"No puedo negarlo"

Something I've done throughout my mission is stop by English members that speak Spanish to see if they know anyone. So this week when we stopped by a English member, I didn't think much of it. I thought it would be pretty much like every other member we had stopped by and that hopefully she would have a referral for us.

The moment we walked through the door of her tiny apartment though, I knew this time would be different. The spirit hit us like a wall walking in. She radiated with light and before we could hardly blink, we were sitting at her table eating as she danced around her kitchen and told us her story and gave us more referrals than I've ever gotten before in my life.

Her husband had divorced her and taken away her 4 kids who were everything to her. She was living out of her car. Yet in the midst of this she never once questioned God. She told us that no matter what, she knew He loved her and that the Church was true.

She told us of how she prayed every night and not once doubted that He would provide a way. She prayed for a lawyer and judge that spoke her language and that wouldn't charge anything. It was an impossible wish that she asked for with faith and God provided. She ran into a friend and after recounting her story, her friend told her that her dad was a judge and knew a lawyer who had served a mission in her home country.

He took on her case for free and won her kids back.

Later, another friend called her and offered to buy her a house for her and her family. She gratefully accepted and they selected a beautiful house. As she picked her kids up from school that day she told them excitedly that they were going to their house. As they were on the way her friend called and said that the house was ready on one condition: They leave the church.

As she told us this part she started to cry and said "I told her 'no puedo negarlo'" - I cannot deny it. But she left the choice up to her kids. With tears in their eyes they told their mom that they would not leave the church. They too knew it was true and would not deny it.

That simple phrase "no puedo negarlo" changed me.

There comes a time in everyone's life when we have to choose. Sometimes the choice will appear hard but is it really?

In 2 Nephi 2:27 we are told "Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself"

Regardless of the earthly circumstances, as we choose Christ our eternal reward will be so much greater. Our heavenly mansions are being prepared as we give up our earthly ones. It is a choice but in the grand scheme of things it really shouldn't be that hard of one.

I love all of you and invite you to choose Christ.

To the Moon and Back

Hermana Mallory Showalter

Ps. ANA MARIA WENT THROUGH THE TEMPLE AND IT WAS AWESOME

Mesa Temple

Ps. We are going to be dancing in our wards talent show " el baile de la piña" and it's going about as well as that one photo