Week 39: #ActsofKindess & Stella is getting baptized

First off, last week after I finished emailing, we met up with the sisters for ice cream at the shoppes in Chino Hills. I was getting ready to pay for my ice cream scoop and the lady told me that it had already been paid for!!! Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat???  I was blown away and my heart was literally jumping. She told me it was the man in front of me. I said, "Thank you" and ran as fast as I could in a skirt to catch up to him to tell him Thank you! RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS! I love it! Made my whole day, for a little scoop of ice cream that I could easily afford. He had his two little daughters with him... Showing them how to serve by example. #thebest  #actsofkindness  I have been blessed by acts of kindness before and hope to pay it forward.

Alright this week was so jam packed busy because we are getting beautiful little Stella ready to be baptized this Saturday!! We have been praying and praying for an answer whether she should be baptized here in Diamond Bar before she moves to Huntington Beach or to wait until she gets settled over there. She prayed about it and felt strongly that she needed to be baptized before all the chaos of moving starts! SO we are getting her baptized. She is soooooo ready - a lot more ready then I thought she was. It is beautiful how the Lord truly moves things along when it is right. I have had huge miracles testifying that to me in my mission. 

We met with Stella every morning at 10 a.m for her lesson of the day. We drank apple cider every morning to help support her kicking coffee! She is doing great! Stella has an older sister who joined the church when she was 19 because her boyfriend who is now her husband was a member. Her sister was ecstatic to find out that Stella is being baptized! It's nice to know that she has that family support. She wants her baptism to be small so she isn't inviting her family. Funny! 

This past week Stella has been raising caterpillars in a cage for her grand kids... and they  hatched to become butterflies this week - she said that it is the most beautiful transformation to see and then we related HER to a butterfly. 

A caterpillar is raised up as a caterpillar... doing all the things caterpillars do because that is all it knows... but then there comes a point in a caterpillars life when it needs to make some changes and sacrifice  -- being a caterpillar to become a butterfly. It is scary and requires a willing heart but being a butterfly is far above anything a caterpillar could ever imagine. And the great sacrifice brings far greater blessings!! (photo of an image Sister Hernandez drew)

Tesan is doing well! She has had a lot of medical pain and her dog is in and out of the vet. But things started to settle down on Friday. We went over and chatted with her for a while. We watched some of the bible videos with her to get a visual of Christ's Atonement. Jesus Christ lived, suffered, and died for each of us. We don't have to suffer, we don't have to be sad, lonely, scared, or carry any burden because Jesus Christ has already suffered that for us. If we let him carry it with us it becomes much lighter and eventually goes away. We have to let him help us. We don't just throw all of our burdens onto him... we wouldn't learn anything. We walk WITH Christ to be able to learn and grow and change from him. 

I completed the Book of Mormon this Saturday for the first time in my mission and second time in my life. Reading it through this time was different. I learned SO much as I took the time to STUDY it,  verse by verse. I can't wait to read it again. I have always had a good testimony of the Book of Mormon -- I have always known that the teachings and principles we learn from it are valuable. Growing up when I would read from the Book of Mormon I would feel peace and I often found comforting answers through it. But I have never taken on Moroni's promise and prayed to ask Heavenly Father if it was true. SO, I now know that The Book of Mormon to be the word of God. It plays an important and crucial part in each of our lives and salvation. I don't understand every bit completely but I know that it has given me a strong foundation and it will continue to do so! The Book of Mormon testifies of the living and loving Jesus Christ and shows us each how to gain peace in this life! 

I loooooooooooooove being a missionary! It's my calling, I was born to do this. It just fills me with JOY! 

Have a beautiful week! Stay healthy, safe, and have fun!! 

Happy Fourth of July!!! 

P.S. because of the Holiday I will be emailing on Tuesday instead of Monday! xoxo

Sister Holt 

US today.  Love her!

We like SELFIES -- have you noticed?