Monday, May 19, 2014

5-5-14 The promise of my protection

Hermana Romero sent the following in a personal email to her mother on May 5. We had been telling her in our emails that we pray for her [including her safety] daily.
Today 5/19, she OK'd us to post it on her blog.


I don't know if you and Dad are ever worrying about my safety, but recently, I was reading Mosiah 28 and I thought of you guys. King Mosiah is worried about sending his sons to Lamanite territory to teach the Gospel because of their personal safety (the Lamanites having a fierce hatred and desire to kill all Nephites), but he goes to ask of the Lord. In verse 7, the Lord gives him a promise: "Let them go up, for many shall believe in their words, and they shall have eternal life; and I will deliver thy sons out of the hands of the Lamanites." You have the same promise. I have been called by the Lord to come to this country, and if I am obedient (which I am, ALWAYS), you have the promise of my protection.

Love, your hijita
Hermana Romero

Monday, May 12, 2014

5-12-14 Search for the miracles and the blessings



Mi querida familia!

How can I follow up the Mother's Day skype? It was so lovely to talk
to and hear from every one of you! (As well as to see your lovely
faces...) I hope you all had a wonderful day, especially Mom!

The interesting thing I've noticed is, as I try to think of the
highlights of the week for my weekly emails, no matter how crummy I
felt like the week was, if I search for the miracles and the
blessings, there is ALWAYS something good that came out of it. For
instance perhaps our investigators aren't progressing as much as we'd
like, or they don't come to church, or they won't get baptized, or I'm
not getting along with my companion, or it rained a lot...little
things like that can get you down, but when I think about the
blessings, I remember that Heavenly Father is loving and merciful. And
that tomorrow will be better than today.

One of this week's miracles was our investigator Yanira. She came to
church on Sunday with both of her daughters! (one is a member and the
other is a long-term investigator). They've been reading the
scriptures and praying as a family, and I know that if they keep doing
little daily acts of faith, they will become a stronger family and be
able to make wise decisions (especially the daughters, who are
teenagers).

Another was a lesson we had yesterday with a young man named Robin. He
is a devout Catholic, and when we passed by earlier in the week to
invite him to church, he told us he didn't agree with some of our
doctrine. So we clarified some doctrine, and testified that reading
the Book of Mormon (which he hadn't been doing) and having a testimony
of it is the key to knowing the church is true. If we know that it's
true, the Spirit can testifiy to us that Joseph Smith had the power of
God to translate it, and was consequently a prophet, and consequently
there are modern prophets and revelation, etc. A chain effect
testimony.

In the end of the lesson, he said, "This week I'm going to San Miguel.
I will only bring the Book of Mormon [and not the Bible] and I'm going
to put it to the definitive test. I'm going to read the whole book.
I'll have an answer for you next Sunday." Wow, I was impressed. It
takes a lot of faith to be willing to change what you have grown up
believing, and we are just praying that he follows through on this
promise.

Thank you for all your love and support. May you have an excellent week!
Love, Hermana Romero

PS Forgot to mention one of my favorite things about church this Sunday! Yanira showed up with a little notebook to take notes. And we made little cookies for all the moms in the ward, and they were a big hit!

Sunday, May 11, 2014

5-5-14 A beautiful day



My dear family,

The big news of this week is that we finally were able to find and teach Yanira, a woman who had accepted a baptismal date for April (along with her 12 year old daughter who has been listening to the missionaries for months but has never had permission to be baptized) that fell through. It was a miracle.

Friday, we were pretty discouraged because our numbers had been pretty low all week, and we had spent almost the entire day wandering, rather than teaching. One of those days. But we were heading back home and had time for one lesson more. I told Hermana de la T that we needed to look for Yanira and that we needed to gain the confidence of her mom (who takes care of the children while Yanira is working). And some how, it worked exactly like that! We helped the abuela with some household chores, then Yanira showed up and we taught her and she was very interested in learning more. Anyway, moral of the story is that we were guided as to where to go, and that hope is not lost for this family. I believe they will still get baptized. :)

Yesterday was a beautiful day as well. It was a day in which many people who have almost nothing gave us food. I don't think I hardly ever talk about the poverty I have seen here...people who don't have enough to feed their children, but yet we stop by to visit and help them and they give us mangos. Or people who are having a poor day selling and ask us if we want to buy anything, and we have to tell them no, we don't shop on Sundays, and then they give us free tamales. People here are very generous with what little they have and really live the advice of Mosiah 4:24. They are an example to me of love, of what I imagine the Savior feels for us.

I am time and time again impacted by the words of 2 Nephi 2:7, speaking of Christ. "Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin..." I don't like to dwell on the suffering of Christ but I do like to remember WHY he suffered all things. The infinite, pure, selfless love he had and has for us is incomparable. There was no other that could offer himself as a sacrifice, and I am exceedingly convinced that there is no other that WOULD. All he asks of us is "a broken heart and a contrite spirit" and that we keep his commandments. The restored Gospel has blessed my life so much- with an understanding of who I am and my purpose-but greatest of all these blessings is my knowledge of the Lord, Jesus Christ.

Have an excellent week!
Love,
Hermana Romero

PS. Hermana D (sister in our ward who cooks us lunch every day) sends her greetings to the whole family! She is one of the dearest friends I have made in the mission. We love her lots.