A New Week! :)

Helloooooooo,

Oh, So much to say!... Let's see if I can remember it all!  Hahaha. 

First things first, WOW ITS HOT! Like really really hot!  Hahaha!  I don't thnk there is a word that can accurately describe the heat here... it's unreal... and we aren't even even officially in summer yet... Summer doesn't start for another week!  But it's great!  Haha!  I am just waiting for my super awesome tan lines and velcro strap marks.... I can't say "He sido una misionera" (I have been a missionary here) until I am complete with tan lines and all!!  Haha!

Something that has been really fun about my new area is that it is so much more city-like.  In Isla Bogado the way to encontrar (find) someone to teach was sooooo different because everybody was outside of their house drinking terere (cold water mate infused with herbs) and we would pass by and talk to them and teach them and that's how you found investigators... Tocar puertas (touching doors).  But here in Mariano, like I mentioned ITS A CITY! and there is this huge plaza in the center of our area located right by the main roads.  So, while Hermana Valenzuela and I were sitting there planning one day, we decided that we wanted to do something fun, something new to find people, real people with real interest.  And we wanted to encorporate El es la dadiva, the church wide "He is The Gift" video - because ITS AMAZING!  If you haven't had the chance to watch it... WATCH IT!  :)  ITS THE BEST 2.5 MINUTES EVER!! and after you watch it, SHARE IT WITH EVERYONE!!... its just so special!!  Any whooo, back to our planning session... We came up with the idea to come to the plaza with a bunch of chalk.  And draw a chirstmas tree, a BIG one in the plaza, and invite people to come and write the things that they are grateful this christmas season... and after they wrote it on the tree, we would have ALL of the young single adults with us, and they would have their smart phones and they would have the video pulled up, and we would then invite the people to watch this little 2 minute video... We would share a quick and sincere thought with them - and, finally, we would ask for their contact information so that we could visit them one day soon and talk more about the Gift that is Christ...  So, after coming up with the idea we called our lifer missional (missionary leader) and he gave us the thumbs up.... and Tuesday we did it!!  It was AMAZING!!!!  So many people came and wrote on the tree, so many stopped to watch the video, and within an hour we had 30 references... THAT'S SO HUGE!!  Granted, some of the references didn't live in our area - but thats OKAY!  Because they are references,... Wait, nope, sorry... I don't like that word... they are SOULS!!  They are souls that other misionaries can visit and share this Great Gift :) The plan of a loving Heavenly Father and a loving older brother, Jesus Christ!  And that's fantastic!!

He is The Gift #ShareTheGift

Something that's really been extremely emphasized this week by a member of the Seventy, President Monson, Our Mission President, and leaders - is the importance of having spiritual experiences, with emphasis on how we can have them through keeping the commandments... and specifically, by reading the Book of Mormon.  This emphasis on the Book of Mormon really has made me think a lot about that gift.   I think often times we underappreciate the value of this book, and all that was put into keeping the records safe and preserved for us. There are so many prophets who layed down their life that we might have it.  It was written to testtify of Christ, to put to an end of all the confusion stemming from the variety of interpretations of the Bible on it's own.   The Book of Mormon IS another TESTAMENT of JESUS CHRIST :)  given FOR US :) How amazing is that!?!
And how does the it help`us recieve spiritual experiences?  Because reading it with intent gives us access to the Spirit so we can recieve personal revelation!!  Answers and insight revealed to us... How amazing is that, The Lord promises us that if we will sincerely ask Him to answer our questions, and we do our part and take the time to REALLY read these sacred words, we WILL find our answers!!  :) Our loving Heavenly Father WILL talk to YOU!!  I love that!

I am so grateful for so much this Christmas Season!  Please know that I am grateful for every one of YOU!!  You are ALL so special and I love you all so much!! 

Keep reading the Book of Mormon :) and if you haven't had the chance to read it, I ask you to give it a try now :) Read it, and ask your Father in Heaven if its true...  Ask Him who can not lie, and who has promised to give you the answers! :)  That's the greatest thing about the invitation of Christ... to come and try it out for oursevles.  You don't have to believe my words, The Lord is ready to help you, so that you too can have a testimony, and receive your own witness of the blessing of the Book of mormon:)

I love you all!!

XOXO Hermana Fardos!