I'll start with the funny things first!
Sister Martinez was making a Mexican dish for a church party so we went to un mercado. While we were eating lunch, she leans over to me and says, "You know everyone is staring at you, right?" They were. For the first time, I think people were staring at me, not because I'm a missionary, but because I was clearly not Mexican. It was the best! Another funny thing is that I always try to avoid speaking in Spanish with Sis Martinez because I don't want to mess up.But while we were in the store, I begged her to speak to me in Spanish so that people knew that I understood. The tables definitely turned!
We've been praying a lot to find these people, but with no luck. Unfortunately, this made me pretty frustrated and upset. I knew my pride was getting in the way, but I just wanted to be mad for a minute.
We were in a lesson with one of our families, and things took a turn for the worse. One of the family members got very upset at something we said, and wouldn't listen to the rest of the lesson. It was so hard to be in there because I was already very discouraged. we left the lesson without words because we felt so discouraged.
Another family brought a different experience, but the same frustration. The family was fighting and screaming in front of us, saying bad things about their own family members, and no one was happy. Needless to say, these two appointments left us broken.
The next day, the first family called us and apologized. She then asked us to come over so we could talk. When we got there, we saw that she needed help packing her home up so she could move on Saturday. My pride got in the way, and I didn't want to help because I was mad. But I knew I was a representative of Jesus Christ, and he would help this woman pack. So we packed and chatted, and laughed, and quickly, all was forgiven. My heart felt happy again and I felt more equipped to represent my Savior.
The second family lived outside our boundaries, so we ended up having the other missionaries teach that family. Those Elders called us a few days after our lesson with this family and told us that the mom had watched a video we left for them about strengthening families. Then she watched it with all her kids together. She was sobbing as she told the Elders that she wanted to be a better mother. She made specific goals to strengthen her family, and promised to take steps to be better.
We knew these miracles came from the Lord and we were just lucky enough to see them.
I learned more about forgiveness with this family. They are so special to me and I watched as them love this week as they found it in themselves to allow Jesus Christ to heal them. Forgiveness is essential to our happiness.
There is a woman named Paula who is about 95 years old. She is very handicapped. She is blind, can barely hear, and has depression. Her daughter is a member of our branch, but doesn't often come because she is always tending to her mother. We visit Paula weekly and sing hymns to her. She hold and kisses our hands saying things like "May the Lord bless you with health and strength" and things like that. She is the best part of my day.
We visited Paula and Gloria (her daughter) yesterday before our church meetings. Sister Martinez felt like we needed to just check on them. Gloria desperately needed someone there to hug her. She works diligently to care for her mom, with no rest. We feel so privileged to be able to spend time with them. I can absolutely feel angels around Paula whenever we are there. She is so close to our Heavenly Father.
We have felt discouraged, but we have found peace. We have been humbled through service.
As we serve, we find the answers to our prayers. As we seek Jesus Christ, we find Him in others.
I love this work! It is so hard but I have never felt closer to my Savior. I know He lives. As this Easter season comes up, make sure you watch the video about Jesus Christ.
With lots of love,
Hermana Abram
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