Week 79

Querida Hermana Lutze,

I can't believe I'm writing my very last letter to you!!! Nor that I'm saying that we will see you Thursday. Honestly, it feels like we were just at the airport dropping you off!!! This past week was full of work at work and at home. I'm still trying to recover the yard from the winter-cleaning up leaves, trimming plants and bushes. Papa and I went to hear Dad sing with the Millennial Choir on Friday. They were incredible. I have to say I felt the Spirit stronger listening to them than I do with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. My favorite songs were "How Great Thou Art", "Be Still My Soul", "Come, Come Ye Saints", and "Love at Home." I love music. There's such a powerful spirit of testimony through song. I hope you can involve yourself in some way with music when you return home! Hannah is finishing up this semester and we meet with the Accessibility office on Wednesday to see what help we can get her next fall. Natalie participated in her guitar concert on Friday. I'm sure it was great. Unfortunately I was up at Dad's concert and didn't get to hear them. She's quite good on the piano and the guitar. Jakob's busy  playing soccer and some reffing of soccer. We enjoyed coloring Easter eggs yesterday and Easter egg hunts. We even had one for the adults this year. It was really fun! Natalie, Amanda, and Michelle hid the eggs for us! I was released today from my calling. We will see what my future holds. I was sustained just before you left and released just before you returned home. :) I'm really sad. I loved this calling! Thursday we will pick you up and go out to dinner and you will be released by President Christofferson that evening at 7:00. 

My last spiritual thought to you surrounds the concept of enduring well! In the words of Paul in 2 Timothy 4:7 "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith." I know you can say all of that about your mission. Congratulations for returning with honor! It's an incredible feeling to know that you served with all of your heart, might, mind, and strength. There are such great promises for enduring patiently with faith to the end. A review of the scriptures in relation to the word 'endure' is instructive...We are promised eternal life, we will be saved, crowned with glory, receive glorious revelations, inherit the kingdom of God, and will in nowise be cast out. I love James 5:11, "Behold, we count them happy which endure." I know I felt that way as I returned home after serving an honorable mission.

I love you! We'll see you Thursday!

Love,

Mom

Week 78 (The Rooster in the Tree)

Queridos,

Monday we had a blast with Hna Holman and Hna Pira! We ate crepes and walked around the city! It was a fun and beautiful day!

Tuesday we had an awesome capacitacion de Zona! However, it was very very very long!! We were there from 10 until 5. Presidente taught us some great things that are going to help us be expert teachers!! It's a whole new way of reading and presenting scriptures!

Wednesday was awesome!! We found a new family to teach!! We found a lovely old couple that want to be together forever! AND we got a rooster out of a tree with prayer! I will tell you all about it at the end.

Thursday we had another great day! The Lord is truly blessing us with great days! We found two new families and one of these families is amazing!! They really want to find the truth and they want the best for their two little girls! Obviously the best is the restored gospel of Jesus Christ!

Friday we went and saw David again. (I don't know if you remember him?) The point is that he began to drink again. We went and saw him and he was so sad and devastated, but now he really wants to listen to us and really wants to be baptized!! It's amazing how the Lord works!! He humbled David enough to really give us the opportunity to help him!  

Saturday was awesome and interesting! We taught two young women and we found out that they are Lesbian (Actually we already knew! We just didn't tell them). It was so interesting to relate the gospel to the struggles of these two girls. I hope we can help them obtain the happiness that God wants for each and every one of us :). 

Sunday was great as well!! David went to church and also one of the new families! (Elena y Diego) They felt really good in church! It was a great day!

Well, now for the story about the rooster. So we went to visit one of our investigators-Fransisca. She has a rooster that she sold to a young boy. However, when she sold her rooster it flew up on a house and wouldn't come down! (I think he knew what was  going on!) It had been up there for 3 days now! So at first we tried to get it down. We threw rocks and it eventually got off the roof!!! Yes!! ...................but then it flew up in the treee!!!!! No......................... So we told her, "Look, we are going to say a prayer and teach you and when we finish, the rooster will come down. She didn't believe us. She thought we were crazy, but she let us teach her. We said a prayer to start and I have NEVER in my life prayed for a rooster to come down, but there is a first for everything! I prayed with all my might and faith. Then we taught her and as we were saying the closing prayer, all I could think was "Oh Heavenly Father, I know you have power over all things. Please do this tiny thing for us. Please bring down this rooster!" and the very moment that my companion said Amen,..........................the rooster came flying down!!! So we chased it and caught it and gave it to the young boy!! It was so funny and such an amazing experience!! 

I truly know that prayer with faith brings miracles!! I know God listens to us and answers our prayers! I know that when we are obedient, we have the power to call down upon us whatever blessing we may need from God.... We can even make a rooster come down from a tree. I know that if you will pray with sincerity and act in faith, doubting nothing and obeying everything, God will always give you what you need! 

So how many people do you need to get a rooster down from a tree? Only two missionaries with the prayer of faith and the will of God on their side ;).

I love you all so much!! I hope you can all pray more fervently and obey more perfectly to receive all the answers to your prayers!!

Love you all so much! See you soon!

Hermana Lutze

Week 78

Querida Hermana Lutze,

I know you're working hard to the end and you are blessing lives because of it. This past week was Spring break for the kids. Natalie enjoyed her time reading and visiting with friends. She also took the ACT on Saturday for the first time. Jakob spent the week with Christopher here at our house while the Russells were in St. George. They had a great time together-cooking, doing jobs, playing video games, watching movies, and swimming. Hannah and I went to her neuropsych appointment and learned where we need to go from here for help. We have a plan! I also spent a lot of time with her and Natalie shopping... getting ready for our cruise! Dad and I went on a date Friday night to see a play at the Off Broadway Theater. We saw Cutie and the Beast. It was really funny! We went to dinner afterwards! I've also spent a ton of time in the yard this week and have at least two more days out there before spring clean up is complete. It snowed a couple of inches last night!!! Wild Utah spring weather is here! The Russells are coming over today to help celebrate Dad's 53rd birthday! 

I've been thinking about ancestors this week especially on Dad's side and felt impressed that I should pray to find them. So yesterday I was with Natalie at DI and Manuela, a lady that works there, mouthed to me 'cute hair' and waved me over. We discussed hair for awhile and as she spoke I could tell she was from another country. I guessed Germany and was right. I then told her Dad's family is from Prussia (Poland). She then told me to pray to find his ancestors! (It was surreal to meet a German woman and have her tell me to pray to find Dad's ancestors on the same day I'd been thinking that very thing.) She said when they've accepted the gospel they will find you to have their ordinances done. At the end of our conversation she asked if I needed a hug. She stood and gave me the best hug. I LOVE how the gospel makes us immediate sisters! Now there is someone that is leading out in Christ-like love!

I love you! Make the most of your last days in the mission!

Love,

Mom

Week 77 (Prayer and Service)

Queridos,

Well another great week has gone by so fast!! I can't believe it! Time flies when you are working hard and having fun!! 

Monday we went to Centro again to eat more crepes and  just spend time together!

Tuesday was really, really windy!! We were covered in dirt!! I had a wonderful exfoliant facial mask of dirt. I've heard it's really healthy for your skin along with the sun ;). We found some amazing new investigators! The hard part is getting them to progress ;). But we are still working on it!

Wednesday was a great day!! We worked with Rosa and Julio to start their negocio so they can get married! We went and visited our wonder child Valery who I hope will be baptized at the end of April! She really wants to be baptized!

Thursday we had a great lesson with una Hermana that I really hope progresses!! She is very open. I love how the Lord works. He always guides us to someone  that could accept and then guides us to someone that really wants to hear the gospel. This Hermana is incredible, however, her daughter is passing though many problems and she is the real chosen one in this home. The Lord works in mysterious ways!

Friday was a good day as well! We helped with the negocio de Julio y Rosa. We found a wonderful new investigator that has so many great questions! We taught Hermano Juan. He is the Catholic husband of a member. However, slowly but surely, he is starting to see the truth! I hope  he can accept the truth in his life and live in peace and happiness with his family!

Saturday and Sunday were amazing for the Conferencia General!! All the talks were so amazing! We really must learn to love our Heavenly Father and obey him for love and love to obey. We have a lot of hard things that are going to come, so we really need to be prepared!

Sunday we had quite the adventure! We stepped out our door and we shut it. When we went to put the key in to lock it............it didn't go in!! We couldn't lock or unlock our door!! And we couldn't attend to it until the night time. We went with our Mission Leader and called a cerrajero and he had to take the lock out and put in a new one! When he took the lock out he laughed because it was filled with Kola Loca! Or super glue! We couldn't believe it! Who would be so bad to put super glue in our key hole!? It was quite the adventure and now looking back it is funny :)

This week I came to a great realization! I was reading in  Alma 34

18 Yea, cry unto him for mercy; for he is mighty to save.

19 Yea, humble yourselves, and continue in prayer untohim.

20 Cry unto him when ye are in your fields, yea, over all your flocks.

21 Cry unto him in your houses, yea, over all yourhousehold, both morning, mid-day, and evening.

22 Yea, cry unto him against the power of your enemies.

23 Yea, cry unto him against the devil, who is an enemy to all righteousness.

24 Cry unto him over the crops of your fields, that ye may prosper in them.

25 Cry over the flocks of your fields, that they may increase.

26 But this is not all; ye must pour out your souls in yourclosets, and your secret places, and in your wilderness.

27 Yea, and when you do not cry unto the Lord, let yourhearts be full, drawn out in prayer unto him continuallyfor your welfare, and also for the welfare of those who arearound you.

28 And now behold, my beloved brethren, I say unto you, do not suppose that this is all; for after ye have done all these things, if ye turn away the needy, and the naked, and visit not the sick and afflicted, and impart of your substance, if ye have, to those who stand in need—I say unto you, if ye do not any of these things, behold, your prayer is vain, and availeth you nothing, and ye are as hypocrites who do deny the faith.

I love this part that tells us that we can and should pray for every aspect of our lives. However, I especially love verse 28. It tells us that if we do not serve others our prayers are in vain. I learned this day that in order to have my prayers answered, I have to be the answer to someone else's prayer. So, if I want lots of answers to my prayers, I have to serve many and be the answer to the prayers of many! We don't gain anything for doing nothing. We have to act and serve and love our neighbor - the members and the non members. I invite you all to meditate on this passage this week and look for how you can be the answer to the prayer of someone else. I invite you all to seek the guidance of the Holy Ghost, as was mentioned in General Conference, to help you know who to serve, when to serve and how to serve. I promise you that as you seek to fulfill your part that God will do the rest. I promise that you will feel more joy and purpose in your life and you will be able to receive the blessings that you are asking for from God.

Well, I love you all!! Hope you are all well! And see you soon!

Love,

Hermana Lutze

Week 77

Querida Hermana Lutze,

So little time and so much to do!!!! I'm sure you're feeling that way right now. There wasn't enough time in the day for me at the end of my mission. I hope this finds you well! Life here is the usual crazy. I've been working hard in the yard and on  the itinerary for our trip in June. We really enjoyed General Conference this weekend. Marissa and Hannah came over Saturday morning and watched with us. We did Pizzart for lunch. Pretty cool pizza art! Dad's always so creative! Kylie, Hannah's roommate came over between sessions and Mandy, Hannah's other roommate, came over after the 2nd session. They all helped in the yard for a little bit and then I took them all out for dinner at Zupa's while Dad and Jakob attended the Priesthood session. Sunday we still had Mandy and Kylie with us. Amanda left to attend the afternoon session with her parents at Temple Square and then brought them by on their way home to meet us. It was fun to meet her family. They ended up having dinner with us-an extra five people and we still had lots of leftovers. It felt a little like feeding the 5000 with leftovers!!!! 

We had a great Presidency meeting on Wednesday. It's really fun to realize after the fact that you've been receiving personal revelation during the week. I had been really impressed with two scriptures that unknowingly went perfectly with a scripture that I'd sent to Lorrie a month or so ago. We are meeting with the RS presidents shortly and talking to them about teaching. Lorrie had already planned on using Mosiah 23:18-nourish pertaining to righteousness. The two additional scriptures I found were Helaman 11:23 - true points of doctrine due to personal revelation and Helaman 13:29-will ye suffer yourselves to be led by foolish and blind guides? It's our choice-do we listen to the prophet and apostles and receive true doctrine because they receive revelation or do we choose to follow foolish and blind guides-whatever or whomever those are... In addition two portions of Handbook 2 were given to me through the Spirit - 9.1.2 in which we are told as RS leaders to look after the spiritual welfare and salvation of all the female members of the Church and in 3.2.1 we learn that when we are converted and growing spiritually we then help others become converted and grow spiritually. As leaders we must prepare spiritually in order to receive the revelation we need in our callings. I'm so grateful for this personal revelation that I was given! 

General Conference was so uplifting! We'll see you in a couple of weeks! I can't believe I'm saying that!

Love,

Mom

Week 76 (More Holiness Give Me)

Querida familia y amigos,

Wow another week down!! Time is flying by so fast!!

Monday was fantastic!! We went with Hna Holman and Hna Lopez (my guerrita friends) to Bebeleche (interactive museum) and ate delicious crepes! It was a blast! Missionaries really are like children!!

Tuesday was awesome because we went on splits with our Hermanas Lideres so we could look for our new investigators! We got a lot of work done in little time! We walked and taught the gospel to everyone in sight.

Wednesday was also great, but I don't remember much of what happened this day. :)

Thursday was an incredible day of planning! Sadly nuestros investigadores hid from us but we found other great people to teach.

Friday was a hard day! We had a lot of appointments, but none of them were there!! So we walked in the hot sun all day!! Woo!! It helped me work on my tan ;) I think I am the most tan out of all my family! (Don't tell Natalie and Hannah;) ) However, we did see miracles this day. It was so hot, we were baking in the streets!  But, we pushed on with faith and found a wonderful family that wants to learn how they can become an eternal family! Yay!! I hope they can learn the gospel and accept it in their lives and become this eternal family!! (It pays off to keep the faith and to work with diligence!)

Saturday we visited our investigators to encourage them to go to church and we watched the General Women's Conference! I loved it!

Sunday we obtained two new investigators who look like they are going to be poderosos because they attended church with us. Yay!

I loved what Sister McConkie taught in the General Women's Conference about being holy. I love that we can become pure and holy through our Savior's sacrifice! Only through Him can we truly be clean and only through Him can we truly change. We have to make lasting changes to become holy because it is a way of living. Everything that the Savior taught us is a way of living that we must learn in order to enter into the Kingdom of God. I love the hymn "More Holiness Give Me." I invite you all to read that hymn and meditate on your life. Ask yourself how you can be more holy, how you can be more fit for the kingdom of God!

Love you all!!

Love,

Hermana Lutze

Week 76

Querida Hermana Lutze,

I hope this finds you well. This week has been the usual busy. Hannah enjoyed her Ward activity in Salt Lake, Natalie is busy with friends and school while Jakob started outdoor soccer again and reffing to earn money for his mission. Dad and I went to the temple on Friday and Zupas afterwards. Natalie and I enjoyed Womens Conference together. I loved all the speakers and their topics. President Eyring's comment "Remembering is one of the most precious gifts" really stood out to me because I'd been pondering that word this week. I was reading in Helaman 5 - in the first 14 verses the word remember is mentioned 15 times. I've thought about the importance of remembering over the years and that is why I have a personal revelation or spiritual experience journal to help me remember the spiritual when times are hard, to help me stand,  and to help me stay strong against the winds of adversity. I love you! I love that you have honorably fufilled your mission scripture Alma 29:9!

Love,

Mom