This is the email from Hermana VanWie
on October 27, 2014. She loves the work she is doing! Thank you for all of your
prayers and support for her.
Querida Familia y amigos--
We started out the
week with going to the zoo!! It was a lot of fun for Preparation Day! Then
Sister Jimenez and I were asked to give a training on the role of the Holy
Ghost in conversion in Zone Meeting. Even though we only had a few days to
prepare for it, the Lord blessed us in our efforts and everything came together
including doing it in English. Sister Jimenez did wonderful! I was so proud of
her! As we studied we felt like we needed to address personal conversion and
how we allow the Holy Ghost to touch us and change us and help us become more
converted. As both President Clark and President Gelwix have taught, we first
must be converted to help others do the same. As we studied we also found a
connection between exact obedience and the miracle of conversion. Like the
mission culture says, "We know exact obedience brings miracles and we
desire the miracle of conversion--for self and for others." We know that
as we are exactly obedient to the laws of God and to the mission culture we
increase in faith. With this increase of faith we can have an increase of the
Spirit in our lives. And this increase of the Spirit allows us to have a
personal conversion which then allows us to see the miracle of conversion in
others. I love what Elder Richard G. Scott says about conversion, "Stated
simply, true conversion is the fruit of faith, repentance, and consistent
obedience. Faith comes by hearing the word of God and responding to it. You
will receive from the Holy Ghost a confirming witness of things you accept on
faith by willingly doing them. You will be led to repent of errors resulting
from wrong things done or right things not done. As a consequence, your
capacity to consistently obey will be strengthened. This cycle of faith,
repentance, and consistent obedience will lead you to greater conversion with
its attendant blessings. True conversion will strengthen your capacity to do
what you know you should do, when you should do it, regardless of the
circumstances....I bear testimony that as you pray for guidance, the Holy Ghost
will help identify the personal changes you need to make for full conversion.
The Lord can then bless you more abundantly. Your faith in Him will be
fortified, your capacity to repent will increase, and your power to
consistently obey will be reinforced. The Savior lives. He loves you. As you do
your best, He will help you." I know this is true! True conversion comes
over time and it is a consistent effort.
We had two
wonderful lessons with A and J this week. J is reading the Book of Mormon
and wants to know that it is true--He is seeking for true conversion. He is
asking more questions of things he does not understand and is opening up more
to us and allowing us to more fully address his needs. As we were leaving our
first lesson with them they addressed another question they had and so we knew
exactly what we needed to teach them the next time. We talked with the members
who are friends with them about the lesson and they then invited the whole
family over to their home for the next lesson. It was wonderful! The next
lesson we started teaching, but soon it became the members teaching and it just
seemed like a normal conversation. As we listened to the members explain what
they do in their lives to obey the commandments and why it is important to them
I could feel the Spirit bear testimony to me that indeed the hastening of the
work is more about the members than it is the missionaries--it is about member
missionary work!
This week I went on
an exchange with Sister Henderson in Madera. She did a great job leading her
area!! She is a great teacher! She is so full of love and compassion to others.
She radiates it as she teaches and helps others. I was so glad I got to work
with her!
Sunday was the
primary program (Primary is a children's group at church. Children
learn about the Savior through lessons, songs and activities. Hermana
VanWie has been playing the piano for them. They have a yearly program to
share what they have learned.). I have said this before and I will say it
again....I LOVE Primary!!! It was wonderful to see J and J (the children of A
and J) up on the stand singing all the songs as well. The Spirit was so strong
and A was very touched. Truly the simple truths taught in Primary are what the
foundation of our testimonies are based on. There were two musical numbers that
were especially touching: "Soy un hijo de Dios" (I am a Child of
God) (everyone sang it in Spanish) and "Love is Spoken Here." As
a group of boys and a group of girls sang it as a duet the investigators we had
there were very moved. As I listened to the lyrics and felt the sweet Spirit
there I realized that the home that the children were describing is exactly the
type of home that we are striving for our investigators and ourselves to have.
I loved Sunday!! Yo se que esta es
la obra del Senor. El esta encargado de ello y El siempre va ayudarnos. Yo se
que El vive. Y que nuestro Padre Celestial escucha nuestras oraciones y que El
siempre va contestarnos en Su tiempo y en Su manera. Yo se que Ellos nos aman! Los quiero mucho! Que tengan una
semana maravillosa!
Con amor,
Hermana VanWie
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