(Pronounced like Guy)
Jose (13), Jackie (10), and Joshua (8) were all able to get baptized this Saturday!
The hot water isn't working right now in the building so Hermana Smurthwaite and I spent a good while boiling water in the kitchen (we knew it might still be a problem so we brought all 4 of our pots) and running it over to the other side of the building to pour in the font to heat up the water just a little for the kids.
The water was still pretty cold, but better! The service was so beautiful and they had so many family members and friends there to support them! They're doing great and Jose and Joshua are already talking about their plans to serve missions when they get older! They are such a beautiful family and it's been so incredible to see that although they've had some curve balls thrown at them these past few months, how strong and united they are and how quickly the kids have adjusted to living here in El Paso. They are amazing examples of faith and love!
So this week was pretty good! We spent almost everyday teaching the Familia Gay and we were able to find some new investigators! We're trying to find as much as we can so that there's always people to teach. Teaching is by far the best part about being a missionary!
New Years was great too! Our President had us be in our apartments by 6 pm and we were given a whole set of sealed envelopes that had instructions for this whole event so to say that he planned for us called "A Day With the Lord". There were talks given by apostles that we read with questions to reflect on our past year, what we want to do, and how we're going to do it this next year. And the big even was that yesterday we spent our entire day (6:30 am -10:30 pm) reading the Book of Mormon to try and finish it in a day. I don't know anyone who did, but I got to like 3 Nephi chapter 20!
I'm going to try to finish the rest of it this week. It was a really cool experience to be able to read it all together, like an actual book. Some of the transitions from chapter to chapter (things you don't really catch when you normally just read a chapter or 2 a day) had really cool insights to the stories that I had never caught before!
As we read through we highlighted in one color all of the references to Jesus Christ, and in another color explanations of the Atonement. That book is like technicolor, I never realized how often it really does testify of Him!
The Book of Mormon truly is another witness of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and every page is trying to help us come closer to Him and to be able to really know Him personally. I invite all of you to make a goal to read the whole Book of Mormon this year, especially if you never have! If you want to come closer to your Savior, this is the absolute best way to do it.
One of the paragraphs in the Introduction includes this statement:
Concerning this record the Prophet Joseph Smith said: “I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.”
I testify with all my heart that that is true. I've seen it throughout my life as I've strived to read everyday, and especially yesterday as I got to focus for an entire 16 hours on reading the Book of Mormon. I know this really is the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and The Book of Mormon is convincing evidence of that fact. I know my Savior lives and that He loves me, and each and every one of you!
Love you all! Have a great week!
Hermana Martin
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