Hermana Starke: Just Listen

Holaaa,

This week was the best because we got to go to the temple and I finally got
to see the new video. It was so beautiful and so real and I absolutely
loved it. Now all I wanna do is go back and watch it again. All the members
here say how GUAPO the couple is hahaha. But seriously, it was one of my
best temple experiences yet. I recieved lots of answers to prayers and lots
of peace. I wish we could go every 3 days and not just every 3 months!



Its so crazy when we leave the temple grounds and hop on the loud, dirty
bus back to real life. I look around me and see so many people who may
never feel or know the happiness I have because I have the gospel. It's sad.
But that just makes me want to work even harder!

So first thing is first, I have to give you all an update on Martha and Jan
Carlos who were baptized just a few weeks ago! They moved into a new
apartment so they could be closer to the church. They faithfully walk every
Sunday! Yesterday Jan Carlos got the priesthood and is so excited about it.
He gave his boss a book of mormon and told him it was like the bible but
way cooler and that it has magical powers that help people stop smoking and
drinking. He also has plans to convert his entire family. I love the guy!
This week I gave them a picture of the temple and they are counting down
the days until they can be married for forever! They are both doing great
and are a blessing in my life.

They love going out with us and even let us teach investigators in their
home. So this week we began teaching our new investigator, Marcos, with
them. I guess I shouldn't say new because I have known him since I came to
this area. He is the son of a recent convert but has never EVER let us
teach him because he hasn't believed in God.........until now!

So we ran into him walking home Friday night and started to chat with him.
We asked him about his school and his girlfriend and realized in this
moment he just really needed someone to talk to. He ended up telling us
about all his problems and worries and all we did was just listen. In the
middle of our conversation he told us in his challenging moments he asks
for peace...

WAIT, HOLD UP

What what what! You ask for peace? From who? He smiled. Knowing exactly
where we were going with this one.

"God, I guess." He says.

So he continues telling us his life story and we just listen. It's getting
late and I am tired but the spirit tells me, "just listen". So I do and he
also goes on to tell us he needs help studying english. Ding ding ding, we
have a winner. So I tell him I don't have many talents but I do have one,
and that's English! So we set up an "English class" for Saturday.

Saturday comes and we have the most powerful lesson. At first Marcos got
all confused when we started singing but we told him it was part of the
free english class deal. It was so great. The spirit opened Marcos heart
and he told us all the reasons why he doesn't believe in God. There are
many, but that saddest is that his father abused him and left him to sleep
outside in the cold next to snakes when he was a little boy. We taught him
about the atonement and how the Lord can heal his hurt.

After the lesson I sat down and began to teach him the articles of faith in
English. he laughed when I realized what number one says.( Article of Faith #1 We believe in God the Eternal Father and His son Jesus Christ and in the Holy Ghost)  But then I said  wanna know how I learned Spanish? I read this book called the book of
mormon everyday. I promise if you read it in English, you can learn too. I
told him it was a promise from a prophet of God and if he came to church
tomorrow and I would give him one!

He got so excited and said ok, esta bien! So he came to church the next day
for ALL 3 HOURS. I couldn't believe it. His mom was so happy because it's the
first time one of her sons has ever come to church with her! The gospel
principle class was so inspiried and answered the question of why God let's
bad things happen. It couldn't be more perfect. Martha and Jan Carlos
invited him over for lunch and we challenged him to baptism and guess what?
He said YES!

We are so happy for him. All we had to do was show him that we loved him,
and remind him that his father in heaven does too. All we had to do was
listen!

I love you all, thanks for reading and just listening to me through my
letters!
Hermana Starke