Alba's Noche de Hogar

March 2, 2015

Hey fam!!!

It´s been an awesome week and I LOVE Hermana Jenkins!  She is so sweet and so funny and is just super excited about the mission!  She´s been out five months or so.  This week has been pretty normal, but we had a few awesome experiences.

  

First off, we´ve been starting to teach some really great people!  One lady is named Susan.  We visited her for the first time this past Thursday, and after our lesson, she told us she had something for us!  I guess she makes dresses for Barbies, so she totally gave us a Barbie with this beautiful dress.  It was so sweet!

Second off, Alba hosted her first Noche de Hogar (Family Home Evening)!  We invited some people in the branch and it was just so cute and fun.  We learned about the armor of God and did an object lesson with an orange.  When the orange has its skin (its armor) it can float above water (the difficulties and temptations of the world).  But when we take the skin off the orange, it sinks.  Alba also cooked so many delicious foods for everyone (a tuna roll, alfajores, cookies, and cake with dulce de leche frosting).  It was a night I will never forget!

Third off, Hermana Jenkins and I have been loving reading from the Book of Mormon with all the members!  We´ve figured out the key to a lasting conversion is reading the Book of Mormon and loving the Book of Mormon EVERY DAY.  This past week, we read a lot with people in Enos, and let me just tell you, the story of Enos has really touched my heart.

I am so human and I make so many mistakes.  I made so many mistakes before my mission, but living in a different culture, following a different schedule, and speaking a different language seems to make it so I am even more mistake-prone.  This past week, all the errors I´ve committed throughout my mission just kept repeating in my brain and I didn´t feel too great.  But oh my goodness Enos´s experience helped me SO MUCH!  I loved the following verses:

  4  And  my  soul  hungered;  and  I  kneeled  down  before  my Maker,  and  I  cried  unto  him  in  mighty  prayer  and supplication  for  mine  own  soul;  and  all  the  day  long  did  I cry  unto  him;  yea,  and  when  the  night  came  I  did  still  raise my  voice  high  that  it  reached  the  heavens.

  5  And  there  came  a  voice  unto  me,  saying:  Enos,  thy  sins are  forgiven  thee,  and  thou  shalt  be  blessed.

  6  And  I,  Enos,  knew  that  God  could  not  lie;  wherefore,  my guilt  was  swept  away.

  7  And  I  said:  Lord,  how  is  it  done?

  8  And  he  said  unto  me:  Because  of  thy  faith  in  Christ, whom  thou  hast  never  before  heard  nor  seen.  And  many years  pass  away  before  he  shall  manifest  himself  in  the flesh;  wherefore,  go  to,  thy  faith  hath  made  thee  whole.

  9  Now,  it  came  to  pass  that  when  I  had  heard  these  words I  began  to  feel  a  desire  for  the  welfare  of  my  brethren,  the Nephites;  wherefore,  I  did  pour  out  my  whole  soul  unto God  for  them.

I know if it was just me, Hermana Dixon, trying to resolve all of my mistakes, sins, and errors, it wouldn´t be possible!  But I also know that because we have a Savior, it is possible to have our guilt wiped away.  I know the Savior not only forgives, but WANTS to forgive.  And I know even though we are so imperfect, Jesus Christ understands our human condition and just wants us learn from our mistakes and get a little bit better every day.  I am so grateful I get to share this message of forgiveness with such a fallen world!  

Thank you for all you do, and I hope you have a wonderful week!!!  I´m so lucky to have such a sweet fam.

Hermana Dixon