April 9, 2012

Hola Mi Familia!

 

How are you all doing?! I am doing great! This past week has flown by so fast it is scary! Hermana Draney and I have been working hard. We have had many opportunities to serve this week which I have loved so very much! We have a few people we are teaching, they are not progressing as fast as we want them to (you know, missionary time) but we love them and we are loving watching them grow and come closer unto Christ.

 

It is so very humbling to be a missionary and to see people's lives change. Hermana Draney and I have been working with our less-active members in the branch. We love each and every single one of them and want them to be happy and to remember the joy that living the Gospel brings. What is so very surprising to me is their testimonies that they still have and how very strong it is. We met with one gal who is inactive basically because of her husband, he does not support her going to church and it is really sad that she cannot go, BUT this is the thing that she told us that just rocks my world. She still has a strong testimony about the Book of Mormon. She reads it everyday and she reads it with her kids as well. She also said that they have family prayer too. It blew my mind what she said about it. A while ago I was totally being a negative Nancy, seriously, I wanted to just give up on our less-actives. None of them seemed to be improving and MAN! It was so very heartbreaking. NEVER DOING THAT AGAIN! We went and met with a less-active yesterday and she thanked us for all that we have been doing with her. She bore the sweetest testimony about her life and about how very thankful she is for us. I learned so much from this experience and all of it was by the Spirit. I would love to share it with you: Visiting or Home teaching is an inspired program. She told us that she has no one else in the Branch to help her and since we have been going to see her, she feels like she can do it and can work on being able to take the sacrament again. I also learned that NO MATTER WHAT you must do all you can to fulfil your calling. A scripture comes to mind from Alma 26:27  Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, [the Iowanites], and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success. I have felt that way, but the Lord is starting to bless us with success. That is why we shouldn't give up. We are doing the Lords work. All of us! Not just us missionaries. Every one of us has a calling and a responsibility in the Lord's Kingdom. We must assist Him in His work.

 

I am so very thankful to a Loving Heavenly Father who teaches me all of these lessons and that He has trusted me with this sacred calling. I am so very thankful to all of you and all the sweet letters I have received. I am so very thankful that the Lord has blessed me with such a wonderful family and friends! I am the luckiest girl in the world! I love every single one of you! Thank you for all you do. Have a great week and remember: Someone loves you in Iowa! :)

 

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Love always, forever,

Hermana Wadsworth