Dear family and friends,
I would just like everyone to know that I am writing from Durango! I have changed "lugares." It is a very bittersweet change. Luckily it is slightly cooler here than Gomez Palacio.
Entonces, mi semana
Monday: Today, in honor of my family, Hermana Gomez y yo bought Chinese food and ate it on my bed as we watched 30 minute church videos! Good times with Hermana Gomez! Oh family, I love our chinese tradition. We must continue it forever! There was also the usual washing, cleaning, writing and shopping. Then, of course, District meeting. There were lots of changes in our district today.
Tuesday: We had capacitacion in the morning. It was really good! It was all about the "only true and living Church". It was amazing! How blessed we are to be the ONLY church in the ENTIRE WORLD that has the truth, has the authority, and is directed by Jesus Christ himself. With this evangelio we CANNOT FAIL. The only thing that can fail is ourselves-our determination, our faith, our love, our perseverance.
Wednesday: Today was a normal day of teaching and preaching. I did encounter dogs that look exactly like my stuffed animal Fluffy! It was so strange! I have never seen dogs that look like him! So my dreams have come true- Fluffy does exist.
Thursday: We encountered a huge dog that was so beautiful! Her name is Roja. Her owner said she is only 1 year old!!? Anyways, we now have another dog friend. I don't know why, but we have had a lot of strange experiences with dogs. You've been in an area a long time when the dogs don't bark at you anymore and when you start to know where the dogs live and give them names! ;) I swear there are more dogs than people here! And let me just say that the dogs are better investigators than the people at times. At least the dogs follow us and do what we ask. ;) Sadly we can't baptize a dog. That's OK we will find more people to baptize.
Friday: Today we had an amazing lesson with Ana Teresa and her 2 kids. They are "menos activos." We taught a lesson on obedience and had them read a letter from our Heavenly Father (I'm sure we have used this letter for girls camp.). It was a beautiful lesson and tears were shed. I think we are really making progress with this family! That night we went to visit Hermana Portillo who is our Relief Society President. We invited her to Consejo de Barrio (Ward Council). Our ward is not the greatest with Ward Council, planning, and such. So we are really working hard to help this ward have more enthusiasm for the work! I think it worked because she was in Ward Council on Sunday. I hope we can continue to improve the ward.
Saturday: We attended the baptism of an '"Hermana" from Hermana Gomez's old area and I actually know the Hermana from Intercambios! So it was very special. This "Hermana" is so valiant! Over Christmas she made an announcement that she was going to leave the Catholic religion for the religion of the Mormons! This is amazing considering how Catholic her family is!! I really admire this "Hermana."
Sunday: Today it was IMPOSSIBLE to find anyone in their house because of Dia de San Valentin. So, needless to say, we didn't teach that many people. However we did have the time to talk with Hermana Dovali (She accompanies us a lot and is an amazing Hermana!). I look up to this sister so much! She just emanates the gospel! She preaches it to everyone she meets! She always has Christ on her lips! Oh, if only we could all be like this! To always have Christ on our lips! To share the light that we have with others. People are always in need of something and the gospel of Jesus Christ always has something to help, strengthen, or heal! I hope that one day I can have the same love for the gospel that she has and that I can always have the name of Christ on my lips-ready to share. Later that night we received a phone call saying that I am to go to Durango-to Guadalupe. So I started packing. It was bittersweet to leave.
Monday: Hermana Pati took us to the Centro de Camiones and I bought a ticket with Hermana Jimenez. We boarded at 9 and arrived at 12. It was a good ride. I watched Cinderella on the ride there. When I arrived I met Elder Black again! My heart was so happy to see a familiar face! We had some good times when he and Elder Sanchez were in my district! Anyways, now I am here in Durango with my new companion Hermana Sanitesiban? I'm not quite sure what her name is. It's hard to spell and hard to pronounce. But hopefully it will be good! It is soooo different here from Alamos 1. It is more of a city. Alamos was more rural-more like the boonies. I hope that we can have a lot of success here!
What I have been thinking about lately is "Are we builders or destroyers?" We've been having problems with our ward lately. People say things to our investigators, "menos activos" and "recien conversos" that are rude or mean and then they don't want to come. We can't be building and destroying the church at the same time! So much work can be destroyed with only a few words. We need to be careful with what we say. We need to analyze our lives and see if we build people up, build up the church, build ourselves, or if we only destroy. Do we destroy others and therefore destroy ourselves? We need to remember to have charity for others. Remember to not judge others just because they sin differently than us. We cannot act self righteous just because we have been a member all our lives. We all have faults and therefore we need to have charity and love the sinner and not the sin. We need to look past all of that. This is why Mormon said, "If ye have not charity, ye are nothing." We are nothing. It doesn't matter if we have all the knowledge in the world and all the authority and power. If we don't use it for good, to bless others, it is for naught. People are the most important here. In the mission we are always taught to teach PEOPLE not LESSONS. We are here for our families, neighbors, friends, co-workers, etc. Not for our own work or purposes. So please be builders. And if you are a destroyer, well, be like Wreck-it-Ralph and learn to build with your destroying talents.
I love you all so much! I hope you are all well!!
Love,
Hermana Lutze
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