“EXPECT
TO SEE A MIRACLE EVERYDAY AND YOU WILL”
Wow
wow wow wow wow! This week was awesome!!! AHHHHH why do I love this work so
much??? Oh yeah, it´s because it´s the most incredible work on the earth. If
it´s the greatest work on the earth than of course Satan is going to do
everything he can to stop it but I testify that NOTHING can stop this work from
progressing.
I
LOVE SPANISH!!!! I’m positive that this is the language I was supposed to speak
because I adore it! I love Spanish. Now if only I could speak it
fluently....patience.
So
here are some little moments of the week. Yesterday we were waiting for a bus
outside of our apartment and watched one of those MASSIVE garbage dumpsters
catch on fire and burn to the ground. It...was....AWESOME!!!!
The fire was so stinking huge! They just let it die
out so there´s that....
I’m
so glad that it´s a new month and that we got more money because by the last
week of May we were pretty much broke. Not joking. We made it through two weeks
on 12 Euros. Hahaha…it was actually kind of fun! It was our fault because we
weren´t able to turn in our reimbursement sheets on time to get money back for
buying stuff the mission covers so we had to wait until yesterday to get that. All
is well now though. We´re back to having money. Hahahahaha!
My Spanish
is coming along! I can finally see that it´s improving. I´m beginning to be
able to hold my own conversations and teach the lessons in Spanish without a
problem. I can get along now. I still
have a long way to go but it´s coming quicker than I thought all thanks to the Lord.
Now for
the best part of the email.
This
week was truly amazing. I definitely saw the power of positive thinking. Last week I got sick and was sick all of this
week but I made a promise to the Lord that I wouldn´t let it hinder the work in
any way. I faced the week with optimism and a smile and the Lord poured out
miracles to us this week.
The
first one was with one of our investigators. When we first met her she
wasn´t interested in the slightest. She blew us off about a dozen times but my companion and I both felt that we had to keep trying, that we had to be patient. We
finally got to teach her but she still kept insisting that she didn´t want
anything to do with the gospel. We decided to step up our game and got a member
involved. We had a lesson in the member´s home with her and taught about the
restoration. As we were testifying about the first vision, something changed.
The spirit took over and I was able to watch someone´s heart open up to the gospel
right before my eyes. I could physically see her change of heart. WOW!!! The
spirit that was in that room was amazing! That lesson changed everything. Since
then she has been progressing like you would not believe and she accepted a
fecha! I can´t tell you how much of a miracle that was.
The
other fecha was with a guy whom we met. He´s about 22 and has been prepared for the gospel for a while now. We met him while we were
toking (knocking) doors on Saturday and he let us in. We explained the book of Mormon
and talked about our purpose as missionaries and he was eating it up! My
companion and I looked at each other at the end of the lesson and we knew that
we were feeling the same thing. Wow! That was a HUGE testimony builder to me that there ARE
people that the Lord has prepared for the gospel. The Lord is truly preparing
his people to receive the gospel and we just have to find them through the help
of the spirit.
This
work is HARD! In fact, it´s the hardest thing I’ve ever done but I can honestly
say that it is the greatest thing I’ve ever experienced. We get rejected,
mocked, and yelled at every day but none of that bothers me at all because nothing
can compare to the happiness that this gospel brings. I cannot explain the joy
that I have felt as I have watched people change their lives to come to the Savior.
I have seen it with my own eyes and there is no doubt in my mind that this IS
in fact the true church of our Savior Jesus Christ.
I testify that no matter
what challenges you may face the Savior is always with you. As you face
disappointment, sorrow, rejection, pain, and every other trial you can imagine
you have the opportunity to stand shoulder to should with our savior, Jesus Christ.
He knows everything you have every experienced and more. He is truly the ONLY
one who knows how to help you perfectly because he is the only one who has felt
what you have perfectly. My invitation to you is to come to the Savior and
become whole in him. By myself I’m weak but in the Lord I am strong. Let the Lord
be your strength, your reason to move forward with each and every day. When we
come to understand the magnitude of the atonement nothing else seems as
important in our lives than to come unto the Savior. Have a good attitude and
think positively. Good things come to those who remain faithful and optimistic
in times of difficulty. I promise that! I’ve seen it a million times over. Keep
smiling even when you don´t feel like it.
When
you feel like you can´t go another day just remember these words. The Savior never said that it would be
easy. He only said that it would be
worth it.
Just
like Elder Holland said in this last conference, if you are lacking in faith or
testimony at this moment feel free to lean on mine because I know without a
SINGLE doubt in my whole soul that God lives. We have a loving Heavenly Father
and a merciful Savior. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is in
fact the kingdom of God on the earth. It is the true church! No matter what
happens NEVER lose faith; NEVER lose hope, and most important NEVER EVER EVER
turn away from the Savior. He is my Savior, my Redeemer, and my best friend.
FIND
joy in the journey
Con
todo mi amor,
Hermana
Israelsen
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