EMAIL... Week 62

Hola All!

We are so grateful to be able to serve here in Nicaragua. We didn't know what to expect when we received our call, but immediately knew that this is where we're supposed to be. We love the people and hurt for them in their frustrations and trials, but know that having the gospel in their lives will lift, encourage, and bless them immeasurably. They just need to have faith, be obedient to God's commandments, and strive to love and serve others. I'm so grateful for the Book of Mormon and the fullness of the Gospel it teaches. I love to read about Christ's visits here in the Americas after His resurrection, and how He loved and served the people here, and how He established His Church here as He had in Israel. I am enjoying reading it aloud in Spanish much more this second time, as I know what many more of the words mean and can pronounce them correctly. Poco poco. You returned missionaries, don't lose your language! It has been a huge blessing for us that Lee already had a good base when we arrived. He is doing awesome!

We had a sweet experience with the Elders this week. We went to visit a family who had been offended about a month ago and had told the Elders that they were going to go to another church because no one had come to help them. Nobody knew they needed help. That strengthened our testimonies of home and visiting teaching. We asked the wife if we could come and visit them and bring a message. She told us we could come Sunday afternoon. They were very stoic when we got there, but we talked to them, sang "I Stand All Amazed", and they sang with us. We had an opening prayer and then showed them the video, "For God So Loved the World". The spirit was strong and there was a great peace. The father said the closing prayer himself. They weren't totally over their being offended, but their hearts were definitely softened. People everywhere need to be loved, cared about, watched over, prayed for, and visited...yes visited! So many people here have complained that no one visits them. We try to get around to as many as we can each week, but they especially want the members from their branches and wards to visit them too! We have encouraged them to visit others! We get some strange looks when we suggest this, but we know that we feel joy and are blessed when we reach out to others.

As most of you know, our missionary work is different than the young missionaries, yet we are blessed to be able to work with them in teaching the gospel and preparing people for baptism. We also have the opportunity to work with people who are struggling physically, mentally, and/or spiritually. We love working with couples to strengthen their marriages and families, and helping prepare people to make sacred covenants in the temple and be sealed as forever families. The gospel is amazing and is for all of Heavenly Father's children here on earth. He loves each one of us! He has given us His Plan of Happiness, because He wants all of us to be happy, not only in this life, but throughout all eternity. He wants us to live worthy lives so that we will feel comfortable in His presence and the presence of our Savior. He loved us enough to send His Only Begotten Son to earth to show us how to live, teach us by example, atone for our sins, and rise the third day so that we can all live forever. Each of us has already been blessed with immortality, but eternal life, life like and with our Heavenly Father, depends on our choices, thoughts, desires, and actions. Life isn't easy for any of us, but we can all have heavenly help if we do our best, and humbly and sincerely pray for it. Everything is in place because of God's Plan for us, but the rest is up to us! We testify that it is definitely worth the efforts, changes in our lives, sacrifices, endurance, and humility to prepare to meet and become worthy to be with our Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and our families forever. This is the goal most glorious and important for us and for our family! Together forever!

We love you all! Thank you for sharing your light and lives with us!

Love,

Elder and Hermana Koelliker