7 Enero 2013

Dear Family,

Can you believe it is a new year?!  It's amazing how many things...amazing things happen in just one year!  Today I wanted to share some stories:

#1  As we were in sacrament  meeting (I am the ward pianist and it stresses me out!!  ha ha just a little)  It was fast and testimony meeting and the meeting went over almost thirty or forty minutes because so many people wanted to bear their testimonies!  but, two testimonies stood out to me.  The little daughter Katia of the less active member, Hermana Goday (who comes regularly now) stood up and said, "I am so grateful for my mom, she is the most marvelous mom in the world because she brings me to church each week."  ....then the daughter of a recently baptized family (la familia Martinez who were baptized a year ago) stood up and said how grateful she was that her dad, "is always there with the Book of Mormon, teaching me how the things are and how I should be..." You could feel the spirit testify of the power of the Gospel and how it changes lives.  The ward's goal, with three pairs of missionaries, for the year 2013, is to have 40 baptisms...They accomplished 24 in 2012!

#2  I was thinking of the power of the Atonement y...........
Yesterday as I was studying, we could hear sirens outside.  I remember my freshman year in BYU and one of my first nights there, there was a huge, terrible accident in the intersection that was in front of the stadium, and I remember all of my rom mates wanted me to go outside with them to see what had happened, but I said I had to go to the bathroom and I went and closed the door and sobbed silently on the floor, just shaking because it felt like the accident all over again.  Well, years later, I don't cry...sometimes I do, when I hear an ambulance.  Yes, it makes me sad, and I naturally always pray that they will be okay, and that Heavenly Father will send angels to them.  It was interesting as I realized and recognized the change- the healing that I had received as I said a prayer and said, "thanks for taking care of them."  I know that He cries when we cry and wants us to recognize and realize that, "O esta, todo bien"....All is well.