Sister Macy England: Most Rewarding, Joyful, Indescribable Experience

Lake at Estes Park

Mi Familia!

Hey everyone! So yesterday the library was closed because of Labor Day so It's Tuesday emailing for us! Sorry for the suspence...I better make this a good one haha.

So this last week was like highest of highs and lowest of lows....I'll start with the lows. One of our investigators named Mariana past away. This was really hard on me and sister Martinez. She was suffering from cancer and was really sick. We would try to teach her but she would just lay on the couch and listen when we were there because she was so sick and so tired. On our second visit she gladly accepted a Book Of Mormon and I think she read in it a bit before she died. The last lesson we were going to teach her and her husband was the Plan of Salvation. She was sleeping when we got there so we just left the pamphlet with her and her family. I hope they were able to read it. We are going to visit Alejandro (the husband) and their two kids this week and hopefully teach them more. It is such an incredible blessing to have the knowledge of the plan of salvation! I'm hoping they will be open to hearing it. As far as Mariana we know that she is accepting the gospel in the spirit world right now. She was really special and you could tell she wanted to accept it when she was here but her body was just too weak. It was hard because it brought back a lot of memories of Julie too. But it also made me happy to think that maybe Julie is one of the missionaries teaching Mariana the gospel right now. It's amazing how I can really feel the help of those in our family that have passed on in this work! Heavenly Father's plan is perfect. It is so beautiful!

Anyway the awesome part of the week is that one of our investigators named Bertina is just flippin amazing! So her daughter Marium who is my age is a recent convert and Bertina her mom decided to finally just look into the church to see why her daughter was baptized. We got in contact with her and it is just unbelievable! She had been to the singles ward with Marium a few times and said she just felt so loved and part of the ward family. She said she has never felt that at her Catholic church. So we have taught her the first few lessons and she has just been amazed. She was already reading in this tiny Book of Mormon Maruium gave her so we gave her a normal size one and she loves reading in it! When we taught her the plan of salvation she had a lot of questions because two of her nephews past away last year, and at the end of the lesson she said "All my questions are answered". She said she feels so much peace having this knowledge that she has never had before. It was such an amazing lesson! THEN! At church last sunday...her second time at church ever. She bore her testimony in fast and testimony meeting!!!! At the beginning of the meeting I explained how testimony meetings work and told her (half jokingly) that if she wanted she could get up and bare her testimony. And sure enough she did! It was such a beautiful testimony. She even said she knew Marium made the best choice of her life when she was baptized in the chruch! She also went on to say that the things Sister Martinez and I have taught her have brought her so much peace, and that she is so greatful for us and this gospel...Sister marinez and I were just crying we were so happy! haha It was probably the most rewarding, joyful, indescribable experience on my mission so far. I am so excited for her! On our next visit we are going to invite her to be baptized in a few weeks! The only thing I'm a little nervous about is that she lives with her boy friend (we think) so the Law of Chastity lesson will be interesting. haha wish us luck! I have so much faith that she will be accepting of all of the commandments though. She has seen the blessings of the gospel in her life already! Her daughter Marium is going back to college this week and at the end her testimony she said...you sisters can't forget about me when Marium goes back to college! haha we were like...trust us...we won't! hahah

Our Labor Day was SOOO much fun! As a zone we all went up to Estes Park (the city in the mountains where we hiked out of last time) And we all ate lunch by the lake. Then we went to this big field and played ultimate frizby....funnest game EVER! Especially because the field we were playing on had some muddy spots and we all kept slidding and slipping haha It was soo much fun!(and we all played in bare feet!) Then after...all of us slightly muddy...walked around all of the cute shops and stores in Estes! Oh my goodness it was such a fun day! We need to take a family trip to Estes Park after Davis and I get back!

Well I hope things are all going great at home! With all the exciting new callings and activities you guys have it sounds like you are staying busy!

Davis sounds amazing! I know he is already such an incredible missionary! I love reading your emails Elder England :) Keep up the good work! Knowing that we are doing the same work makes me so happy! Go! Fight! Baptize! :)

I love you all! Mom says you guys all wrote letters and they are on their way! I am sooo excited! Keep being amazing! Recognize all the blessing around you! Heavenly Father blesses us beyond belief!

Love, Hermana England