Remembering Covenants

This week was full of blessings. I´m still getting used to Nacaome. Still getting a little lost, but I´m learning.  The city is nice and usually busy. There are things to get used to in every area - the people, the apartment. in Santa Lucia it was how to turn on the shower and in Nacaome it´s how to open the door. (I say that you need magic, and my magic skills are slowly developing. It´s an achievement if you can open the door in less than a minute.) The apartment is all pink on the outside and bright green inside, so it´s perfect for an hermana. I´ve had to also learn about the pot that spills everything - but Hermana Aguiñada is very patient with me. And in the aparmtent there{s a great map of our area - and we have put some zombie stickers that come in cookie packages for where we live and on the houses of our favorite members :) My companion and I have things in common, we like to cook and eat healthy, and we both like to work. We stopped to help a woman pull the weeds out in front of her house- she protested saying we would get our hands dirty. I thought "my parents didn´t raise me to turn away from pulling weeds, or turn away from serving". So, we helped her pull out weeds. 

      This week had two very special surprise blessings: A Temple Trip on Tuesday and the baptism of Maria on Saturday. I say the baptism was a surprise because we were tingking for the 25th but during a lesson we suddenly felt that she was ready and there was no reason to wait. The temple was absolutely beautiful. and even though we had to leave in the early morning and travel on an old school bus, it was all the more fun because we were all together. I was able to better remember the covenants I made for the first time in the temple and receive peace and inspiration I needed - a peace that lasts when we do what we can to be obedient. 

       The baptism was actually a double baptism because the elders in the branch also had a young man that they baptised as well. It´s good to see the support that these young men and young women give to each other. Maria is shy but through her actions I can see her love for the hope that this gospel offers. I know that the hermanas were lead to her and we´re here to help her continue on the path.  It was satisfying to see the Personal Progress that Maria and her cousin Claudia had in their hands on the way home from church. This gospel is so miraculous. I´ve heard a little progress from people in my first area, and that makes me really happy. What we just need to keep doing is keeping the covenants that we have made, and love God with all we are and love our neighboor as ourself.  Our Heavenly Father, the Creator of the universe and Father of our spirits has only asked this of us. Doing the little things is so important.  

       Remember how loved you all are! 

       sorry I don´t have a lot of time, the power went out when I was almost done with the first draft, and now we have to go. Pictures to come! Thank you for all your patience! I love you all so so much and know that so many blessings have and will come. If we don´t see evidence of blessings at first, or evidence of the testimony that we are pretty sure we have - remember that believing is a very brave thing. Jesus Christ said that those who have not seen and beleive are blessed. That is true faith. Always doubt doubts before you doubt faith. Never doubt that Heavenly Father wants what is best for you. Be safe. Be strong. I´m rambling now, but I love you all and HAVE A GREAT WEEK!

Hermana Hogge