Week 23

Okay so basically this week was such an emotional roller coaster I dont even know where to begin.

well first off, Thanksgiving was so great! It started with some turkey bowl with a few of nearby zones and the taggarts and APs come to play with us! (fun fact... one of the APs went on a date with my cousin Gina hahaha) OH and we had 3 dinner appts. I literally prayed before the second dinner that we would be able to eat more food. Because hipanics do this thing where you dont serve yourself. They take your plate, and give you everything. So you are eat SO much. Seriously, I was still full the day after thanksgiving. But I love how awesome the members are for letting us come over and spend the holidays with them :) 

Okay so ... THERE WAS SNOWFALL. The first day is always exciting. But walking around all day in it is less exciting. After a full day of walking in the snow, my hip was really bothering me. Like it always bothers me but more than usually. The next day it was just worse. When it gets colder outside, theres more pain. So I got really nervous. All these thoughts were coming into my head like, "but this isnt even anything yet, its gonna get so much colder, what if they send me home? what if i need surgery?" Just everything. So I asked my district leader if he could give me a blessing of health. So  he gave me a blessing and I felt so calm. In the blessing, he said over and over how the Lord is perfectly aware of what I am feeling and the pain that I have. All I have to do is learn to rely on the Atonement and everything will be okay and he will send angels on my right and on my left to bear me up. What a great blessing that was. Sometimes we forget how powerful the Atonement really is. That we can call upon the savior to bear us up and he will! I have such a testimony of the reality of the atonement. that our Savior truly did suffer for all of us, even me. All I can do is put everything I have into His work. When I feel like I cant walk another block, I just close my eyes and pray for strength and I can literally feel myself being strengthened. I feel so much better after the blessing! Im walking with ease now! The priesthood is such a wonderful blessing. 

Marisol was all set for baptism. the program was ready to go, the interview had been passed and we were in constant communication with her everyday! we saw here like almost everyday this week and all was ready to go. On friday, she was so excited and when we left, a friend came over who heard she was getting baptized and showed her a lot of antimormon videos to watch which told her many terrible false things about joseph smith and the book of mormon. We went back and I immediately felt sick. Like the spirit just wasnt in her home. the first thing she said was "no me voy a bautizar manana" and I was just like what happened? She told us about the antimormon stuff. before we said anything we offered a prayer to invite the spirit and I felt so much better. but i was heart broken. She just kept going on and on about what this video told her and about how we dont really know the true story of joseph smith. we talked about the restoration and about how Christ is the head of the church. We were asking her questions to try to get to her tell us how the holy ghost had manifested unto her, because she knows the book of mormon is true, she knows the priesthood is real because she has been healed by the blessings of health. She KNOWS THIS THINGS. but she would not even answer questions. she wouldnt say anything. She looked at me like I was silly when I said christ is the head of this church. I then said the I know he is the head of this church because, by power and authority I am his representative I testified that as members of his church, when we see his face one day, we will know him and he will say, "come, enter into the joy of the lord". I felt the spirit so strongly manifesting unto me that what I said was true. she began to cry as well. 

I know the Lord wants me to learn a lot of things out here, but the greatest thing I have learned is how involved he is in our lives. How much he loves us and how badly he just wants us to come unto him. I know that because as his representative, Ive felt the sorrow that comes when people dont do his will. 

So yeah rough week, but spiritually enriching week as well so you cant complain right? I hope everyone had a wonderful thanksgiving and I love you all!

This is on kearny ave. notice that no one is outside because freezing hahah love you!

This is right outside our chapel.