Jesus Christ Lives!!

Hi Family!!

Happy Late Halloween!! I hope it was great and you all had a great week and ate lots of candy!! We couldn´t find a pumpkin so we carved a papaya...Happy Halloween!! Halloween is definately different here, but it was still a pretty cool experience!

So to give you some background. They don´t really celebrate Halloween here in Mexico. They celebrate...well I should say the Catholics celebrate Dia de los Muertos (day of the dead) On Nov 1 is when they commemorate the kids and on Nov 2 is when they commemorate (spelling?) all of the adults who have passed away. To be honest it is kind of a weird tradition. They believe that their spirits come back for just that night. So they set up their alters and put out their favorite foods, which is normally beer and tamales...classic, believing that their spirits will come and enjoy the smell of the food. They say all their prayers and what not to help them find peace and that they can be forgiven. Its kind of weird, but we its a great day to go to the huge cemeteries and contact people. We are so blessed to have the knowledge we have.

I came into contact with so many people who had no idea where their loved ones are. They believed they are lost spirits wandering. But how glad I was to be able to tell them exactly where their family members are and that they are far from lost. How glad I am to have had this knowledge my whole life. It hit me hardest when Grandad died. I remember the first time I saw him in the ICU I couldn´t stop crying. But with time, my soul was filled with peace and when he passed away I knew that he was in a special place surrounded by dear family and friends who love him. I don´t know how people live without this gospel. I really don´t. It was such a blessing to be able to bear my testimony to the heart broken, that their Father in Heaven loves them so much, that he has a perfect plan for us. They need not mourn the loss of their loved ones, for they will live. We all will live. Because Jesus Christ lives. I don´t think my testimony has ever been stronger about the Plan of Salvation. How grateful I am for this perfect plan.

I encourage all of you to study out this plan in minds and then ask God if it really is his plan for you. This knowledge can help you through many trials in this life. Today as we went to lunch, they told us a lady in our ward died suddenly this morning. She fell in the bathroom and when her mom went to check on her, she found her daughter had died. The part that broke my heart the most is that she is a single mom and her only son just left on his mission a month ago. My heart broke when she told me that sister had died. Her poor son. But her family has hardly shed a tear. When we asked them how they could be so strong, she just looked at us with a smile and said because the knows that Jesus Christ lives. That hit me hard. How glad I am to know that my Redeemer lives. He has broken the bands of death and through him we will live again. I know that Jesus Christ lives. How thankful I am for that.

I love you all so much and hope you all have a great week!! I pray for you all each and everyday. Stay strong and keep the faith.

Hermana Pasley