Tuesday, May 3, 2011
¨It ain´t over til it´s oooover...¨
I heard that song in the street and thought, Thaz right, Mr. Motown group!
Honestly, it STILL hasn´t hit me that I´m going home. Everybody keeps telling me I need to get ¨trunky¨ so that I don´t get sad. I dunno, I just keep praying that the Lord will help me make the transition, and I believe He will. For me, one of the great lessons regarding fulltime missionary service, and this life in general, can be summed up as follows:
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die;
A time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
A time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing
A time to get, and a time to lose;
A time to keep, and a time to cast away
A time to rend, and a time to sew;
A time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate;
A time of war, and a time of peace.
(Ecclesiastes 3:1-8; ¨Turn, Turn, Turn¨ by the Turtles.)
So, as the Stake President told me and my sister often reminds me, I am on the Lord´s time right now, and will be for another good week. Hooray! Therefore, I´s gots to make it the best week ever!
General Conference = espectactular!
One of my favorite lessons this week was when we taught a boy whose friend, a local member of the Church, invited him to receive the missionary lessons. We sat on a rooftop in a beautiful equestrian training facility and taught about the restored truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He was impressed by the story of Joseph Smith´s humble search for pure truth. When Joseph Smith prayed to know which church was true, he was only 14 years old. The boy we taught is 15, but like Joseph, this boy is mature well beyond his years. He expressed dismay at the ¨mediocrity¨ of a value-less lifestyle and a sincere interest in discovering a solid religious footing on the shifting sands of metaphysical suppositions. (Okay, so he didn´t say it quuuite like that. But he did say ¨mediocrity¨!) :) Point is, this boy is ready, his friend helped him, and now he´s on his way to finding the answers he´s seeking. THAT´s why the gospel is so wonderful. There are answers!
I know the Church is true, and am excited and thrilled to always be an active part of it. Heavenly Father lives. His Son Jesus Christ too. They live for us. What tremendous love They have! Let´s show Them our gratitude by living for Them, and helping our brothers and sisters. That is what we´re here for, after all.
Hugs, smiles, thank yous, and see-ya-later´s,
Hermana Lindquist
Honestly, it STILL hasn´t hit me that I´m going home. Everybody keeps telling me I need to get ¨trunky¨ so that I don´t get sad. I dunno, I just keep praying that the Lord will help me make the transition, and I believe He will. For me, one of the great lessons regarding fulltime missionary service, and this life in general, can be summed up as follows:
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die;
A time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
A time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing
A time to get, and a time to lose;
A time to keep, and a time to cast away
A time to rend, and a time to sew;
A time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate;
A time of war, and a time of peace.
(Ecclesiastes 3:1-8; ¨Turn, Turn, Turn¨ by the Turtles.)
So, as the Stake President told me and my sister often reminds me, I am on the Lord´s time right now, and will be for another good week. Hooray! Therefore, I´s gots to make it the best week ever!
General Conference = espectactular!
One of my favorite lessons this week was when we taught a boy whose friend, a local member of the Church, invited him to receive the missionary lessons. We sat on a rooftop in a beautiful equestrian training facility and taught about the restored truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He was impressed by the story of Joseph Smith´s humble search for pure truth. When Joseph Smith prayed to know which church was true, he was only 14 years old. The boy we taught is 15, but like Joseph, this boy is mature well beyond his years. He expressed dismay at the ¨mediocrity¨ of a value-less lifestyle and a sincere interest in discovering a solid religious footing on the shifting sands of metaphysical suppositions. (Okay, so he didn´t say it quuuite like that. But he did say ¨mediocrity¨!) :) Point is, this boy is ready, his friend helped him, and now he´s on his way to finding the answers he´s seeking. THAT´s why the gospel is so wonderful. There are answers!
I know the Church is true, and am excited and thrilled to always be an active part of it. Heavenly Father lives. His Son Jesus Christ too. They live for us. What tremendous love They have! Let´s show Them our gratitude by living for Them, and helping our brothers and sisters. That is what we´re here for, after all.
Hugs, smiles, thank yous, and see-ya-later´s,
Hermana Lindquist
Hello my baby, hello my darlin´, hello my ragtime gaaals (y guys)
We´re working with the members to help them share the gospel more with their loved ones, and we printed out these cutesy little fliers that they´re going to use to write down their references. On the little flier, I typed the following:
¨Y ahora solamente
esperamos oír las alegres nuevas de su venida que nos serán declaradas por la boca de ángeles; porque el tiempo viene, y no sabemos cuán
pronto será…¨ (Alma 13:20)
(¨And now we only wait to hear the joyful news declared unto us by the mouth of angels, of his coming; for the time cometh, we aknow not how soon...¨)
Nice, right? Well, the thing is I put the wrong reference. This scripture I wrote out is in Alma 13:25. I wrote the citation as Alma 13:20, by mistake. It says the following:
¨Now I need not rehearse the matter; what I have said may suffice. Behold, the ascriptures are before you; if ye will bwrest them it shall be to your own destruction.¨
HAHAHAHAHAHA! Sounds like we´re threatening the members into giving references. :) Well, if that´s what it takes....
So anyhoo, this week was fantastic. Mostly because, Alejandra is wonderful and I love her and she wants so badly to change her life. It was the first time I set a baptismal date for after my mission. In other words, when she gets baptized, I won´t be there. Sad! BUT, I´ll be able to email her! Happy! Also, this week Estela is getting baptized. Wonderful wonderful day!
¨And now you know, the rest of the story. Goood daay!¨
¨Y ahora solamente
esperamos oír las alegres nuevas de su venida que nos serán declaradas por la boca de ángeles; porque el tiempo viene, y no sabemos cuán
pronto será…¨ (Alma 13:20)
(¨And now we only wait to hear the joyful news declared unto us by the mouth of angels, of his coming; for the time cometh, we aknow not how soon...¨)
Nice, right? Well, the thing is I put the wrong reference. This scripture I wrote out is in Alma 13:25. I wrote the citation as Alma 13:20, by mistake. It says the following:
¨Now I need not rehearse the matter; what I have said may suffice. Behold, the ascriptures are before you; if ye will bwrest them it shall be to your own destruction.¨
HAHAHAHAHAHA! Sounds like we´re threatening the members into giving references. :) Well, if that´s what it takes....
So anyhoo, this week was fantastic. Mostly because, Alejandra is wonderful and I love her and she wants so badly to change her life. It was the first time I set a baptismal date for after my mission. In other words, when she gets baptized, I won´t be there. Sad! BUT, I´ll be able to email her! Happy! Also, this week Estela is getting baptized. Wonderful wonderful day!
¨And now you know, the rest of the story. Goood daay!¨
What´s the one Zone more thought-provoking than the Twilight Zone?
The Monte Grande Zone!....Zone CONFERENCE that is.
I love, love, love zone conferences. President Stapley taught us how to be more Christlike. And FINALLY we watched a clip of Lion King. I KNEW that someday on my mission that HAD to happen. Hermana Norby laughed at me when the video clip came on, because I used to insist to her that that movie was doctrine. Haha. I feel somewhat justified. :)
One major theme of the conference (and the reason we watched the clip of the Lion King) was remembering who we are: children of a King, and more powerful than we realize. We read from Elder Richard G. Scott´s talk, ¨The Transforming Power of Faith and Character.¨ Elder Scott taught:
¨Righteous character is a precious manifestation of what you are becoming.
Righteous character is more valuable than any material object you own, any knowledge you have gained through study, or any goals you have attained no matter how well lauded by mankind...
The bedrock of character is integrity. Worthy character will strengthen your capacity to recognize the direction of the Spirit and to be obedient to it. Your consistent exercise of faith builds strong character.
A secure foundation for your growing character is laid by making Jesus Christ and His teachings the center of your life.
Your happiness on earth as well as your eternal salvation require many correct decisions, none of which is difficult to make.
Together those decsions forge a character resistant to the eroding influnces of sin and transgression.¨
Matías got baptized! He was so happy! He prepared himself very well for the special day of his spiritual rebirth. He reads the scriptures, prays to his Heavenly Father, attends church every Sunday and activities throughout the week, and even wakes up for early morning seminary, which he loves. There are so many good young people like him who we must bring into the safety of the true gospel and church of Jesus Christ.
President Stapley had asked me to prepare a talk for Zone Conference, to teach what I think it means to be a good missionary. I actually used the story of how Randy and Katie met to teach this principle. Short form: He took the challenge, approached with diligence and even though he didn´t meet the goal of getting the number in 7 (?) minutes, he kept going til he got the number. On the other side, Katie surely wouldn´t give her number to any ol´ person; she must have recognized some good behind the surfer-dude appearance. Thanks to diligence and love, their story leads to the temple.
Then, on Sunday, the Bishop asked me to share a talk last minute, so I shared the same story and applied it to sharing the gospel as members. Right now, I don´t have time to explain the story as I explained it in the talks, or how it proves that he really was and is a good missionary, but remind me to tell you. Part of the point was that I know that my brother was a good missionary in Brazil, because he continues to be a good missionary and apply good, true principles to bless others after his mission. (Kudos, Randy!) So now, a large group o South Americans will all be going surfing in hopes of finding their eternal companion.
Gotta go!
Love to all! Smiles and rainbows and happy days!
Hermana Lindquist
p.s. All of my (ex-)companions who are still on the mission (Hermanas Hill, Norby, Petrick, and Bushman) are in the same stake as me now! in the Zone Conference, we all were there seated on the same bench. Even Hermana Hill, who left this stake a few months ago, came back but to a different ward. So of the 6 sisters that are in our zone, there´s only one who hasn´t been my companion, and that one´s being trained by one of the sisters I trained! I love these sisters. It was so good to sit with them all. They are super missionaries.
I love, love, love zone conferences. President Stapley taught us how to be more Christlike. And FINALLY we watched a clip of Lion King. I KNEW that someday on my mission that HAD to happen. Hermana Norby laughed at me when the video clip came on, because I used to insist to her that that movie was doctrine. Haha. I feel somewhat justified. :)
One major theme of the conference (and the reason we watched the clip of the Lion King) was remembering who we are: children of a King, and more powerful than we realize. We read from Elder Richard G. Scott´s talk, ¨The Transforming Power of Faith and Character.¨ Elder Scott taught:
¨Righteous character is a precious manifestation of what you are becoming.
Righteous character is more valuable than any material object you own, any knowledge you have gained through study, or any goals you have attained no matter how well lauded by mankind...
The bedrock of character is integrity. Worthy character will strengthen your capacity to recognize the direction of the Spirit and to be obedient to it. Your consistent exercise of faith builds strong character.
A secure foundation for your growing character is laid by making Jesus Christ and His teachings the center of your life.
Your happiness on earth as well as your eternal salvation require many correct decisions, none of which is difficult to make.
Together those decsions forge a character resistant to the eroding influnces of sin and transgression.¨
Matías got baptized! He was so happy! He prepared himself very well for the special day of his spiritual rebirth. He reads the scriptures, prays to his Heavenly Father, attends church every Sunday and activities throughout the week, and even wakes up for early morning seminary, which he loves. There are so many good young people like him who we must bring into the safety of the true gospel and church of Jesus Christ.
President Stapley had asked me to prepare a talk for Zone Conference, to teach what I think it means to be a good missionary. I actually used the story of how Randy and Katie met to teach this principle. Short form: He took the challenge, approached with diligence and even though he didn´t meet the goal of getting the number in 7 (?) minutes, he kept going til he got the number. On the other side, Katie surely wouldn´t give her number to any ol´ person; she must have recognized some good behind the surfer-dude appearance. Thanks to diligence and love, their story leads to the temple.
Then, on Sunday, the Bishop asked me to share a talk last minute, so I shared the same story and applied it to sharing the gospel as members. Right now, I don´t have time to explain the story as I explained it in the talks, or how it proves that he really was and is a good missionary, but remind me to tell you. Part of the point was that I know that my brother was a good missionary in Brazil, because he continues to be a good missionary and apply good, true principles to bless others after his mission. (Kudos, Randy!) So now, a large group o South Americans will all be going surfing in hopes of finding their eternal companion.
Gotta go!
Love to all! Smiles and rainbows and happy days!
Hermana Lindquist
p.s. All of my (ex-)companions who are still on the mission (Hermanas Hill, Norby, Petrick, and Bushman) are in the same stake as me now! in the Zone Conference, we all were there seated on the same bench. Even Hermana Hill, who left this stake a few months ago, came back but to a different ward. So of the 6 sisters that are in our zone, there´s only one who hasn´t been my companion, and that one´s being trained by one of the sisters I trained! I love these sisters. It was so good to sit with them all. They are super missionaries.
Boo-way-gnaws tar-days! (it´s Spanish, I tells ya!)
President´s Message:
Thank you for your letters and your consistent hard work every day. As each of you know a major theme of our mission is to help our missionaries become more like Christ. Elder Scott taught, ¨We become what we want to be by consistently being what we want to become.¨ Change does not happen magically at the end of your mission; it happens by constantly doing what the Lord wants you to do each day. The result is righteous character which is a precious manifestation of what you are becoming and is more precious than any object you own. We love each of you very much.
President Stapley
Good day you beautiful people you!
Now then, this week I told the story of ¨The Boy Who Cried ´Wolf´¨ to get a little boy to not lie. Only little detail is that he didn´t have a toy wolf to use to illustrate the story, so I changed it to ¨The Boy Who Cried ´Crazed Llama, Gigantic Turtle, and Man-Eating Elephant´¨. We work with the tools we´re given.
I like that Alice in Wonderland is nigh on to scripture these days. Ever since the Prophet quoted the Chesire cat, we´re ALL quoting the Chesire cat. (See ¨The Three Rs of Choice¨, last General Conference)
Bwa! Ya tengo que irme! Bueno, les amo mucho. Les agradezco mucho, y por muchas cosas. Que anden en la luz. Felicided y amor son reales! Pueden ser suyos, si guarda los mandamientos de Dios.
SONRISAS!!
Hermana Lindquist y Monte Grande
p.s. I didn´t even mention this! AAA! Okay, quick: Sandra got confirmed yesterday. Her dad secretly traveled from the north of the country to be able to confirm her. She had no idea he´d be able to be there. She was overwhelmed with joy when she saw him. A longer version of this story will be told another day....
Thank you for your letters and your consistent hard work every day. As each of you know a major theme of our mission is to help our missionaries become more like Christ. Elder Scott taught, ¨We become what we want to be by consistently being what we want to become.¨ Change does not happen magically at the end of your mission; it happens by constantly doing what the Lord wants you to do each day. The result is righteous character which is a precious manifestation of what you are becoming and is more precious than any object you own. We love each of you very much.
President Stapley
Good day you beautiful people you!
Now then, this week I told the story of ¨The Boy Who Cried ´Wolf´¨ to get a little boy to not lie. Only little detail is that he didn´t have a toy wolf to use to illustrate the story, so I changed it to ¨The Boy Who Cried ´Crazed Llama, Gigantic Turtle, and Man-Eating Elephant´¨. We work with the tools we´re given.
I like that Alice in Wonderland is nigh on to scripture these days. Ever since the Prophet quoted the Chesire cat, we´re ALL quoting the Chesire cat. (See ¨The Three Rs of Choice¨, last General Conference)
Bwa! Ya tengo que irme! Bueno, les amo mucho. Les agradezco mucho, y por muchas cosas. Que anden en la luz. Felicided y amor son reales! Pueden ser suyos, si guarda los mandamientos de Dios.
SONRISAS!!
Hermana Lindquist y Monte Grande
p.s. I didn´t even mention this! AAA! Okay, quick: Sandra got confirmed yesterday. Her dad secretly traveled from the north of the country to be able to confirm her. She had no idea he´d be able to be there. She was overwhelmed with joy when she saw him. A longer version of this story will be told another day....
3/7/11
Sandra and Rocio got baptized! They were so happy! And Hermana Zapata was able to come and see her, even though she just barely missed the actual baptism. Wait, I don´t have to call her by her last name anymore. Oh well, I like it.
Sandra was just overcome with joy. She can hardly wait for next Sunday, when she´ll receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. The most precious present the Lord´s provided for His children. And *no one need wait til Christmas nor their birthday for this gift! It´s available year round! Por lo tanto, bautizáos! O vosotros, extremos de la tierra! (Therefore, be baptized!) I would love to be baptized. If you´ve not done it before, consider it: you can be washed clean of sin and its related effects of remorse, sorrow, and guilt. And if you have done it, I´ll see you at sacrament meeting, where we can renew that cleansing and be filled with good feelings! It is quite a lovely plan, the plan of our Heavenly Father. And it is a joyful thing to find that trust in His Son, Jesus Christ.
Happy birthdays to Ray and Dan and Breylnn! and others! And happy unbirthday to those unmentioned!
Have I tooooold you lately that I love....Peruvians. Seriously. Buena gente. Just ask Yda. The woman´s been waiting to be baptized for years, but has some documents she has to go to Peru to get in order to be able to. So, I told her to pack her bags, and we´ll just go together. She makes beautiful handcrafted dolls and boxes and knickknacks and paddywacks; I can play the spoons. Together, we´ll make a living on the road and arrive to beautiful Perú where all our dreams can come true. ¨We´re gonna make it after aaalll!¨ Meanwhile, she serves in the church and dedicates so much time to her famliy and their spiritual growth, when others could easily throw down their arms in hopelessness. Not Yda! She is a faithful fighter, and I love her for it. So keep watching for the up-and-coming baptismal announcement from our beloved Hermana Yda.
*no one, EXCEPT children under the age of 8. Yeah, you do have to wait for your birthday. But you´ve got the Spirit for being so clean and innocent, so hooray!
Sandra was just overcome with joy. She can hardly wait for next Sunday, when she´ll receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. The most precious present the Lord´s provided for His children. And *no one need wait til Christmas nor their birthday for this gift! It´s available year round! Por lo tanto, bautizáos! O vosotros, extremos de la tierra! (Therefore, be baptized!) I would love to be baptized. If you´ve not done it before, consider it: you can be washed clean of sin and its related effects of remorse, sorrow, and guilt. And if you have done it, I´ll see you at sacrament meeting, where we can renew that cleansing and be filled with good feelings! It is quite a lovely plan, the plan of our Heavenly Father. And it is a joyful thing to find that trust in His Son, Jesus Christ.
Happy birthdays to Ray and Dan and Breylnn! and others! And happy unbirthday to those unmentioned!
Have I tooooold you lately that I love....Peruvians. Seriously. Buena gente. Just ask Yda. The woman´s been waiting to be baptized for years, but has some documents she has to go to Peru to get in order to be able to. So, I told her to pack her bags, and we´ll just go together. She makes beautiful handcrafted dolls and boxes and knickknacks and paddywacks; I can play the spoons. Together, we´ll make a living on the road and arrive to beautiful Perú where all our dreams can come true. ¨We´re gonna make it after aaalll!¨ Meanwhile, she serves in the church and dedicates so much time to her famliy and their spiritual growth, when others could easily throw down their arms in hopelessness. Not Yda! She is a faithful fighter, and I love her for it. So keep watching for the up-and-coming baptismal announcement from our beloved Hermana Yda.
*no one, EXCEPT children under the age of 8. Yeah, you do have to wait for your birthday. But you´ve got the Spirit for being so clean and innocent, so hooray!
2/28/11
Hey! Today began my last transfer. Weeeeeird. But guess who my companion is! GUESS!! Okay, keeping in mind the prophecy of old - ¨and the first shall be last, and the last shall be first¨ - my companion for the end of my mission is none other than.....*drrrrrumrrrrollllll*.....Hermana Bushman! Lindquist and Bushman: The Sequel. Hermana Destinee Bushman was my trainer when I arrived to Argentina. That Hermana Bushman has been home for months now, but her younger sister arrived to the mission here six weeks ago (last transfer), and now she´s here in Monte Grande! Crazy cool!
Mana from Heaven experience:
Yesterday, a recent convert and friend had signed up to give us lunch after church. After the first hour, he informed us that he had to go buy raviolis after church, because he didn´t have time to yesterday. We briefly explained the importance of keeping the Sabbath day holy, in part by refraining from commercial activities on Sundays. He still felt bad he´d forgotten and wanted to do it anyway, thinking that he could just take one for the team (i.e. sin just this once and in behalf of all so we could eat). We kindly insisted that God provides for those who keep His commandments and promised him that we would find another way to get ahold of enough raviolis for lunch. He entered his class and we starting looking for someone who would have a pile of raviolis laying around (while praying internally that such a person existed). The second person we talked with informed us that in her freezer at home, they had large quantities of food stored because this last week they were supposed to cater an event that ended up getting canceled. And what was to be the main dish at the catered event? Why, raviolis of course! What´s more, this member lives a few houses away from the chapel, so she went to retrieve the food and returned within minutes. When the second hour ended, our friend who was to make lunch for us walked out of his class, and we handed him a big bag of boxes of raviolis. He grinned from ear to ear and once more learned that the Lord always blesses those who keep His commandments. ¨Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed¨ (Doctrine and Covenants 123:17).
I love love love being on a mission and am excited to work hard this last run. It´s gonna rock! and roll!
Many happy times and many many gracias to you all!
Hermana Lindquist
Mana from Heaven experience:
Yesterday, a recent convert and friend had signed up to give us lunch after church. After the first hour, he informed us that he had to go buy raviolis after church, because he didn´t have time to yesterday. We briefly explained the importance of keeping the Sabbath day holy, in part by refraining from commercial activities on Sundays. He still felt bad he´d forgotten and wanted to do it anyway, thinking that he could just take one for the team (i.e. sin just this once and in behalf of all so we could eat). We kindly insisted that God provides for those who keep His commandments and promised him that we would find another way to get ahold of enough raviolis for lunch. He entered his class and we starting looking for someone who would have a pile of raviolis laying around (while praying internally that such a person existed). The second person we talked with informed us that in her freezer at home, they had large quantities of food stored because this last week they were supposed to cater an event that ended up getting canceled. And what was to be the main dish at the catered event? Why, raviolis of course! What´s more, this member lives a few houses away from the chapel, so she went to retrieve the food and returned within minutes. When the second hour ended, our friend who was to make lunch for us walked out of his class, and we handed him a big bag of boxes of raviolis. He grinned from ear to ear and once more learned that the Lord always blesses those who keep His commandments. ¨Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed¨ (Doctrine and Covenants 123:17).
I love love love being on a mission and am excited to work hard this last run. It´s gonna rock! and roll!
Many happy times and many many gracias to you all!
Hermana Lindquist
G'day 2/21/11
It was a crrrrrrazy week! In the good sorta way. (Claro!). I only have 2 minutes to tell you about it though. Bwah! Lessons, interview with President, we postponed a baptism because the Spirit told us to, I trimmed Juana´s toenails, the Elders from our district found three wonderful families to teach after we´d prayed a week for them to find families, and joy joy joy joy down in my heart (where?) Down in my hear, down in my heart....
So that{s the brief, hyper-condensed version of our weekend. You know the best part though? When we got to the chapel yesterday morning, it was full! And people that I´ve spent much of my time here in Monte Grande trying to get them to come to church, came. I felt like this was the blessing for having followed the Spirit, corrected our errors, and doing what the Lord told us to do.
Thank you all for havin faith and being happy! The two are very interrelated, after all.
MUCHO AMOR Y MUCHAS GRACIAS!!!
Hermana Lindquist
So that{s the brief, hyper-condensed version of our weekend. You know the best part though? When we got to the chapel yesterday morning, it was full! And people that I´ve spent much of my time here in Monte Grande trying to get them to come to church, came. I felt like this was the blessing for having followed the Spirit, corrected our errors, and doing what the Lord told us to do.
Thank you all for havin faith and being happy! The two are very interrelated, after all.
MUCHO AMOR Y MUCHAS GRACIAS!!!
Hermana Lindquist
Happy Valentine's Day
Love, flowers, hugs, and gooey-eyed fluffy bears for all!
We are teaching a woman whose brother died recently. She is amazed at how much peace and comfort she finds in studying the gospel. Her dad is a faithful member in another province here, and he´s always cheerfully encouraged her to become involved in the Church, but she always said it wasn´t her time. When her brother had an accident a few months ago, her father came to Buenos Aires to accompany her and visit the brother in the hospital. Father and daughter began reading passages of scripture and other church manuals together as they traveled by train to the hospital where he was receiving treatment. Her faith began to grow as she learned of the restoration of Priesthood power and that through the same, she could be with her family throughout all eternity. Soon after beginning these studies, her brother´s condition took a turn for the worse and he passed away. She relates that she cried and cried, but within days was well. Surprised by how much the Gospel of Jesus Christ helped her feel at peace, she has since been struggling to share with her other family members (especially her husband and children and some of her own siblings) what she´s been learning. Her faith is incredible! She attributes it all to her faithful father, who never never never gave up on her. She is very excited about the prospect of baptism, and we´re all looking forward to the continued progress she´ll be able to make in the temple - for herself, for her brother, and for a number of generations past, present, and future.
Now that´s what I call a love story! :)
We were teaching a lesson to a less active member the other day, when suddenly I heard the familiar hyperactive sound of Disneyland´s ¨Mainstreet Electrical Parade¨! The theme song blared from a nearby television. It took all the self-control under the sun to continue the lesson without letting myself get completely distracted. Ha! Do the missionaries a favor and make sure when they visit that if something needs to be blared, that it be Primary songs or hymns or the like. Or MAYBE songs from the Lion King. (They´re inspiring!)
Family history!! I want to do it soooooo badly! And I think my ancestors want me to do it soooooo badly too. A sister who works in the family history center here in Monte Grande was telling me about her investigations in her own family. It´s all like a giant puzzle! With pieces in different countries, or in different censuses, birth certificates, official documents, personal journals, etc. It´s detective work! Which means I need to buy me one of dem spiffy hats from the 1940s and skirt around building corners eyeing suspiciously anyone who could be involved in crime. Wait, crime no. Family history! Right. Suspicious characters in my family history....
Here´s to another week in the service of the Lord! I submit to you the same question President Hinckley asked of the those who listened, ¨Do you want to be happy?¨ What say ye? Yes, no? Haven´t decided yet? Think about it.....okay. Got it? Now then, ¨Do you want to be happy? Forget yourself and get lost in this great cause. Lend your efforts to helping people...stand higher, lift those with feeble knees, hold up the arms of those that hang down. Love the gospel of Jesus Christ.¨ Yeah! That´s how to be happy. This idea of the ¨secret¨ to happiness is flibberdyjibbit-fluff. Even if we could apply the term ¨secret¨, it would be wise to note that ¨Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets¨(Amos 3:7, Old Testament). And unlike school-children, God tells them secrets without asking first, ¨Can you keep a secret?¨ On the contrary, He says, ¨Share this secret!¨: Says He, ¨There is nothing which is secret save it shall be revealed¨ (2 Nephi 30:17, The Book of Mormon).
Group hug!
Chocolates and red-painted cardboard cards,
Hermana Lindquist
We are teaching a woman whose brother died recently. She is amazed at how much peace and comfort she finds in studying the gospel. Her dad is a faithful member in another province here, and he´s always cheerfully encouraged her to become involved in the Church, but she always said it wasn´t her time. When her brother had an accident a few months ago, her father came to Buenos Aires to accompany her and visit the brother in the hospital. Father and daughter began reading passages of scripture and other church manuals together as they traveled by train to the hospital where he was receiving treatment. Her faith began to grow as she learned of the restoration of Priesthood power and that through the same, she could be with her family throughout all eternity. Soon after beginning these studies, her brother´s condition took a turn for the worse and he passed away. She relates that she cried and cried, but within days was well. Surprised by how much the Gospel of Jesus Christ helped her feel at peace, she has since been struggling to share with her other family members (especially her husband and children and some of her own siblings) what she´s been learning. Her faith is incredible! She attributes it all to her faithful father, who never never never gave up on her. She is very excited about the prospect of baptism, and we´re all looking forward to the continued progress she´ll be able to make in the temple - for herself, for her brother, and for a number of generations past, present, and future.
Now that´s what I call a love story! :)
We were teaching a lesson to a less active member the other day, when suddenly I heard the familiar hyperactive sound of Disneyland´s ¨Mainstreet Electrical Parade¨! The theme song blared from a nearby television. It took all the self-control under the sun to continue the lesson without letting myself get completely distracted. Ha! Do the missionaries a favor and make sure when they visit that if something needs to be blared, that it be Primary songs or hymns or the like. Or MAYBE songs from the Lion King. (They´re inspiring!)
Family history!! I want to do it soooooo badly! And I think my ancestors want me to do it soooooo badly too. A sister who works in the family history center here in Monte Grande was telling me about her investigations in her own family. It´s all like a giant puzzle! With pieces in different countries, or in different censuses, birth certificates, official documents, personal journals, etc. It´s detective work! Which means I need to buy me one of dem spiffy hats from the 1940s and skirt around building corners eyeing suspiciously anyone who could be involved in crime. Wait, crime no. Family history! Right. Suspicious characters in my family history....
Here´s to another week in the service of the Lord! I submit to you the same question President Hinckley asked of the those who listened, ¨Do you want to be happy?¨ What say ye? Yes, no? Haven´t decided yet? Think about it.....okay. Got it? Now then, ¨Do you want to be happy? Forget yourself and get lost in this great cause. Lend your efforts to helping people...stand higher, lift those with feeble knees, hold up the arms of those that hang down. Love the gospel of Jesus Christ.¨ Yeah! That´s how to be happy. This idea of the ¨secret¨ to happiness is flibberdyjibbit-fluff. Even if we could apply the term ¨secret¨, it would be wise to note that ¨Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets¨(Amos 3:7, Old Testament). And unlike school-children, God tells them secrets without asking first, ¨Can you keep a secret?¨ On the contrary, He says, ¨Share this secret!¨: Says He, ¨There is nothing which is secret save it shall be revealed¨ (2 Nephi 30:17, The Book of Mormon).
Group hug!
Chocolates and red-painted cardboard cards,
Hermana Lindquist
2/7/11
Monte Grande is fine and dandy, but at the moment, I´ve not time to elaborate. Oh noooo! But hey! Here´s something from the Mission President. President Stapley´s message to the mission this week:
Being happy is one of the values of the Misión Argentina Buenos Aires Sur. I hope that in these long days of summer we can find those little but important things that can make us happy. A philosopher once said: ´Human happiness often is not achieved with great strokes of luck which may occur rarely, but little things that happen every day.´ There are many little things that the Lord provides us every day that can make us happy. Benjamin Franklin once said: ¨The real secret of happiness is to require a lot of oneself and little from others.´ Our happiness many times can be found within each of us. The Lord has said: ´Man is that he might have joy.´ There are so many things the Lord has provided us from which we can find happiness. I hope we can find the things within our grasp that will make us happy. It is a gift from God.
Con amor,
Presidente Stapley
Thank you all for your prayers and happiness and support! Que el Señor les conceda todo lo bueno que busquen!
Hugs and sunshine,
Hermana Lindquist
Being happy is one of the values of the Misión Argentina Buenos Aires Sur. I hope that in these long days of summer we can find those little but important things that can make us happy. A philosopher once said: ´Human happiness often is not achieved with great strokes of luck which may occur rarely, but little things that happen every day.´ There are many little things that the Lord provides us every day that can make us happy. Benjamin Franklin once said: ¨The real secret of happiness is to require a lot of oneself and little from others.´ Our happiness many times can be found within each of us. The Lord has said: ´Man is that he might have joy.´ There are so many things the Lord has provided us from which we can find happiness. I hope we can find the things within our grasp that will make us happy. It is a gift from God.
Con amor,
Presidente Stapley
Thank you all for your prayers and happiness and support! Que el Señor les conceda todo lo bueno que busquen!
Hugs and sunshine,
Hermana Lindquist
1/31/11
This week in Monte-Monte-Monte Grrrrande:
Miguel Angel got baptized!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There aren´t enough exclamation marks in the world to explain what an amazing miracle his baptism was. He fought harder than anyone I´ve ever seen to be able to get baptized. And he made it! He was so happy afterward, he was literally dancing. The man was soft-shoeing with joy!! I´ve never seen someone actually do that! Hermano Díaz and I sang together at his baptism. Hermano Diaz sings tango professionally, and when he sings dem hymns, it´s sooooulful - Argentinially speaking. He´s moving to a different ward, so this was our grand finale to many months working together. When I get a chance to come back here, we´re cuttin´ an album. Watch for it. :)
Hermana Zapata is rockin´ and a´rollin´. Very driven, cheerful, straightforward, and positive gal. I have been so blessed companion-wise on my mission. They´re all awesome! Those who choose to serve the Lord, if they´ve really made that commitment, can´t help but be awesome. So, there we have it!
One of the many scriptures-of-the-week: DyC43:34-35
¨ these things up in your hearts, and let the Hearken ye to these words. Behold, I am Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. Treasure these things up in your hearts, and let the solemnities of eternity rest upon your minds. Be sober. Keep all my commandments. Even so. Amen.¨
I love that phrase: ¨Solemnities of eternity¨. Makes me think about, well, thinking! Meditation is a big part of learning, and it´s something I´ve been trying to work on in my personal study.
¨The Lord is marching on! (du-du-du-duuu-duu)¨ and His work too! I´m loving Monte Grande and eager to work harder and help more people. SO MANY PEOPLE NEED HELP. That´s why every member is a missionary. Were it just the two people with plaques in every ward, then the work would weaken and wither. I know that the missionary work is for every single one of us who have taken upon us the baptismal covenant to serve our brothers and sisters. And why do we serve? To save! To bless! To get people to be so happy that they dance their way through the chapel and then on to eternal life. Meet ya on the dance floor.....
Thank you very much por absolutamente todo. Gracias por su apoyo, amor, longanimidad, felicidad, y grandes esfuerzos a vivir cada día mejorando. Les amo mucho.
Nos estamos viendo. Besos, abrazos, y armfuls of sunshine, lollipops, and rainbows!!
Hermana Lindquist
Miguel Angel got baptized!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There aren´t enough exclamation marks in the world to explain what an amazing miracle his baptism was. He fought harder than anyone I´ve ever seen to be able to get baptized. And he made it! He was so happy afterward, he was literally dancing. The man was soft-shoeing with joy!! I´ve never seen someone actually do that! Hermano Díaz and I sang together at his baptism. Hermano Diaz sings tango professionally, and when he sings dem hymns, it´s sooooulful - Argentinially speaking. He´s moving to a different ward, so this was our grand finale to many months working together. When I get a chance to come back here, we´re cuttin´ an album. Watch for it. :)
Hermana Zapata is rockin´ and a´rollin´. Very driven, cheerful, straightforward, and positive gal. I have been so blessed companion-wise on my mission. They´re all awesome! Those who choose to serve the Lord, if they´ve really made that commitment, can´t help but be awesome. So, there we have it!
One of the many scriptures-of-the-week: DyC43:34-35
¨ these things up in your hearts, and let the Hearken ye to these words. Behold, I am Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. Treasure these things up in your hearts, and let the solemnities of eternity rest upon your minds. Be sober. Keep all my commandments. Even so. Amen.¨
I love that phrase: ¨Solemnities of eternity¨. Makes me think about, well, thinking! Meditation is a big part of learning, and it´s something I´ve been trying to work on in my personal study.
¨The Lord is marching on! (du-du-du-duuu-duu)¨ and His work too! I´m loving Monte Grande and eager to work harder and help more people. SO MANY PEOPLE NEED HELP. That´s why every member is a missionary. Were it just the two people with plaques in every ward, then the work would weaken and wither. I know that the missionary work is for every single one of us who have taken upon us the baptismal covenant to serve our brothers and sisters. And why do we serve? To save! To bless! To get people to be so happy that they dance their way through the chapel and then on to eternal life. Meet ya on the dance floor.....
Thank you very much por absolutamente todo. Gracias por su apoyo, amor, longanimidad, felicidad, y grandes esfuerzos a vivir cada día mejorando. Les amo mucho.
Nos estamos viendo. Besos, abrazos, y armfuls of sunshine, lollipops, and rainbows!!
Hermana Lindquist
¨Happy happy Monday children dear....¨ 1/24/11
¨....happy days will come to you all year. If I had a wish than it would be: a happy happy Monday to you from meeeeee!¨
Not to mention the happy Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and so on that I wish you.
My favorite moment of the week was when one of our fabulous investigators made me speechless by announcing that he was ready to be baptized. He had had SO many problems that were keeping him down, and I had wondered and prayed, and spoken with him often on the subject. Then, we arrived at his house, and as he offered us galletitas and jugo (as all good Argentines do), he announced that it was time. The most overwhelming joy just filled me right up! I just smiled huge and tried to find some sort of words to express congratulations, but nothing came. He just laughed at me and (if I remember correctly) asked ¨Is that alright?¨ Ha! Well of course! Later, he testified in a class at church of how sincerely he´d sought forgiveness and relief for his sins and mistakes throughout his laugh, and he´s finally going to feel it. And it will be registered in the Heavens this Friday! We´re very very excited.
Meanwhile, various members have offered me their homes for after the mission. And the temptation continues to grow...
Oh! You don´t know my new companion yet! Her name´s Hermana Zapata. And YES, she is a descendent of THE Zapata of Mexican history fame. Does that make me a Zapatista? I don´t know. I DO know that she is fantastic. She´s serving a ¨mini-mission¨. In other words, her mission is shorter than the usual mission experience. She started last Tuesday, and after our 6 weeks together, she´ll finish. I tell you whhhat, she is one well-prepared sister. I´m very grateful to be with her. A grand pleasure for all!
Right then! The radio is asking, ¨Where is the love?¨ so I suppose it´s time to conclude the letter and express my love for you all. So here is the love:
IIIIIII LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE YOU! Les amo muchísimo! I´m very happy to have such honorable, happy, kind, driven people as family and friends. Thank you so very much for all the good you do! I appreciate it, and I´m sure the world is a better place for every good thing you do - big, small, medium, and the occasional super-sized. :)
Muchas sonrisas y más abrazos!
Hermana Lindquist
Not to mention the happy Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and so on that I wish you.
My favorite moment of the week was when one of our fabulous investigators made me speechless by announcing that he was ready to be baptized. He had had SO many problems that were keeping him down, and I had wondered and prayed, and spoken with him often on the subject. Then, we arrived at his house, and as he offered us galletitas and jugo (as all good Argentines do), he announced that it was time. The most overwhelming joy just filled me right up! I just smiled huge and tried to find some sort of words to express congratulations, but nothing came. He just laughed at me and (if I remember correctly) asked ¨Is that alright?¨ Ha! Well of course! Later, he testified in a class at church of how sincerely he´d sought forgiveness and relief for his sins and mistakes throughout his laugh, and he´s finally going to feel it. And it will be registered in the Heavens this Friday! We´re very very excited.
Meanwhile, various members have offered me their homes for after the mission. And the temptation continues to grow...
Oh! You don´t know my new companion yet! Her name´s Hermana Zapata. And YES, she is a descendent of THE Zapata of Mexican history fame. Does that make me a Zapatista? I don´t know. I DO know that she is fantastic. She´s serving a ¨mini-mission¨. In other words, her mission is shorter than the usual mission experience. She started last Tuesday, and after our 6 weeks together, she´ll finish. I tell you whhhat, she is one well-prepared sister. I´m very grateful to be with her. A grand pleasure for all!
Right then! The radio is asking, ¨Where is the love?¨ so I suppose it´s time to conclude the letter and express my love for you all. So here is the love:
IIIIIII LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE YOU! Les amo muchísimo! I´m very happy to have such honorable, happy, kind, driven people as family and friends. Thank you so very much for all the good you do! I appreciate it, and I´m sure the world is a better place for every good thing you do - big, small, medium, and the occasional super-sized. :)
Muchas sonrisas y más abrazos!
Hermana Lindquist
Shalom! 1/17/11
I´m in Monte Grande! Still! Hooray!!! President asked me to train a mini missionary in my area this transfer. Okay! I´m gonna miss Hermana Norby, but fortunately we´re still in the same zone! Or, in other words, I´ll see her at our weekly missionary meetings. Woohoo!
The mission is only receiving THREE missionaries this transfer. That´s crazy talk! All three are sister missionaries. The mission thus had to call in mini-missionaries to fill the vacancies. For the next transfer AFTER this one, we´ll be getting more. That is good. Soooooooo, en fin, tomorrow I meet my new companion. And I will very very very VERY likely finish my mission here in mi querido Monte Grande. Ten months in one fabulous area. ¡Espectacular!
We just had transfer meeting (yay!). I wrote the following to President Stapley:
¨This afternoon, I write you from Banfield, in the company of the fabulous Hermanas Tejera y Eyring. Just lunched with some of the other hermanas in a restaraunt close to the capilla. I am just constantly amazed with the caliber of people that are here serving missions. I love them! Every transfer, as people come and go, I think of what a great Celestial reunion we´ll have one day.
Hna. Norby and I had a good week. We´re praying that the investigators can jump their respective hurdles soon and cross the finish line of their first race in the Gospel marathon: the track toward baptism. Next leg of the race: temple! We´ve seen some intense drama in this area, but we´ve also seen peace and reconciliations. The other night, I couldn´t fall asleep as I thought of the many people and families that are struggling to follow Christ, and the many others who are just struggling. I want to so badly to baptize many people. Millions need the blessings of baptism! The supernal peace and joy that come with taking upon us the name of Christ cannot be obtained in any other way, and if the members and I don´t make it known to Monte Grande, how will they know?¨
I learned this week that as a missionary it´s very important to work with people who are prepared. When people make no effort toward progressing, they can´t - and won´t - progress. That´s been hard for me to accept. I just want so badly for people to reach their goals! I learned that I can´t do it for them and I need to seek out people who WILL put forth an effort, and then I can see miracles. This week, Hermana Norby and I lived that. We told a few people that we couldn´t keep visiting them for now. They were sad, we were sad, but we felt calm. All parties involved knew it truly was for the best, not just of the involved parties, but of the scores of UNINVOLVED people who are just WAITING to be INVOLVED. (I seem to really like capital letters and exclamation marks today. CLARO!! ¿POR QUÉ NO?) I know that those we left behind will come to the frontlines again when they are ready. I think the Lord needed to see that I had faith to leave these people in His hands and go out searching others of His sheep. Once we showed that faith, He sent beautiful, well prepared people to us (or us to them). I´m so grateful for that.
IGUANA BABIES! That´s right. Iguana babies. In an investigator´s home this week, I met two iguanas. They had 30-some-odd eggs which will soon be babies, and then those babies will be beloved pets. Supuestamente. Ojalá.
Hmmmm. What else? Oh hey! Did I ever tell you that I clipped a little old lady´s toenails a little while back? Well, actually, she only needed me to cut one. Done and done.
I feel like there´s something else I should be telling you, but I can´t remember what it is. Well, if I remember, I´ll let you know next week. ¿Está? Está.
Feliz cumple Russ!!!!
MUCHO amor! MUCHOS cariños! Y, más que nada, MUCHA GRACIAS!!!!!
Smiles and handshakes all around,
Hermana Lindquist
The mission is only receiving THREE missionaries this transfer. That´s crazy talk! All three are sister missionaries. The mission thus had to call in mini-missionaries to fill the vacancies. For the next transfer AFTER this one, we´ll be getting more. That is good. Soooooooo, en fin, tomorrow I meet my new companion. And I will very very very VERY likely finish my mission here in mi querido Monte Grande. Ten months in one fabulous area. ¡Espectacular!
We just had transfer meeting (yay!). I wrote the following to President Stapley:
¨This afternoon, I write you from Banfield, in the company of the fabulous Hermanas Tejera y Eyring. Just lunched with some of the other hermanas in a restaraunt close to the capilla. I am just constantly amazed with the caliber of people that are here serving missions. I love them! Every transfer, as people come and go, I think of what a great Celestial reunion we´ll have one day.
Hna. Norby and I had a good week. We´re praying that the investigators can jump their respective hurdles soon and cross the finish line of their first race in the Gospel marathon: the track toward baptism. Next leg of the race: temple! We´ve seen some intense drama in this area, but we´ve also seen peace and reconciliations. The other night, I couldn´t fall asleep as I thought of the many people and families that are struggling to follow Christ, and the many others who are just struggling. I want to so badly to baptize many people. Millions need the blessings of baptism! The supernal peace and joy that come with taking upon us the name of Christ cannot be obtained in any other way, and if the members and I don´t make it known to Monte Grande, how will they know?¨
I learned this week that as a missionary it´s very important to work with people who are prepared. When people make no effort toward progressing, they can´t - and won´t - progress. That´s been hard for me to accept. I just want so badly for people to reach their goals! I learned that I can´t do it for them and I need to seek out people who WILL put forth an effort, and then I can see miracles. This week, Hermana Norby and I lived that. We told a few people that we couldn´t keep visiting them for now. They were sad, we were sad, but we felt calm. All parties involved knew it truly was for the best, not just of the involved parties, but of the scores of UNINVOLVED people who are just WAITING to be INVOLVED. (I seem to really like capital letters and exclamation marks today. CLARO!! ¿POR QUÉ NO?) I know that those we left behind will come to the frontlines again when they are ready. I think the Lord needed to see that I had faith to leave these people in His hands and go out searching others of His sheep. Once we showed that faith, He sent beautiful, well prepared people to us (or us to them). I´m so grateful for that.
IGUANA BABIES! That´s right. Iguana babies. In an investigator´s home this week, I met two iguanas. They had 30-some-odd eggs which will soon be babies, and then those babies will be beloved pets. Supuestamente. Ojalá.
Hmmmm. What else? Oh hey! Did I ever tell you that I clipped a little old lady´s toenails a little while back? Well, actually, she only needed me to cut one. Done and done.
I feel like there´s something else I should be telling you, but I can´t remember what it is. Well, if I remember, I´ll let you know next week. ¿Está? Está.
Feliz cumple Russ!!!!
MUCHO amor! MUCHOS cariños! Y, más que nada, MUCHA GRACIAS!!!!!
Smiles and handshakes all around,
Hermana Lindquist
Hip Hip Hurray- 1/10/11
Awwwww. Muchísísísímas gracias a todos!
And thanks, Ingersada, for sending the good word along. Twas a good birthday. My companion wrote me a poem. Good ol´ Hermana Norby. She´s awesome.
Highlights of this week:
*Came across a huge, beautiful plumeria tree and the nice woman who owns it offered us a branch and invited us back a different day. I decided I really really love plumeria. That smell...
*Taught a lesson in broken English, pieces of Punjab (from India), and bits of Spanish.
*A woman that Hermana Hill and I had worked with foreeeeever and ended having to stop teaching a few months ago because she never came to church nor made any signs of progress, met a member of our ward at a bus stop this week and ended up coming to church with her on Sunday! And they were both so happy. They both shared strong testimonies of the Lord and His timing.
*There´s a family that Hermana Norby and I have been teaching, but just one member at a time for a few weeks. We finally were able to find them ALL TOGETHER! and the Young Men´s President from our ward accompanied us and the lesson was so pleasant. The father of the family offered what is likely the first prayer his children have ever heard him say. They´ve each expressed to us in private how much they want their family to be united and have good feelings toward one another. This was a huge step for them.
I know that the Lord knows His children. And I know He helps things work out in good time. When President Larsen (¨-on¨?) set me apart to be a missionary, I was counseled to have patience. That is so important. Patience with others, one´s self, with God´s plan, etc.
This week, Hna. Norby and I were talking about how we can not stand the song that has the following lyrics, ¨So we keep waitin´(waitin´), waitin´ on the wooorld to change...¨ It just started playing here in the internet café and it makes me want to shout, ¨Why wait?!¨ I still find great wisdom in Gandhi´s advice to ¨Be the change you wish to see in the world.¨
The Lord revealed the following to Joseph Smith:
¨It is not meet that I (God) should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward. Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness; For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward.¨ (Doctrine and Covenants 58:28, emphasis added.) I LOVE THAT SCRIPTURE! Heavenly Father has given us power to do good. When evil happens, we can´t blame God. He´s given US the power to stop evil and to bring about ¨much righteousness¨. He didn´t create us to be pawns on a giant chess board of chance. We are powerful children of a Divine, Exalted Being whose own power is a result of wise decisions and practice in righteous government. Shouldn´t we be doing the same? I know I need to be a TON better about ´anxiously engaging´ myself in good causes. I´m well aware that many of you are praying for me and the people with whom Hermana Norby and I are working, and we´re trying to work so that the miracles we´re all hoping for come to pass. I know they will. It all depends on how well we follow the counsel of another wise man. Yes, even the pop singer of the 1980´s, George Michael: ¨Ya gotta have faith-a-faith-a-faith. Yeah, ya gotta have faith!¨
I love you UN MONTON! Thank you so much for your unfailing support. What amazing folk!
Many happy times and smiley-smiles to you all!
Hermana Lindskqwueeissksts
random question time!
How much does a dehydrator cost?
Could you possibly email me the Punjab alphabet? If not, that´s okay.
And thanks, Ingersada, for sending the good word along. Twas a good birthday. My companion wrote me a poem. Good ol´ Hermana Norby. She´s awesome.
Highlights of this week:
*Came across a huge, beautiful plumeria tree and the nice woman who owns it offered us a branch and invited us back a different day. I decided I really really love plumeria. That smell...
*Taught a lesson in broken English, pieces of Punjab (from India), and bits of Spanish.
*A woman that Hermana Hill and I had worked with foreeeeever and ended having to stop teaching a few months ago because she never came to church nor made any signs of progress, met a member of our ward at a bus stop this week and ended up coming to church with her on Sunday! And they were both so happy. They both shared strong testimonies of the Lord and His timing.
*There´s a family that Hermana Norby and I have been teaching, but just one member at a time for a few weeks. We finally were able to find them ALL TOGETHER! and the Young Men´s President from our ward accompanied us and the lesson was so pleasant. The father of the family offered what is likely the first prayer his children have ever heard him say. They´ve each expressed to us in private how much they want their family to be united and have good feelings toward one another. This was a huge step for them.
I know that the Lord knows His children. And I know He helps things work out in good time. When President Larsen (¨-on¨?) set me apart to be a missionary, I was counseled to have patience. That is so important. Patience with others, one´s self, with God´s plan, etc.
This week, Hna. Norby and I were talking about how we can not stand the song that has the following lyrics, ¨So we keep waitin´(waitin´), waitin´ on the wooorld to change...¨ It just started playing here in the internet café and it makes me want to shout, ¨Why wait?!¨ I still find great wisdom in Gandhi´s advice to ¨Be the change you wish to see in the world.¨
The Lord revealed the following to Joseph Smith:
¨It is not meet that I (God) should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward. Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness; For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward.¨ (Doctrine and Covenants 58:28, emphasis added.) I LOVE THAT SCRIPTURE! Heavenly Father has given us power to do good. When evil happens, we can´t blame God. He´s given US the power to stop evil and to bring about ¨much righteousness¨. He didn´t create us to be pawns on a giant chess board of chance. We are powerful children of a Divine, Exalted Being whose own power is a result of wise decisions and practice in righteous government. Shouldn´t we be doing the same? I know I need to be a TON better about ´anxiously engaging´ myself in good causes. I´m well aware that many of you are praying for me and the people with whom Hermana Norby and I are working, and we´re trying to work so that the miracles we´re all hoping for come to pass. I know they will. It all depends on how well we follow the counsel of another wise man. Yes, even the pop singer of the 1980´s, George Michael: ¨Ya gotta have faith-a-faith-a-faith. Yeah, ya gotta have faith!¨
I love you UN MONTON! Thank you so much for your unfailing support. What amazing folk!
Many happy times and smiley-smiles to you all!
Hermana Lindskqwueeissksts
random question time!
How much does a dehydrator cost?
Could you possibly email me the Punjab alphabet? If not, that´s okay.
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