Hola HIJOS DEL MAÍZ.
So
this week something cool happened in our family group of Teopisca....
we had a our full 3 hours of church for the first time EVER!!!! Hermano
A. constructed another little log house to the side of our casita
de oracion, so we now have room for classes! The 2nd counselor from the
rama came down and set apart teachers for Sunday School and Relief Society! They have never taught a class before... and don't know the
doctrine very well...so it was a little interesting! Haha! But poco un
poco..... It was great!
This
week I finished el Libro de Mormón for the first time completely in Spanish and the second time on my mission. It was great. I was able to pray
and ask if it was true (as always). It was interesting because I
remember almost a year ago when I finished it the first time... I didn't
get my answer right away. I actually got my answer about 3 days later
when my companion Hermana Juarez was bearing her testimony, and I also recieved a
confirmation from the Holy Spirit that it was indeed true.
But this
time, as I knelt praying, I received an immediate answer that I
honestly wasn't expecting!! That "burning in your chest" that
everyone talks about but I honestly never really feel... (I feel the
spirit in different ways generally) testified to me that it was true right
then and there!! It was a cool experience, because I really learned
that God responds according to OUR needs and HIS will. I learned later why it was wise that I received my answer so immediately in
this form. 
A few days
later, we were with Hermana I... an investigator that has passed
through way too many trials in her life. Honestly, she's probably had
one of the hardest lives I've ever heard of. Because of this, she is very psychological and has a tendency to over analyze everything. She has a lot of
knowledge, but very little faith.
Hermana I. told us that because of our young
age our hearts and intentions were pure. But she was sure that as we
grew up and experienced and suffered more we would change our mind about
our religion, find ourselves in another place, and change religions
according to how we changed. Then we would find that another
religion was "true to us". She said because we grew up in the religion,
we had been brainwashed and didn't know anything else. I WAS SO
FRUSTRATED.
So I did the only thing I could. I testified.
I held up
the Book of Mormon and said, "With all due respect, Sister, you are
completely wrong. Maybe we are young. I'm
sure we haven't suffered or experienced all that you have, and maybe we
never will. But something I know for sure is that there is only one true
church, and it's this church. And I know that because of this Book. The
Book of Mormon is the word of God. It contains the secret to your
happiness in this world and the life to come. Maybe we don't know
everything, but at least we know this. And I challenge you to come find
me in 50 years. Find me. And you will find that I still will be a
faithful disciple of Jesus Christ, in this very same religion. Because
the Holy Ghost has told me that this Book is true. Yes, I was born in
this church. But I had to find and receive my very own testimony. I
didn't always believe. But I was humble enough to read and ask. And if
you will just humble yourself, and open your heart a bit, and ask...you
will also find that it's true. It will change your whole life! But
it's up to you. I know it's true. In the name of Jesus Christ. AMEN."
Hermana Hansen
