Thanks so much for all your love and prayers. I´m so grateful for all you do. We definitely need your prayers everyday and pray for you all, too.
Hna Merback (my companion) has still been sick. We have no idea what she has, so we went to the hospital today to do some tests. The test results don´t really show us anything that seems to be wrong, at least from what we understand of the medical language in Spanish and the numbers that came out. She is not vomiting so much as before, but is just really weak. Sometimes when she just gets up and goes to the bathroom I can tell she feels like she´s run a marathon. We get to bed on time and she´s still way tired in the morning (well, that´s completely normal for any missionary), but she´ll still be tired and weak after sleeping and sleeping and sleeping. I thought she might have anemia or something, but the test results don´t really indicate any problem with her red blood cell count or hemoglobin. Maybe the doctors in the family can figure something else out. It´s hard, because if a missionary is not working, a missionary doesn´t feel good. It´s really hard for her to not feel really guilty, but I try to reassure her that the Lord knows our desires and true intentions, and if we cannot physically do all that we want, He will bless us so we can be most effective in the time we can work. I know that we are in His hands. Sometimes we don´t know why we have certain trials or why it´s so hard, when we just want to serve and do what´s right. However, we know the trials we have are necessary so we can be prepared to enter into the Celestial Kingdom. Without the trials, we will not have developed the Christ-like attributes that we need, we will not have progressed as we should and can in this life. If we are doing our very best, I know the Lord is pleased, despite our imperfection.
A couple of you talked about fall colors and thermostats. I started laughing as I read that because I´d completely forgotten about thermostats. That´s one great thing about Ecuador. Sure, we go to bed with a couple heavy army-type blankets on top, wearing gloves, sweatshirts, pants and socks underneath (in Quito), but we sure don´t need thermostats. I hadn´t forgotten about fall colors, though. The other week we were walking to lunch and passed under a tree with some orange leaves. In my excitement, I immediately stopped and pointed out the fall tree to my companion. That´s as fall as it´s going to get.
Mom, I´m glad that you´re thinking ahead of ways in which you can share the Gospel with others. If we´re prepared, we will not fear. I was thinking about the importance of all those Restoration talks today, especially with the upcoming presidential elections up there, as I presume our religion is in the spotlight big time. I´m so grateful to be serving a mission in this time to share the great news of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. Thinking about criticism and such that members face in times like this, I realize that I´m not worried about things that people might say, ask or do. We know we have the answers. We can use the scriptures to show what and why we believe things. It is very important that we really understand the doctrine, but even more important that we know it´s true for ourselves. That is the most powerful witness that we can share-our personal testimony. We all need to know that it´s true to be firm in stormy times of affliction. We need to be armed with the armour of God at all times so that we are prepared to stand and face the enemy of all righteousness and come out with the Conquerer, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Seamos preparados.
The other week (hey, it should be every week) I was really pleading with the Lord to lead us to a prepared family, a golden family. When Hna Merback and I got back together after doing divisions, I realized that is just what the Lord had sent to us. One morning we went out to contact and saw this little old man sitting in a doorstep. Now, it´s easy to think "he´s old, he´s Catholic, and he doesn´t want anything", but we´re missionaries-we talk to everyone! So we stopped and shared a brief message with him. At the end, he mentioned that he had a friend that is very sick, so we set a cita, assuring him we´d bring someone to give her a priesthood blessing. That can be slightly complicated sometimes, but the Lord blessed me with the idea of just who to call and it worked out great. Bartasar (the old man) was very sure that he´d have to pay something or provide holy water, but we assured him nothing of the sort would be necessary. Anyway, when they went, they found this lady that is supposedly 54, but seems like she´s 80 something. She´s so tiny-seriously skin and bones no mas, and has some time of tumor on her forehead. They were very grateful for the blessing and from what my comp told me, it was a very spiritual experience and lesson. As we´ve returned, I´ve been so impressed by the love of the daughter that is constantly caring for her poor mother. Even though Charita (the daughter) was abandoned by her mother as a child, she is the only one of 7 children that is there to care for and attend her. She gives with such a Christ-like love that I feel honored to know and teach her. She is ready to put everything in the hands of the Lord, knowing that we all have our time.
I´m so grateful for the chance to serve her as a missionary in this time. We teach the truth. I know it, because I not only teach it, but I strive to live it better each day.
Love you tons,
Hna Christie Sue Henrichsen
No comments:
Post a Comment