Week 16

Going on Contacts with Brother Raul Pacheco Love this man!!

Hello!

This week has truly been a week of miracles! Let's jump in!

WE HAVE TWO BAPTISMS! We are so lucky and beyond grateful for our Heavenly Father working through Hermana Josie and I as instruments in the Lord's hands to bring two more of his children to him! Do you remember Gilberto? Long story short, he's been taking the lessons for 4 months. And he had an original baptismal date set, but then he never showed up, and it was a mess. But then out of the blue he called us and started going to church again, taking the lessons from us again, and last week we had a lesson with him, and we talked about the atonement. We explained how we can become clean through the repentance process, but that there is something more that he could do to become even more clean. He responded with baptism, and Hermana Josie and I both bore our testimonies on how we knew with all of our hearts that he was ready. And so we extended the baptismal invitation and he said no, and said that he wanted to learn everything there was to learn about the church and then get baptized. But we explained how we were only 8 years old when we made the decision to get baptized. Obviously we didn't know everything, but we DID know and feel that this church was true. And then Hermana Josie was inspired and shared the story in Acts 8 of how Phillip wanted to be baptized but he didn't understand the scriptures, but the one thing he DID know was that Jesus Christ was the Son of God. And by his faith in this one truth, he was baptized. We bore our testimonies again, extended the baptismal date again, and he said YES. It's truly amazing to see how the Spirit can touch the hearts of those who are ready and prepared to receive the gospel.

This is Gilberto

Our second baptism is with.. LEUNANIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We are sososososoSO happy! Her baptism is for Christmas Eve! What an amazing Christmas present for her, her family, and us! (and christmas eve is the same day that I have four months officially in the mission!) We had a lesson with her last tuesday and had asked her to read 3 Nefi 11 before the next time we saw her. And so we asked her if she read it and she said no, so we read it with her, and she was marking her favorite scriptures she liked during the lesson and the Spirit was so strong and really touched her heart. We asked her the same question, what more can you do to follow Christ, and she responded,"Baptism. I've actually been thinking about it, and I knew I for sure wanted to be baptized when we last met but I wanted to wait and tell you. And then this morning and all throughout this lesson, that's the one thing I've been thinking about. I know this chapter is God speaking to me and I know this is what I need to do."

After she said that, we all hugged and bore our testimonies. It was a night I will never forget.

This is Leunani.

We have our Christmas stake concert this saturday! I am super excited. 

Also, I am sure you all have heard of it already, but the Church project #iluminaelmundo (light the world in english) is happening world wide! It's a project that everyday until Christmas there is some type of service we can do as humans everyday to help make someone else's day brighter! By doing this, we are becoming more and more like our Savior. We truly can change the world, and "light" the world with these small and simple acts of service. 

I love you all more than you know!

-Hermana Green

A snippet from our Letter-

I love your spiritual thoughts, and it is something that I have grown to love is the scriptures. I can really feel my realtionship growing with my Savior and Heavenly Father through reading them everyday. I love love love the new family motto. (Joshua 24:15)

I am so beyond grateful for the opportunity I have to be here, serving a mission. Yes it's hard. Yes at times I just want to give up and cry and take like a 7 hour nap. But meeting people everyday, sharing the gospel, and being a disciple of Christ is a happiness that is indescribable. Truly an honor. AND what's cool, is that with every calling we are asked to do, it was PREORDAINED in the premortal life. Heavenly Father and I knew I was going to do this. I love it. I love being a missionary.

Brother Rivera Cales

Spa time with Hermana Josie

We decorated our house with Christmas Lights

My Zone