Feb 8, 2014
Hola!
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!! Hermana Johnson and I got the box this week! THANK YOU SO SO SO MUCH! That box was filled with so much love. It almost smelled like hugs! We loved the little valentines from your Primary class, and I have been enjoying the Reese's pieces and Cheez-Its so much. It's fun to eat American things! Snoopy is my new best friend. I CRIED when I found Esto Les Digo (thank you so much for finding that and sending it to me!) and cried even more when I read everything on the pillowcase. Wow. I have the best family in the WORLD. Thank you so much for doing all of that for me. It was my princess box. I just felt so special to get it! I didn't get something in the mail for you all for Valentine's Day this year. :( But I hope that all the same you can feel just how much I love you! Today I have felt just so loved. I got emails from Tessa, Ashton, Aunt Cheryl, Michael Burlingame, and Sister Stevens from the Geneva Ward. It feels so nice to be remembered by so many people! Like you were saying with the birthdays, it's kind of my thing to remember people. I just love to make other people feel special. So this year for Valentine's Day, I hope that you all can spread the love that you have. It feels so good to love! And then the miracle is that when you love with all you've got, the love comes back to you multiplied by a million. One of my favorite Mormon messages is called "Lo que es mas importante" in español. I guess it would be called What's Most Important. It is President Monson, and he shares some really great quotes on what it means to love. My favorite is that he says "Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved."
Link to the message by President Monson "What Matters Most" below:
I have a strong testimony that every single person in this world is a child of God. And as such, every one has a beautiful and special personality that was created by God! It is so important that we love. As a missionary, our love is very concentrated in service. Today I read a quote from President Eyring that talked about how when we serve in the Lord's name, we will feel His love...and then eventually this love, this charity, will become a part of who we are. I love Valentine's Day because it is such a perfect way to let other people know just how much you love them.
I love the news about Sister Opp and Josh & Clarissa! AHHHHH! I also love both of the quotes. (One of the quotes Mom sent this week is the one above about missionaries.) That quote about obedience is one of my favorite quotes ever. Thank you for sending it to me. It is such a great reminder, especially as a missionary when at times the sheer quantity of rules can get frustrating. The quote Melanie is referring to: "When obedience ceases to be an irritant, and becomes our quest, in that moment God will endow us with power." ~Ezra Taft Benson
Logistics stuff....we have transfers on Wednesday and we still don't know who is getting transferred. I don't think that I will get transferred because I've only been here for one transfer, but if I do, you won't hear from me on Saturday. If I get transferred, my P-day will be on Monday again, but because of the special conference with Elder Ballard, P-day is Tuesday. So long story short if I get transferred, I will write again next Tuesday. lol. Also, it was only hot here the one week that I wrote. After that it has been really bipolar. It's turning into fall really fast!
So the title this week is "el plan perfecto," or "the perfect plan." As a missionary, my testimony has really grown that the Lord has the perfect plan. Not just a logical plan. Not just a merciful plan. The. Perfect. Plan. This week Hermana Johnson and I saw a sweet miracle. This week has been tougher. We haven't had a lot of appointments, and it's been gray and drizzly. But yesterday we went past a contact who wasn't home, and were leaving to visit someone else. We walked past a young couple and waved at them, like normal. Then out of the blue, the couple turned around and flagged us down. They asked us, "Why don't you pass by our house?" Then we were just kind of stunned and asked them where they lived. They told us that they aren't married yet, but are living together and expecting a baby. The man grew up in the Church, but became inactive as he got older. He has the priesthood. The woman is not a member. But they want to get involved in the Church! The man told us that they had searched on Google to try to find the missionaries, but didn't know exactly how. They want to get married. The wife wants to learn about the gospel. And they are hoping that one day they will be able to get sealed in the temple. The man told us that if he was going to change his life, he didn't want to just change a little bit. He wanted to change entirely to be the man who he knew he should be. Wow. So we gave them the address to the chapel, and they said they will come tomorrow! We are going to start visiting them! If we had not been on that street at that particular time of the day, we would not have passed this couple.
The Lord has the perfect plan. He has every single one of us in His tender, loving care. I am constantly in awe of just how much He really loves His children. He loves us, and so we can trust in Him. He will never lie to us, and will always lead us in a direction to make us happier. We just need to be humble enough to hear the voice of the Spirit and follow it.
I hope that this Valentine's Day you all can feel the immense love of our Savior and our Heavenly Father! I want to testify to you all that it is an actual power. You can feel it fill your heart with warmth, and envelop you in hope and peace. I love the Lord. I am so thankful for the opportunity to serve Him and to serve His blessed children here in Chile.
I love you all so very very very much! I carry your hearts with me every day! May you enjoy a happy Valentine's Day and much chocolate. :)
Amor para siempre, y abrazos gigantes de Francke, Chile, Hermana Latham
(Love always and gigantic hugs from Francke, Chile)
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