And We Rejoiced Together

I can't believe I´ve almost hit three months in the mission. In two days I am going to have three months as a missionary! How exciting. I love this work and I love being a part of hastening the work as well. I am doing well. I had an allergic reaction this week and got a shot and then this pill that totally drugged me and then slept for 15 hours. So that was really nice to get the sleep that I needed.

Hermana Sanchez and I are getting along really well. I'm learning a lot about patience and self-mastery, things that I´ve never really been able to develop. I am really getting closer to Christ every week and that brings me a certain peace that I can't describe.  Thank you for all your prayers. I know I am being protected through the prayers of the righteous and I am so grateful for that. Keep praying, please. Pray that we can have success and the ability to find the people with whom we need to focus in our area. Our area is todo el barrio, the whole ward, and it´s a little overwhelming at times because we have to use our time wisely. And there is 600 menos activos. So we need the Spirit's guidance to discern which investigators to keep, which menos activos to visit, and everything. 

Oh there is one story that I want to share. The C family is a family of menos activos and the wife and the oldest daughter are now reactivated. They don´t have barely anything. The dad is inactive, doesn't have a job, and they are struggling as a family. They are such good people and I love them so much. Once we had an appt with the family and the dad was there. That doesn't happen very often but yeah. He was really hardened against the church and said he doesn't feel comfortable there. I think I might of told you a little bit about him because he came to the ward activity and I was so excited I couldn't even believe it. Well, this is the same man. Well the week after general conference we had a feeling to stop by their house. We stopped by their house and the mom and the oldest daughter were there. I had the feeling to ask them if they were reading their scriptures every day. They weren´t. I testified of your diligence, Mom, in reading the Book of Mormon with us every day, amidst all of our trials and struggles and loneliness over the years. I testified as a representative of Jesus Christ that if they would strive to read the scriptures personally and as a family every day, they would see a change in their father-husband. As soon as those words came out of my mouth, I was like, Oh, Hermana Burton what did you just say. This man is so hardened against the church there is no way that anything is going to change him. But then I thought, Oh ye of little faith, Pull yourself together and watch the Lord work wonders. And I did. The family did it! They are reading their scriptures every day and the wife tells me that more and more the dad is participating. He knows so much about the gospel. He has a strong testimony. I was so happy to hear it, because I knew with this habit of scripture study in their home they were going to be blessed. 

Well we were sitting in sacrament meeting this Sunday with the V family (keep praying that they can be baptized!) and all the sudden the dad walks in. And I look at him for a long time because I can barely believe it. And his family is already there sitting in the front. And he just walks up casually and sits by them. You should of seen their faces. It was so awesome. And he stayed for all three hours, and he told us that he wants to start accompanying us in our lessons so that he can help bring others to the gospel. And I am sitting here at this computer and I still can´t believe it. I asked his wife after church, why did your husband come to church? She said, I have no idea. She had no idea he was going to come. And we rejoiced together. 

I know the Lord keeps his promises and blesses us if we keep his commandments. It is a commandment to read daily in His word. I testify as a representative of Jesus Christ to all of you that if you read the Book of Mormon personally and as a family daily, your problems and trials and struggles and worries can be solved. Now, that doesn't mean your life is gonna be perfect. Still, Hermano C doesn´t have work and he has to find little jobs every day. But he is being healed spiritually, and gaining the only reward that really matters, and that´s eternal life. 

Hermana Burton