Olympic: Traslado 6: Semana 4‏ / Sept. 27, 2010

Hola Familia!
 
I can't believe I saw you yesterday! I feel like it was all just a dream. I was feeling sad knowing that I wasn't going to be able to see James for the next couple of years, and that I missed his big Marines graduation, but then I got to see him! And my parents, Angela, and Bob. The whole family together for the last time in a long time. It was like a little birthday miracle for me. For those of you that don't know, what happened was I haven't been working at the Visitor's Center at all this transfer, so my family all decided to come by and drop off a birthday gift while they were here in San Diego for James graduation, and also so they could see the Visitor's Center. I knew they were coming by sometime this weekend, but wasn't sure exactly when, so I told Heavenly Father that I would leave it up to him and if I got to see them it would be because he wanted me to, and not from me being disobedient. So on Wednesday I found out that they needed us in the VC on Sunday, (it was only the second time they've needed us to come in all transfer,) but I still didn't want to get my hopes up, because even if they had come while I was working there I could have been giving a tour and busy and not have seen them. It turned out that as I pulled up to the temple I looked over and saw my Dad standing by the big tree. They had come out of the Visitor's Center and were literally just about to leave. It would have been so awful if they had left just two minutes before I got to the temple. I would have been really sad. I know that the Lord loves me, and that for some reason I was meant to see my family. I feel like if anything though it just motivated me to keep working hard and enjoy the last eight months of my mission. I'm in no hurry to come home; I still have so much to do, so many experiences to have, and hopefully a lot of people out there that I can help.
 
This week has actually been really full of miracles. We've been working with a family in our ward that has the dad and one daughter that are inactive, but they have another daughter that is on a mission. This Sunday the whole family came to church! The dad was all dressed up with a tie and everything. It was really amazing to see how their family has been blessed because their daughter is on a mission, and made me hope that my family is seeing blessings too. I know that Heavenly Father has been blessing all of us a lot, but I think that sometimes if we're not careful we can miss noticing them.
 
Gilberto and Andres, the brothers of some recent converts in our area, also came to church this Sunday, and they loved it! We are hoping they will be prepared to be baptized in a couple of weeks, so that has been really exciting. Another miracle was that the Relief Society General broadcast was an answer to my prayers and to some questions I've had lately. I went on splits with my Sister Nef this week, one of the sister trainers, and we were talking about how as sisters we can be so hard on ourselves, and in turn be very judgmental of others. I loved how President Monson was so bold and direct in his talk about not judging others. If you didn't get to see it, look it up on lds.org, because it was amazing.
 
I think that something I've realized this past week is that God really does want us to be happy. It isn't all about suffering and trials and sacrifice. I kept thinking that I had to just handle all of the hard things because the blessings were the growth and strength that would come from it, but he also gives us moments of sunshine and laughter and the good, happy things that we want in this life. I guess that I just felt like I had to deal with accepting everything that the Lord knows is best for me and that I need, but sometimes what we want the most is what we need and what the Lord wants to give us. I know that Heavenly Father loves me and have blessed me so much.
 
Tengan una semana excelente y milagrosa!
 
Hermana Dansie