MOMMMAAAA!!!!!
I'm so excited to write you! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!
I couldn't wait to read my emails this week from you to hear about the AFRICAN ADVENTURES of you and Nonie! That's gonna be such a fun trip! I'm stoked you two are getting to play a lil bit. So you are going to be there in Africa forever - haha, just embrace it, have fun and love the members. You should go out with the missionaries if you have time! I love that you love the ward there in Africa, the Spirit you feel. Its incredible, I love the gospel so much momma, but I Love it way more in Spanish, its so pure and true, these converts they know the difference between having the gospel and not having it and so when they have it, they share it, they feel it and they tell everyone what they love about it cause they know that that is the best gift in the world we can give those we love. It's sick.
Out here in Fredricksburg, we are just working really hard trying to find people. The work is so much more different than before. It's good though, it makes me humble and rely on God more. So the other night, we were out knocking on these trailers and it was late, we had about 5 minutes left so we went and knocked on the last door. Right after we knocked it, this white kid came out and he smelled so bad, his whole trailer smelled like marijuana and the look in his eyes just looked empty. In that moment, I told him who we were and asked if he had faith in Jesus Christ to which his response was a chuckle and a no. I remember looking away right after that to grab a pass along card and I just felt fear, we gave him the card and left but I learned something from that experience that I wanted to share with you. I learned in that moment how important the Spirit is to me. How much I thrive off of it and when it leaves, it makes me sick, so sad and scared. I was thinking about how before my mission, I had kinda lost that for a while, I lost the ability to feel and recognize the Spirit like that because I wasn't surrounding myself with the best situations. Now, I am so grateful for my mission because it has help me come to see the difference. I'm sure I've told you before that my favorite scripture is in Corinthians, where it says that by faith we walk not by sight. Well I have come to realize, with the Spirit we can come to have sight, as we follow it we are given more and more, as we trust in it we are able to be in the right places at the right times to help those who need us. Momma, the Spirit is so precious, we need it so badly in this life, and God knew we would need it, thats why He gave it to us. I'm so grateful for it. I never want to lose it. I'm grateful for you. I love you tons. Tell Boofy and Seth and Thomas Thales Sherry (and Cali) that I love them. Enjoy the time you have with them.
Cubo
Raquel
PS: Katie Kat..Kiki, Katherine, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
