Querida Familia!
This has been quite the week! Very mixed emotions... We didn't teach very many lessons this week, but all day Thursday and Friday we were in Moses Lake at trainings. The trainings were amazing and I learned so much!! :)
Okay, so first off, investigators... The Lopez family is doing good, but we've had a hard time getting a hold of them this week. They've had some personal problems this week, but we know we'll get back in this week with them. Keep them in your prayers, especially Maria. She's going through a rough spot right now. Eva Ramirez: we taught her this week and had good lessons with her. She is a former investigator and in our first lesson we had with her she told us that she had a problem with the Book of Mormon being equal to the Bible. All righty, we know what we need to work on with her. I love it! Tonight we're going over there again and we'll be focusing on how she can get an answer about the Book of Mormon. Alberto: We had some fun things happen with him this week. He called us on Tuesday and asked if we did marriages on the church and I said yes and he asked if we could find someone to marry him and his girlfriend. No problem! He got married on Saturday night and then they both came to church yesterday. Her family is all catholic and were not excited that they got married and we're especially not excited that they got married in a 'Mormon church'. She's heard a lot of dfferent things about our religion, but Alberto has just told her that we talk about Christ and he likes what we talk about. She had a lot of questions about sacrament meeting yesterday and tonight we're scheduled to meet with them both. So excited!! And last but not least,Deann: She's the wife of that family that we tracted into on Christmas Eve. She didn't seem too interested at the time, but we went back this week and opened up to us. She's going through a really hard time right now with her husband. She said that she isn't happy with her church right now and liked what she heard when we were talking to Miguel, and so she wants us to come back. She could be moving soon, so we're hoping she stays in the boundaries. Chances are good because Eastmont ward has a lot of subsidized housing. I'll keep you updated!
This week the trainings were great! I don't know how it worked out, but it's what we need to focus on with our investigators. And I had a break through moment... True, honest, sincere love for the investigators or people we work with is not about babying them or keeping them from doing hard things. It's helping them build that faith in Christ and doing everything possible to know him better. Somtimes the things we ask are hard, like praying out loud or reading, but we know that the only way they will begin to make the changes in their lives are through simple acts like that. My testimony of that grew a ton this week. I am so grateful for Pres. Palmer and the way he trains. We also talked a ton about the One Church Initiative. Seriously , that program is so inspired. I love it!!
At the end of training on Friday, Pres. Palmer gave us some exciting news... This Saturday the Spokane Stake is have a visiting General Authority and so Pres. Palmer asked if that General Authority would be willing to talk to the whole mission for a little bit this coming Saturday. And he said yes!! So, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland from the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will be speaking to our mission this Saturday!! I'm a little bit excited. :)
Well, I love each and every one of you so much!! Thank you for everything!! I love you all and honestly know that I have the best family and friends ever. Have a great week!!
Love,
Hermana Haws
PS- sorry Jeremy, it's another long one. :)
