Hasta la Vista, 21.

Can you believe that you are going to have a daughter/sister that will be 22! So, I decided that I will like 22 a lot better than being 21. Last year when I turned 21 I felt SO old - but 22 is like "ok, you are already an adult, but you are on the younger side of being an adult." Like more maturity but more youthfulness at the same time. Anyway, hard to explain but that is what went through my mind today as I was thinking about turning 22.

Ok, enough philosophizing about my age. But thanks for your emails! They really help encourage me every week. I love to hear what is going on. Every Sunday night I feel like "Ok, I am ready to hear how the family is doing." Anyway, thanks for being so supportive! I haven't received your package yet, but I kind of had a feeling that there would be something waiting for me at the post office and so I asked Carmen to go by and check, She just called me to say that I have a package! Thanks! She also says hi to you guys!

Yesterday I fasted for one of our investigators, Carmen, who almost set a baptismal date the other day when we were talking about the plan of salvation. She is getting closer and is accepting everything that we are teaching her, so I fasted for her to be able to have a baptismal date. I have a feeling - well I'm pretty much really sure - that I will be transferred in a couple of weeks. But, one of my goals is to have a baptismal date set before I leave this area. I hope that Carmen accepts.

A neat experience this week was to be able to help teach Carmen and Edwin about family history work. Hermana Gonzalez is a pro with new.familysearch.net and so was able to get them started after we taught them.

I know the spirit of Elijah is real. I know that family history work is so important. When we got them all registered and everything, we started to enter information into the computer. After just a half an hour or so, we had four names that were ready to go to the temple to have their work done. Just a click of a mouse and their names would be sent to the temple for their baptisms and to receive their endowments.

Family History work is moving forward like none other and I want to get into it when I get back! But, the neatest part of the afternoon was when we searched for Carmen's mom's name in the computer. Carmen's sister was a member but died a few years ago, so there was the chance that her sister had already completed her mother's work. What joy Carmen felt as we searched for her mom's name, found her, and saw that ALL of her work in the temple had been done 10 years before! It was a really neat moment. I couldn't help but think that her mom and sister were a part in Carmen's conversion.

Wow, I know that this work is true - that it goes beyond anything that you or I can see. I know that Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God and that Christ lives.

Thanks so much for all of your love and support. I love you all so much and am always praying for you!

Love,

Hermana Nefita (someone called me that yesterday. Haha. Nefita is Nephi in English!)

Letter to President Martineau:

Dear President Martineau,

Well, it has been an interesting week but a good week also. There have been a lot of appointments that have fallen through but the appointments and lessons that we have had have been really good. Just last night we had a really great lesson with a couple and their kids. We watched the video of the Restoration and because they didn't have a remote control to change the language, I had to translate. It was nowhere near perfect, but I prayed really hard to have help and that the spirit could be felt. Heavenly Father answered my prayer. I felt the spirit so much as I was translating the first vision.

That and other experiences that I have had this week have strengthened my testimony of the Restoration of the Gospel so much. I know that the Gospel can change the lives of these people and I hope that they accept it.