EMAIL... Week 27

Hola All!
Great week! Another trip to the waterfall to take the 4 Hermanas, 3 of them had not been yet. So fun and so beautiful! The hike up to the top, after the hike down to the bottom, always gets my heart beating and my thighs burning. So worth it! Fun birthday lunch for Hermana Nova at Rosti Pollos and a productive lunch/meeting with our branch president and the Hermanas to discuss ways to strengthen the branch at Pizza Hut. Pizza Hut here is a sit down restaurant with a host and waiters or waitresses. What a yummy change! Most of the members and leaders are so new to the gospel, that they really don't have a full vision of how things are supposed to and can work. They have never seen a strong church unit function and how that kind of branch or ward can bless all of its members. We encouraged him to utilize more people in callings, both to help him and to help them be more vested in the branch and in the gospel. I have been helping in Primary, which is fun, but a challenge with my lack of fluency and the behavior gap of what we are used to. Lee is teaching the new male members about the priesthood to help them prepare to receive that great gift and enable them to be a strength to their families and to the branch. Oh how we love these people and can see the awesome potential they have. We have to help them overcome some of their cultural and familial issues, and help them truly and fully embrace the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Poco poco.
Sweet experience last night with Marvin, Blanca, and the Hermanas. We had them over for an "American" dinner...Ritz chicken, stuffed potatoes, veggies, green salad, fruit, rolls, and chocolate cake. Thankfully, they liked it and went back for seconds! Whew! After dinner Lee showed the video of part of President Uchtdorf's talk, "Your Potential, Your Privilege". We talked about how many of us are like the man on the cruise and don't take full advantage of everything available to us as members of the Church, as children of God, of our divine potential, and/or of the promises of eternity through the blessings of the temple, because we aren't focused on the most important things in this life. We neglect the small and simple things and don't develop strong relationships with our Heavenly Father, our Savior, Jesus Christ, our spouses, or our families. The best part was that they expressed that they have felt different since we started visiting them almost 6 months ago. They told us they were amazed at how close our family is, that we are all active members with callings in the church, that we are all sealed in the temple, that our parents were also sealed in the temple and active in the church, and that our number one goal is to live so we can return and be with our Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and our family forever. Marvin said he has been talking with his wife, his mother, and his brother about things. Marvin's goal for 2017 is to become completely active in the church, become worthy to use his priesthood, and prepare to go to the temple. His parents were sealed to each other, but the adult children have to take care of that themselves. Blanca had a horrible accident yesterday before they came over. She was cooking and hot oil exploded and went all over her kitchen, including the roof, but none got on her. She knew Heavenly Father had protected her. We told her that we call that "a Heavenly Father hugger", times when He gives you a little miracle to let you know that He is always there and that He loves you. Her heart was soft! That was our tender mercy for the week!
We are so blessed as missionaries, as families, as a people, and as children of God! May we take advantage of our many blessings and opportunities to grow and progress toward returning to our Heavenly Father, through the Atonement of His Son, and live with Them and our families FOREVER!
Thank you for your positive thoughts and prayers! We need them and we feel them!
Love you all!
Elder and Hermana Koelliker