Hello My mother! And anyone else who reads this!
This week has been absolutely CRAZY! We spent 88% of our time working with our investigator sister Hernandez so that she will be prepared to be baptized on the 23rd. BUT I'm not sure how much I told you about her crazy life but her husband is stuck in Mexico working on his immigration visa so she hasn't really talked to him much about the lessons we've been teaching her. And we found out on FRIDAY that he doesn't want her to be baptized. AHHH it's ridiculous, and frustrating. But she is trying to talk to him and help him see how important this is to her. We fasted with her yesterday to ask God to soften his heart and give his consent to be baptized. But we just found out that His papers came in and he's approved for a VISA, which means he's coming home! None of us really expected that to happen but the Lord works in mysterious ways. Hopefully we can continue to help her progress that that her husband will give his consent when he arrives in the US of A.
ALSO this week has been frustrating due to the lack of progress in the area. I'm not sure if it's just because of the generation I was born in or due to my nature but I am not an extremely patient person. It's difficult to see the progress we've made over a weekly basis as I look at our day and realize we have not taught ANYONE. But I know that the Lord is trying to help me develop patience and my ability to endure so I will try my best. It reminds me of Elder Caskey's talk before he left on his mission (which surprisingly was this mission). I don't know why this stood out to me so much or how I can manage to still remember it when I remember nothing else about my past life. But he said that God doesn't call you to go where it'll be easiest for you. He calls you where it will help you to grow the most. I know that there are people who are in my area who are being prepared to be taught. I just have to learn how to rely on the Lord and be patient for him to help us find those people.
To help me learn patience he might have made our car completely undriveable. We've been having some struggles with low tire pressure lately and have had to fill up our tires with air everyday this week. Needless to say, the people at the gas station know us well. But yesterday we got home from church and got ready to go to our dinner appointment and realized our tire was completely FLAT. But since our dinner appointment wasn't too far away we got out our bikes (mine is named Bertha. She's a BEAUTY) and off we went!! Which was all fine and dandy until we left our dinner appointment and found out the storm was RAGING out there. We honestly did our best to ride our bikes up the hill to our house but we were practically going backwards. We were probably quite the sight to see with our gigantic winter coats and crazy bikes swerving everywhere. But luckily we live with the GREATEST people ever! They noticed the raging storm and didn't want us to die so they came to our rescue! It's was so great, and mostly freezing but it did remind me that we have to work hard and do our best before God will send the help we need.
Also, on a somewhat different note we have learned much about the missionaries in the Philippines. Although I can never imagine what horrors they have faced and the devastating blow it has been to that country I am astounded to learn that not one single missionary died. It truly is a miraculous tale of the real life strippling warriors that we have among us. Their crazy tales of near death experiences and how God managed to save them buoys up my courage and reminds me of the promise God made to us all, "I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee." This truly is the Lord’s church and no person, idea, storm, or otherwise can prevent this knowledge from penetrating every last corner of the earth. I am so thankful and honored to be included in this great and last work God has called us all to.
Love, Sister Terry
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