Dare to Stand Alone

Hello my dear family!!

       Well, another week has come and gone, and I swear, they get busier and go by faster every time! I can't believe that this transfer is already half over! :Z Scary! 

      We have made a lot of progress with our investigator, Andrew, but we've decided to push back his baptismal date a week, just so that he can know some things for himself. But, he came to both sessions of Stake Conference this weekend! He even brought his daughter with him (she's two and he only gets her every other Sunday) and that seemed like it made him a lot more comfortable to be there. He even reminded us about our lesson with him this Tuesday--before we said anything :D We have contacted so many Spanish-speaking people this week! I didn't even think of this until last night, but at the beginning of the transfer I prayed that although I was staying in an English area, that I would be able to improve my Spanish. Well, guess what?? The Lord is blessing me with opportunities to do that! I have had more than one experience this past week where I felt the gift of tongues working. It's real! 

      Okay, funny story time--we hit a skunk this week :P We were driving and it was kind of dark, and we saw it right before we hit it, but we're pretty sure that it sprayed our car :P and it STUNK for three days! Yuck! The smell filled the whole car.

      So, I think I told y'all about the Institute class at NMMI last week? Well, yesterday we went again, and the guy who was doing the lesson was a returned missionary (he was called to be a YSA rep or something) and he gave a lesson on Helaman 5:12 and "Dare to Stand Alone" from President Monson. We watched a video as part of the lesson and it was so cool because it was talking about when President Monson was in the Navy, and we were at NMMI, the New Mexico Military Institute, with all of these young cadets, some of whom were away from home for the first time, and the message really sunk in a lot deeper than it ever has before. In the video, President Monson shared an old primary song:

"Dare to be a Mormon, Dare to stand alone. Dare to have a purpose firm, Dare to make it known."

I just loved that. It filled me with the spirit and with courage to keep moving forward in this work. I know that Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God, and that he continually receives revelation for not only us in the Church, but for the entire world. I know that not only is it possible to stand strong for our beliefs and religion, but it is something that we covenanted to do when we were baptized. To "stand as witnesses at all times, in all things, and in all places." 

       I love you all, and I want you to know that I know that this gospel is true. It has influenced my life more than anything else in the world, and it is changing me from who I was before to what God knows I can be. I promise all of you that as you keep hold of the iron rod, and stay on the strait and narrow path, you WILL find everlasting joy and peace. Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer, and he died to save US. The least we can do every day is to wear his name proudly.

Love,

Sister Tycksen

Sister Villondo and Hermana Tycksen