Word of the Week: "iluminar" (to illuminate

(word of the week for last week because I forgot to write one last week: "humillarse"= to humble yourself) Here's what I learned this week: Dora and Estella: These women were baptized many years ago, but have since stopped coming to church because Dora's husband was sick and she needed to tend him and wasn't able to get to church on Sundays. Over the years, she and her daughter got out of the habit and it has been all down hill since then. They don't think it's wrong to worship the Virgin or the Catholic saints, they don't read in the Book of Mormon and can't remember the ten commandments. I could see very clearly the power in the simple commandments of the Lord; the more diligently we strive to be do the little things everyday and every week (ie: read in the Book of Mormon, pray with sincerity and faith, and go to church), we won't be able to fall into such sly traps and tricks that Satan has set in our path. Small ideas become life habits (for good or bad) if we plant them in our hearts and apply them regularly to our lives. Eva: This woman lives about 5 houses down from the church building and 10 years ago was taught by missionaries. She told us that she had a horrible experience with them...but we couldn't ever figure out what happened and we weren't about to ask her why she didn't like the church. I guess it must not have been too bad if she let us into her home with hardly a fight. We asked her if she still had a copy of the Book of Mormon, to which she said no, so we taught her about the Book of Mormon and it's central role in our personal conversion and process of becoming more like Christ. She told us that she read it (we could never get a straight answer of how much she read of it...), but as we explained it and testified of it's power and role in our lives and then invited her to read it again and pray, she denied it. I was stunned! The spirit was strong as we explained how the Book of Mormon would help her in her life and how she could know for herself that it was the word of God, yet she continued to decline the invitation. As we asked her why she couldn't read some of it, she made a comment about how she wasn't ready. The pieces started fitting together; she eventually accepted the copy and committed to try reading some of it again and praying. Her daughter even came and listened and prayed with us. As Hna. Diaz and I left and started talking as we left the lesson, we came to the conclusion that she likely received an answer and felt the spirit as she was taught by the other missionaries and as she read the Book of Mormon ten years ago, but didn't have the courage to act, therefore causing her to tell us that she wasn't "ready" to start reading the Book of Mormon again. We are planning to visit her again this week to see how her reading went and surely the Lord will help us get a clearer picture regarding her doubts. She just made me realize that now is the time to change, now is the moment to act on the impressions of the Lord, now is the day to start something new and do something that for weeks or months or years we've never gotten around to do. The Lord is always inviting us to change and find more knowledge and understanding in our lives, we just have to make the decision that today is the day. Gisela: I have never taught someone SO receptive as was Gisela. Hna. Diaz talked to her on the street one night a few weeks ago. As we got to her house and she came to the gate, she told us that she was waiting for us last weekend, but that we never came. Hna. Diaz and I just looked at each other surprised (between the two of us, in one week we talk to at least 140 in the street, let alone all the doors we knock and people we meet in their homes....it's hard to keep track of everybody!). Gisela let us in and right off the bat started asking us questions about being missionaries and what we believe. She is a 22 year old college student studying to be a chemical engineer, who is Catholic but also goes to a religious group with a friend once a week to study the Bible. She is just thirsting for religious knowledge and understanding. We started teaching her about prayer and that she didn't need to recite anything to talk to Heavenly Father and she just looked at us and said, "oh, I didn't know that...". Throughout our entire lesson, she was smiling, nodding, and just saying "huh, I didn't know that...". As I shared the First Vision with her, I felt the spirit so strongly in my heart and could see her smile and eyes widen. I don't think ever before I've felt that way while sharing the First Vision; it was almost as if it was my experience to tell, as if I'd had that experience. It was a unique experience and as we shared with her the Book of Mormon, she was just beaming. As we were explaining it and testifying, she asked to see it. As we invited her to read it and pray about it, she said that she would love to read it and then she asked if she could buy a copy in a store nearby. When we told it that it was a gift, she just look at us with her mouth dropped open. She just looked at us and said that she couldn't accept such a wonderful gift. She kept saying that she is going to take really good care of it! Never in my life have I seen someone being so excited to read the Book of Mormon. Should we not all react similarly each and every day when we pick up our scriptures to study? Do we think of them as the most precious of gifts from the Lord? How are we taking care of our scriptures?--Are they safely collecting dust on the shelf or are we lovingly turning each page and soaking each word craving more with wide eyes like Gisela? She definately made me stop and think about how much I love the Book of Mormon and how precious my blue-cover-copy is to me. I brought on my mission the Book of Mormon that Bonnie bought for me in the MTC when she was starting her mission about 8 years ago. I have used that Book of Mormon nearly every day of my mission. It is the book I used to learn Spanish and now is the copy that contains my thoughts and that is my source of spiritual strength. I love picking it up and reading it and thinking about the special significance it has to me being the book that my missionary sister sent to me nearly a decade ago. It is my most prized mission treasure. Velia: We visited Velia again this week for a second lesson and were able to answer some of her questions. One of the first questions she posed to us was what we believe about saints and the Virgin, to which we replied that Christ is the only means through which we can achieve salvation. We referred to the ten commandments and how God has commanded us not to worship anything other than Him. She then told us that friends has given her little saint statues and crosses and virgin figurines and she didn't know what to do with them. She didn't believe in them and agreed that we should only worship God, but she didn't know what to do now that they were in her home. I suggested off the top of my head that she give them to a friend who might appreciate them. And then I learned a HUGE lesson: She just said, "Then I would be helping someone else make the same mistake." WOW! Do we think about the impact our words, actions and intentions have on others? Are we striving to help others keep the commandments and avoid sins in their lives. Are we striving to serve others like the prophets recently admonished us, spiritually and temporally? Her comment really made me stop and think about how often I'm just worried about myself and if I'm keeping the commandments, let alone if I'm being an example to those around me and helping them keep the commandments as well. Are we going to pass our sins or transgressions to someone else or are we going to correct our lives and help others get rid of the saint statues in their lives as well? We have transfers this Wednesday. We find out in a little while who is staying and who is going...I'll fill you all in next week for sure! Thanks for all the love and support. Next week is my one year mark and I can hardly believe it...thanks for sticking with me for this past year. ¡Hasta la semana proxima! Hna. Pelton Shout out to April Bishop!!! Thank you for writing me so faithfully over this year! How blessed I am to have loving family members who think of me! Love you April!