What a long week, I dare say. It seems that a ton has happened!
We were very blessed this weekend to be able to help two youth in our ward get baptized on Friday night. The majority of their family are members, but they haven't been able to get baptized for years for the theme of permission from their parents. This week was their week! The service was really sweet. It was considerably easier to prepare for the baptism, because we just had to fill the font and mop the floors. I'll take mopping floors over hauling buckets of dirty water for 4 hours any day. ;) We were able to sing Soy un Hijo de Dios, and everyone that shared their testimony cried. It's always so amazing to see the power of the gospel in families.
Of course the Conference was super fantastic. I still don't get quite as much as I would like out of it in Spanish as I do in English... So that was a struggle. I think the voices are what really get me. But we were definitely able to leave feeling uplifted. I love seeing the general authorities participate that have visited us here in Lima.
I think the battle of the week has been the studying that I mentioned last week. We have come across a lot of bible bashers somewhat randomly that don't seem to let us talk. They like to take advantage of the fact that we haven't memorized the Bible yet. But anywho, I've been trying to study one question in particular that has been driving me downright bonkers! It's been horrible! I find scriptures that tell me one thing, and others that contradict them. I find more and more questions that just leave me more confused and frustrated. Let me tell you, it's terrible! It left me doubting things that I've known my whole life. What a sickening feeling. But, after a really long and tiring week, I sat down and read the Ensign from the conference in October. I was reading the talk from President Uchtdorf that pleads for us to doubt our doubts before we doubt our faith. In the end of the talk it mentions an experience that Christ had with his disciples in John 6. Christ was feeling betrayed and alone as he asked, "Will ye also go away?" What a wrenching question he leaves us... Would something so small truly draw me away from my Savior? Would I also go away? I was startled to find that in the same chapter, I had marked a verse that answered my question that I have been studying all week. What a humbling experience.
I love you all, and I encourage you all to study diligently and establish firm testimonies and strong foundations.
I leave you all not knowing where I'll be next week, for it is officially transfer Pday! (Dun dun dun). Pray that we can all accept the calls that the Lord places before us with grateful and humble hearts.
We were very blessed this weekend to be able to help two youth in our ward get baptized on Friday night. The majority of their family are members, but they haven't been able to get baptized for years for the theme of permission from their parents. This week was their week! The service was really sweet. It was considerably easier to prepare for the baptism, because we just had to fill the font and mop the floors. I'll take mopping floors over hauling buckets of dirty water for 4 hours any day. ;) We were able to sing Soy un Hijo de Dios, and everyone that shared their testimony cried. It's always so amazing to see the power of the gospel in families.
Of course the Conference was super fantastic. I still don't get quite as much as I would like out of it in Spanish as I do in English... So that was a struggle. I think the voices are what really get me. But we were definitely able to leave feeling uplifted. I love seeing the general authorities participate that have visited us here in Lima.
I think the battle of the week has been the studying that I mentioned last week. We have come across a lot of bible bashers somewhat randomly that don't seem to let us talk. They like to take advantage of the fact that we haven't memorized the Bible yet. But anywho, I've been trying to study one question in particular that has been driving me downright bonkers! It's been horrible! I find scriptures that tell me one thing, and others that contradict them. I find more and more questions that just leave me more confused and frustrated. Let me tell you, it's terrible! It left me doubting things that I've known my whole life. What a sickening feeling. But, after a really long and tiring week, I sat down and read the Ensign from the conference in October. I was reading the talk from President Uchtdorf that pleads for us to doubt our doubts before we doubt our faith. In the end of the talk it mentions an experience that Christ had with his disciples in John 6. Christ was feeling betrayed and alone as he asked, "Will ye also go away?" What a wrenching question he leaves us... Would something so small truly draw me away from my Savior? Would I also go away? I was startled to find that in the same chapter, I had marked a verse that answered my question that I have been studying all week. What a humbling experience.
I love you all, and I encourage you all to study diligently and establish firm testimonies and strong foundations.
I leave you all not knowing where I'll be next week, for it is officially transfer Pday! (Dun dun dun). Pray that we can all accept the calls that the Lord places before us with grateful and humble hearts.