Ay! Qué hermosa es este misión en el mes de mayo donde miramos muchos
milagros al caminar las calles y al hablar con todos. No podemos creer
las cosas que están pasando aquí en Santee!! Dios está preparando los
corazones de este pueblo, y aún que hay personas, todavía, que nos
rechazan, hay mucho poder en saber que si somos obedientes, vamos a
hacer milagros en Su Santo nombre. Sábado fue un día tan hermosa que
sentimos que íbamos a caer al suelo por cause del espíritu, como hizo
Ammon en el Libro de Mormón. F. se bautizó!! Pero, porque, aún que
ha sido 15 meses ya y ustedes todavía no saben español, voy a regresar
a ingles para ayudarles a entender este mensaje ;)
May really has been such a month of miracles! I can't even fathom or
make sense of the things that are happening, or why they are
happening, but I'll tell you--this is what I know: I am Happy.
Here's the story for you. The story of F.C. First day here
in Santee, we had our first official lesson with him. He was a little
quiet and shy, a huge gangster-meets-gentlegiant type, and said he
didn't know a lot about Christ or the Bible, even though he believed
it. And so we taught him. We taught him about Jesus Christ, and the
apostasy, and Joseph Smith, and the Book of Mormon. That night we set
him with a date. May 28th. He accepted. We also explained we would
maintain daily contact with him. He accepted. This meant we would see
him everyday, and teach little lessons. We explained our purpose was
to help him answer the questions he had and also to protect him from
the incoming trails. Because there would be some. There always is
some. He agreed. He didn't have knowledge or position or power. But he
had Faith. And he trusted what he felt.
Then began our daily visits, stopping by at 8:00 at night, holding
mini lessons in his garage, which occasionally were interrupted by
helicopter man-hunts (but that's a story for another day), to inviting
him over to member homes and working to build and increase his faith
and understanding, and rushing away at 9:15 on a dark street to get
home in time. They were eventful nights, full of the spirit, that
often left us squealing in the car as we raced home, because we were
so happy. The day's came rushing by, and we realized how prepared he
really was. Once again we extended an invitation to be baptized, only
for the 21st. Once again, he faithfully and fearlessly accepted.
Additionally, he brought to church with him multiple members of his
family and friends, eager to share with them the message he was
learning was true.
The time for his interview came and we waited outside, anxiously on
the edge of our seats, to hear the verdict. The door opened and we
returned to see a very proud and smiling Fabian. Our faces matched
his. As he pulled away that night, we again broke into squeals and
hugs as we "watched our baby grow up so fast!" Haha
The night before his baptism, we had a lesson with him and his wife
and a sweet member family. As we again rushed out to get home in time,
he galloped after us down the stairs and stopped us at the doorstep,
beaming. "Hey, I just wanted to tell you two thank you. I never got to
tell you before, so thank you. Thank you for everything. I think I'm
doing the right--No. I know I am doing the right thing. I feel good.
So thank you." We beamed right back at him. It was a powerful moment.
Saturday, May 21, couldn't have been a more beautiful day. Although as
his missionaries we were little stress wires vibrating out of control,
F was more than ready. His child-like innocence always amused us
as we watched him see the font for the first time and say, "Oh, it is
big! It will fit me even!" The Spirit was just so thick as more and
more people came to support him in this next step in his life. The
service went beautifully. We sang "I love to look for rainbow," a song
that would have later significance to F as he really was made
clean, "as the earth right after rain." He was invited to offer his
testimony and he could barely get the words passed his lips. Seeing
his children in front of him, he began to weep, and simply thanked
everyone and returned to his seat, overcome with the Spirit. His son,
R, looked up at him with proud and loving eyes. F will be
able to baptize them soon, and that is all he dreams of now. His wife
G came and also felt the spirit, but held us at arms length to be
sure we knew she "wasn't ready!" Haha, she will be soon! We went to
the temple with them on Sunday night, after F had received the
Holy Ghost, the Priesthood, and his Temple Recommend, and had a lesson
outside of the gates, for it was unfortunately locked. But it was
still beautiful.
Just yesterday, as we went to visit F again to start his new
member lessons, he ran to us and proceeded to tell us of a family
member, who was "asking questions" and he wanted to know if we could
"go over there right now and teach them." Why yes F, we could. We
very well could!! (We told him we got his back--we're his back up
girls, haha!! He was so excited!) Although initially we feared his
sister-in-law merely wanted to bash, we soon sensed a deep longing for
understanding and spiritually in her. We taught her a powerful
restoration lesson which answered a lot of her questions and are going
back tonight to continue. And more miraculous is that F is a
MEMBER! Or maybe another word is GOLD MINE. Really, God has been
preparing him for a long time to save his family. He has a powerful
and willing spirit, and his desire to change is what gave us all a
miracle in less than 21 days.
Ahhh, so many miracles!! Just yesterday as well we added 5 new people!
They all love to talk, which is potentially problematic, but also have
sincere desire to learn and ask questions. Nothing is stopping God's
work from progressing and he definitely doesn't stop after a baptism.
He just dropped us another handful of the souls he's been preparing.
Oh but funny story! So we were coming back from a late appointment
with F and we pull into our apartment complex exhausted. Hermana
is locking up the car and her purse pukes up its contents on the car
floor, so she stuffs it all back in and we head to our apartment. As
she reaches the door, she's like, "Oh no...where are the keys?" Sure
enough, we walk to the car and see the keys and there they are on the
seat, the moonlight reflecting little mocking smiles off of them and
back to us... We were locked out of our car, and our house..! Haha and
it was passed curfew. I wanted to scale the apartment to get up on our
balcony and go through that way, but Sister Short didn't think it was
the best idea... So we called Pres. Schmitt. He called the Car
coordinator senior missionary, who woke up and drove all the way to
Santee to open our car door with the spare key. In the meanwhile, we
kicked the Elders out of their apartment and into their car while we
took on the comforts of an apartment. That is to say, as comfortable
as an Elder apartment can be to a pair of highly hysterical sister
missionaries. Pobrecitos, we were just giggling at everything! They
were just as tired, but things weren't quite as funny to them as they
were to us! Haha, good times! It was nice to be back in our own
apartment, were the smells were recognizable.
Haha, pues, I have written once again, another Novel. Do you think if
I put all my letters home into a journal-book thingy, I could publish
it and make money? Haha, that'd be cool...
Con Amor,
Hna Howell
las cosas que están pasando aquí en Santee!! Dios está preparando los
corazones de este pueblo, y aún que hay personas, todavía, que nos
rechazan, hay mucho poder en saber que si somos obedientes, vamos a
hacer milagros en Su Santo nombre. Sábado fue un día tan hermosa que
sentimos que íbamos a caer al suelo por cause del espíritu, como hizo
Ammon en el Libro de Mormón. F. se bautizó!! Pero, porque, aún que
ha sido 15 meses ya y ustedes todavía no saben español, voy a regresar
a ingles para ayudarles a entender este mensaje ;)
May really has been such a month of miracles! I can't even fathom or
make sense of the things that are happening, or why they are
happening, but I'll tell you--this is what I know: I am Happy.
Here's the story for you. The story of F.C. First day here
in Santee, we had our first official lesson with him. He was a little
quiet and shy, a huge gangster-meets-gentlegiant type, and said he
didn't know a lot about Christ or the Bible, even though he believed
it. And so we taught him. We taught him about Jesus Christ, and the
apostasy, and Joseph Smith, and the Book of Mormon. That night we set
him with a date. May 28th. He accepted. We also explained we would
maintain daily contact with him. He accepted. This meant we would see
him everyday, and teach little lessons. We explained our purpose was
to help him answer the questions he had and also to protect him from
the incoming trails. Because there would be some. There always is
some. He agreed. He didn't have knowledge or position or power. But he
had Faith. And he trusted what he felt.
Then began our daily visits, stopping by at 8:00 at night, holding
mini lessons in his garage, which occasionally were interrupted by
helicopter man-hunts (but that's a story for another day), to inviting
him over to member homes and working to build and increase his faith
and understanding, and rushing away at 9:15 on a dark street to get
home in time. They were eventful nights, full of the spirit, that
often left us squealing in the car as we raced home, because we were
so happy. The day's came rushing by, and we realized how prepared he
really was. Once again we extended an invitation to be baptized, only
for the 21st. Once again, he faithfully and fearlessly accepted.
Additionally, he brought to church with him multiple members of his
family and friends, eager to share with them the message he was
learning was true.
The time for his interview came and we waited outside, anxiously on
the edge of our seats, to hear the verdict. The door opened and we
returned to see a very proud and smiling Fabian. Our faces matched
his. As he pulled away that night, we again broke into squeals and
hugs as we "watched our baby grow up so fast!" Haha
The night before his baptism, we had a lesson with him and his wife
and a sweet member family. As we again rushed out to get home in time,
he galloped after us down the stairs and stopped us at the doorstep,
beaming. "Hey, I just wanted to tell you two thank you. I never got to
tell you before, so thank you. Thank you for everything. I think I'm
doing the right--No. I know I am doing the right thing. I feel good.
So thank you." We beamed right back at him. It was a powerful moment.
Saturday, May 21, couldn't have been a more beautiful day. Although as
his missionaries we were little stress wires vibrating out of control,
F was more than ready. His child-like innocence always amused us
as we watched him see the font for the first time and say, "Oh, it is
big! It will fit me even!" The Spirit was just so thick as more and
more people came to support him in this next step in his life. The
service went beautifully. We sang "I love to look for rainbow," a song
that would have later significance to F as he really was made
clean, "as the earth right after rain." He was invited to offer his
testimony and he could barely get the words passed his lips. Seeing
his children in front of him, he began to weep, and simply thanked
everyone and returned to his seat, overcome with the Spirit. His son,
R, looked up at him with proud and loving eyes. F will be
able to baptize them soon, and that is all he dreams of now. His wife
G came and also felt the spirit, but held us at arms length to be
sure we knew she "wasn't ready!" Haha, she will be soon! We went to
the temple with them on Sunday night, after F had received the
Holy Ghost, the Priesthood, and his Temple Recommend, and had a lesson
outside of the gates, for it was unfortunately locked. But it was
still beautiful.
Just yesterday, as we went to visit F again to start his new
member lessons, he ran to us and proceeded to tell us of a family
member, who was "asking questions" and he wanted to know if we could
"go over there right now and teach them." Why yes F, we could. We
very well could!! (We told him we got his back--we're his back up
girls, haha!! He was so excited!) Although initially we feared his
sister-in-law merely wanted to bash, we soon sensed a deep longing for
understanding and spiritually in her. We taught her a powerful
restoration lesson which answered a lot of her questions and are going
back tonight to continue. And more miraculous is that F is a
MEMBER! Or maybe another word is GOLD MINE. Really, God has been
preparing him for a long time to save his family. He has a powerful
and willing spirit, and his desire to change is what gave us all a
miracle in less than 21 days.
Ahhh, so many miracles!! Just yesterday as well we added 5 new people!
They all love to talk, which is potentially problematic, but also have
sincere desire to learn and ask questions. Nothing is stopping God's
work from progressing and he definitely doesn't stop after a baptism.
He just dropped us another handful of the souls he's been preparing.
Oh but funny story! So we were coming back from a late appointment
with F and we pull into our apartment complex exhausted. Hermana
is locking up the car and her purse pukes up its contents on the car
floor, so she stuffs it all back in and we head to our apartment. As
she reaches the door, she's like, "Oh no...where are the keys?" Sure
enough, we walk to the car and see the keys and there they are on the
seat, the moonlight reflecting little mocking smiles off of them and
back to us... We were locked out of our car, and our house..! Haha and
it was passed curfew. I wanted to scale the apartment to get up on our
balcony and go through that way, but Sister Short didn't think it was
the best idea... So we called Pres. Schmitt. He called the Car
coordinator senior missionary, who woke up and drove all the way to
Santee to open our car door with the spare key. In the meanwhile, we
kicked the Elders out of their apartment and into their car while we
took on the comforts of an apartment. That is to say, as comfortable
as an Elder apartment can be to a pair of highly hysterical sister
missionaries. Pobrecitos, we were just giggling at everything! They
were just as tired, but things weren't quite as funny to them as they
were to us! Haha, good times! It was nice to be back in our own
apartment, were the smells were recognizable.
Haha, pues, I have written once again, another Novel. Do you think if
I put all my letters home into a journal-book thingy, I could publish
it and make money? Haha, that'd be cool...
Con Amor,
Hna Howell
This is Hollys mom. Having problems getting letters on here. sorry.
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