Christmas is approaching! What will you do to help others come to Christ?

Well! Another week here in Honduras, and it is Thanksgiving Week! Here people haven't really heard of Thanksgiving, or if they have, it is from tv shows or movies. So we have been sharing a little about thanksgiving and inviting people to share what they are grateful for. It is really beautiful to hear what people say. 

This week two of my companions are going home. It is super sad to say goodbye, and even worse because one of them I don't even get to say goodbye to. We are starting a steady run of changes where a bunch of sisters are starting to go home, so I will see more and more people leave me :(  It is super sad. 

Yesterday my companion and I had the opportunity to talk in Sacrament. I think this is my fifth time talking in sacrament since starting the mission. I think this talk was my favorite. I stole a talk from Elder Uchtdorf and another one from President Monson, which are my two favorite mission talks that always help and inspire me. The first one my Elder Uchtdorf is called "Your Wonderful Journey Home" and talks about how once we were all together in a beautiful and wonderful land. In this beautiful place, we knew and loved each other. We made special promises to each other, and to God, and we had high hopes for our journey here. Now, here on earth, we need to fulfill these promises, because if not, one day we will be in a judgement with God, and with them, and they will ask us "why did't you do what you promised? I could have lived with my family forever, I could have been so much happier had you just told me about the gospel." It is our job, here and now, to help those who we have already promised to help. We shouln't look at people as they are now, but as they can become, and then I shared a story from President Monson 

 He told ofa missionary who had been the most successful missionary whom he hadmet in all of the interviews he had conducted. He said that as heinterviewed that missionary, he said to him, “I suppose that all of thepeople whom you baptized came into the Church by way of referrals.”

The young man answered, “No, we found them all by tracting.”

Brother Tanner asked him what was different about his approach—why hehad such phenomenal success when others didn’t. The young man saidthat he attempted to baptize every person whom he met. He said that if heknocked on the door and saw a man smoking a cigar and dressed in oldclothes and seemingly uninterested in anything—particularly religion—themissionary would picture in his own mind what that man would look likeunder a different set of circumstances. In his mind he would look at himas clean-shaven and wearing a white shirt and white trousers. And themissionary could see himself leading that man into the waters of baptism.He said, “When I look at someone that way, I have the capacity to bear mytestimony to him in a way that can touch his heart.”

We have the responsibility to look at our friends, our associates, ourneighbors this way. Again, we have the responsibility to see individualsnot as they are but rather as they can become. I would plead with you tothink of them in this way.

I love this story, because truly, if we look at people as they can become, we will always look for ways to help others and bring them t othe gospel. 

And right now, we are in the Christmas season! And people's hearts are open and full of joy and happiness. So we invited every person to invite neighbors, friends, anyone, to have a family home evening about Christmas, and to invite us :) And my invitation is to everyone of you as well, to have a special Christmas family home evening and invite less active, new converts, and non members to feel the joy of Christmas and feel closer to Christ. Plus, we are hearing that the church is going to launch an awesome video for Christmas, so that would be a great way to share with others! 

This week especially I have been feeling the urgency and importance to share the gospel. I have been studying a lot about the Plan of Salvation, and what happens after. I read Doctrine and Covenants 76 probably five times trying to truly understand the degrees of glory and everything that happens. Something that truly left me shocked is verse 109, that says that the telestial kingdom will be filled with people. 

 109 But behold, and lo, we saw the glory and the inhabitants ofthe telestial world, that they were as innumerable as the stars inthe firmament of heaven, or as the sand upon the seashore;

How sad! How many people will not have the opportunity to live in the Celestial Kingdom! Truly we should work a little harder to make it to our Celestial Kingdom, because if not, we will have all eternity to think about what we didn't do. Also, should we not worry and do all we can to try to help those around us make it to Celestial Kingdom, and not be stuck in the Terrestial or Telestial? Seriously, the difference in the degrees of glory in section 76 is a little shocking! 

For good news this week our amazing Mariellos finally went to church!! We are so excited for her!! We hope that she can progress and truly come unto Christ! She told us this week that she feels a difference when we are with her, and whenever we leave she always feels more peaceful and calm. That made me feel super good :) Since sometimes we walk and walk and talk and talk and nothing! But things like that makes up for everything. 

We also had a few days of running really fast to keep from getting drenched. There was a huge rainstorm, and a few of our investigators yards turned into lakes. It was exciting to try to jump rockes and other things to keep from getting wet. But seriously... a lake. It was great. 

Well I hope you al lhave a great Thanksgiving week!!! Hugs and kisses from Honduras.