December 9, 2008

Hello Everybody!
It's Tuesday and I am going to make this email a quick one. I'm doing real great out here. Real Great. Me and my new companion Hna Campbell are pretty much best friends already. She's from Centerville? Utah and she used to be Hna Burke's companion. She loves Houston 9 area and she loves the fact that she has downgraded to an apartment full of roaches. Who wouldn't love that! But we're doing great together and Hna McDonald is doing great with Hna Burke.
This week has been crazy. The ward is going through a bit of a trial and we're all working together to try to serve each other more. The new bishop is only 28 and is shaking things up real good. The missionaries support him, but a few of the ward members need some convincing. So that's become a big part of our work here. Elsa is doing great. She went to the english ward this last Sunday to see if she'd like that one better. She really liked it. We're going to meet with her today and talk more about it. Elba and Fernando are being tried in their faith and amazingly are handling it really well. They came to church even though they are strapped financially and could have gone to work instead. Elba is starting to understand and love the Book of Mormon better. She's sort of sick right now so we've been praying a lot for her health. They both are working toward baptism.
We've come back into contact with a lady named Sylvia Luna. She's an amazingly faithful woman who believes in the miracles of God. Her kids have been taken away from her by Child Protection Service, but she has been carrying on with her life although its very hard for her. She wants to spend christmas with us missionaries because she figures its a sad time for us since we don't have our family and because for her Christmas is definitely not a happy thing. But she's begun reading the Book of Mormon and feels that its true. She wants to be baptized, but at the same time Satan has created a huge trap to prevent her from doing so. We're going to have a lesson in a member's home with her today and we KNOW that she's going to start progressing. She's that faithful and determined.
I've come to appreciate the gifts that God has given me. Have you ever wanted to feel God's love for you? Have you ever wondered how He shows it? I've realized that a HUGE way He shows his love is through words. He doesn't speak to us personally, but the words of His prophets in the scriptures do. The words in the scriptures have helped me solve a lot of problems this week. Read your scriptures. Turn to them for help. Pray in sincere prayer to your Father in Heaven and let His love speak to you through the scriptures. That is a huge gift He's given me along with so many others.
I love this gospel so much.I love my Heavenly Father. I love my big brother Jesus Christ. He's become my best friend and I'm no longer ashamed to do what He wants me to do. He knows what's best for me.I miss you all. I can't wait to talk to you all on Christmas. Remember that my call can only be 30-40 minutes so plan ahead of what you want to say.
Love,
Hermana Langston