Tuesday, March 12, 2013

March11, 2013 Stephanie



                                                          March 11, 2013

Dear Family, 

   Wow, is all I have to say about Maren’s letter.... Thank you Maren I needed to hear a lot of the words you wrote. You sound like you’re doing great!!! You already have a baptismal date that is so cool!!! A mission can sometimes be hard lots harder than we thought but it is also the most rewarding work. It reminds me of dad’s quote that anything of worth in this life takes work.  If we think about it we are working for others salvation (and our own). What a great work to be in. I want to share with you what I wrote my president because it illustrates my point. 

Dear President Glazier

   Thank you and your wife so much for coming to our baptism this Saturday it was so much fun to have you there.  Hermana Glazier was talking to one of our investigators.... one who is and has been really hard hearted. Never in my life have I ever meet anyone who needed the atonement more in their lives.  The miracle of this is that she came to church with us yesterday and she is becoming more open to the idea of baptism.  Yesterday we found out that the reason she likes the church is because it gives her hope that she will be able to see her sons again. She had 5 children and Magdalena, the mother of Jorge, is the only one alive. She has seen so much sorrow and heartache in her life and I want to give her all the hope, joy, peace and the knowledge that I have that she one day will have her children with her again. I love this gospel. It give so much hope to people. The love of our savior is so great and infinite that it’s hard for some people to comprehend something so marvelous. We have such an amazing job to spread the good news of the gospel to  the entire world. 
    Thank you for your help ....We had ward counsel yesterday and we talked about plans that we think will help this ward and it’s fun to see the leaders start to realize and help with putting these plans into action.
   Thanks for all you do. 

Hermana Hale  

You are so right. There are so many Alma the younger out there and we have the great opportunity to go literally lift them up. A mission is hard because it is not just physically draining it is spiritually demanding. We are the people that everyone turns to have the right words to say in the times that are hard. Do not let this scare you because we have the promise of the Lord that he will give us in the time we need it the words that we need to speak.  But, it is our responsibility to be prepared. That is why our personal study and companionship study are so important it gives God the chance to give us what we need to help others that day. The more I work the more I realize I can’t give something that I do not have. Therefore, every day we must increase our faith and increase our obedience in order to be the answer of faith and hope in the Lord that people need. I remember .....I’ll never forget.... when Chepe’s uncle died. We got there to comfort and give help where we could.  There was a moment that a woman kind of lost it and was screaming to God and asking why and where was he. I came over to help try and calm her down and when she was calm enough ....she turned to me and with the most, wow, hopeful, intense look, looking for a hand or something to help her keep her head above water so she wouldn’t  drown in her feelings of sorrow and fear. She asked where is Jeovany? Where is he?  We have the answers that give hope and that show God’s love. We are the answer, the hands that lift and help people out of their sorrow and fear. I was able to explain a little about the plan of salvation to this woman and this calmed her down even more to the point where she was not crying anymore just listening. We are so blessed family to have the knowledge we do. Always remember and in remembering you’ll want to share it more. 
Anyway Maren sounds like you are doing a great job and the pictures you sent are so cool.  Your experiences are so different than mine and I know at times I will be jealous. Ha but,  wow, what an amazing experience. It’s good to hear that people have a good view of us and understand we are here to help. 
This week for me was ha well, stressful.... We ended up putting together a baptism in like 3 days and the day of the President called and said he was going to be there with his wife .... no pressure right. Ha but, it all went well. Jorge finally got baptized!!!!!!! Oh what joy,  I was so happy and Gregoria his grandma came and Hermana Glazier was talking to her afterwards and well she is not completely closed to baptism!!!!  I am so excited. Yolanda also go baptized yesterday. It was the Elders baptism but Yolanda had a feche or date with us last change and she just wanted more time to prepare.....but, we taught her everything and wow it was incredible to see and witness the faith of this woman who has only one leg to be helped into the baptismal font and be baptized by her nephew that we baptized 3 weeks before !!! Oh, it was an incredible day. Ha, I just felt really bad because I was so stressed out that the President was coming and other details that I got a migraine ...can’t spell two well on my mission ..... I need to learn patients and to have more faith and trust in the Lord and trust that what happens will happen because God is in it. I worry too much sometimes. Then I try and not worry so much and I come up way short I am working on finding a good balance but wow it’s hard ha. 
I am sending pictures finally. Hope you get them the first is a picture of Yolanda and Antonio. The second will be of Jorge and the familia Orellana.  Oh, family this family I love them so much!!!! They mean so much to me and if I am blessed to see the day when all!! all of them are baptized, I will be so extremely full of joy. Ha. I know it will happen. That they all will be baptized but I don’t know if I will have the blessing to see it but I am praying hard Ha but also trusting in the Lord and his purposes
I love this work it is the work of the Lord. I know he lives and love us so much. The peace and joy in my heart are the blessings of the gospel and I am realizing more and more how incredible these feelings are and what an incredible blessing they are. I will never trade them for anything in this world. Yesterday in soc soc we were talking about the inheritance we have the opportunity to receive.  We as humans now, can’t comprehend all that the father has in store for us. All he asks is that we keep his commandments. I heard something that impacted me. It is said that if we could just peek through the veil for a few seconds, we would be so amazed. We would do anything, give up all to be in heaven with our father. We would obey all the commandments. We would understand the law of obedience and beg for more commandments. Family shall we not go on for so great a cause? Stay faithful. Obey and do all that the father is asking us to ..... He is only asking us to do that which will make us happy.  I know I am preaching to the choir. You all are trying your best to live the gospel. I guess what I am trying to say is stay faithful because the blessings are so incredibly great, we can’t afford to not be faithful. 
  I love you all 
 Hermana Hale  
    


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