Week 29: Putting Down Our Umbrellas & the Priesthood

We moved in with the Kilburns last Monday and it has been pure bliss. It is like living at home but as a missionary. They are so loving and take such great care of us. And they have the cutest dog, second to Mazie of course, that I can cuddle with whenever I want.

One more week down with Sister Hernandez. I am really getting sad as the weeks go by because I just love her and I love this area. Who knows how long we will be here because the Chinese Elders are taking over Diamond Bar and that could be happening in 5 weeks. Sad day but hopefully our English investigators can get their spirituality together and we can have a giant baptism day for all of them in 5 weeks. Prepare to accomplish the impossible.

We met with Madilyn this week and YES she had pants on this time and YES we had an amazing conversation about the Book of Mormon with her. She has been reading it for a couple weeks now. Madilyn was raised going to Catholic schools and church for holidays and such. She has been struggling lately because she feels a pull between the Catholic and Mormon church. But the only pull back to the Catholic church she feels is because she was raised in it. So pray pray pray that she has the courage and the faith to continue coming to church and reading the Book of Mormon.

This is a good story... Highlight of the week...

Sister Snow our relief society president gives us a list of women each month to go and contact to see if they are still a.) alive b.) still live there c.) interested. So we do that for her. Thursday evening we were figuring out things to go do since we can't tract during the night.

We decided to go try one last time to see if Rita still lived at the address that we had. She has been on the last 5 months paper and each time she says she is moving or has moved. So we went...

We knocked on her door. The dog answered with his barking. We were trying to look into the windows to see if it looked like anyone was living there. (i know we are creepy) right at that moment a car pulls up... ITS RITA! she goes... "Am I in trouble?" haha of course not!

She invited us inside and we sat at her table. On her table she had 9 candles going. They were her prayer candles because she gets attacked by the devil or something evil. (yep) Rita has been feeling attacks for about 4 years now and they come daily. She gave this card reader a picture of her and her son and ever since she thinks that he is doing witch craft on her from Texas.

We talked to her for an hour and we read some passages in the Book of Mormon and marked some chapters that will bring her peace. We called Brother Ybarra to come give her a priesthood blessing and a house blessing. At the beginning of our visit she had no emotion, no faith, no hope. But as we read and testified the Spirit was able to come into that home to comfort Rita. We left her house leaving her with hope in her heart that she will be able to overcome this trial in her life.

I am so grateful for worthy priesthood holders who are so dedicated to serving others. To drop everything they are doing to come help and bless those with the Priesthood, It is such blessing and I am so grateful.

Saturday, we went to visit an inactive member Lorena Manzares and SHE WAS HOME! We visited and laughed with her and her family that evening. They are amazing. She is married to her husband named Jeff and her son Jeff is just recently engaged to his Fiance and they are getting married next October in Italy. They were so welcoming. We shared the new Mormon message "Showering of Heavenly Blessings" with them. We shared our testimonies about putting down our umbrellas against the rain of all the blessings Heavenly Father is bestowing upon us. He is constantly aware of the things we need and desire and is willing to give them to us, but we are the ones that put up the umbrella with all our fear, doubt, and sin. IF we put it down THEN we can feel of his love more abundantly.

Every third Sunday the Kilburns make their famous chocolate and vanilla pancakes and has the missionaries invite all their investigators and members they are working with. The pancakes and the activity are amazing! Unfortantley none of our investigators were in town this weekend or were able to come. But the Chinese Elders have been working with a lady name Gigi and she just recently had her baby and is moving back to China in 2 weeks. So we got to say goodbye to her before she left.

This life is truly all in the hands of the Lord. This life and this work. Everything that happens is in his hands. We can't mess up. If we are keeping the commandments with real intent and acting with love, we really cannot mess it up. When we do all that we can and leave all the outcomes up to the Lord, we will find peace. We can't see as far as he can and we can't comprehend all that he does. The best thing we can do in our life is to trust him, love him, follow him, and let him in!

That is all I got for you this week. OH we found two new potential investigators. Jerome and Jacob. We are meeting with them tomorrow. Hopefully they didn't want us to come back just because Sister Hernandez is so cute. hehe.

xoxo

Sister Holt