El Amor de Dios es Real

Hola Familia! 

This week was filled with a lot of answers to prayers. I love prayers. I LOVE PRAYING. I really didn't know how to pray or how I could pray before my mission. I now understand it. I understand the real relationship we have with our Father in Heaven. Sometimes it takes time to see our answers and that is hard but if we just trust in God, serve him and continue faithful we will see his love and our answers in a very real sense. We can talk with our Father even though he is in Heaven. 

So this week we taught so many great people! :) I love everyone we are working with right now. We taught Vanessa and her kids this week about the book of mormon. We told them to know its true we need all the ingredients like when we make hot coco! So we got our pan...or we have to read the book. Second we put in the water and started to boil it, it started bubbling...just like when we think or ponder what we read we have to let it sit in our mind and contemplate it! Third we put in the good stuff the chocolate! Or in this case we pray. We pray and we really want to know just like we really want to taste our yummy hot coco. And then we finally do and it fills our soul with warmth just like the spirit! It was really fun. I love teaching families..such a blessing because I want every family to be eternal. 

I wish I could express the love I have for God. It is so powerful and it has helped me out here everyday. Serving a mission is hard but wow it is the best thing ever. Also I just really have gained this new sense of the meaning of life, my life. Why we are here and why I am here. What I need to do. As we figure out our purpose it is easier to follow our Heavenly Father. There is more substance to life and well life is JOYFUL! SO JOYFUL!

There is no new exciting updates with all our progressing investigators they are still chugging along and we are still just teaching them how Jesus Christ would. To there needs. We are really focusing on their conversion. Thats honestly all I want for all these people around me is to be converted to the Lord and to know their Heavenly Father.

We had another sweet lesson with Javier and his bro and cuz....we brought this super bomb recent convert. His name is Roger. He goes to the English ward but speaks English and he is one of the most devoted people to serving God that I have met!! He also took us to Famous Daves before so we ate reallll good. :)
One miracle I saw this week was on exchanges! We were serving a returning less active member and as we were sharing a message with her I just felt Heavenly Father's love for her SO STRONG. I also just felt all this inspiration coming to mind of what I needed to say to her. When I opened my mouth I really could tell she was listening and I just felt the spirit teaching for me. I felt I was like I was exactly where I needed to be. It was actually quite overwhelming to feel his spirit so strongly and I was trying not to cry! She asked me to say the closing prayer and I couldn't not cry because of how I felt hahah it was the first time I met her and the Sister I was working with. A little embarrassing but all good. :) Always when I have experiences like that it helps me to see the love Heavenly Father has for me.

I love you all family!!!!!!! 
Choose to live the gospel joyfully! We only get one life...how are you living it?

xoxoxox

Hermana Pentelute

More Pictures: Minnehaha Falls

1. My cute district :)

3. with my cutest comp Hermana Hougaard, its so pretty!!

  

La Obra Mejor!

Hola Familia! Que Tal?

We have been working a lot with the Castaneda family. There kids are in need of some testimony strengthening and have fallen of the straight and narrow. We haven't been able to talk to one of the daughters for almost 3 months and the other day we had the thought that we needed to go and visit her. When we did we found her and her boyfriend there together. The boyfriend has been the cause of most of the trouble. We asked if we would be able to share a message with them and they said yes. As we shared the message of the Restoration we asked the daughter to share her testimony about Christ. She was very hesitant at first because her boyfriend doesn't really believe in religion or in Christ. She let the spirit work within her a little bit and then shared what she knew was true. The next time we asked her to share her testimony was after the first vision. She had to think a little bit about her testimony of Joseph Smith then shared a powerful experience of how she came to know he was a prophet of God. The spirit was so strong. I love feeling that. The best part about it was that she had her testimony rekindled. The spark that had gone out was re-lit and you could just feel the power of God working so strong before us. Also her boyfriend is interested in learning more! She told us earlier that day she was feeling super sick and bad about how far away she had gotten from the church. She decided to say a little prayer and she felt better. Then about an hour passed and she started feeling gross again. She wondered I prayed why is nothing happening! Not to long after we stopped by and she shared with us she felt completely better. Christ can use each of us as his instrument if we listen to the small promptings of the spirit.

This week we were able to organize a little fiesta for Sister Castaneda. She has done so much for us and is a great lady. She is a single mom and has lots to worry about. We wanted to give her something special. So some of the ward members got together and we ate good food and just showed her we cared. The best part was that it was a surprise and she was so happy!

 We taught a really bomb lesson this week to Javier and Maria. Javier brought his two brothers and we brought a really awesome member with us. Javier loves his bible and is convinced we can't have both the bible and the book of Mormon but he is still open to reading from it. The member we took with us started getting into a little bit of controversy with him and I just started feeling it was going in the wrong direction. I was able to just start talking over them and bring the spirit back. It was one of those times I was just guided by the spirit and really felt it baring strong witness of the truth. We are going back this week and they said they would come to church next week so we will see what happens. :)

Jose and Maria our progressing investigators are praying about a baptismal date. We are still trying to figure out what their pain is so we can really help them. Maria really is continuing to seek out the truth, we just need to have patience in the timing of the Lord and when she will accept the blessings of heaven! Anahi and Willy are still progressing as well. They have came to church now 6 times but wont accept a baptismal date. They are afraid it is too soon so we are going to let them choose when they think they will be ready and set some short term goals to see where that takes them. Sometimes agency is not our best friend but its the perfect plan God has for his children!

I have learned this week that each time in the Book of Mormon when they would go to battle they would CRY MIGHTILY unto the Lord for strength and support. He always answered. It is the same for us. We face a battle each day and we need his might and strength as we embark in his service. As we embark in the life of a disciple of Christ! 

I love this work. I love my job. I love being a disciple of Christ. I know that this is the true church of God!

Have a great week fam and keep up the good work in your scripture study! Special shout out to my cute cuz lolo Lauren for getting baptized this week! Good luck and congrats!

love you all

xoxo

Hermana Pentelute

Bendiciones del Frio

Hola Familia!

This week while we were stopping by some of our investigators we said hi to this man who was cleaning the apartment building. He was like are you testigos? (Jehovah Witnesses) We said nope we are from the church of...and he was like so testigos? And we were like no but we share a simillar message. He was like come here come here he walked us to his door he said come in come in sit down let me get my girls. He was like girls these are people from God sit down and listen. Give them all your attention. He was going so fast with all of this I didn't even know what was happening. We weren't able to go in because we didn't have the rule of three but the girls sat in the door way while we talked a bit and taught them to pray. He was treating us like we were angles and it was kinda fun :) He was like teach my girls they need to know this and then he asked if we could baptize them. He was a bit crazy with the whole thing but we are going to go back and teach them when we have another women and get in and see what happens!!

Maria and Jose are doing great!!! Maria is learning sooo much from the Book of Mormon. She reads everything we give her and more. Jose has a lot of doubts but they all came to church this week and we are having a family home evening with them tonight! We still haven't set a baptismal date with them but we are just letting God work his will and follow it for when they are ready! Vicky and the girls are still doing great and Anahi and willy as well. Heavenly Father has a lot going on over here in Richfield we  are doing our best to give these people the opportunity to go through with the truth and find it! Even if its a little slower! I love this work because we go full force everyday from 6:30-10:30 and I always sleep so sound. I am exhausted at the end of each day but it's so rewarding knowing we are just working for others happiness and in the middle of that we are gaining so much happiness.

It has been bitter cold haha you couldn't believe the wind and the piercing cold but its building us up stronger and me and Hna Hougaard are seizing everyday!!! If you guys haven't seen the new youth theme for the year you should check it out. We are all supposed to embark in the service of the Lord in the way he wants us to. To help all his children over all the world!!

I love you all! Make it a great week!

xoxo Hermana Pentelute

#embark

#livethegospeljoyful

Domingo Hermosa!!!!

Hola Familia!

Wow where should I start? Well this morning driving over here it was about -4 degrees! Loving the bitter cold along with nice cold wind chill. No worries though I am always wearing another person in clothing on me. haha oh yeah! Guess what? I am getting my THIRD CELESTIAL COMPANION! WOW..that means we are going to be together for another transfer 3 transfers! I am so excited because I really love Hna Hougaard and we have some amazing things coming up we have been working so hard for!

This week we set a baptismal date with Jazmin and Lizbeth Vicky's daughters for February 15th! Vicky is praying about it if it will be right for her. The cool thing is that if we hadn't have done all of the service we have done for her she probably wouldn't be so open. She said she never lets anyone in or even excepts pamphlets but that with us she feels comfortable. (the girls are almost too comfortable haha :)) I know the Lord helped us to do that so her heart would be softened to accepting this. We are praying hard for them and are so happy for them. Funny story with that..so we helped them pack up there apartment and we went over this week to help them clean out there new one. It was literally a rat filth mess but they were getting paid to clean it and got free rent for the first month so it was worth it. We went over and all of there stuff was everywhere from just moving so we changed into some cleaning clothes and just left our coats and shoes and everything on the floor. Vicky was like put your shoes back on its so dirty! We are our big boots so we were like its all good! Well we went to the kitchen to start there and man oh man I know why she wanted us to keep our shoes on. There were CUCARACHAS cockroaches EVERYWHERE. Literally covering the ground all in every cabinet on the counter it was absolutely disgusting hahah 1000's. I really did not want to clean but I sucked it up and we had to wipe them all out and clean everything out. It was very miserable and some were still living but I love that family more and didn't want them to have to live in that. And we made it out alive so that's what's important!

We had so many miracles this week but one I will share with you. We were fasting this Sunday for many things but really for some of our investigators who are close to progressing and setting baptismal dates. Church attendance is so crucial for that progression so we fasted that these families could make it. We worked with everything we had getting fellow shippers and rides to make everything perfect for them. Sunday morning rolled around and Maria one of our investigators called and said that her husband couldn't take them anymore. We said don't worry about it we will find a ride. Even though it was just an hour before and they had 3 people who needed seats and half of our ward doesn't drive a car. We exercised our faith! We ended up getting them a ride and we were late to church. When we were sitting in the chapel I looked around to see if the others were there and I saw every investigator we were expecting to come and not only that every single less active we have been working with for the past 3 months came to church. In total there was 22 people who came. It was an amazing feeling not because there were so many but that God was blessing us and them. We had an amazing testimony meeting that was all centered around missionary work and I also had that opportunity to share mine. I felt the spirit so strong and the gift of tongues really working! Sister Foster shared her testimony about coming out with us and knocking doors and teaching. She expressed gratitude for us and bore her testimony about the power of missionary work. It was super rewarding and inspirational for others to help us! It was a Sunday I wont ever forget!

Maria and Jose are two of our progressing investigators. They have two children ages 6yrs and 8yrs old. We knocked on there door Monday night and they let us right in. We taught the restoration and came back and taught about the  Book of Mormon. They accepted the baptismal invitation buy they haven't accepted a date yet. I know this family is elect. There is a difference in the elect that you can see from very early on.We are so so excited for them!!

Feliz ano nuevo! Les quiero mucho!

Have a great week!
xoxo 

Hermana Pentelute

Pic: It is cold here! It even freezes inside

Spiritual Fire Week! (Just for the Immediate Fam)

A big theme of my week has been the atonement because i am studying from an atonement packet we got for easter. I am learning to let go and move on. Accept that I am not perfect but God's grace is. I was reading the Beware of Pride talk by Ezra Taft Benson and wow it is great. You should read it!! I want to share two quotes I liked with you. "if we love god, do his will, and fear his judgement more than men's, we will have self-esteem." that hit home because i felt like i was struggling with that but i know i am searching gods will and following it but i need to work on my humility! adding to the end of the quote, we will also understand the universal need which is the knowledge of who we really are (at least i think so) as sons and daughters of God. That helps pretty much every problem we have it all starts there but its hard to really know that relationship but im striving to find it and wow the relationship i have grown with god is very real. He is a true friend. I dont have you guys anymore to rely on I have him.  Also I really liked this " Christ wants to lift us where he is. Do we desire to do the same for others?" It is such a great question to ask yourself....do we really desire the best for others and help them to get there. I know you guys have both done that for me :)

I want to share a very personal but very spiritual experience i had this past week. So i have really been searching for who god wants me to be. I have been praying for that for quite some time!! Then one morning this week when i was saying my morning prayer it just came to me. I just got my answer like a vision and knowledge. I could see and knew exactly who god wants me to become. I am already a very strong person. Strong willed dedicated leader. He wants me to still be that, to be strong and a force for good. To lead out and be a rock for my family and others but with that I saw someone very gentle loving and kind. A sort of quite strength overwhelmed with the utmost love. A person who people can feel safe with. very gentle is the only way i know how to explain it but this strength at the same time. Theres obviously more but cool huh? 

I know the reason i have been having whatever trails i have had in seeing my faults and everything is just to help me. I am becoming this person. Me and sister hougaard had a big talk this week and i was very open with her. Its super hard for me to open up and trust others. We love and fight like sisters but everytime im mean or selfish i feel bad but we talked about it and she opened up to me and it was great. Really this week was about one of the best weeks of my life. Just because there were so many miracles.

Thats my update for you guys on how i am.
I couldn't be better. :) this couldn't be harder but wow i couldn't be more blessed. 
Thank you for all you do for me mom and dad!

I LOVE YOU!

hna pentelute