2 Nephi 26‏

(A/N: Hello everyone! So my family and I actually on vacation at the moment for the week, and that's why the update is a little late. But have no fear, because here is the update for Hermana Ramos-Escobar! Enjoy!)

 

This week has been great!! We found 8 new investigators this week! We had our first lesson with all of them and we're hoping to get more lessons in this week, but it will be harder because of the holiday season! So we'll see how it goes!

 

Sister Campos and I found a huge round about yesterday and we had the funnest time going around it! I love Sister Campos!! We make everything fun and we laugh about everything!! We're really excited for Thanksgiving! There are so many families that have invited us to go to their house for dinner. I am so thankful for all the service that is rendered to us!

 

I just really want to share a scripture that really touched me this week. I've been reading the Book of Mormon again and I'm in 2 Nephi and I was reading in chapter 26. It's when Nephi is seeing all the destruction that will happen to his posterity. They will be so wicked that the Lord will kill them all. In verse 7, it says,

"O the pain, and the anguish of my soul for the loss of the slain of my people! For I, Nephi, have seen it, and it well nigh consumeth me before the presence of the Lord; but I must cry unto my God: Thy ways are just."

..."Thy ways are just." Nephi after seeing all of his people that are going to die says, "Thy ways are just." He doesn't get mad. He doesn't ask why. He doesn't ask for the Lord to have mercy on them. But He says, "thy ways are just." After all that Nephi went through, he saw that these things would happen but he lets them happen. I admire Nephi so much for the faith that he has. For the trust that he has in the Lord. I am so thankful for the scriptures and for the Book of Mormon. I have been learning so much from it! I love it and I know with all my heart that it is true.

I have to run, but I wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! Please take the time to think about all the blessings the Lord has given you and all that He has done for us. I am so thankful that He was willing to come to this earth to pay for our sins...but not only our sins but all of the hurt that we feel in our lives. I love my savior Jesus Christ and am thankful for all He did for me.

Love,

Hermana Ramos-Escobar

Big Surprise!‏

(A/N: Hello everyone! Happy Monday! Just a little fun fact for everyone, this Friday, Hermana Ramos-Escobar will have been out on the mission for six months! Crazy right?! Now we've only got a year left...oh boy...ha ha! Anyways, enjoy this week's email!)

This week has been good! We found out some interesting news. For the past couple of weeks, we've only really had one solid investigator that has actually been progressing. Our other investigators never keep their appointments and are not keeping their commitments. But Maribel, our one solid investigator, has been keeping every single appointment and doing every single thing we've been asking her to do. She has been reading parts of the Book of Mormon and she says that she know's it's true. She is so sensitive to the spirit and the lessons we have with her are just really great. Earlier this week we went to our lesson with her and we had a member come with us. We started talking about the gospel of Jesus Christ and we got to baptism. She had been praying to know if she should get baptized but all of the sudden she says, "You know, I was baptized with the Mormons before." Sister Campos and I were completely shocked!! No wonder she had been progressing so well!! No wonder she felt the spirit so easily!!!

Turns out she had been baptized in Mexicali about 30 years ago and when she came to the United States, I guess she just stopped going. She came to church on Sunday and we were able to pull her records into the ward. Pretty crazy right? So now we're back at the drawing board! We're working really hard to find new people!

Sister Campos and I are doing great together! I love her soo much! I haven't laughed soo much in such a long time!

I just got called as a Sister Training Leader for this next transfer. Which means I will be going on exchanges with other Sister and observe how they work and all such things. I'm really excited...I was really scared when President first called on Saturday, but Sister Campos was beyond excited! Once she found out that she was going to be taking care of the area most of the time while I'm gone, she wasn't so excited...haha! She'll do a great job! She pretty much does it anyways.

I love being a missionary. I love my companion. I love the work. I just love being here.  I know the church is true. I know it with all my heart! and I want others to find it!

Love,

Hermana Ramos-Escobar

5 Months Difference...‏

(A/N: Hello everyone! Aly here wishing you all a happy Monday! Here is the latest email from one of our favorite sister missionaries!)

I'm getting closer and closer to my 6 months mark and I can't believe how fast time has flown. I think this past week was meant for me to realize and learn a lot of things. I look back at the person I was 6 months ago, 11 days before entering the MTC and it amazes me how much I have grown.

I have gained a burning testimony of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I know that my Heavenly Father loves me specifically and I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior and my Redeemer. There is absolutely nothing I wouldn't give up for this Gospel. I love it so much! I have never felt the spirit so much in my life. I have never had so many conversations with my Heavenly Father. I am eternally grateful for all that Jesus Christ has done for me. I know He's real. I know He lives. He is not just someone that we talk about. He was actually here on the earth and He was here in the Americas.

I am thankful and blessed for all the people that have helped me realized this. But more importantly for the spirit that has born testimony to me that it is true! I think about the spirit a lot. So many people say that this is all fake, that its not true. That it is just a story that Joseph Smith made up. But I know and I testify in the name of Jesus Christ that that is not true. If this were all made up, we would not feel the spirit. We would not feel that peace and calming feeling whenever we sing hymns or when we read the scriptures. We wouldn't cry when people gave powerful testimonies.

I know with all my heart that this church is true. I know it with all my heart and I will never deny it. And I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

At the MTC...

One week ago...

About 5 months difference and I have grown soo much!!

Halloween Week!‏

(A/N: Hello there everyone! Alejandra here, hoping everyone had a safe and happy Halloween! Here is this week's update from Hermana Ramos-Escobar! )

Well, we didn't do much for Halloween but it did rain!! Oh my goodness, I was soo happy!!! But because of the rain: 1) It has been really cold!! And 2) We stepped in two huge puddles! That was fun! We were walking around with wet shoes for the rest of the day! No one ever told me how cold it gets here in Fresno! Ok, honestly, I didn't believe anyone when they would tell me it gets cold. Little did I know they were right! 

We have an investigator that we invited to be baptized this past week, she said that she was going to pray about it. So we'll follow up on her! Hopefully next week I'll be able to let you all know what she has decided.

We have been finding a lot of people and hopefully they will all become investigators.  So there hasn't been much happening in my area lately...This past week was a lot of growing on my part, internalizing a lot of things that I maybe didn't really realize before. One of those was how much Jesus Christ really loves us. I always knew that He did, but today during my personal study I couldn't keep tears from running down my face when I really truly internalized how much He really loves us. 

I truly know that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer and that He was willing to die for us because He loves us so much. I am truly thankful for all that He has done for me. I know that if we really take the time to read, study and analyze what He has done for us, we will be able to know for ourselves if God really knows us individually.

I love this gospel with all my heart! There isn't a thing I wouldn't do for it!

Love,

Hermana Ramos-Escobar

(A/N: Here are some photos she sent for us to look at!)

Outside in the rain!

Really happy with all the rain!

Enjoying this tasty drink!

I GOT A PACKAGE!!!

This is what the fire did when we spent the night at Oak Hurst.

I found out this past weekend while I was on exchanges that the fire missed these two propane tanks by about 100 yards. If it would have hit it, the town would have been exploded!! I could have died!! Crazy how much the Lord takes care of his missionaries right?!?