Living Nativity

We had the opportunity to "Light the World" by helping at the Living Nativity in Alpine.  Cold, long night but fun to be a part of this amazing event!

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)

"Where Love Is, There God Is Also"

Met a lady whose brother in Mexico got kidnapped and the family had to give up their car and savings in order to pay the ransom. We're teaching a young guy named Erube who doesn't have a strong connection with his brothers or son. Family is the Plan of Salvation all scrunched up into one. It would be harder to understand much of the gospel, including that we came from a heavenly family and need an eternal family, if we do not love or feel love from our earthly family. 

Delivered a ginormous basket of Thanksgiving food donated from members to an investigator family in need. On Thanksgiving Day, Elder Uchtdorf and his wife spoke and we found people to teach (since Hispanics don't traditionally celebrate Thanksgiving). A member shared with us one of her most favorite dishes: pig feet. It's slimy-skin, crunchy-cartilage good. Nah, but new is good :) 

The picture below is at a different home.

Love, Hermana Jerman

Asado Chileno con sopaipillas

Feliz Dia de Accion de Gracias!

Elder Gary E. Stevenson and his wife talked to us Tuesday. Did splits with Hna. Johnston. Williams passed the sacrament for the first time and gave his first talk in church! Juan Carlos came with us to teach Mario. Reviewed the sacrament with Orbil. 

We've met people who dismiss the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ as foolishness, falsehood, or deceit and I remember 2 Nephi 15:20 that warns those who call good evil and evil good. There are Christians who believe they don't need to change and that changing others is wrong. Were not Christ's teachings centered on how to change? Without the Atonement, the Plan of Happiness and progression would have been void. "'Come as you are,' a loving Father says to each of us, but He adds, 'Don’t plan to stay as you are'" (Elder Holland). If you're happy now, expect to be happier; if you're close to God, expect to be closer; if you have peace and love, expect more :) 

I'm learning lots from the missions of Alma, Amulek, and the sons of Mosiah. They've taught me to work at being a missionary who serves and befriends 1st and teaches 2nd, knows the importance of ministering to members in addition to non-members, applies Preach My Gospel guidelines, seeks the Spirit to work within an unconvinced heart, does not search for gratification, understands the power in companionship, relates personal experiences to those taught, sacrifices personal comforts, leaves worldly cares behind, and takes the optimistic approach. 

The scriptures are living words that offer specific, current, and customized advice for where you are and what you need right now. I know that as we study them and fill our lives with the goodness that comes from purposefully living the gospel, "the force that is pushing us heavenward [will be] greater than the temptations and distress that drag us downward" (Elder Uchtdorf).

Love, Hermana Jerman

                                             Una nena Chilena

¿Que te tinca de tinga?

During dinner with Yamila's family, her mum shared some bizarre stories about being in nun school as a girl. President Treadway, the mission president, came with us to a couple houses. I helped translate for him since he doesn't speak Spanish but it was so cool to work with him. 

"God has designed this mortal experience to require nearly constant exertion... By work we sustain and enrich life... Work builds and refines character, creates beauty, and is the instrument of our service to one another and to God. A consecrated life is filled with work, sometimes repetitive, sometimes unappreciated but always work that improves, lifts, and aspires." D. Todd Christofferson

When the blessings for righteousness aren't immediate or apparent, the persecution or troubles that persist seem to be the only result. It's in God's wisdom that these are instead eternal blessings laid up to await you in heaven.

Love, Hermana Jerman

Crunchy Leaves & Spooky Things

Passed out candy to missionaries at the MTC on Halloween. Hna. Johnston and I went to stake correlation. We also had some interesting people and opinions in our doorstep approaches but it was good to focus them on the Savior. They reminded me that life needs to be centered on Christ, otherwise we are in danger of complicating the simplicity of the gospel or church and allowing the details of this earthly experience distract or distance us from Him. 

In a mission conference, we watched a clip from the story of Jesus sleeping during a storm at sea and being awoken to calm it. How could he sleep? He knew who He was. He tells His apostles they fear because they do not have faith. The first thing spoken by an angel of the Lord to a mortal is often "Fear not." The Lord doesn't want us to spend our lives worrying. Faith is the first principle because without it we have nothing else. As I continue to have my own questions, day by day I receive just enough light to take another step, to keep believing and trying. I'm ever grateful because "I'd much prefer to follow His light" than choose darkness (Elder Bednar). 

Finished a challenge Pres. Nelson made to read every verse cited about Jesus Christ in the standard works as listed under the main heading and subtitles in the Topical Guide. It took me a year to do what he did in 6 weeks, but I have surely seen the promised blessings. He's a fast one to keep up with and I love that :) In an interview after the Chile Concepcion temple dedication, the prophet said, "If you think the church has been fully restored, you've just seen the beginning. There's much more to come. Wait 'til next year and then the next year! Eat your vitamin pills. Get your rest. It's going to be exciting." 

Love, Hermana Jerman

Don't let your praying knees get lazy

Hna. Laurie, Hna. Johnston, and I passed the week's work dancing, singing, running, and laughing. I was grateful that with just a prayer or two and a conscious effort, our Father in Heaven can change our feelings or attitude so that we can be better in the circumstances that aren't meant to change. 

Had FHE with a new family in our Spanish ward and the last couple of lessons with Cristian before his baptism. After explaining the Plan of Salvation to Yamila, we asked her to give the closing prayer to ask if the Book of Mormon and this plan were true. Her prayer, worded simple and pure, brought the Spirit's instantaneous response with happy tears, and she accepted a baptismal date. Went finding and taught English to una hermana from Chile!! We had "once" with her, too, and a chilean dinner at another member's - it felt like home! Another good food day was posole (a mexican soup made of hominy) we had with the ward missionary leader's family. 

Every ability, worry, written word, belief, feeling, discovery, success, complication, obstacle, invention, or attitude began with a thought. Every thought is that which makes up a singular definition of life, or what it is to live, for that person only and is known by no other man. Why is it, then, that some pass through life unscathed by the anxieties and perils of existence, happy for the gift it is to learn, experience, and just be? To create or change reality, change your mind. 

 Love, Hermana Jerman

Pan asado y mate

Cristian's baptism