March 9, 2015

 

Hey family,

Sorry for the world's shortest email last week. President Van Cott has told me to make sure I'm planning for home and school and everything so that means taking some time out of my emailing time to be able to look at schools online. But! My short emails in no way reflect a lack of wanting to talk to and hear from you! I love getting on and seeing what's happening in all your lives.

Well the past couple weeks have been good! It was pretty chilly last week but thankfully it's warming up. I thought I was going to freeze to death one day, I had on three shirts, a sweater a scarf and a jacket and leggings under my skirts and I was still shivering! Then I looked at the car display and realized it was 57 degrees... I am in big trouble when I head back to Utah!

We've been helping a lot around the community too, doing service and stuff here in Redlands. Lately we've helped remodel the bookstore, it is run completely by volunteers and donations and is a big asset to the community so it was fun to be able to help with that.

One day last week we were in Highland and the member who had signed up to give us dinner cancelled so we decided to go grab something because we couldn't go back to our apartment in Redlands (we have mile restrictions on our cars we use) So anyway, we went out and as we were sitting there eating and chatting, I looked up and a man had appeared at the side of our table, slid a gift card between us and disappeared before I could finish chewing to say thank you! Best of all he left the nicest note saying that he thanked us for serving and how much he appreciated what we do. It was such a tender mercy. The Lord is so mindful of us!

We had a really cool experience at church last week too. One of our investigators, Martina, got up to share her testimony. It was only her 2nd time at church but we've been teaching her for a few months and she says she knows what we're teaching is true! So she got up and told everyone how she honestly has no idea how we found her, all she knows is that she's happy we did! She said "They teach me, they help me and they tell me what to do so that I can make my life better. I love those young ladies" It was such a cool thing to hear her tell her experience, I love being a missionary!

Love,

Hermana Granado

March 2, 1015

Hey Family! Sorry this one is going to be super short.

This week was great, we had lots of great conversations with people on the street. I love talking to people about the gospel. 

I was also able to have an interview with President Van Cott and he helped me think about ways that I can make the most of this time that I have left and also think more about home and make some life plans for when I get back. I love you all and hope you have a great week!

There was a missionary a few years ago that got hit by a bus in Brazil and they weren't sure if he was going to make it. Well he did and although he hasn't made a full recovery, he and his mom spoke at a conference in Utah and someone shared this with me.

The theme of the conference was Develop the Power within You.  The scripture that went with the theme was:  "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."  Philippians 4:13.  The keynote speakers were Karla & Britten Schenk.  Britten was the missionary in Brazil who was hit by a bus and was not expected to live about 3 years ago.  He had major brain trauma.  Karla is his mother and they both spoke.  I hardly think there was a dry eye in the chapel as Karla spoke and then Britten did amazing.  He still has a ways to go -- he is almost 90% blind and still gets things mixed up -- but he was just great. The Schenk's passed out a card that had a picture of Britten in Brazil and then on the back was an email that he had sent to his family previous to him being hit by the bus.   I thought I would share that with you. 

On the front of the card with Britten's picture is the statement:  The future is as BRIGHT as your FAITH.  (President Thomas S. Monson)

On the back of the card was a part of his email:  "There has to be challenges and trials in our lives, to make us rise just a little higher, do just a little better.  It is those challenges and trials that shape who we are, and depending on how we react to them, we can become even better, stronger and more prepared.  Even though, in our lives, when it seems we're doing so good, working so hard and being so righteous, there are challenges.  Because, as we are doing what is right, yes, we are doing good, but, there is no way to continually get better without challenges.  There is a famous quote that says, "Just as a gem cannot be polished without friction, a man cannot be perfected without trials."  Challenges and trials are a part of this life.  We agreed that they would be a part when we accepted Christ's Plan.  I don't believe that God makes things happen to us, but He allows them to happen because He knows that it is through those challenges and trials that we will become better, and that we can become the best we can."  (Britten Schenk)

Love you all! Talk to you next week!

Love,

Hermana Granado