Give a little LOVE...

Hola Buenas!

SO this week was jammed packed.

I started my week reading "Love--the Essence of the Gospel" by President Thomas S. Monson, and that ended up being the theme of my week. I strongly suggest reading it! It's from last conference.

President Thomas S. Monson says, "Dale Carnegie, a well-known American author and lecturer, believed that each person has within himself or herself the 'power to increase the sum total of [the] world’s happiness … by giving a few words of sincere appreciation to someone who is lonely or discouraged.' Said he, 'Perhaps you will forget tomorrow the kind words you say today, but the recipient may cherish them over a lifetime.' "

We are teaching a less active and she's amazing. Since I've been here, I hadn't really understood why she was less active. We finally broke the ice! She mentioned a lot that she had missed the pure love she felt before at church. Unfortunately, she just gradually let go becuase she felt that church wasn't the same anymore. BUT the prophet's talk came to mind and we shared with her. We ended up having an amazing lesson AND she agreed to go out with us to visit a sister of the branch. We went to visit her a few days later and she had a message prepared. Hermana Nodal and I were shocked! Then she came to church on Sunday! TRUE miracles!

We really just need to show a little LOVE sometimes like President Thomas S. Monson says "Love is expressed in many recognizable ways: a smile, a wave, a kind comment, a compliment." That's all it took to help her to remember and want to keep the Lord's commandments.

We taught Yuleisy about fasting and she seemed concern about what it entailed. She was really resistant because she mentioned how she really didn't think she could go without food, while signing with hand cutting throat and sticking her tongue out haha. We expained the importance and she agreed to try it. So we decided to do a fast with her so that she could know what it would be like. We came back the next day and SHE DID IT! and she said she really felt that it helped her! When we put Heavenly Father first, we really experience and grow to know the importance of the first and GREAT commandment. TO LOVE GOD ABOVE ALL ELSE!

I witnessed that as I saw a little boy use his agency to decide to follow Christ's example. Gilbertico is a 8 year old boy who is part of a part-convert family and has been terrified to be baptized and felt unready. He decided it was time and it was so special to see that we really do have the choice and that a boy his age understands the promise he's making with God! He got baptized this last Friday! :)

I know this church is true and that we have a living prophet on earth today. His name is Thomas S. Monson! I know it because I have recieved that confirmation. I love you all! And I hope that you have an amazing week!

Love

Hermana Fernandez

Flour + Prayer = RAIN!

I read a past journal entry from exactly a year ago that said, "It's raining cats and dogs outside. We're staying in today because apparently we are in red alert. HURRICAN SEASON."

Well guess what! It's that time of year again! On Thursday, we had an activity with the branch. We had a flour fight and it got a little out of hand, but Yuleisi, whose getting baptized in two weeks, came! Then we had to stay and clean our floury mess and it was taking forever...so I decided to get on my knees and pray for rain. The clouds looked heavy it was just not expected to rain here in Bani.

PRAYER really works and Heavenly Father listens because I got off my knees and it rained once again "cats and dogs" exactly one year later!

Even though, it may have seemed like a small, insignificant reason to pray. It taught me that no prayer goes unanswered no matter how big or small. We needed that rain here in Bani. And although I had to walk home bare foot...it was so worth it!

God listens. He really is there. I know it. He repeated has brought peace into my mind as I've leaned on him. He truly loves us because we are His children. I know that He has a greater plan for me and you. He's perfect and knows us perfectly, so why doubt that He knows better than we do.

I love sharing the power of prayer and love the Lord has for us. It teaches us our greater purpose. Everything Heavenly Father brings into our lives, blessings or trials, they have a purpose. It takes us closer to our eternal purpose.

I love this gospel. I love you and I hope that you feel Heavenly Father's love as you pray today, tonight and every day. Tell Him everything and you shall see His guidance and His hand in the details of your life. I know it.

Love,

Hermana Fernandez

FOREVER FINDING...

So these past weeks we've been focusing on building up our foundation!

President Nuckols (our new mission president) has taken it to the next level. So as you know there's this fever going around down here in the DR. Well President Nuckols decided to introduce a new kind of fever...don't worry it's a good kind.

It's called the FOREVER FINDING FEVER! I'll attach the ALERT announcement. It's an epidemic!

Because of this "fever". We've found people all over the place. In the supermarket, on guaguas (the buses here), in the park, in the colmados (I don't really know how to explain these...I'll have to send a picture), in police cars (I'll explain)...well really EVERYWHERE!

It's been a fun time with Hermana Nodal. We've just been unstoppable, even though we've had some pretty strong opposition! She's awesome! I'll explain the whole police car thing...we were running a little late and got a ride in a police car! But of course we couldn't pass the opportunity up and contacted them!

We went to the Capital on Wednesday to have our Consejos de Lideres and it was a lot of things. President Nuckols talked about the divinity of our call as missionaries and his Testimony. He told of a time He went to Jerusalem and went to the area where Jesus Christ called his disciples to be "fishers of men" and he said how he could feel the Spirit greatly there. And when he was in the presence of the Twelve and the Prophet, while he was in the MTC training to come to the DR, he knew that they were Apostles and Prophet of God because he remembered his experience in Jerusalem and He felt that same Spirit.

The Church is TRUE. It really is. I know it, not because someone convinced me or told me so. I asked the One who knows it all. He told me personally. and now I'm here. I know Christ lives. (2 Nephi 25:29)

Love you MOM, DAD, Gisselle, MJ and Baby Brandon! I pray for you often. And thank you everyone for the emails and support! I always have you in my prayers (Moroni 8:3)

LOVE

Hermana Fernandez

POWER TEAM...

Hi...hey...hola!

Where to BEGIN. Why does it feel like the time just keeps jetting faster and faster to me. I feel like I was just here writing y'all.

Hermana Nodal and I are on FIRE! Seriously power companionship. The Lord is on our side. This week was so great, even though we hit a few bumps in the end, we finished STRONG =)

WE were sent to Bani for a reason and I know that the Lord has greater plans for us. I'm so glad I get to share this AMAZING gospel with her. We have seen huge blessings and miracles happen already...and it's only been two weeks.

We focused a lot on working with and to get to know the members a lot better. Yeah so we are best friends with everyone now haha. And we've gotten referrals and more unity because of it. I realized though to that we could learn a lot from each other and we can really strengthen each other. It helped me to realize the importance of doing our visiting teaching and home teaching. WE NEED EACH OTHER.

Every person we visited this week had their story of how they came to know the church. The church is really new in the DR, so most to all are converts to the gospel. Some of their stories were:

- Pioneers of the Church in the DR..have seen the chapels turn from houses to beautiful chapels.

- Atheist who contended with the missionaries until the Lord changed their heart. 

- Letting the missionaries in their homes because they felt like they carried the truth

- Many also paciently waiting to find their eternal companions and the Lord bringing them to church.

and endless many more. We all have our story. We all are Heavenly Father's children. We all make up an important part of his eternal, happy plan. We all can return to live with our Heavenly Father.

We got to know this family that are members that left an impression on me. The mom told us that she had been looking to belong to a church, but that she hadn't found one that she really liked, until one day the missionaries came to her door and she happliy let them in. (The seed was already planted because a co-worker of hers was actually mormon and she had always been curious of the Church) Anyway. when the missionaries taught her she immediately put all those pieces together and knew she had found the truth. Especially when she felt like she was part of a huge family when she went to church the first time.

We can be that example the someone needs to find the truth. We can be answers to prayers. So let's do it!

I love this gospel and although this week may had been rough physically, espiritually and all lly's. I keep going because I know more perfectly now what Jesus Christ died for. I know this is Christ's Church and the only true church.

I love you all and I hope that you come closer and closer to God each day!

Have an amazing week!

Love

Hermana Fernandez

a YEAR down...

Hey!

I'm back to WORK! WOOHOO! I had an amazing week.

Call it CRAZY, but it's real. I hit the YEAR mark. Yeah I know?!

I remember like it was yesterday when I entered the MTC. Well this week we had transfers. Hermana Saenz left me only after 4 weeks =( and I recieved Hermana NODAL!!! She got here the same day I entered the Provo MTC, so we're from the same group, which is a good thing and bad thing. Good thing because she's awesome! Bad thing because that means I probably won't be here for long since we both finish our mission at the same time. 

It was so great to get back and really see the miracles of being patient and finding new amazing people to teach. I know more than ever that this gospel is true. I want to share a quote that a friend sent that I thought really went perfect with the week I had.

“Your testimony is something that you have today but you may not have it always.

“Testimony is as elusive as a moonbeam; it’s as fragile as an orchid; you have to recapture it every morning of your life. You have to hold on by study, by faith, and by prayer. …

“That which you possess today in testimony will not be yours tomorrow unless you do something about it. …

“… Testimony is either going to grow and grow to the brightness of certainty, or it is going to diminish to nothingness, depending upon what we do about it”

President Lee said it and I testify of the truthfulness of this. We are here on earth to progress and grow and that will only happen as we keep walking faithfully on the path Jesus Christ left for us. I live it and know this is real because I walk closer and closer each day, and thanks to your support each week, it strengthens my testimony to know that no matter where we are the gospel is true.

I also know that through our trials we can reflect on that testimony, we are constantly building, to be our crutch. Nuestro Padre Celestial no desampara sus hijos. Lo se con TODO mi corazon!

Lots of Love,

Hermana Fernandez

P.S. Attached pics of me and my new comp Hermana Nodal on PDAY today..we went to the beach!