Hello hello!
What a wonderful week it
has been! It is so great to be feeling
healthy and have all my energy to serve the Lord. My testimony has been strengthened this week
on miracles. One thing I have been
working on is having faith that miracles can happen. I was reading in Ether about how if you don't
believe that miracles can happen, the Lord can't give them to you.
We were able to have 5
different members come out with us this week to lessons! That is a miracle right there. We usually get about two member presents a week
so it was great to have the help of the members in our lessons!
Last Monday we got a
text from Ciria. You may remember me
talking about her. She was an
investigator a few months ago. She
texted us and asked if we would have time to visit with her. Shelly, who is a recent return missionary,
came with us to this lesson. As soon as
we started talking with Ciria she started asking questions like, "So if I
get baptized..." "So when I get baptized..." "So if I want
to get married in the temple..." Questions
about the Book of Mormon and so many other things! She had questions coming for over an hour.
We hadn't been able to
have contact for her for a few months but she told us that she has been reading
and praying about the Book of Mormon, praying about baptism, and she has been
going to Washington a lot because she has a friend that lives there that is a
member and she has been going to church there! She told us that she wants to get baptized it
is just a matter of time because her family is very Catholic and will disown
her. (She lives with her sister and her
sister wouldn't let us in the house so we walked to a park for the lesson). The only bad news is that she has a job
opportunity in Washington so she may be moving there….But missionaries will be
there too! She really is so special. I could feel it from the very first time I
met her.
We had a lesson with
Maria Ortega and we talked about temples and eternal families. We had a member come with us that is sealed in
the temple and her testimony was so great for Maria. We are hoping we can take Maria to the
visitors center in the next couple weeks. We asked her again if she would prepare to be
baptized and she said, "Remember I was already baptized in my
church?" So the member explained
to her the importance of the priesthood for like the 5th time...haha! One of these times she will get it. She wasn't able to come to church because she
had work but she committed that she will come this week.
Our FHE last Monday was
awesome!! Cynthia (Nazario and Socorro's
daughter) came!!! That was a ginormous
miracle. We usually can barely get her
to say hello to us. I got to sit down
and talk to her for a few minutes. Not
too much church stuff but little by little. Then Friday we had a lesson with Nazario and
Socorro with the Relief Society President. We talked about temples and eternal marriage. The Relief Society President's testimony was
perfect! She told them about her
experience she had getting sealed to her family (she is a convert) and how the
temple has blessed her life.
Last night we had a
lesson with the Bishop at the familia Villalobos house. (They are the family
that got baptized a week ago) with Nazario and Socorro. The Villalobos family
is perfect for Nazario and Socorro; they have been bonding so much! They shared their experience of how they
received their answers to get baptized. The
missionaries have taught Hermano Villalobos multiple times. This last time when the missionaries asked him
to be baptized and he prayed about it, that night he had a dream that someone
came to him and said, “This is your last chance to be baptized. Are you going
to follow the Lord or not?” The Spirit
was amazing. The Villalobos told Socorro,
“What if this is your last chance, it's time you make the choice to be
baptized.” Socorro didn't say too much
but she was nodding her head and I know she could feel of the Spirit. She is a
step behind her husband but soon enough she will know it’s time to be baptized.
We had Stake Conference
this last week and we got to hear from our very own mission president and his
wife and Elder Allan Packer. (President Packer's son!) It was a great
conference. Elder Packer taught about
how important it is to understand the language of the Spirit. This is something
I am so grateful for here on the mission……to be able to become so in tune with
the Spirit! There are many times that we
wonder if this thought is coming from me or is it from the Spirit? I love how Elder Packer answered it. He said, "If your thought is helping you
follow the Savior or a good choice, then follow it. The more we follow these
good thoughts the more we will receive and realize that they are coming from
the Spirit. And it doesn't matter if these are your thoughts or from the Spirit
as long as they are in harmony." This
week I invite you all to follow all the promptings you receive from the Spirit.
If you are confused if it is you or the
Spirit just think if it is helping you follow the Savior. I know we are blessed as we follow the
promptings we receive.
Well folks I have been
out for six months now….So that means I will see you all in a year! Thank you
for all your love and support it means the world to me.
Have a great week, I
love you all!
Love,
Hermana Gifford
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