Thumping in My Heart

To My Best Team:

Lia wanted to include this picture sent from her cousin Morgan, also serving in Mexico.
It says "Your Family is your Best Team"

I want to write about Maria Preciosa, investigator from the stars. I have never, ever had an investigator like her. She's 15. She got married at 11, had a baby at 13. She LOVES the Bible and has listened to tons of different religions, but she said “they always come over and I have this feeling where they make me want to learn more, but at the same time I really don’t want to learn more.” She said, after the first visit with us, “This fills me, this is what I have been looking for. She’s eating up the Book of Mormon and sits for hours using La Guia de Las Escrituras (Topical Guide to Scriptures)  She’s 15, guys! She prayed to receive her answer if the Book of Mormon was the word of God and if Joseph Smith was a prophet and she said: “I’ve never felt a feeling like that before. It was like this thumping in my heart that lasted even after I got off my knees. All day I could feel it.”

I have never had an investigator so in tune with spiritual promptings-- that she could tell just by listening to other ideas that they were not correct, or that Heavenly Father was able to confirm so strongly about the truth. And yesterday she asked us: “What do you guys say about movies and music?” We explained that she should be able to feel the Spirit while she’s listening to them. And she says, “Yeah, that’s what I thought. Yesterday I felt this little twinge while I was watching TV and I had to go change my movie to watch cartoons instead.” That was after the 2nd lesson.

And after the first lesson, she came to us and said “Somebody came to me and told me Joseph Smith was an assassin.” And we thought, “Oh, no... Satan has already been at work” (because that happens frequently and people hear weird things about Joseph Smith and don’t listen to us when we try to explain), but then she says “But its okay, because that’s what repentance is for right? I imagine he was an assassin and then repented and changed his heart so God could use Him as an instrument.” (For those of you who aren’t members of the church, Joseph Smith was not an assassin, though he died a martyr.)

I can’t write extra today because we are going to work for a few hours on preparation day to be able to go to the temple this week. But, I will have more time next week.  Yes!  EEEEEE… THE TEMPLE!

Mucho amor,

Hna Ludlam