1Nephi 8:10-12

Hola Familia-

Thank you for all of your emails. It was a great week! Maybe a little slow, but fun none-the-less.for my bday 

We had brownies and Ice cream for breakfast and We also had zone conference on my birthday,, and I got a General Conference Package to open! Thank you for sending my favorite candy! I love me some M&Ms! And it was fun to see the pictures. We had cake at the Bishop´s house too. But that was about it.. the rest of the week was work. I really wish I had more to tell you. A lot of Ups and downs this week as far as investigators go. I dont know if I told you about our investigators E____ and E___. A mother and a daughter. They are awesome... progressing slowly but are doing really well! E____ came with us to church yesterday which was a big step for her. We´ve been trying to get her to come for about a month now. She is so sweet and they love animals! 

I will take a picture of the Giant tortious (sorry I cant spell) they have. I was telling them what we eat in Louisiana, I mentioned alligator, and turtle, and she reaches for the ground and pics up a big the big turtle! and of course I ask to hold it and am playing with it.. and right as she was telling me that it likes to pee on "guests" it goes all over me. Haha.. They also have a cage of about 30 birds. crazy lol 

 

I have been studying Lehi´s dream this week. Picking it a part really. I have come up with some interesting things I hadn´t thought of before. Did you ever notice that it says holding to the end of the rod of iron? We can´t start in the middle and expect to get to the tree. We must start from the beginning. From the basic doctrines of the Gospel starting with Faith. Also The "vapor de tinieblas" will affect everyone who wants to partake of the sweet fruit that the tree has to offer. It´s not always easy to get reach that Love of God, in reality, it will be difficult, but I know that eating of the sweet fruit will be so much sweeter when we endure the difficult journey it takes to reach The tree. It will be worth it when we "hold fast"

 

(for more on the dream that Hermana B is referring to, here are two great talks that discuss in more detail: 

http://www.lds.org/ensign/2011/10/lehis-dream-holding-fast-to-the-rod

http://www.lds.org/ensign/2011/10/lehis-dream-holding-fast-to-the-rod )

 

 

Love you!

Lucas 4:18 - October 14

Jasmine likes to put a scripture as her subject.

Lucas 4:18

Recibì buenas noticias de cada persona!! Primero, Muchisimas gracias porque recibì un sobre de fotos! Ahora, tengo fotos para mostrar las familias en mi Barrio. Jaja papi, no sè porque todos quiere ser amigos con la Karen. Ella es bakan, eso es la unica cosa que puedo pensar en. (Bakan=cool jaja). Eso es bueno que puede traducir! Y lo fue bueno para leer las noticias del misioneros de North Canyon! Muchas estorias de los misioneros.
I received good news everyone ! First, Thank you so much because I received an envelope of photos! Now , I have pictures to show families in my neighborhood . Haha daddy , I know no because everyone wants to be friends with Karen . She is bakan , that's the only thing I can think of. ( Bakan = cool haha). That is good which can translate! And it was good to read the news of the missionaries from North Canyon ! Many estorias of missionaries.

(A few of Hermana Berthelson's ward friends have facebook friend requested me - this way they can see pics of Hermana B - this is what she is referring to in her email)

Segùn a la Hermana Salazar, tuvimos èxito con nuestros menos activos. Tuvimos 3 menos activos asistir por la primera vez! Nos enfocamos en los menos activos este semana, entonces tuvimos esta bendicion. Una de las menos activos se llama Y_____. Fue bakan por que ella vive con su mamà (menos activa) y su hermana menor que tiene 16 años. En principio, enseñamos Yanina solà, pero un noche su mamà vino porque estaba curiosa y su hermana tambièn. Yanina nos dijò que quieria servir una misiòn! Ella tiene 21 años y queiremos invitarle a venir con nosotras.
According to Sister Salazar , we were successful with our less active. Less active had 3 attend for the first time! We focus on the less active this week, then we had this blessing . One of the less active is called Y___ . Bakan was that she lives with her mamà ( less active ) and her younger sister who is 16. In principle , Y_____ solà teach , but one night his mamà came because I was curious and sister too. Y____ quieria told us serve a mission! She is 21 and queiremos invite you to come with us.

Other than that we are working with the same people. We really have been able to see the small success of the past 9 weeks here. It is really hard. Partially because we haven´t been able to see much success as far as numbers go. We keep inviting and inviting people to come to the church, but it is a standstill. Conference was awesome because I feel that we were lacking support from the members. But we are trying to overcome these barriers as well. So I wish there was more that I could tell you yáll. I am always happy to get emails from my family on Mondays. I am glad everyone is doing well. I have been studying a lot from conference as well in my personal study. I recently studied the one from Edward Dube about the plough. If we have our ploughs and look back, we might not be able to receive the rich blessings that come from moving forward in a straight line aligning ourselves with the Savior and His will. The power of the Atonement is real. I can testify of that. I pray that y`all have an awesome week!! Love you lotsss!!!! 

General Conference Weekend

We had been working as hard as we could to invite members and non-members to the conference this weekend. It was truely a blessing to listen to President Monson, the Presidency, Apostles, 70, and chosen counsel to speak to us. Unfortunately, we didn´t have too much success bringing people, but wow.... What an incredible blessing it was to listen to each one of them. Truely inspíred representatives of the Lord. I hope you all were able to watch or listen with spiritual ears to understand the counsel to receive personal revelation. I was really grateful (yep, thank you K) for the prayers on behalf of the missionaries, and YES! One year ago, how cool to hear the growth of all of the Missionaries too! I know there are even more preparing (even in our ward) to leave. There was a call to the members as well. Know/hope you are doing your part. I come to realize every day that I am teaching Children of God. all with different backgrounds, lifestyles, challenges, strengths, and weaknesses. Yep we are among our brothers and sisters and it should never be difficult to extend an offer or help. We might have to go out of our way to do so, but the blessings of being a missionary don´t only apply to missionaries, but to everyone who gives of themselves on behalf of another. As these months have taught, life is a precious gift. I was thinking of my family a lot during conference this year :)

Hna Salazar and I have been working hard on extending baptismal invitations as well this week. There is an old woman named M________. We contacted her on the street, had a lesson, and we have a bap date for Nov 16th! Okay, we don´t know how this is all going to work out between now and the 16th, but we are hoping and praying that she will be willing to keep committments and take up our invitations we´re extending to read scriptures, go to church. She lives with her brother, and with her old age, has a lot of health problems. But she is still livin and rockin! She is super sweet. We were also priveledged to have a conference with our Mission President and his wife! It was wonderful, and we were taught to keep our head up even in the difficult situations we might be faced with in the Mission. We also learned Elder Holland  will be coming to Santiago on the 15th of November to address us!!! So cool! I´m so excited for when he comes!

We have also worked a lot with our "menos activos". Harder than I thought but we love them. It´s always interesting to hear how or why people leave the church. And for the most part it´s a lot more complex than we might think. It´s so important to reach out farther to those who might not have that solid testimony because what is so true is when you have a friend in the church, you have a lot. And unfortunately we might be able to afford a family "friendship" for 6 weeks, but the members have a big responsibility as well. I feel like I am challenging my parents to do a lot here. But truely!! The work extends farther than the missionary plaque!

 

Choose the right! 

Chao po

 

September 30

It has been a pretty good week here! At the same time, not so much. As far as lessons go, it has been a little difficult with investigators and getting lessons in, but we have had a lot more success with our menos activos this past week. 
Although we do have an investigator named M____. She is 70 yrs old and we invited her to be baptized. She said yes! She had been taught by the Elders many years ago, and we are continuing to teach her. The reason she was not baptized before was because she felt like she wasn´t ready. And she is going through a divorce right now which now she feels like that is holding her back again. We are continuing to teach her about the Gospel and the need to be baptized and to not be afraid to make covenants with God. We are continually praying for her and are hoping for a baptismal service on the 4th of Nov. 

I have started a journal specifically for the Book of Mormon. It is really incredible. I am learning to apply scripture, and to look at the details. Nephi 19:23. That and we have General Conference coming up! I hope y´all are preparing for it.