Familes Can Be Together Forever

Susie's letter was late this week. We got it late Friday. Here is her short e-mail, but also check out her companion's blog post "At the Temple."

Wow, this was the coolest weekend ever!! I saw a family be sealed for all eternity. A family whose door we knocked on a year and one month ago. None of us had any idea that this was all in the plan. It really is true that by small and simple things, great things come to pass. We just have to have a little faith and get to work and He makes everything else work out. This is really the best experience of my mission. I know that the gospel is true and thanks to the covenants, this is a family that will now be together after this life. I love them; they are amazing! The image of them kneeling around the altar in engraved into my heart forever. Wow, I can hardly believe it, it seems like a dream. Fabio was there, Mari, Estafani, Esteban. After the sealing and lunch, I took them over to the mission house to meet the mission president and his wife. I gave them each a little gift: tires for the boys, a bag for Estefani and my black coat for Mari. :)

Hermana Pato, I know you weren't able to be there in person, but in spirit we all had you in our hearts. It was just as beautiful as we had always imagined. I can't believe it came true; those blessings that we promised them as servants of the Lord became a reality. Way to go girl! I'm bringing you pictures so be ready!

As an additional treat, Fray Bentos had a stake temple trip, and I saw all of the members!! What a dream come true. In session I looked around and was surrounded by familiar faces: all of my dear sisters and friends from different places and times. That must be what heaven is like—being with all of the ones you love.


Soo much more to say and to tell, but there is no time!

Sister Suswha 

Another Prayer Answered

Elizabeth Martinez has always felt a love for God and a desire to follow Him, but living in the country side in a small town she never had very many opportunities to really learn about God. As her children got older, she found herself with a little more time to visit and involve herself in some of the evangelical churches that passed through. Although she liked to listen to the sermons and the scriptures, she felt something was missing and little by little opted for reading the Bible at home instead of attending a congregation. As she read the Bible, the desire to join the true church of Christ grew and grew. She decided to pray and to ask the Lord to help her find the church she should join.

A few weeks later, Elizabeth and her husband Hugo decided to go take the hour trip to visit Elizabeth's sister Vilma that lives in Ceibal Salto for the weekend. While they were there Vilma told her that she had decided to return to the church that she had attended ten years ago, and that she had invited two sister missionaries over for lunch.

The missionaries arrived, very cute and beautiful they were. As they entered the kitchen Elizabeth was overcome with curiosity and began to ask them dozens of questions. A little bewildered at first, the missionaries asked if they could sit down then started explaining and answering the questions Elizabeth had. They pulled out a blue book and told her to read it and that with prayer, it would help her find what she was looking for. Satisfied with what she had heard and felt, Elizabeth sat back in her chair, smiled and said, "Vilma, I think I'll accompany you to church on Sunday."

Since then, Elizabeth has been buried in the scriptures. She reads and understands and is willing to follow every commandment. She comments in the investigator class, she shares what she's learned with others and even explained to other passengers on the bus that they lived with God before coming here and that they need to repent and prepare themselves now to be with God again. When the missionaries arrived to teach her about tithing, they found out that she had already paid it to the Bishop that morning!!

She is amazing. And I know that God lives, and that He answers our prayers. I know that God is the one who helped Vilma come back to church so that she could met us and then we could meet her sister. Elizabeth is happy and preparing for her baptism the 16th of July. Will send pictures.

Love you all
Suswha

Uruguay wins the mundial!!!

Friday afternoon we couldn't even go out for the people celebrating on the streets! It was quite a Locura! I have never seen people so spirited; even dogs had their fur painted white and blue. Lol, well we´ll see what happens tomorrow if we are gong to the finals or not.

Hearts are changed, Lives are saved

Javier met his wife, and they began a happy life together. He believed in God but didn't really worry too much about Him. Life was life, and he was happy. Then three months after their third child was born, his wife was diagnosed with terminal caner. Within weeks she was gone. Alone with three kids all under the age of eight, Javier was left only with feelings of confusion, anger and disbelief. Although he could not deny the whole existence of God, it hurt to think of the injustice that he and his family had passed through to believe or adore any supreme being that could be the author of so much sorrow.

Within a few years as life continued, Javier meet Miriam, a happy, strong, spirited woman who brought a little light back into his life. Although she did believe firmly in God and liked to go to church now and then, he made it clear that he would not accompany her in that.

Miriam took in his three kids as if they were her own, and soon two more kids became part of the family.

A few months before the birth of Javier's second daughter, two sister missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints came to his home. His wife listened to them with interest. Although Javier was cordial and did sit in on the lesson, he could not believe that these young girls could explain anything about God, and he made it clear that although he would listen he would not read or go to church.

The missionaries only came by a few times, then they stopped coming by. Jaiver one day thought to himself, "If they come back again, I will listen to their message. Who knows; it couldn't hurt anything."

A few months later while my companion and I waited for the bus, we saw a woman pushing her baby carriage up the hill. We decided to talk to her and invite her to the church. Her name was Miriam, and she was very friendly. She said that she knew a little about the church already and although she really liked everything she knew, she was not interested in going to church. She still gave us her address and told us to stop by sometime.

Within a few weeks sister missionaries stopped again at Javier's house. This time when we extended the invitation to read and pray, he accepted. From day to day, Javier began to change. He ate and slept with his book, reading the chapters that the missionaries left over and over again to really understand them. When they invited him to church, he exciteddinly accepted.

Three weeks later, a few days before his baptism, he told us, "The Book of Mormon opened my eyes again. It let that light enter that for so long I had blocked out. I feel happy, and my heart is changed"

Teaching Miriam and Javier has been a blessing for my life. We were able to be the eye witnesses of the converting power of the Word of God and the Holy Ghost. I know these things are tree and give powerful witnesses of the truth to anyone that sincerely searches and asks.

Some pics from the baptisms. Slow and steady wins the race; After weeks of 0 people in church, we had a great baptismal service of four amazing people and the members said that it was one of the most spiritual baptisms they had seen in a long time. Yay for the Lord's work!!!

I was showing a family in the ward how to make their own banana and chocolate milk and cookie shake. It was a hit!

The beginning of the End

Hello family friends and fans!!

We had great week! Well for the news of changes, I'm staying here in Salto, with Hna Casebolt!! Yea! We are super excited, and I am at rest knowing that Hna Casebolt is my last companion. I am eternally grateful that I have made it through to the end with nothing less than awesome companions. Honestly every single one has become a special friend of mine. There´s so much that comps go through together that you don’t share with anyone else. I always say that comps are better than friends, because friends are friends because they choose to be, companions are companions because God chooses them to be.

Haha well hopefully things continue to go well but I'm sure they will.

This weekend we have four baptisms they are going to be great.

Last week we had zone conference. We all said goodbye to the president and his wife. They've been really great! It's cool to be able to be a part of this. Anyway I also got to see some of my old companions there, Hna Moreno, Hna Ung, and Hna Gardner. All of the ones who are still in the miss so haha, that was cool.

Today to celebrate the start of my last change, Hna Casebolt and I are making a BIG CHOCOLATE CAKE with rainbow chip frosting (that her parents sent her again after the disaster of the last one; we are still suffering),

The weather has turned to FREEZING. I still make us go running every morning,. Actually I think that’s the only way that we keep living because if it weren’t for getting our blood running and flowing in the morning, we would turn into ice cubes in our little cement house box.

There are dogs everywhere!! I carry my pepper spray at hand at all times just in case!! It's dangerous. I will send pics next time.

Love you all,

Hna Salisbury

How I know the Book of Mormon is true

This is a testimony I wrote for the Hermana Peterson who is going home.

How I know the Book of Mormon is true:

I know it is true just how anyone else knows. I’ve read the book, I’ve prayed, and I've lived its principles. And it hasn’t let me down yet.

As one of my converts once said and I also repeat, "How can I deny the word of my Creator and Father?" Who am I to cast a shade of doubt on a manuscript that I have seen change the lives of friends, strangers, and family? I have seen the principles of this book put into action and I've seen those principles help achieve things that seemed impossible to achieve. Indeed I would call such achievements miracles.

The Book of Mormon restores hope, calms anxiety, breaks down pride, and establishes faith. Reading its words whether alone or in a group, allows peace to enter into the heart and mind. Why? Why does it have the effect that it does? I think the Book of Mormon has this effect because it teaches us about something so innate and so much a part of who we are that it cuts through the layers of superficiality and humanly crafted philosophies to the simple core of truth; things as they really are and as they will be.

I have felt the soft warm presence of what we call the Holy Ghost testify to me so many times that the Book of Mormon is true. This belief has become engraved on my heart. Indeed, so deeply have its words and testimonies touched my life that to deny them, or ignore them, would be to deny a part of my very self.

What a Great Weekend

Hello

What a great weekend.

Javier and Miriam are progressing so well! You don’t know who they are, but they are amazing and, it's such a delight to see the gospel changing their lives and opening the doors for faith and hope to pour in.

We had interviews on Wed. It will be the last interview that I have with good 'ol President Peterson. He and his wife go home the end of this change (next week) and our new mission president, President Heaton and his wife begin their journey. I'm really excited. I think it will be really fun to see how things change and to meet another great couple who dedicate their lives to the Lord. President and Sister Peterson have been great, and I am really glad I was able to make a part of their troops here in Uruguay Oeste.

I would just like to point out a fallacy that sometimes too many good people get stuck on. That is, thinking that God tolerates 90% obedience. Or anything less than 100. Obviously after everything, it is grace that saves us. But we must do our part. And we CAN do it. He wouldn’t ask us to do something that we aren't capable of. So get on the ball and give it all that you can give.

We tried to do an activity for the investigators to come to the church, so we set up a cooking class. Weds at two, while the kids are at school. Or even so bring them along. It turned out really fun.

Anyway times up! Sorry I'll write more later, there's a baptism in the forecast. The principle of patience wins again!!! Alma 32:41

Love you all

suswha

Sister Casebolt's Blog

Susie's companion, Hermana Jessica Casebolt also has a missionary blog that you might want to visit.

justcallmejessica.blogspot.com

Here's just an excerpt that I thought you all might enjoy about Susie:

Also, my new companion is Hermana SALISBURY!!!! I have heard wonderful things about her from all of the hermanas and before I even knew she would be my companion I probably would have said she is the most liked hermana in the mission. Everyone raves about how great she is and hermana flores called me last night and told me I am so lucky and that salto with salisbury is the most ideal change you can get. (Cambios - Changes)