So it's been a sad Halloween here in the little city of Granada. The little missionaries had such high hopes for this day. They were going to carve pumpkins, make caramel apples, and have a jolly good time. But the elders forgot to buy the pumpkins, the church has no knives, and Spain doesn't believe in carrying caramels in their local grocery stores. So the little missionaries have settled with chocolate covered pretzels and plain apples. And all mourned for the loss of what was hoped to be a splendid Halloween.
The end.
So yep our Halloween has been lame. We had such high hopes. And then one by one it started to crumble. So that's sad. But it's ok. We can make next year better....maybe.
Not much to report this week. We had exchanges in Málaga and I got eaten by mosquitos once again. Stinks when your blood tastes so delicious. But it was good. I got to visit with a couple from England and they were so cute and funny and I wanted to mimic their accent but felt that would be inappropriate.
Also we had homemade churros at the house of a member yesterday and they were delicious. One more thing to make me fat. Thanks a lot, Spain. Also I cut my companions hair this week so y'all better watch out because this Hma is opening a salon when she gets home. Jokes. It was an adventure though. She needed a trim and didn't want to pay. So we pulled out the craft scissors (no joke. I know my Aunt is dying inside as she reads this.) and I took off a little bit. Did a decent job.....she still has enough hair to put a bow in it so that's a positive. Jokes. It was good.
Lots of good things this week. Slow so not much to report. We had a menos activa come to church who hasn't been in years and her son received the priesthood so that was cool. But I got to bear my testimony about the restoration a lot.
On a spiritual note this week I wanted to know why it was necessary for Joseph Smith to see God and Jesus Christ. I mean, we all have to show our faith, why wasn't that enough for Joseph? I had my personal opinion about it that it was necessary for Joseph to have a KNOWLEDGE of God. Not just faith. Joseph endured A LOT of trials during this time. It was my thought that because God knew that Joseph would go through all this stuff, He needed Joseph to have a reason to endure it. He needed Joseph to KNOW the truth. As a fact. Not just a belief. So I read Joseph Smith-History and found out that I was right. In verses 23-25: "23 It caused me serious reflection then, and often has since, how very strange it was that an obscure boy, of a little over fourteen years of age, and one, too, who was doomed to the necessity of obtaining a scanty maintenance by his daily labor, should be thought a character of sufficient importance to attract the attention of the great ones of the most popular sects of the day, and in a manner to create in them a spirit of the most bitter persecution and reviling. But strange or not, so it was, and it was often the cause of great sorrow to myself.
24 However, it was nevertheless a fact that I had beheld a vision. I have thought since, that I felt much like Paul, when he made his defense before King Agrippa, and related the account of the vision he had when he saw a light, and heard a voice; but still there were but few who believed him; some said he was dishonest, others said he was mad; and he was ridiculed and reviled. But all this did not destroy the reality of his vision. He had seen a vision, he knew he had, and all the persecution under heaven could not make it otherwise; and though they should persecute him unto death, yet he knew, and would know to his latest breath, that he had both seen a light and heard a voice speaking unto him, and all the world could not make him think or believe otherwise.
25 So it was with me. I had actually seen a light, and in the midst of that light I saw two Personages, and they did in reality speak to me; and though I was hated and persecuted for saying that I had seen a vision, yet it was true; and while they were persecuting me, reviling me, and speaking all manner of evil against me falsely for so saying, I was led to say in my heart: Why persecute me for telling the truth? I have actually seen a vision; and who am I that I can withstand God, or why does the world think to make me deny what I have actually seen? For I had seen a vision; I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it, neither dared I do it; at least I knew that by so doing I would offend God, and come under condemnation"
I think this is so cool. Especially where he says, "I had ACTUALLY seen a light....and they did in REALITY speak to me....I was led to say in my heart: Why persecute me for telling the TRUTH?" The restoration is not just a story, it is a fact. It is a concrete event in time. Joseph knew that there was a God and a Savior because he saw them with his own eyes. It didn't matter what happened to him, he had that PERFECT KNOWLEDGE. God thinks of everything. We don't have to restore the church, we are not being tarred and feathered, we don't need that perfect knowledge. But through us showing our faith, and by praying, we can have a perfect knowledge that God exists and that He restored His gospel on the Earth. This experience helped me gain such a greater appreciation and understanding for the restoration.
The gospel is great. I love you all. And hope you all eat lots of candy. HAPPY HALLOWEEN 🎃🎃🎃
Hermana Twede
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