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Monday September 15, 2014

since im out of time all the time, ill tell you about one awesome

family we are teaching

manuel and his two daughters irma and iliana. manuel has a serious

drinking problem. hes just a scrawny dude and his wife passed away

awhile ago, but in his job everyone is always drinking and he says its

impossible. but he wants to change. his daughters always come with us

to the activities and they come to church with their dad on sunday.

and they really want him to change. im not sure if hes ever even

completely sober, and its hard for him to accept that he really can do

Manuel with Irma and Iliana

it. the branch president and his wife came with us to visit him and he

gave him a blessing to help him have the strength, and to finish

manuel said the prayer asking for help and thanking God for all the

love and support that was sent to him through us and the members. The

second counselor to the president came with us a different day, and

hes barely been a member 3 years and was exactly the same as manuel

with a serious addiction that almost tore apart his family. they all

three accepted a baptismal date and they have a lot of faith that they

can all change together. but manuel needs to have faith in himself!!

its frustrating because we do so much to help people feel the spirit

and then they turn around and immediately deny it. and my problem is

that i dont like dropping people because i know that everyone can

change and accept this in their life, because it was made for them,

but we cant waste any time trying to force people to change. we are

here to baptize. the spirit does the converting. we have 7 dates this

month and we prayyyyy and fasstt that they will all pull through.

another is a couple, paty and jose. they have a little 2 yr old girl.

jose is less active along with his entire family of 7, they were

baptized almost 6 years ago, but all stopped going to church because

of someone said something and someone was offended. makes me crazy. ya

cant let other people rob you of your salvation. we have to be so

strong in our testimonies of this gospel so that nothing can take it

away from us. and that family was awesome, they named their dogs and

their kids after the elders. and they have a huge portrait in their

house of one elder and his entire family. CRAZY! pretty special

though. anyways, paty isnt a member and she doesnt feel included with

their family cuz shes catholic and they want her to change.

missionaries have been teaching her forever but shes not ever really

into it. however, we had her read 3 Nephi 11, and it talks about

little children being perfect and deserving everything, and when we

came back the next day to check on her she broke down crying. she says

that people say things about her little girl because her skin is super

dark. WHAT CENTURY IS THIS. and it makes her feel awful and feel like

shes not wanted. but she said that when she read the end of that

chapter it helped her feel completely calm and at peace, something

shes been looking for for a long time. and she accepted to be

baptized. BUT they have to get MARRIED and thats another thing.

everyone here lives together but arent married!! i cant even tell you

how many stories we have talked about in this branch where the

missionaries have to do tons of páperwork and help some péople get

divi}orced then get married. ah we are just kids. its crazy. but the

Lord knows what He does and how it needs to be done!!!!

so we need all the faith and hope and progress we can achieve!! WAY

more stories but ill tell you next week.

today is mexico independance day and literally i am completely dressed

in every screaming color of the American flag. oops. didnt mean to do

that.

OH YEA my poor companion (hija) got taken by immigration last

week!!!!! long story hahaha I had my green card, shes still new

though. she said they threw her and another missionary she got taken

with into a cell. literally.president had to drive over 4 hours to go

release them.

AND i know what its like to be a mother because my comp asks sooo many

questions!!!!!!!!! and shes full of energy!!!!! ahhhh!!! im learning a

lot of patience that i thought i had but dont haha. love you!!!

love, hermana zimmerman