8.13.11

Hey All!

This week has been a doozy. I went to Guate again on Wednesday with a sister. Hermana (Sister) Redden and I did divisions....she got to stay in our area and hold down the fort. Lucky her! The trip actually went well, fast. We did end up having time to go the temple there, which is really a blessing. There is so much power and strength that comes from making covenants with the Lord in His house. I am so excited for the temple here in Xela (Quetzaltenango) to be dedicated. December! It really is going to be a blessing to the members and community here in Quetzaltenango.

This week we worked a lot with dear Mayra. She is sooooo close to baptism, but didn´t quite make it this week. She is a strong woman, full of strength and knowledge....but Satan is fighting hard. No worries, we are willing and prepared to fight as well. There are so many signs of the goodness of God, or his truthfulness, but it amazes me how many people completely ignore them! Sometimes I feel as though they are all like Korihor, tempting God for even more signs....gotta be careful with that! Everything testifies of God, of His infinite goodness, everything is a sign of His presence.

I was reading in Matthew last night and I came across this scripture in 5:45. It basically says that the good and the bad fall on the righteous and the unrighteous. God is a just God, He doesn´t play favorites. It´s like Job, he had everything...but then all sorts of misfortune happened to him. But, throughout it all he stayed faithful to Lord, knowing that all of it would work out for the better. In the end, he was rewarded with more than what he had before all the bad things started to happen. It is like that with us...we may not understand why we have been given certain trials, when it seems as though we are doing everything possible to live the commandments of God. This really is just a trial of our faith....and it is an opportunity to buck up and show your trust and devotion to your divine creator. Easier said than done...but path through the trial is so much easier when we have the hand of Christ guiding us.

Love you all! Take care! Be safe! Thank you for your prayers and support!

Love,

Hermana Otto