Ascended Master

Hello again!
Weeks keep speeding up as I go on. It feels like I just wrote you all! What else do I have to say? Yikes!
Well first of all, transfer calls came and I'm staying at least another 6 weeks! Woo! Haha It'll be nice to actually have a chance to settle in to the area and everything. And I love Sister Thomas so much! I definitely would have cried my eyes out had I had to leave so soon. I just love this everything. I love being here and doing this.

This week I finally got to use a bit of Spanish! Thank heavens! It felt like coming home haha. There's a lady named Yaneri who is actually out of our area but because I'm the only Spanish speaking missionary for quite a ways they're having me teach her! She was baptized into the church when she was younger but her family fell away and she doesn't remember hardly anything except what she felt when it was in her life and the strong emphasis on family values and the principles that build families within the church. Yaneri is from Honduras so I'm getting used to her accent but it's way fun! I really do love the Spanish language so much. I wish the Elders over the Buffalo South area would hand some of their people over! Come on!

This weekend there's an amazing broadcast being aired that you all need to see! It'll be at 8 PM (Eastern) on Sunday, May 6th. It talks a lot about the Sacred Grove and the historic sites in my area! President Christianson is in it, as well as a few Elders serving with me. We're all watching it out here! So if you're watching, you'll know that we're both seeing the same thing at the same time! That's kinda cool, eh? I'm so pumped for this. Let me know what you think! It'll be on BYUTV and I assume you can find it on lds.org? Not sure internet wise. 

Probably the most eventful theme of the week was Donna. Donna needed help moving this weekend, saying she was moving to England, so a group of us went over to help her! She lived at an assisted living center, but was extremely peppy and healthy looking. Slowly but surely we started to realize what the issue was. Donna informed us that she died on the Titanic, she was pregnant at the time by the way, and now has been brought back as a being similar to the Dalai Llama. She calls herself an "ascended master." She is moving to England because her family has 5 castles there. Although everyone keeps saying she only has 3, she KNOWS there are 5. I would be concerned too: wouldn't you? While in England, she will have to choose between the two males vying for her hand in marriage. She suggested that we keep tabs on the news because the wedding will be on it for sure. The most interesting thing with Donna was that her manner was so collected that a few times I questioned myself- was there actually anything off with this woman? Maybe she DID have 5 castles! All in all it made for quite the confusing weekend. She insists on paying us in cereal boxes, so I'll let you know if that comes through.

Something I've been learning recently in my studies...the idea of unbelief because of iniquity/wrongdoing. We generally think of people who do good and are good as those who are Christians- that they do good things because they have an understanding and belief in the character of Christ and have a desire to follow Him. I've found though that it works both ways. Those who follow the example of Christ and do good things will see their faith build- they'll find it easier to believe. So what that means for the rest of us is that if you're having trouble with an aspect or principle of the gospel of Christ, try being good! Try changing something that you're doing to be more in line with what your conscience (aka the Holy Ghost) would have you do, and watch your faith grow. I've been reading in 3rd Nephi this past week and there is example after example of how people start doing wrong things- being prideful, tricking people up, etc.- and their faith in the Savior dwindles as a result. Do the right thing- it just makes everything better.

Ok I'm done!
Bye :) Have a good week.
Hermana Ray