Hey everyone!
It has been a fantastic and busy week, with teachings, miracles, a couple meetings, interesting people, topped off with one of the funniest Sundays I've had so far on my mission. From last week I mentioned some of the people we found knocking in the cold and we returned to teach all of them this week. Norma and her family accepted a baptismal date for the first week of February after a really powerful lesson on the Restoration. They are very open and love to chat with us (sometimes for too long, but it works out). Norma is a single mom and is very strong; she is very aware of teaching her children good morals and values. Another couple we are teaching, Ruben and Maria, are an older couple that care for their grandchildren a lot. So when we teach them, we also get to teach the grandkids who are so adorable. Last time when we went, they had drawn us pictures : )
This week we found one of the most beautiful examples of charity. A less active member in our ward who we have been trying to help come back to church, met us for lunch and brought another woman with her. The member works in the airport and this woman, Eula, was stranded in the airport after having her passport stolen. She is from Aruba and was trying to visit family for the holidays. Hna DeLeon ( the member) took her in over the holidays because she had no where to go. Eula is incredible- a native of Aruba, she speaks 7 langauges, and is very intelligent. And she came to church with us Sunday after spending the week mostly alone at Hna DeLeon's home, so she was dying to talk to people. Which she did. She went to the English ward and then the Spanish ward with us. And since it was testimony meeting, she decided to go up and share her testimony. Hna Rife and I were praying so hard. She talked about God being universal and omnipotent, and how there is truth in everything. It ended up alright, but we still had two more classes to go. We prayed the whole time that she would just listen and not agrue with people if she disagreed. And in Relief Society, they whipped out all the "unique stuff", from pioneers, visiting teaching, and eventually to temple burial clothes for all the sisters!! She made one comment at the last point, even though she didn't understand exactly what we were talking about and said " I think it is just beautiful how you can talk so openly about death." Hna Rife and I were both praying and trying not to laugh the whole time : )
Just a thought from the Book of Mormon ( in keeping with our Book of Mormon challenge this year!)
In Mosiah 2, King Benjamin starts his address to the people with such Christlike humility, stating that he himself, by himself, is just a man. He was chosen by the people, consecrated by his father to rule, but it is the calling from Heavenly Father that enabled him with the wisdom and strength to serve his people according to the Lord's will. And in verse 15, he says that he doesn't do say this to them for boasting or for accusation, but to have a clear conscience before God. And I thought- it was never really about him gaining fame or glory as a king from his people, but knowing that he was an instrument of Heavenly Father in behalf of his people. Do you remember that poem by Mother Teresa- " Because it the end, it was never between you and them anyway." It's between us and Heavenly Father.
I love you lots and please keep the Santillan and Becerra families in your prayers as well as Norma and Eula.
Love,
Hermana Koerner
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