5 months!!!

awful picture but us with Hermana Grecia (an awesome and very helpful member) on her bday

Hola Todos!

This week was fantastic. I have officially completed 5 months on my mission, and though it took a bit, I can testify that I have truly grown to love this work and these people. I have almost always liked it (there are always hard days) but this like and appreciation has truly transformed into a love and a gratitude that I have the opportunity to serve the Lord by serving His children. The key to happiness is truly to lose yourself in the service of your God.

On Saturday we were teaching a man named Hector. He is a fantastic person. He is relatively young but has gone through a lot in his life, and in the time that we have been teaching him I have truly seen a change in him. During this lesson we were teaching in a park near his house. We decided to teach him about the power of fasting. We invited him to fast with the purpose of asking for God's help in his journey of overcoming his addictions. He told us that he was willing to fast but that he didn't feel worthy to fast for that. He told us that God had more important things to do than help him stop smoking, something that he should have the power to do himself. That this little thing was too silly for the Lord. 

Hermana Hernandez stopped him and invited him to look around, and then to look at the sky for a moment. He agreed and silently stared up at the sky. She began to describe to him how big the world is and how small we are. That God created all of this. The stars in the sky, the earth on which we stood, each and every plant, insect, animal, everything. "Makes you feel small doesn't it?" she asked, and he silently nodded his head. She told him that it is true. In comparison to all of this creation, to God in all His glory, we are nothing, but that to Him, we are everything. All of this He created for us. She testified to him that he was truly a child of God. She told him, "and if you think for one second that this is too small for Him, you are wrong." 

Hector is a person who is always moving. During our lessons he talks incredibly fast,he paces back and forth, speaks expressively with his hands, acts out his stories...never stops moving and doing, but in this moment, he was still. He agreed to fast, to ask for His help, and to work with all his might to never smoke again. The spirit was incredibly strong.

La familia Lecanda

I want to testify to all of you that God lives. That He loves us. That He has done, is doing, and will continue doing everything to help us. There is no struggle, no worry, no trial too small for Him. We are His children, and His work and glory is to bring to pass our immortality and eternal life. Turn to Him, pray to Him, trust in Him, and love Him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, and He will work miracles in your life.

I love and miss you all, and hope you have a fantastic week.

Hermana Naatjes

 An awesome meal from an awesome family (la familia Lecanda)