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| Hermanas Lewis, Christensen & Mendoza |
i mosdef just got a call from the mission office about a cheesecake arriving in dried ice... haha you are OUT OF CONTROL! literally fuera de control! i love you guys so much!!! thank you thank you thank you!!!
okay okay okay WHERE DO I EVEN BEGIN? seriously. we have had a SUCH an amazing week. i don't think i've EVER had a happier week or one that has been THIS full of miracles. seriously! okay. SO! EASTER! what on earth? basically... wait let me back up. on saturday night we were almost out of time but decided to hurry and visit a REFERRAL we received who we'd added as an investigator a few days before (one of the many miracles. we NEVER GET REFERRALS!!!!)... and he (hno ivan roman) was leaving but his MOM was home. bingo! she was going to be home alone for easter--poor thing--so invited her to church... and she said YES! we shared a little easter message with her and told her we'd find a ride for her. the neatest thing EVER was that hna raquel roman ACTUALLY CAME!!!! i got to sit by her and she just cried throughout the whole meeting! turns out she used to be visited by missionaries in tj antes but never had time to listen to them. look at how smart heavenly father is! and her hub is in the hospital, so i found the address and the elders are going to give him a blessing! we are bursting with joy outta this. there is a WHOLE FAMILY in that house, and they are SO sincere. i loooove it. and hno roman just straight up said the prayer even though he didn't know how--ah. that is one of my favorite parts about teaching people! their sincere prayers. anyyyyway! okay so sunday--holy PACKED. the meeting was the most powerful tihng i've EVER been a part of.. there wasn't a dry eye in the room! we meet in a small room that the english wards use for their RELIEF society room okay poeple, and we fit NINETY ONE POEPLE in there!!!!! ha! it was amazing how many people came! (not to mention THREE PEOPLE who recently dropped us! EASTER MILAGROS!!!) just go ahead and read dyc section 49:24. elder evans (fromt he mobat) was speaking during the meeting and he said, "this is being fulfilled NOW." and it was SO powerful. there were so many people we had to bless the sacrament TWICE! haha! we werE BURSTING! but i haven't even gotten to the most exciting part! haha and i feel like i'm straight up yelling at you all i'm using so many exclamation marks! I AM SO HAPPY!!! okay but so remember that rad dude that we've been working with for like fifty million hundred years--hno chavez? it's been a ROLLERCOASTER with him. so lately we've kinda backed off and let our amazing members dothe hermanando. we've had lessons and stuff but ust kinda tried to be a little more patient. on saturday hno marquez (thank you for texting that address to him kristen) called and said hno chavez wanted to talk to us before church on sunday. so we get there early (after yet ANOTHER easter miracle at 8:30 when a suuuper less active family that we've been trying to get to come to church since i got here in DECEMBER opened the door to us and they were ALREADY ALL READY to go! i handed them the plate of pancakes i'd made them and we peaced, rejoicing because they were already awake!).. we get to the church and by the time hno chavez got there sacrament was starting, but he said something to the effect of, "my heart is pounding. i don't know what to tell you." i just said diga mi amigo. (here i'd been praying for a milagro that he'd say he'd FINALLY decided on a date to get baptized or something) he awkwardly put his hands on my shoulders and i awkwardly brushed them off when he said, "this is my last week in your church." i was speechless. this man has received TANTAS respuestas. he KNOWS this is true and he's known it for AWHILE. i couldn't believe it. then he said that presidente morgan had started and we'd talk later. so we parted. RIGHT when we got in there presidente morgan said, "pongase de pie por favor hno chavez" aka stand up then.... "hermano chavez will be baptized on saturday april 30th at 1:00 pm. we'd like to invite all to attend his baptism.." ........ no words. absolutely no words. speechless! hahah. family, i cannot explain. when i looked over at him and he was just smiling and laughing for having gotten me SO HARDCORE.. and everyone int he branch turned over to loook at me, "you didn't know?!" and we were all just SO HAPPY--as a BRANCH--that this precious son of god had decided to take this imoprtant step. it was beautiful. i will NEVER forget that moment!! ever!!!! (what a smart alec though, seirously. can you BELIEVE it?! he said he'd been planning it for weeks. wow.) there were so many more miracles, so many more incredible things that happened that day and this week, but you get the point.
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| Hermanas Lewis & Christensen |
sister lewis and i are marveling at HOW GOOD heavenly father is to us. we are SO grateful. we have recieved SO MANY blessings we don't know what we did right!
i have a testimony that THIS. IS. GODS. WORK. His hand is in it. HE directs the times and bounds of our habitation. HE is aware of us, each, separately, singly, individually. He LOVES us. He LOVES His children soooo much, and He LOVES to bless us. He does WAY TOO MUCH for us!
I had very possibly one of the most memorable Easters in my entire life. My journal, my mind, and my heart are SO full of gratitude for being a missionary. i love it more than life itself. i have literallyfound myself in trying to lose myself. i know what makes me happy, and that is sharing the gospel of jesus christ and helping people receive it themselves in their lives. i know these milagros are coming because of A LOT of semblando.. a lot of planting seeds, a lot of trying to be patient and a lot of time and love. i love my branch. i love my amazing companion--what an incredible, diligent, effective, HILARIOUS missionary she is. what a blessing it is to be int he Lord's service.
so my commitment to you is to make your list: the things you LOVE. watch your cup as it runneth over with gratitude for what you have. take time to notice the small and simple tms... they are EVERYWHERE. as we take the time to notice our blessings, we cannot help but help those around us do the same... to feel the joy that comes from living a righteous life. no matter if their nonmenbers, active members, investigators, or less active members. there are people who are already all ready and WAITING for you to touch and bless their lives--in whatever way it may be. Let us look for these opportunites to notice, feel, and share our Savior's love.
God lives. He loves us. He sent His SON so we could learn and grow and be happy. I love my Savior. I love His gospel. I know it is true. WITHOUT A SHADOW OF A DOUBT!
i love you all. may we all press on in this great cause... rejoicing evermore and looking for those around us who are ALREADY ALL READY is my prayer! in the name of our gracious Savior, Jesus Christ, amen!
so much love!
hermana christensen
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