August 3, 2015
Hola Familia,
It will never cease to amaze me at how TRULY small this
world is and how fast it spins...because time is FLYING by. I know I have
said that MANY times, but I am called to testify of the truth and the truth I
will testify of today is that time goes by WAY too fast!
The next few weeks will be full of “lasts” for me.
Sunday started it off as I was prompted to share my testimony in church for the
LAST time as a full-time missionary. Don’t worry I’m not trunky, but it
is awful to think that this mantel I have as a missionary will not last
forever.
Sadly, I am off to my LAST (there’s another one) leaders
conference today, so this letter will be short.
Our investigator, Hermanegildo, otherwise known as Poleto, suffers
from depression. And when I say depression, I mean HE IS DEPRESSED.
During a visit this week, Poleto told us of a time where he almost took his
life. He said, “Hermanas I almost tied
the rope around my neck...but I saw a LIGHT and heard a voice tell me that I
was needed here on earth. So I dropped the rope.” Poleto continued
by explaining how, even after this experience, he STILL did not feel like God
needed him here. We were then prompted to share a short video with him
called “The Hope of God’s Light” that relates a very similar story about a man
named Todd Sylvester.
After the video ended the Spirit was super strong in the
room and I asked him, “Poleto, do you believe that we are sent from God?”
He paused, thought for a moment, and then said, “You could be...I don’t
know?” On this day, I was doing an intercambio [exchange] with Hermana Jaimes, and we both looked at each other and
then knelt down. As we were kneeling on the
ground, we invited Poleto to PRAY right then and ask our Heavenly Father if He
had sent us there to help. With our eyes
shimmering with tears and hopeful faces, we waited until he slowly got down on
his knees and offered the most fervent and sincere prayer. He expressed
his sadness, frustrations and everything that was troubling him...and
innocently asked if God would let him know if we were sent BY Him and if this
was HIS true church.
There was a pause in his prayer as Poleto was unable to
speak and tears ran freely down his cheek. He finished the prayer, and we
looked around the room which included Manuel Santana (who was recently baptized),
his best friend Johnny, and Hermana Jaimes and I, ALL with tear stained
faces. I mustered the question
again..."Poleto, do you believe that we are sent from God?" He
looked us both in the eyes and said, "Yes I do!" And of course
the next question was..."Do you believe that this is the church of
God." He replied, "It is undeniably the truth, Hermanas!"
Afterwards I testified, and now testify to ALL those who read
this, that we, as missionaries, ARE sent from God to answer His children’s
prayers. The hope of God’s light is REAL. In that moment, MY words
were HIS words. The Savior understands us all. Poleto also needed
comfort and so God, just like that night, sent an ANGEL to comfort him.
God DOES listen, and wants us to act on our faith to FIND His light. We
can come to know Him by serving Him.
I’ll close with the words of the dear late President Boyd K.
Packer...
“I know that Jesus Christ will come anew with power and in
glory.
I know I will see him once again at the end of my life’s
story.
I’ll kneel before his wounded feet, I’ll feel his spirit
glow.
My whispering, quivering voice will say, my Lord, my God, I
know.”
I have come to know Him, and will continue all my life, so
that when I am in His presence once more, I too can say..."TE
CONOZCO!" [I KNOW YOU]
I love you all DEARLY, until next week!
Hermana Bartholomew
No comments:
Post a Comment