The two best things that happened this week......

Hi
     Hey so I'm just gonna share the two best things that happened
this week. All of which were yesterday. Hannah gave her first talk in
sacrament meeting! I'll attach pictures of her written talk!
The other miracle- so after sacrament meeting I noticed a man sitting
in the farthest back corner of the chapel and decided to go find out
who he was. I had never seen him before. He looked about 30 or so. His
name is Gino. Turns out he's a member of our ward, Peruvian (speaks
Spanish,) and a returned missionary. So we talked a while, he served
his mission in El Salvador. I asked him to come out to teach our
investigators Laura and Juan with us. He quickly accepted. I thanked
him, and he told me that this was the answer to his prayers.
We asked about the mysterious Gino to the bishop later, turns out this
was the first time he had been to church in seven years.

     So last night he came and taught Laura and Juan with us.. And
we're pretty sure he's either secretly an apostle or on of the three
Nephites. Basically felt like we had Elder Holland as a member
present. It was amazing, we taught lesson three, the gospel of Jesus
Christ. Juan had a hundred questions as usual. Gino was so excited to
be teaching again. You could tell he was an incredible missionary.
Even better was when Juan relayed the story of Joseph Smith. We were
there for two hours, answering their questions, we could have stayed
forever. Laura and Juan so sincerely want to know if all of it is
true. As we set our next charla (lesson) at the church for Tuesday,
Gino said 'I'll be there too.' Then we asked him if he would be there
next Sunday so he could sit with them at church, he said 'yup, now I'm
committed.' We ended the lesson and Laura and Juan shared their
traditional 'pan de los Reyes' (bread of the kings) with us. It's a
traditional Mexican bread they eat around New Years. Baked somewhere
on this huge five foot diameter cake is a tiny baby Jesus, and if you
find it in your piece you have to come back next year and bring
tamales for everyone, haha. It symbolizes the wise men looking for
Christ. It just so happened I found Jesus in my piece of bread! I
guess I'll be coming back to Hanover next New Years.. I owe Laura and
Juan tamales.
     As we got outside their apartment building Gino was in tears, he
shared how he knew how prepared Laura and Juan are, and that he will
wants to be a part of everything with them.
I am so happy we were led to Gino, incredible he hadn't been to church
in seven years and all this happened the first day he decides to come
back. God knew exactly what we needed, what Laura and Juan needed, and
what Gino needed.
He was the answer prayers and we were to his!

     So Hermana Smith and I have something up our sleeves. Might as
well come out with it. This week we have interviews with President
Johnson and we are planning on proposing we start a satellite branch
here in Hanover. We have two days to contact all the Spanish less
active members in the area, as well as our potential and former
Spanish investigators. We really believe we can do it, and it could
mean huge things for Hanover. If it happened, Gino would make an
incredible branch president. As today is one of our precious days to
contact people, we won't have time for pday today.

     Oh yeah- another thing I'm happy about. This ward... Struggles.
There are so many huge unrealized opportunities for service. So in
ward council I brought up the Reid's and Remington's and why they
weren't getting help. As a result they will both have men in the ward
twice a week in addition to our twice a week physical therapy visits
with them! This will mean so much for John and Tom. I have watched
them struggle and digress for months because they weren't getting the
help they needed. I am so so happy for them.

The church is true.
Hermana Sears

Ps. Included some pictures from our MLC trip also. (See those things
behind the picture of the barn? Yeah, they call those hills
"mountains" out here.)