03/21/16 Group Email

This week was awesome! A lot of meetings as STL.  We had Zone Conference, which lasts all day, and it was amazing.  About the Atonement.  A couple days before zc I was thinking "shoot... they are going to have a testimony meeting at the end of zc and I need to bear my testimony." It hit me like lighting that I needed to bear my testimony.  So the conference was coming to close and they opened it up to have a short testimony meeting.  After a couple people went, I got up and bore it.  It was short and sweet (lots of tears... my goodness I cannot bear my testimony in English; that's why I had to be called Spanish speaking) but it was really neat because I realized that I had learned from myself! I have the strongest testimony of Jose Smith... like that man saw Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father... there is NO doubt in my mind.  His story is the rock of my testimony.  But I've always kind of struggled with the Atonement.  I know it's real and that it happened, but dang out here in the mission field, you doubt a lot and question a lot of things.  So as of late, that was something I wast thinking about. How the Atonement happened.  So while I was up there bearing testimony, I bore the strongest testimony of Joseph Smith.  And then I started saying "and because Joseph Smith was a true prophet, the book of mormon is true.  And because the book of mormon is true, Jesus Christ lives and the Atonement happened." And it all just hit me all at once! Because I know the Joseph Smith is a prophet, I know the Atonement truly happened and is there for us to use! I sat down and everything just made perfect sense.  It was so cool! Something I've learned out here: Whatever you are doubting, BEAR TESTIMONY OF IT.  

Hermano and Hermana Perez.. the sweet old couple from Spain.  We went over and I taught him out to cook chicken enchiladas (which I was very impressed because I don't know how to cook...) but I just kind of went with it, acted like I knew what I was doing, and they turned out really yummy! (S/O to my college roommates for forcing me to cook last year so I didn't starve) But my favorite part, was after everything was finished, and we were sharing the message.  We shared this video (https://www.mormon.org/easter?cid=HP_SU_3-13-2016_dMIS_fSPC_xLIDyL1-A_) and were talking about Jesus Christ (we do that a lot as missionaries, haha) but Hermano looked me right in the eyes and said, ever so simply "Yo se que jesucristo existe" and WOW i have never felt the spirit so strongly.  It just all clicked for me.... simple as that: Jesus Christ exists.  He's there.  He's a person, with a body.  And then to make things even cooler! The following morning, I was reading in Moroni 10 verse 7 which says "Y por el poder del Espiritu Santo prodreis saber que el existe" Through the power of the Holy Spirit, you will be able to know that He exists.  And holy! The spirit was basically screaming at me "He exists! Jesus Christ exists!" I was just blown away that I would read that exact verse, the day after Hermano Perez testified of that.  Almost word for word! IT WAS SO COOL.  

Now that I had built up my testimony super strong..... we were knocking some doors up in an area where we got a Spanish referral... we were about to get in the car and I just say "ah let's just do this last one." this man from India opens it... IMMEDIATELY starts Bible Bashing us.  Like hard core.  It was crazy! BUT -- Hermana Allphin and I KILLED IT.  I'll say it, we were so classy and everything we said had so.much.power! He was just rambling not making any sense, we were both trying not to bust up, because he was honestly speaking jibber jabber.  He was telling us we didn't believe in the bible, that we didn't believe in Jesus Christ.. which when he said that, I pulled my tag up off my shirt and said "Are you kdiding? if we don't believe in Jesus Christ, why is His name right here on our name tag? We are the church of JESUS CHRIST..." and then he said, " well tell me about Joseph Smith then?" And ooooh man you don't ever question Joseph Smith! So I pulled out some good doctrine and said "If "God is the same yesterday, today and forever" why would he call prophets in the olden days and not today?" Now that made him stop and think.  But ah it just went on and on, but it was such a testimony builder for me! I learned soooo much.  As this crazy Indian man was making no sense, everything about our church; our doctrine, what we do, our prophets, our book of mormon, was falling into place, and making so much sense.  We honestly do the exact same things that Jesus Christ did while he was on the earth.  I will just never understand how people don't believe in our church!

So after those three experiences this week, I learned so much! Jesus Christ lives.  He was resurrected.  He created His church when He was on the earth, and it has been restored today.  I have such a testimony of Him! I love Him and I love doing His work.  

Happy Easter!!

Hermana Dean