Wouldn't you know the Book of Mormon worked again!!

 

First, we lost our golden referencia.  Her name is Marialena.  She is such a sweetheart.  We challenged her to baptism a couple of weeks ago and she accepted with her daughter!  It was super exciting and the first lesson.  But the next week she called and cancelled and told us she might not want any more.  We went to her house this week and it was easy to tell she was having a hard time. Her face looked darker as she explained that she just does not think that she will ever have the hope of a family like our church talks about.  We were all crying as my comp and I tried to explain the infinite reality of the Atonement but she would not hear any of it.  After the lesson Hermana Maciel and I just sat on the other side of the wall and cried.  To add to the fome-ness we lost Isidora this week.  It was just kind of obvious that she was not progressing.  She finally told us herself that we were just wasting our time.  I tried to explain that it was not just that we wanted her to get baptized it was that we love her and want to help her and her family.  Sadly though, she is right.  She is not progressing and we can´t help her no matter how much we want to unless she makes a couple of changes in her life.  I have the blessings of an eternal and even an ideal family!  I want other people to have them too so bad!  I wish there was a way to explain what is ahead if they will just make those changes I am asking them to make but there is no way to.  They have to experience them for themselves because it turns out there are no words in Spanish and tampoco in English.  I love the book Our Search For Happiness. There is a part where Elder Ballard is talking with a minister who wants to see the plates.  Elder Ballard says 'you know there is absolutely no truth that is revealed by physical proof'.  He is right.  I have studied it a lot and I have come to the logical conclusion that this really could not exist if there was not a God but that is not why I am on a mission.  That conclusion is interesting but not enough to put me on a plane to Chile.  It was absolutely the Spirit! 

The week ended with some pretty big tender mercies.  Erika is a new investigator and future member! Ha ha okay she has not committed yet or anything but she is totally going to.  She is a sweet heart. her life is hard too!  Turns out a lot of people´s lives are hard.  But she is choosing hope.  We should have challenged her to baptism by now so that will definitely happen this week.  She has a heart so open that God teaches her the stuff before we can.  I love that!  God is such a better teacher than me!

Also we found a man named Habier.  We were teaching him when randomly he said yeah I will come to your church this week.  My companion and I just looked at each other surprised.  Ahhh.... yeah! Sweet!  Of course you are invited!  He is very intelligent but he uses his intelligence to learn more from God which is awesome because I am learning how to be better through him.  I love how God does that!  Chuta dad!  I am so suprised at how open the Peruanos are here!  It is so crazy!  Habier and his entire family are from Peru.  We have run into so many golden people and they are all from Peru!  Thought you would like to know. 

We had to drop two people that I love a lot and that was hard but God is good and blessed us to find two more.  And for this weeks chistoso and so you know that I still am learning Spanish: We were talking to a man in the street who was talking about the history of his father´s different religions and as he moved down the list of religions I did not understand.  I knew he was talking about something about religions so I said what I always say: que bueno entonces usted tiene muchísimo fe.  Ha ha!!  He was not talking about a religion with faith he was talking about some cult his father went to that worshiped satan.  Ha ha whoops!  And then to make it worse he started talking about when he was a joven.  I heard joven and thought he was talking about Jose Smith.  He was not.  But I interjected and said Jose Smith out of the blue.  You can imagine my companions at this time (we were a threesome with Hermana Del Barrio that night) they looked at each other and just lost it.  I did not know why but it was pretty funny to hear the story afterwards!  Turns out I still have a lot to learn!  So now whenever I respond to my companion and it does not make sense she laughs and says Jose Smith. I know I will learn this Spanish thing one day! 

So now for Paula and her family!  Oh my word I love them with all of my heart!  We are still teaching Josefa seperate how to read.   And wouldn't you know the Book of Mormon worked again!  She already has better grades!  So much so that her teachers are noticing!  Hello!  We should use the Book of Mormon in our schools!  I am not kidding that book has power!  I love that God is letting me strengthen my testimony with my favorite people, doing my favorite things in my favorite book!  And then generally afterward Paola feeds us fresh bread or Sopapeas!  (Yes God loves me!!)  The other day in church, we were talking about tithing, and Paola raised her hand and said: 'I am not a member yet but I would like to pay tithing can I?'..... What?!?!?!  Excuse me?!  I love her so much!  Vania has already started her personal progress and is planning on going on a mission!  Edgardo (el esposo) has discovered the power of the Book of Mormon too!  He is in Words of Mormon.  He read all of first and second Nephi, did not blink through Isaiah and was still strong after Jacob five!  I love this family so much!!

I love you all so much!  I continue to learn!  And I continue to feel frustrated that there really is not way for me to express how much I have been learning and my deep love for the Savior and how it grows everyday.  Every day I am more and more grateful for our family!  I know I say this like every week but We have it!  We have that thing that so many people don´t get in this life!  We have this complete joy all wrapped up in the beautiful word FAMILY!  We know what the joy is like!  I hope you guys know how grateful I am for all of you!  I am so different because each of you!  I have more faith as I think of the conversation I had with Taylor about how believing is a choice!  I find more joy in the ties that bind my family as I think of mom´s pure love and charity for each of us and our ancestors.  I have more wisdom as I read the advice of my dad who I swear is reading my thoughts.  I laugh more and breathe (for once) as I see the good in other things when I look through the eyes of Sara.  I learn more about what is around me as I learn from what Heather has learned from what is around her.  And, I enjoy every moment more as I remember as Lauren suggested that we should laugh more than cry!  I am different!  I could give a nice long list for each of you!  Thank you!  I love you all!

Love Hermana Webb!!