Dear family and friends,
Well, I don't like how the time is speeding up faster and faster and I am getting closer and closer to the halfway point!! In about a month I will be halfway done!!! That just can't be possible! I have to say that the Elders are actually very blessed to have the opportunity to serve for 2 years. I'm a little jealous, but it's OK, I will be fine. :)
Monday: We played basketball and soccer with the Hermanas!! Way fun to finally do some real exercising! It was blazing hot while we played, but still fun! Great day!
Tuesday: Not much happened today or I can't remember. Take your pick.
Wednesday: Today we went to visit Debanni (a recent convert) and we found her with some of her friends. We taught all three of them and they actually have some good potential! I hope we can work with them and their families! Also, we went to visit a man name Primitivo (English: Primitive and it is fitting seeing how he has about 80+ years ;) However, he is so sweet! He actually went to the store and bought us little sodas! (He is in a wheelchair because he has only one leg so it was quite the kind gesture for us :) ) Another man came up to us and started to ask us "How ya doooin" "Hola guerita y morenita" ...........ya thanks, we're not interested right now ;). He was definitely drunk. But so funny that he called my companion Morenita!! It's like saying 'Hey White Person' in the United States!! ;) It also hailed for about 3 minutes here! It was a miracle! My companion was so excited!! She has never seen hail before!
Thursday and Friday: Still teaching Ignacio. He has numerous problems in his life, a lot of sins and burdens. However, it has been amazing to see him start the repentance process and truly repent and have this true change in his character and personality. He has changed so much and all thanks to his personal desire to change and his relationship with God. We haven't done much. We just try to teach and strengthen him but it is really him that is changing and fighting to be better. It just goes to show that ANYONE can truly change if they want to. We also have a recent convert who suffers from same-sex attraction. It is amazing to see how the Gospel is helping him overcome his temptations and really change his life! He is amazing and a fighter as well! I know it is not easy for these people. but the fact is that we have to align our lives with God. We can't change the laws of God to fit the people. No one said it would be easy, but God has promised us an Eternity of Happiness if we can do it!
Saturday: Today we went to visit Monse and we hung out with her and her 3 cute kids!! They have so much energy!! They are always trying to jump all over us!! And they absolutely love to take pictures!! So we have a lot of pictures of them ;) Her family is so cute!
Sunday: Well today was a normal, beautiful Sunday. We didn't do much because my compañera felt sick. So we went to a member's house so she could drink some "Ruda" tea and then they took us home. It was also the day of elections, so we had to enter in early because the people started to get a little crazy.
Well that is basically my week! However I love what one Hermana talked with us about when we were eating with her family. We talked about family history. I will be honest, I have never had a love or desire to do family history work. It bores me. Mainly because I have no idea what I am doing. However as we were talking about it I realized a couple of things. One-family history work is good for three things, conversion, retention, and reactivation. It can literally help us with all phases of the missionary work. Second, that the temple is where we can be united with all of our past and all of our future. Every time we go to the temple we do work for others. We only do the work for us once. This should tell us the importance of family history. If we are only doing for others when we go to the temple, then the temple really is not as much for us as it is for ALL of our family. Third, I realized why the scripture says in D&C 128:15, "And now, my dearly beloved brethren and sisters, let me assure you that these are principles in relation to the dead and the living that cannot be lightly passed over, as pertaining to our salvation. For their salvation is necessary and essential to our salvation, as Paul says concerning the fathers—that they without us cannot be made perfect—neither can we without our dead be made perfect."
I began to think, "How can our spirits be at peace in the Celestial Kingdom if we haven't saved all our ancestors? How can we be at peace knowing that we could have saved them and that they could have made it to the Celestial Kingdom if we had only taken the time to look for them and do the work for them?" I know that I could not rejoice in living with God if I have failed others and not given them this chance to have the same joy that I have. I now realize that we HAVE to do this work. We have to do this work so that ALL of our family has the opportunity to live in the Celestial Kingdom. Otherwise it will haunt us for all of eternity. I know it's not easy, I know that it may not be the most exciting thing on the planet for some (like me), but now, knowing this, I have more desire to learn how to do family history, to discover my ancestors, and in the process, I know I will also discover myself.
I love you all!! I hope you can get going on family history work and if you are already doing it, well, keep going!!
Love,
Hermana Lutze
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