Where do I begin? What a week. The Adversary was definitely out to get us, but we kept on working and the Lord truly did bless us.

In our companionship studies we have been looking up the themes that Elder Nelson left for us and wow, what a beautiful trove of knowledge! In this last week with all that has happened my personal understanding for the need of an Atonement has expounded a hundred fold, and with that understanding, my love for my Savior has grown as well. A lot of our studies focused on the Fall of Adam and Eve. I took one day to focus just on Eve, on who she is and the importance of her calling. As I have studied each theme, I have gone back and read my Patriarchal blessing and the Spirit has taught me even more of who I am.

So here in Juayua there are a lot of homeless people that kind of wander the streets. They are very nice and friendly…. usually. One of them is a little old woman named Guadalupe. She is about four and a half feet tall, has curly hair and is skin and bones. She is a little crazy and usually just walks around barefooted with her head bowed. She does not speak or do anything, just walks. Well as we passed her the other day, she looked up and totally out of the blue, punched me in the arm!!!!! For only weighing about eighty pounds she is sure strong! I had a nice little bruise, but it was a good laugh…..

With all of the things that have happened this week I have come to have a greater love and appreciation for my companion. Hermana Funez is so strong. I hope that she has the opportunity to train, it would help her a lot! This week was especially hard for her. A close friend of hers that was in her previous area, was killed this week, and it was a huge blow to her. She has picked herself up and kept working. Wow, I love her!  But I know that as this new change comes, that it will have a ton of new beginnings and she will have a lot of help, especially for the members.

 

The area is doing okay. We are trying our hardest to find news and be of good cheer at all times. We had a couple investigators fall hard this week and tell us that they are not interested………..so we got to go find new people!!! Yay, news! This is the last week of the change, and President told me that after about eight months, I am for sure leaving Juayua. We are going to work really hard so that Hermana Funez has a lot of potential for this upcoming change. I want to leave her agenda filled!

The most beautiful part of this week was the baptism that we had on Saturday of a young mother and her Son. Yeni and Brayan. I love them so much!  This woman has faced so much, and has waited over a year to be able to be baptized. Her husband has left her alone to raise two little boys, but she is so diligent and hopeful. She cannot read, and so Brayan reads the Book of Mormon to her at night before they go to bed. In the baptism, she shared her testimony, and said that she loved the Lord, and that he was worth every suffering and sacrifice that she had to endure. She expressed her gratitude to God for giving her the patience to keep trying, despite all the trials she faced. The spirit was so strong, and I know that she will be a huge example for many in the years to come. I love her so much.

I think that is my message this week, that no matter what, our Heavenly Father always gives us the strength to keep on trying. He does not always take our burdens away, but he makes us strong enough to be able to bear them, and as he helps us overcome them, we become witnesses of his mercy and grace. Thank you for all you do!

I love you!

Hoorah for Israel!

Love, Hermana Hipol