April 16, 2012: This Week

Family,

   Wow, this week was a week! Let me tell you. It started out a little rough but it ended fairly well. The truth is that I had someone question my beliefs this week, especially my faith in Jesus Christ, and it hit me really hard. Harder than I thought it would. I found myself thinking a lot about what had been said and I realized that it had been awhile since i had done what I invite people to do everyday...kneel and ask my Father in Heaven if the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is true. So I did. I wanted an answer so badly. But the thought kept coming into my mind, "You already know." But I kept thinking, "but I want an answer." And the thought came again and again, "you know it´s true." And as the week went on, we spent lots of time in the hospitals and clinics with sickies. We didn´t have much time to be in the sector and I didn´t have much time to occupy my mind with much else than helping the missionaries. So then yesterday, after church, for our last appointment of the day we went to teach a 19 year old girl who had recently moved in with a member family. We knew absolutely nothing of her life or where she had come from. So as we sat and taught her, we bore testimony of Jesus Christ and the power he has to make right all the wrongs in our lives, to heal the wounds that still hurt, and to comfort us in our greatest time of need. As we did I felt the spirit testify to me that it´s all true. I know that Christ lives and that he´s my Savior. I know that with my efforts alone, I could not feel such peace in my life, being a person so imperfect as I, without the healing powers of the Atonement. I began to remember about the Familia Urritia and the complete change I saw in them and other wonderful people we have taught here. I realized that only a perfect being, who is all-powerful and with the ability to grant mercy because he had paid for my sins, could affect this change in my life, and the lives of the people here. It all makes such perfect sense. She began to weep and I felt the Spirit overwhelm me. I know its true.  She then went on to tell us about how her parents left her as a child and how she had recently lost her only child and how she felt totally and completely alone. At that moment I was filled with gratitude to know that we don´t have to be alone. If we accept the Savior in our lives and apply his teachings, our life can be filled with richness and great happiness. As we left and walked home, I reflected on how Heavenly Father had answered my prayer, not in the moment I wanted it, but it came so much better than I had expected and the song came into my mind, "The soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake, I´ll never, no never, no never forsake!" I still have more to do here. There are people that still need to hear the message we carry, there is a Savior and he is Jesus Christ. He died that we might live again.

Always,

Hermana Salmon