Hey family!
Wow, I am without words this week...
Remember how I asked you all to pray for Hermana Cortes´ mom
last week in my email? Unfortunately her
health has taken a drastic change for the worst. Last Wednesday night I received a call from
President Markham. My heart skipped a
beat because the mission president doesn't usually call just to chat. He explained to me that he had been talking
to Hermana Cortes´ family and that unfortunately this health complication
drastically got worse and her mom went into the doctor. It was there that she was diagnosed with
Stage 4 terminal rectal cancer. She has been given less than a year to live. It
was heartbreaking news to receive... And even worse was looking in the eyes of
Hermana Cortes, my little hijita, and knowing that I had to pass the phone to
her.
That night was filled with lots of tears, testimony and
prayer. President explained to her that
if she wanted to return to Nicaragua, it was okay. But after much prayer, fasting, and
meditation, she has decided to stay here.
Sunday was fast Sunday, everyone bailed on us and we only
ended up with one investigator in church.
Hard, in a month were we are supposed to baptize 8 people. But, we keep fighting the good fight. When the meeting started, our bishop (with
the very best of intentions) announced publically, and without permission, that
Hermana Cortes´ mom has cancer. He
pleaded that the ward include her in their thoughts and prayers. I froze having absolutely no idea how my
companion would take this public call for help.
But she graciously smiled at the bishop and kept her cool. Then, once testimonies started she looked at
me and said:
¨Well, I don't want everyone feeling bad for me. I am going to get up there and bear my
testimony.¨
I followed her to be emotional support. My champion of a companion got up there and
bore the most powerful testimony of the plan of salvation and the atonement
that I have ever heard... This is how she ended her testimony:
¨Well, I know that I likely will not see my mom again in
this life... I know that she is going to die.
But, I know that Jesus Christ lives and thanks to Him, families are
forever.¨
I completely lost it.
I, as well as the entire ward, was bawling. When it was my turn I stumbled through a
short testimony and sat back down.
When we sat down she told me:
"Look, this is really hard, and it really hurts. But at the same time I just feel at
peace. I know I am doing what God wants
me to do, so it doesn't hurt as bad as it should.¨
It really reminded me of your experience, mom, when your
father passed away. It has been so
humbling to see the hand of God during this time of sadness.
But, yes. Please pray
for the familia Cortes. Please keep them
in your prayers. Please put them on
every temple roll you can. We really
need angels round about to bear her up.
Please also pray that we will be able to baptize this
month. The goal is 8 but right now we
really don't have anyone progressing.
Satan is doing his very best to attack this little part of the
vineyard. We need all the help we can
get.
On a happier note, we went to the temple yesterday! It was
just what we needed. Absolutely the very
best way to spend a P day. Even better
was that President and Hermana Markham were able to be there too. There isn't a temple in Nicaragua, so it was
my companions second time going through.
She loved it. Plus we got to eat
at IHop. Who knew that the International
House of Pancakes really is international?
Well, I would like to close with another conversion story...
D is a 16 year old convert who lives in our area. His parents are apostles of a crazy, gigantic
evangelico church in our area. Their
church members basically worship them and this church is very large and very
established.
A year ago, a friend of D gave him a Book of Mormon and,
without having any idea what it was, D began reading it.. He tells us that he just started reading 1
Nefi 1 and was SUPER confused because he had never heard of Nefi before when he
read the Bible. Yet, something about the
book called his attention and he kept reading and felt in his heart that the
book was true. A few weeks later he thought
that it may make more sense if he read the introduction first. It was there that he understood the nature of
the Book of Mormon, where it comes from, and he also read the invitation to
pray and know if it is true. That same night he got down on his knees to ask
God if what he had been reading was true, if Christ really did visit the
Americas, and if Joseph Smith truly was a prophet. To quote D
"I just felt all warm, like God loved me. I felt so at peace and I knew that I needed
to learn more. I knew it was true... So
I prayed that the missionaries would be able to find me."
The very next day they contacted him in the street.
After about 4 months of fighting, secretly attending church,
and a lot of prayer, his mom finally signed the papers so he could get
baptized. He has faithfully attended
church ever since and last week contacted Salt Lake to send the missionaries to
go visit his family in Canada. They came
to church last Sunday and in 2 weeks the whole family is getting baptized.
This kid is incredible.
I know that the Gospel is true and it has the power to
change us, strengthen us, and at times carry us through the difficulties of
this life. I love my Savior, and it is
my honor to represent Him for the 6 months I have left.
... A year ago I said goodbye to you guys. Wow, the mission goes so fast.
I love you all! Please keep praying. I am praying for you too.
All my love
Hermana Wise
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