Return Plans

Hello Beautiful Family!

Thank you for arranging flight plans...I'm way excited! Although...that DOES mean that the beach is mas o menos off limits. It'll be fine though. I'm just stoked to see you! It will be so fun to be with Ryan and Chelsea and the kiddos, too. I loved what Jo said about Chelsea helping families adjust their attitudes about cranial bands. Life is awkward. Why not have fun with it? I'm realizing that I've gotten super awkward over the last fews weeks, especially. I trust that you'll be gentle in helping me adjust to normal life again..

I'm planning on sending a couple of packages these next few days...they mostly have winter clothes and my blanket and they have the dresses in there as well.

 

HAPPY EASTER!!!! Wasn't it just wonderful?? We actually had fewer people at church, but one of our investigators (Tommy) who we had turned over to the elders (for questions of motivation and genuine interest) came to church AND to a baptism yesterday. We had the chance to teach him a little more this week (he's been having trouble meeting up with the elders for them to teach him) but it seems like things have changed. It just feels different when we talk to him. Before, he was very interested in showing off his knowledge of the Bible and other such things, so he wasn't actually progressing very much. But this week, he's been full of questions and there's a new look in his eye that wasn't there before. He really loved the baptism and is going to pray this week about a day that he will be baptized as well. YESSSSSSSSSSSS!!!! I'm not sure why it felt so weird before but now the whole situation feels right, but it's wonderful! I love being able to see the change in people's lives and countenances as they come closer to God. It's the most beaufitul thing!

We knocked doors in a different part of our area this week and we found some REALLY wonderful people. Heavenly Father has been blessing us quite a bit. It's funny how even miracles are rarely an all-at-once thing. Even though it may happen fairly quickly, it never seems to be SO fast that we notice it right away. Heavenly Father works in very quiet ways. He's just amazing. :) We met one man named Sebastian who opened the door right away and began to share his experiences, thoughts and feelings about God. He's had a lot of trials, but has faith like I've never seen before. He is a very sincere, humble man and it was such a tender mercy to be able to talk to him and share that his "conversations with God" actually are prayers and that other ideas he felt that were all his own and that he would be ridiculed for are actually truths from God that He wants Sebastian to know. He said a few different times "You know, I feel really good around you two. That probably is a sign from God. I think something really good is going to come from meeting you."

GAH!! I love when people actually listen to the Spirit!!

 

I just love the Savior. So much. I was thinking yesterday about what other kinds of ideologies I'll encounter when I go home....seeing as pretty much everyone we meet with is some kind of catholic or other form of christian, it'll be interesting to go home to atheists.I thought about conversations I've had with people before where they have been very disparaging about any kind of belief in God at all and seemed angered by the fact that I was so "ignorant." How could I possibly believe in God? well, 3 reasons come immediately to mind. First, considering that generally, a belief in God helps people cope with tragedy, gives direction and inspiration for their lives, and helps them to do and be better is intriguing enough to make one wonder if there might be something beneficial about faith. But then there's the reason that Elder Nelson spoke about. This world is AMAZING! Not just the natural world, but our bodies, our experiences, our thoughts, our emotions, our capacities, our relationships...they're all perfect! They may not seem ideal in our minds, because they are difficult, to be sure, but always just enough to stretch us. Every aspect of our individual lives and characters is perfectly organized and planned. Even and especially the way we learn to control ourselves and our environments. When it comes to  beautiful buildings, events, pieces of art, etc....we ALWAYS acknowledge that there is a designer, a mastermind behind it all orchestrating everything. Why shouldn't life and nature be the same? What more beautiful masterpiece can there be than a human life?

But the most poignant, important evidence for me that there is a God, that He knows me, that He loves me, and that Jesus Christ is my older brother who in reality DID atone for my sins is simply that I feel it. I feel their love. I feel their guidance. When I've felt hopeless or alone, I've relied entirely on the Savior, not an imaginary friend or idealistic perspective, but a real person to help me. I feel that the more I try to get to know them through prayer and scriptures, the more I understand their characters, their kindness, their love. I feel it so strongly. Sometimes I don't pay enough attention or I become so selfish that I forget to look for them, but I know they are there. No one can take that feeling away. I know it and I love them. That's why I'm a missionary. I know that they want to have every other person in the world feel their love and rely on them to be able to make the most of their life masterpiece. They want to help us.

 

Happy Easter, beautiful family.

I love you more than jugo de sandia!

Hermana Manzana