MERCY!

BUEN DIA MIS AMORES!!!! ESPERO QUE TODO ESTE BIEN CON USTEDES!! SON CAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAPOS!!!

Ahh. What a fresh breath of air. Guess what?!! WE HAD A BAPTISM!! Oh my heavens I feel so bad I havent talked about him.. but I decided to make a big tribute to my good friend EDWIN SALAAZAR. Alright so he is from.... PERU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He is a divorced dad who lives alone. Hes done every possible sin in this life and when he found us he wanted to CHANGE. Guys he quit smoking, he quit drinking. He stopped going to parties and the girlfriends. He transformed. Its been an amazing blessing for me to SEE THIS beautiful change. Through out this time weve had with him Ive felt God tell me that HE HAS NOT FORGOTTEN ABOUT HIS SON, EDWIN. It just goes to show that a dad who lost everything in his life can HAVE HOPE and can change for the better. It goes to show that God is the one who changes us. Like in Alma 5: [Behold, he changed their hearts; yea, he awakened them out of a deep sleep, and they awoke unto God.[    

keyword: HE. HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE is the one who helps us change. It was a miracle to see the hand of God in the life of Edwin. IN his confirmation it said that HIS FAMILY loves him and hes setting a wonderful example for his kids. He cried. :) 

10000 hugs and blessings for Edwin. Im sooo proud of that man. 

Anyways. We've seen so many incredible miracles. Theres one I wanna share with you. :) So just so yall know.. ITS SO UNBELIEVABLY HOT RIGHT NOW and its only spring!! Im burnt to a crisp cuz we are outside all day!! So Saturday we were walking to go to lunch and I see this woman in the street. The spirit hit me hard to talk to her. So I started talking to her. SHE WAS DRUNK!! What? So something in me told me to ask for referencias. She told me that there is a family that needs a lot of help. OKay drunk lady:) so we go to this house and we ask for Angela. She comes to us and tells us she wants NOTHING. IN my head im like.. WHY DID I FEEL so strong to ask for a referencia from this drunk woman?? Haha so then I asked again for another referencia... and she gives us two names. So we really didnt think anything of it. And then we went to lunch. 

But then the next day were walking  and remembered about these two referencias.. but we got lost. After 10 minutes of looking for the roads.. we finally find the house. SOO we clap at the first door and she wants nothing. So the next door our LAST referencia answers and invites us in. Her name is Mariana. Shes 24 and pregnant. We start talking to her and she told us that she knew a little about the mormons cause she went to the temple with her parent in laws. And then she said her husband was a missionary in Argentina!! WHAT. SHe said he left the church cause he got super offended. We started talking about the temple and how we can live with our family for eternity. And then I dont know why but I told her, Hermana when I walked into your house I felt something different. I felt the spirit and I felt like you guys are good parents to your kids. AND THEN she just starts crying out of no where and she was telling us.. I have this warm feeling in my heart and I dont know what it is. AND WE look at each other and were like.. HOW THE HECK did this happen? It all happened with a crazy drunk lady on the street!! HAHA. My comp made me sing ( she always makes me sing:) haha i love it) families can be together forever. We walked out of that house and we were both like.. shes gonna get baptized, her 12 yr old will get baptized and then they will be sealed in the temple.

We had a family home evening for the recent converts in Rincon (my area) and my comp made me tell the FAMOUS story of Princesa. Haha well its not that famous. Ive only really shared it with my companions. Well I told the princess story to this convert named Ale. He told me he had already heard that story. WHAT?! MOMS PRINCESS story is spreading like wildfire!! HAHA. :) 

Last story, in church yesterday, MI AMOR DE MI VIDA (little nino who is like 4 years old) came running to me crying, TERRY TERRY LAVA MI MANO TERRY!! He had this marker all over his little hand. So I took him to the bathroom to wash it off. 

As IM scrubbing I realize that hes not crying anymore and hes staring and me repeating the words, GRACIAS GRACIS GRACIAS with a HUGE smile on his face. In my head I had this little light bulb moment. THIS IS HOW ITS LIKE WHEN WE REPENT. 

Were like this little nino who is just looking for someone that can erase these horrible pains and sins we have. We are broken and crying cause we realize we're babies and we cant wash it off by ourselves. SO we run to Him who has the power to heal. He picks us up and washes it away. And then we're freeee and were clean again!!

Ive been thinking.. WE ALL NEED MERCY. We are all trying to FIND MERCY. Its how we survive in life. THis week we found a family who has a lot of heartaches. The dad is a BIG strong man who always beats people up on the street. He told us he doesnt wanna fight anymore and wants to change. Weve been visiting him and hes not progressing. :/ So at first we started to just bajar la cana and freak out at him for not quitting smoking. And he just got super down and I saw his face and it broke my heart. So we changed the conversation and started giving him positive comments and being merciful. We told him how awesome it was that he stopped drinking. Little by little hes changing into the man that God always knew he could be. He gave us this smile that made my whole day. I could literally see his confidence build more and more the more merciful and kind we were to him.  Its all about how we talk to people.  When we build them up the flourish.  I think I may have found the magic remedy.  Build people up with the word, never tear down.  WHen we build them up, it gives them the power to change.

I testify that we are like Miguel and we are all looking for mercy. In the scriptures it tells us if we judge our fellowmen harshly.. we will be judged harshly. BUT if we have mercy on them.. GOD WILL HAVE MERCY ON US. man what a good life lesson. :)

LOVE YOU ALL!! Carry on Carry on Carry on!

love, marieeee