Sister Callista Chaffin: Week 34: Cuban Woman & Russel Jr.

Hello everyone!! This week was a great one! We had lots and lots of lessons! We met a new woman named Yamilate! She moved from Cuba 13 years ago and she is just awesome!! What energy she has, and she has the most open heart ever! She's so sweet! She already is so excited to read the Book of Mormon and learn more and come to church!! We will be having her over at a family from the congregations house for general conference! We were able to explain the loss of God's authority and how Jesus Christ's Church was lost and confused after Him and the Apostles died! That made so much sense to Her! She has a lot of family that has different religions so it made so much sense to her!!

I was also able to go back to my old area as an Hermana (Spanish for "Sister") for a day! Ha ha, that was so fun! I learned a little more Spanish and got to show the actual Hermana serving in that area now, where she could go to find those that speak Spanish! So cool!

Russel Jr.

So this week we saw a Sister missionary that had been in this area before. So we got a few names of people that she remembered and went and checked on them! There was one named Russel. We went and knocked on his house on Saturday, No one home. We went knocked on his house Sunday, not home. We sat in the car, figuring out where to be next and there were cars passing by. Then as I got out of the car to back up my companion, driving, the spirit prompted me to look one more time at the house and Russel Sr.' truck was there!! I knocked on the back of the car saying he's home!! She's pulls back in and we quickly say a prayer and walk as fast as we can to the truck!! We said "Hi" to Russel Sr. And then we saw that Russel Jr. was in the back! He was the cutest little thing!! He had just lost his dog and said he had lost someone else before too. The dad said that the dog dying opened up that wound again! It was amazing to show Russel Jr. & Sr. hope in God's plan for us! We told him that his dog went to heaven and that she's happy!! We said a prayer with them and after a little while he started to smile more! What a blessing it is to have the knowledge of God's plan for us and our dogs!! :)) it was hard to see that dad frantically trying to comfort his son when he didn't have a full understanding or anything about where we go when we die or anything! The fact that the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the knowledge of the plan of Salvation in the Book of Mormon can address those mourning and help them and give them that hope in an instant, was life changing to see!

I am grateful that we were able to see Russel Jr. and Sr.!

OUR Heavenly Father always wants to give us hope! It is in the Book of Mormon and Bible!

Never loose hope, help others do the same, and spread the great word of His redeeming love!

Always Love,

Sister Chaffin