MY HEART SANK.....

We are Family, Every body sing.

Well how goes it in California? The time here flies by super fast, and I'm pretty sure this is my last week here in Jaen, which is exciting and sad at the same time. I've learned and grown a lot here and I've came to love many of the peeps here. I'm definitely gonna miss them cuz the truth is, I'll probably never see them again until we meet in the Celestial Kingdom ;)

Well this week was the baptsism of Sabina! It really was a great experience. She's super shy and timid so she begged us not to invite very many people, but we had some Elders, Hermanas , and some members of the JAS (Young Single Adults) to support her. She was too scared to bear her testimony but we know that she has got a powerful one. The spirit was strong and it was great to finally see another child of God enter the path to His kingdom.

This week we had a sad and spirtual experience with our conversa Diana. Diana is 14 years old and for a while now her mother has been sick. Her family has been bringing her to doctors and whatnot but recently they found out it was cancer and it's terminal. We have been visiting her a lot and

Diana

uplifting her cuz she has been having a really hard time with it. Her family is superstitious and at this point very desperate as well. They have brought her to doctors , witches, churches where they do apostate healings, but nothing has worked. And yes, we gave her a priesthood blessing as well. Her mother right now is not living with Diana cuz she went to the jungle with a family member to rest and be away from the city for a while. When we visited Diana the other day, her aunt walked in crying and told Diana that her mama is very very ill and that it is not looking too good right now. My heart sank and Diana started bawling and explaining to us how she's been praying for a miracle and is not sure that God hears her prayers. This was a sad moment so see her like that but I felt the spirit strongly as we testified to her about the reality of the plan of salvation. How God has a plan for each and every one of us and that this life is only a small part of this plan. He knew we were going to have to suffer sicknesses, hardships and one day death, and for this he sent His son, Jesus Christ, so we can overcome these things and not have to suffer them alone. We can have happiness in this life but eternal happiness is found in the life to come. It's very hard for me to express my inner feelings in Spanish, and to be honest in English as well, but the spirit was super strong and we bore testimony how God will always answer our prayers but according to his will and not to ours. The Savior asked if it was possible if He could pass this trial he had to go through but He also said that He would do it according to His father's will, not his own.

Diana is a strong girl and matter what happens I know she's gonna stay strong in the church cuz that's just the person she is. But it made me realize and think about the will of God and how we need to be like the Savior. The Savior subjected Himself to the will of God, His will was God's will. How many things do I do according to my will and not God's? Becoming like Christ I realized is not gonna come in the mission, but slowly we can perfect ourselves through His atonement. Well nothing else really happened this week, these are just some of my random thoughts in my head that I had this week haha. I hope everything is well with you all and I'll see you on Mother's day...

besitos (little kisses),  

Elder Harper