The Church is True, The Book is Blue, and Yes … Christ Loves You

Hello everyone! I hope you Americans had fun on the 4^th of July! For some weird reason, no one here got the memo and wore Red, White, and Blue! Hmm … no fireworks either, haha! I love being here in España! Once again, another great week and so much fun! I feel like I say that every week, but it couldn´t be more true! I love my companion, Hermana Reid, and I couldn´t have asked for a better trainer. We have so much fun together! I love some of the little things I have discovered here in Valencia, like all the huge colorful graffiti on literally every wall, and almost every single person walking around with a little dog. There are SO many yorkies; it makes me miss my cute little pup Sadie! I love the culture and I always catch myself just staring at people or their clothes or their house! I love the thousands of apartments surrounding us, with all sorts of laundry hanging off the balcony intertwined with potted plants. I love watching people zip around on their little mopeds, and have finally lost my fear of getting hit by one of them! I love taking the metro and buses every day, because there are so many funny things that happen. One day I was paired up with another Spaniard sister, Hermana Foncubierta, and we had to catch a metro or we were going to be late. But we didn’t realize we had to go up an extra level, until we heard the metro coming, and she just yells to me "Seestar! We running now!!!" We just started booking it, sprinting up the escalator, and I was going up three steps at a time at one point! People were giving us the weirdest looks, and I was laughing SO hard and felt like I was going to collapse, haha, but we made it just in time! So funny!

This past week we were teaching one of our investigators, Veronica. She is a friend of someone (Maria) from our ward. Veronica was nice when we first met her, but she told Maria she didn’t want to meet with us. When we met with her for a 2^nd time, we talked to her about Jesus Christ, the Bible and the Book of Mormon. I told her that I had read these scriptures and testified that they were true, and that the Book of Mormon will bless her life, as it has blessed mine. The Spirit was so strong … she said she had chills and that it was something she wanted to read and learn more about. At the end of the lesson, we were all so touched, and I felt prompted to ask her if she knew that what we shared with her was true, and if she would want to be baptized. It was my first time challenging someone to recognize the truth and act on it, and I was a little nervous, but I could not deny what I felt. She immediately said “yes”, and Maria ran over and gave her the biggest hug. It was the best feeling in the world! We have continued to teach her and she keeps telling us that she just knows this is true. To make a long story short, she is getting baptized on July 19^th!!! Please keep her in your prayers.

We are teaching so many people and I just love them all! Whether it is a Pakistani Muslim man (Farooq), who is SEARCHING for the truth and hasn’t been able to find it for himself, or a family of 5 struggling to pay rent and put food on the table … they KNOW they need something more in their lives! I know that through prayer we can all discover for ourselves what is true in life. We can all read the Book of Mormon and see if it is something we want in our life. I encourage all of you to AT LEAST give it a chance. If you start to read it, and don´t like it, that’s fine. But if you begin to read it and feel something, and know that this is something you want in your life, hold onto that feeling because the Holy Ghost testifies of truth and inspires us to act. I can promise that this book will change your life if you let it. It has been something that I have cherished my whole life, but a thousand times more now that I have the opportunity to share it with others. I know I would not be here in Spain if it wasn’t for that book and for this restored gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that 15 million other people in this world can testify with me. Give it a chance. You WILL NOT regret it, as I know that the power of prayer is real and that you can receive answers from your Heavenly Father! Have a great week everyone … please keep these our investigators (Veronica & Maria, Farooq, Madelina, Abi, Ana, Nicole, Bryan & Ari) in your prayers this week.

Te amo

Hermana Lydia Vance