Nobody showed up to soccer this week :( 5-22-2017

9:13 PM

¡Hola Todo!

This last week was great! We started the new transfer, had interviews with President, and I got my new companion! Hermana Wilkinson is just amazing and it has been so much fun to work with her. Her Spanish is incredible, if she had darker hair and skin you would think she is Latina. I'm excited to be companions with her this transfer, I think a lot of good will happen!

We had a really good week, miracles just fell from the sky each day. Heavenly Father was looking out for us this week. But we'll start with Kristy, Aniyah, and Bonnie. They're doing good and they are so happy. It makes my day to see them so happy, it's like a completely different person. I love how happy the gospel can make us! They had some set backs with the word of wisdom so Aniyah and Kristy are now planning for baptism on June 10th. Bonnie's date is still July 1st but she's having a really hard time with some of the commandments. But they'll get there, I'm excited for it. I think the thing that made the biggest difference for this family is the new Mormon Message "Do you hear the music?" Dad, you would love it! I can't get the link but I posted it on Facebook so go check it out!

One of our blessings this week was Maria and Fidelmar. The Elders found them and sent their information our way, so we visited them. Maria is the cutest lady there ever was and she was so sweet and listened so intently as we taught her the Restoration. Her husband Fidelmar joined us right as we were talking about the great apostasy. And the spirit was so strong throughout the lesson. Maria accepted a baptismal date but Fidelmar had a hard time. He loves the Catholic Church and you could see how sad he looked as he considered our message and that it might be true. He promised he'd read the Book of Mormon and pray about it and he said he would be willing to change if he knew it was true.

One night our appointments fell through, so we prayed and started driving. The road we went down was having some construction so we had to take a detour and as we did we passed a former investigator's house and we felt like we should stop and knock on their door. The former's sister came out and we had a lesson with her. Her name is Jasmin and she explained to us that her uncle passed away the day before and that she was struggling. So we told her the good news that families can be together forever and she got the biggest smile I had ever seen. She couldn't believe that she could actually see her uncle again. That was the highlight of my day, seeing her face light up as she heard of the hope this gospel brings.

We were out tracting one night and a lady named Wendy was sitting outside, the missionaries here have talked to Wendy several times but she's never shown too much interest or at least wasn't really willing to set up an appointment. But we saw her outside and next thing I know we were in the middle of a lesson and she was so amazed by the Book of Mormon. It was incredible to see such a change in her. She was excited to read it and we have another lesson with her set up.

And last one, Magdalena. We had an appointment set up with her husband but when we knocked on her door he wasn't home but she told us we could come in. She has 5 kids and they are the cutest things in the world! We were able to teach her the Restoration and she already had a copy of the Book of Mormon and loves it! It was such a good lesson and I'm excited to continue teaching her.

Raul is good, we gave him to the elders to see if they can have any more success than us. So I'm crossing my fingers they do!

Nobody showed up to soccer this week. :( It was raining though, so hopefully we can have some good weather this week and we can have a better show of people.

Andres came to church! We found him about three weeks ago and taught him but he's been so busy with work that we haven't been able to have another lesson with him! Well it was raining Sunday morning so we figured he probably wouldn't have work so we called him and sure enough he was home! So he was able to come to church and it was a lot of fun to see him there. Also, we got the translating equipment here fixed so it was back to translating for us this week!

I'm still studying in the New Testament and I read all about the Savior's suffering in Gethsemane and his crucifixion this week. My heart has been so full of gratitude as I have learned and understood more of what my Savior went through for me and for the rest of my brothers and sisters. In the institute manual there's this quote from President Howard W. Hunter that says, "There is, of course, running through all of these temptations, Satan’s insidious suggestion that Jesus was not the Son of God, the doubt implied in the tempter’s repeated use of the word if. ‘If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.’ (Matt. 4:3.) ‘If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down.’ (Matt. 4:6.) These, of course, were foreshadows of that final, desperate temptation which would come three years later: ‘If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.’ (Matt. 27:40.) But Jesus patiently withstood that ploy also, knowing in due time every knee would bow and every tongue confess. It was not necessary then, or ever, for Jesus to satisfy the curiosity of men, least of all unholy men. … It is important to remember that Jesus was capable of sinning, that he could have succumbed, that the plan of life and salvation could have been foiled, but that he remained true. … He was perfect and sinless, not because he had to be, but rather because he clearly and determinedly wanted to be." I love my Savior and I am so grateful that He loved us enough to patiently withstand the temptations of Satan. I cannot wait for that day when every knee will bow and every tongue will confess. I cannot wait for the day that I can tell Him thank you.

Im sorry for another novel! I love you all so very much and I hope you have such a good week. I'm glad y'all got all moved into the house okay and you're enjoying it! I'm excited to see it! Be happy this week, because it'll be too short to be anything else!

Con amor,

Hermana Swapp

PS: "And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. And when they had plaited a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head. And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him." -Matthew 27:28-31