amazing week! Remember, when you love the way the Savior does,
miracles happen! And of course, Stay Anxiously Engaged!! :)
xoxo,
Hermana Van
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