Monday, November 15, 2010

This week has been SO good! I have so much I want to write and I know I am not going to have the time to write it all, but I will try!

Friday we had an awesome activity in the chapel for Relief Society. Luisa, our recent convert, taught a class on mosaics. The turn out was amazing. Half of the class was investigators! It was so good that they are going to continue the class next Friday. This is so good for Luisa, who has depression, because it gives her something productive to do and she feels so usful and loved. She has been having a hard time this week...her kids have been sick and she hit a bit of a low point. I would really appreciate prayers in her behalf.

After the activity Friday we gave a tour of the chapel to one of our investigators, Anna Castillo. Anna is very special. She is a mother of 4 boys. One of them, Carlos, is mentally and physically handicapped. Another of her sons killed himself last year because of a bad breakup. Another of her sons is a worlkaholic and alcoholic. The last of the four is somewhat responsible and lives on his own. He drives his mother to the cemetery every Sunday morning to visit her son that passed away...a bit of a hard life. We have been teaching her for about two months now. The tour of the chapel was wonderful. She loved it and felt the peace and trenquility that is inside a house of the Lord.

The best news is that the next day we taught her The Plan of Salvation, the plan that God created for us so that we can find true joy in this life and in the life to come, the plan whereby our families can be together forever. We taught her about the missionaries that are in the spirit world teaching her son the way we are teaching her. We taught her about the reserection, and how when that day comes her son, carlos, will have a body and mind that is perfect. We taught her what she needs to do in this life to be with her family forever afterwards. Part of that, of course, is baptism. As we taught the Holy Ghost bore whitness of the truthfulness of what we were teaching. Anna Castilla will be baptised the 25th of december, a white Christmas! She is going to talk to her son this week to change her schedule so that she can start assisting every Sunday at church. This is a miracle and I am so happy for her. I feel such joy becasue I know she is finding greater happiness every day in the gospel. She has hope in her eyes.

Sunday we had an awesome sacrament meeting. There are now 4 sister missionaries in my ward and this Sunday we all spoke. It was a Sunday of pure missionary power. I spoke about charity, the pure love of Christ, and how if we really care for someone we show them our love by sharing with them what has made us the happiest in this life, the gospel of Jesus Christ. I know it is hard. Before my mission I didnt share the gospel as much as I should have. I was scared. I didnt know how to start talking about religion with people, and I didnt want to loose friendships. Now that I am on the other side of the equator and I have had the practice of teaching and sharing the gospel my fear is gone and I am left feeling so stupid for the way a behaved before. I am not going to say that I regret my past because I have learned so much. My priorities have changes so much. I can now say that I will forever be a missionary. I will talk about the gospel of Jesus Christ with anyone that can enter the waters of baptism. I will never loose another opportunity to share what I know and believe with all my heart, mind and soul. There is temporary happiness in this life that we get from a slice of cake of a new car. This happiness is fleeting. There is everlasting joy that we get from the gospel of Jesus Christ. This joy lasts forever. Dont hold back the knowledge that you have. Sing it from the housetops. Show your charity for others and share the gospel. Ever member is a missionary. We are building Gods kingdom on earth. Do your part. Every family should have a Preach My Gospel in their house. This book was written by apostles of God and can help members in so many ways be prepared to share the gospel. You can use it in your personal study and family home evenings to help your familty prepare to be missionaries every day in every moment. It is awesome!

Well, I am done preaching for the day. haha. Sorry if I bored anyone. I love you all so much. If you are a nonmember reading this find the missionaries and make them teach you the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. You will not regret it. I promise.

Love,
Hermana Canal