Plan of Salvation! September 16, 2013

Hola familia!!!

Well, not a whole lot seemed to happen this week. Well, a lot happened, but I cant remember it all in detail and I dont have my journal to remind me so I will try to do my best in remembering it.

First of all, we went to Lima again this past week to the immigration office for my visa! I was almost illegal, but now im legal again. :) I cant believe I have been here for a year! That was a good day, waiting there all day :) Haha. But, inside, in the line, we started talking to a man who was a Lawyer from Chile! He had lost his mom and really had no direction in his life. We were able to share a little bit with him about the Plan of Salvation and we gave him a Book of Mormon. Even this small conversation, it was super evident, that the spirit had touched his heart and you could definitely see a hopeful light in his eyes :) It was a beautiful thing.

Then, the next day, we had another beautiful experience with the Plan of Salvation. I dont know if I have mentioned one of the families that we are teaching. It is a couple with a less active daughter, and a son. They recently lost their 16 year old daughter about 2 months and they are in a terrible spot right now. However, we were able to testify to them of the truthfulness and the reality of the Plan of Salvation. We testified that if they followed the commandments, if they put forth their best effort to be sealed in teh temple by Priesthood holders, they would be able to live for eternity with their whole family. The spirit was the strongest that I think I have felt on my mission. I know this plan is real. And it is incredible! Heavenly Father is so great that he has given us this chance and all He requires of us is that we put forth a little effort! I love it.

I love you all and hope your week is amazing and full of the goodness of God :)

Con mucho amor siempre,

Hna Elisheva Ali :)

ONE YEAR!! September 9, 2013

Well, I have officially been on my mission for an entire year! I cannot believe it! Time has flown and it is continuing to fly! It is insane. I would really love to just be a missionary the rest of my life. But, I will just work super hard and super dilligently and continue helping others to come unto Christ for these last 6 months. :)

This week was incredible! In the sense that I learned a ton! All of what I learned had to do with repentance and the power of the Atonement. On tuesday, I went to Lima to participate in a leaders conference with President Douglas. It was incredibly powerful and the spirit was suuuper strong. Then, on Friday, we had another training conference in Chincha! Also with President Douglas. :) The entire theme was repentance.

The goal of this life, or the purpose of this life is to be able to prepare to live in the Celestial Kingdom with our Heavenly Father for all eternity. We are here on the earth as imperfect beings, trying our hardest to do what is right. However, every single day, we are faced with challenges, temptations, and trials all having to do with the natural man (or woman). The only possible way that we can overcome the natural man is to humble ourselves before God and repent, every single day. Repentance is not only beginning to leave the bad things and bad habits behind, but it is also starting to do the good things, that deep down we know are correct. For example, the first law of Heaven...OBEDIENCE. When we begin to obey the commandments of God, we are demonstrating our repentance and our desire to follow Jesus Christ. There is a scripture in the Book of Mormon in 2nd Nephi 25:23 that says ¨...for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, AFTER we do all that we can.¨

This scripture teaches a TON and I love it! Only after we do everything that is in our power...such as repenting, and being obedient every day, does the grace of the Atonement of Jesus Christ work in our lives.

It is miraculous the difference that it has made in my life this past week spiritually to have humbled myself before God daily and repented to where I could not repent more. I have felt the power of the Atonement and I have felt the peace that it gives me. I know it is real and as we do so, we are preparing ourselves to be able to live in the celestial kingdom with our Father in Heaven.

I love this work. I love our Savior and I love how happy I feel every day, helping others to feel this repentance in their lives. There is nothing better. I invite you all to do the same and see the difference it can make.

I love you all!

Con mucho amor siempre,

Hermana Elisheva Ali

Fasting is powerful! September 2, 2013

Hola familia!!

Ok, so this week was INCREDIBLE! I havnt had a week like this is a while. Unfortunately, I don´t remember a whole lot of details about what happened, only that the spirit was so strong the whole week, our investigators are progressing and our companionship is the best. :) I love the area of Mala and I love the people that are here. I love our little branch and I love that I learn new things every single day.

So we had a super cool, faith building experience this past weekend with it being the first Sunday of the month. We fasted as normal and we were able to fast to be able to find a family to teach that are willing to follow Christ and that would be super interested and progress in this Gospel. We also fasted to be able to obtain the permission of a little boy who has a baptismal date with his mom and his grandma. We ended our fast, and went to teach this family of Teresa (the grandma) Maria (the mom) and Remy (Mariás son who is 8). We started talking about baptism and Remy was able to get permission from his dad! Later that day, we contacted a family that we had received as a referral from the branch President. This family is incredible!! All of them want to get baptized, and the mom and dad already have plans to get married in the next couple of months!

The spirit was so strong in the lesson and I know that it is because the Lord heard our prayers and he helped the desires of our hearts to come true. The Lord really does know us, and He answers our prayers and our fasts if we do them in faith.

Another way special experience this week was with Gloria. Gloria has been a member since she was little but hasnt gone to church in about 20 years. Just recently, her 16 year old daughter passed away in an accident and she shared with us how hurt she was and that she had lost all hope. We were able to explain to her and remind her of the incredible plan of Salvation that God has blessed us with and that if we do our part, we will be ablet to see our loved ones even after death.

Testifying of this truth was such a powerful moment that it was an even stronger testimony builder for me that really God does exist and that this plan is real.

There is no greater work than this. I love it. I know it is true.

Have a good week!!

Con mucho amor siempre,
Hna Elisheva Ali :)

I love the mission!! August 26, 2013

Familiaaa!!!!!!!!

This week was INCREDIBLE!!! So many things happened, I learned SO much and I felt the spirit so much this week that I am sure I will not be able to describe it in words. First off, I just want to say that this work is true. This church is true and that Jesus Christ is at the head. I know it. :)

Ok, well first off, last monday, we went to a tourist spot called ¨Cerro de Oro¨! It was incredible! Basically just sand dunes full of super ancient bones. It was really cool because the people who live there dont know where they came from, or what the history is. However, we were talking to Elder Price ( the senior elder with us) and he was talking about that he thinks that this is part of the Americas that was written in the Book of Mormon of an ancient lamanite civilization! It is incredible to actually be in the area where the Book of Mormon took place :)

On tuesday, we went to the office with Hna Chumbes to figure out her paperwork to go to Argentina! We were there for a while. Haha. Then on Wednesday, we had the opportunity to have a multi zone conference with President Douglas in Chincha!! ( Where they eat cat...wierd. I didnt eat any though :) It was incredible. We talked about the importance of the Atonement and the enabling power that it can give us through Jesus Christ. He can  give us strength from the bonds that tie us down to be able to break them ourselves. We also talked about the importance of being kind to those around us and being tru disciples of Jesus Christ. It was incredible.

On Saturday, we had an amazing opportunity to go to Lima (again) to see and meet Elder Quentin L. Cook from the quorum of the twelve Apostles. What a blessing it was to be able to be in the presence of a servant of the Lord and to hear his inspired words. He talked about a lot of things, but what he concentrated on was the importance of the Book of Mormon, and prayer in personal conversion. If we have a desire to be converted in the Lord, if we have a desire to know if the Gospel is true, we literally cannot come to this knowledge without the divine help of the Book of Mormon, and prayer. The Holy Ghost will testify to us the truthfullness of these things and by him, and no other way, are we able to know the truth. It was powerful.

I know that this Gospel is true. I know that if we read the Book of Mormon, if we pray, and if we attend church, we will know without a doubt that all of this is true.

I love you all and hope you will have an amazing week!

Con mucho amor siempre,

Hermana Elisheva Ali :)

The work continues!! August19, 2013

Buena Semana Familia!!!

This week was a great one! We were able to see So many small miracles that were really big testimony builders :) First of all, I am training ANOTHER new Hermana! Her name is Hna Ojeda! She is from.........the United States! From Utah! It is super wierd having a companion who speaks english and who is learning spanish! It brings me back to when I first got here in the field. She is great and our trio has a whole lot of unity. It is the best! I love it. We have been working really hard with our investigators who have baptismal dates coming up and leaving them commitments with the Book of Mormon. It is the best! We have been studying for them to be able to help them have even stronger testimonies. It is a big faith builder to see their faith growing as they keep these commitments and continue to read and pray.

A family that we are teaching...Roberto and Beatrice are getting married on Sept 5th and being baptized on the 7th! They have had a hard time getting all of their paperwork together, BUT they have done it, have showed their faith, and it is really showing how blessed they will be. I know that when the day arrives of their baptism, they will be incredibly happy and even better when a year later, they will be able to be sealed! :) This work is incredible!!

I dont have a whole lot of time to write more, only that this next week coming up will be crazy! Next week I will have a lot to tell you. Tomorrow, we go to Lima for Hna Chumbes´s paperwork for her visa, wednesday we are going to Chincha to have a multi zone conference, and Saturday we go to Lima to be able to listen to and meet Elder Quentin L. Cook of the twelve apostles!!! And then, at night, we have a baptism of Andrea!!

Have an amazing week and I will talk to you next monday!

Con mucho amor siempre,

Hermana Elisheva Ali :)