White Christmas

A mother and daughter from Colombia got baptized the first day of December! Had a Noche de Hogar with Branden and his family, visited the Cazares with Jorge and Williams, taught Erube a couple times, and Juan Carlos came with us to visit the Sandovals. Hermana Laurie and I have a good time teaching each other grammar and expressions between Spanish and English. I love her with all my heart! She's quick to laugh and love and has a gift with words. With transfer calls last night, Hna. Laurie will be leaving Wednesday. I have been so blessed to serve with her and Hna. Jonston for six months together. 

Once we see the problems others have, our own problems we thought huge and pressing may become comparably insignificant. Time and time again, I am humbled at how much God trusts us by putting His children in our care, even those going through heavy things we've never experienced before. "How encouraging it is to know, though we are imperfect, if our hearts are turned to God, He will be generous and kind and use us for His purposes" (Elder Uchtdorf). We covenant at baptism to bear one another's burdens, mourn with those that mourn, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort. That's a big role of missionary work/ministering. We do that as we come to know and love the people – our hearts share part of their hurting, and that is precisely what Jesus does for us with absolute empathy. "The thing is, loving people kind of hurts... John 11:35 says, 'Jesus wept.' The perfect mortal, the perfect example of manhood, wept." 

Love, Hermana Jerman

Rocio and Sara's baptism day

Las Hermanas Vaca (the ward members who gave us her referral)