8/4/14

Hi everyone!!!

I really am alive! So sorry I didn't e-mail last week. Life over here for Sister Cuevas has been quite crazy.
Update on my injury... this past week i was on bedrest bc of my back injury and I couldn't walk or sit, move or do much of anything. I was on oxycodon for a little while but they've now put me on some other narcodic. I've been back on the square since Saturday (thank goodness!!! I was going crazy in my apartment..) I got an MRI and they found out that one of the disks in my lower back has a bulge. Which means it was probably pushing on one of my nerves and causing all the pain i was going through. If it gets bad again this transfer I may need to take a medical leave for a week or so.. but it shouldn't turn into a medical release, which is soo good! And such a relief bc I've been praying so hard. I talked to President and we decided it would be best to release me from any leadership position for next transfer because I just need to take it easy and regain my strength to serve in my full capacity. President doesnt want me hung up on making sure i do exchanges and worrying about other sisters. Which, i am thankful for - I just more than anything want to finish! I totally believe I can make it! I know i don't have much longer!! 

This whole things has been a VERY humbling experience for me. :( It was so rough to let everything go. But good news ---- president told me he will keep me with Sister Diaz!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Which is a hugeee relief and I'm super grateful for that more than anything. she is the greatest and we are so excited to keep our investigators together!! Transfers are this wednesday. Which by the way - my new e-mail days will be Wednesday for the next 6 weeks! So, you'll hear a little bit from me again this Wednesday :D I get to have 2 p-days this week! yay!!! But sad things i that I won't be in the Humanitarian Center anymore.. But it was so good while it lasted!
 

I would like to share an experience about the Atonement (Christs' suffering, death, & resurrection) that I had on Saturday. I've realized so much at how this experience has honestly brought me so much closer to my Savior. I finally attempted to get back on the square and I was just kind of taking it easy because my back was feeling pretty achy. It hurts super bad to bend forward so I don't ever do that and always have to bend my knees to get anything off the floor.. but so, we were taking an investigator of ours who came to the square to the Christus, and as we were waiting on the side while the narration was playing there was this little girl who was trying to get onto a stroller from the opposite side. she was like 7 years old i would say.. and then in the middle of the narration, the stroller falls backwards onto her and she hit her head SUPER hard on the floor and was stuck under there. Well, oh my goodness! my natural human being instincts kicked in and i ran to go get the stroller off of her and help her back to her feet, so as I go to pick the stroller up, was I thinking to bend my knees? No way! I just bent over and grabbed it. & well, did my back like that very much? Not at all.. but honestly I didn't even care at that moment because i was so worried. So her parents came rushing after and picked her up and what not.. and I attempted to finish the lesson. She ended up being alright but I had to go take a break for a couple hours after that because of how bad it hurt.. but my point is, I was thinking so much about how this relates to our Savior, Jesus Christ & what he has done for us. Jesus Christ suffered for each and every single one of our feelings. Including our physical ailments. I think about how Christ didn't want to see us suffer, and he couldn't stand seeing us suffer.. So that's why - even though it hurt Him SO BAD to help us, He was willing to do anything and everything to relieve us from pain. This experience with my back helped me realized how this experience is allowing me to become more like my Savior, to understand him more deeply than I ever could otherwise. Because we are imperfect, we will make mistakes and make decisions that will cause us excruciating pain... both mentally and physically, but our Saviors love is so pure and perfect, that He came to the world so we could come to Him when we had pains. He suffered to give us the comfort in knowing we won't have to go through what we are going through alone. Every ache, every pain, every bruise, every broken heart, every tear. He has felt it all, and he didn't care about how much pain it was going to cause for him, he did it because he LOVES us. Nothing could ever compare to the love Jesus has for us. Nothing. & I'm so blessed to be able to experience this. Even though it hurts, and even though I just want to give up, I know I am able to rely on Him and that He is able to help me because he's already felt it. I've spent a lot of time reading the bible this past week and I found the most comforting scripture. I want to invite you all to really think about it.

 24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
 25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.
 26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities (physical or mental weakness): for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
 27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

I also wanted to talk about Genevive - who is one of our new investigators! She lives in the US and we met her a while ago on the square because she was here for a convention for her work. She looked SUPER young, like mid 20s for sure! But we later found out she had 2 children and was 30 something. Sister Diaz and I were amazed.. haha, but after we found that out, we immediately changed the tour to fit her needs, and we took her to the Christus and also to the presentation we have on the family. So, it was a really neat experience and she was REALLY nice. About 3 weeks passed by and yesterday I just got around to calling her yesterday (awful, I know :( ) but it was SO perfect because she said she had seen our picture we took together went across her computer screen 2 days before and she thought to herself "i wonder how those girls are doing. I haven't heard from them in a while" and then TAA- DAA! I called!!! Hahah.

She is really really nice and was telling me how her husband is a pastor in a different christian denomination but that what we shared with her about how families can be together forever, really intrigued her and made her willing to want to learn more. ♥ What I find to be the best part (and TOTALLY the Holy Spirit) is that she said when she got on the plane she was thinking about the scripture we shared with her in the Bible about eternal families so she opened her bible and was reading about it and thought to herself "after all these years of bible study, how did I ever look over this?" and so I'm sitting there thinking "what scripture is she even talking about?? I don't EVER remember sharing a scripture with her" but she said it was a very important experience for her and she knew that this was something she needed to learn more about. Being totally honest here people - I still to this moment have NO idea what she is talking about... but I was AMAZED. & honestly, I firmly believe the Holy Spirit led to her that chapter in the bible she was thinking about and testified a truth to her, because it sure wasn't me. But the entire conversation was filled with the spirit. I was teaching about the Book of Mormon and how much I love the scriptures and what they have done for me and I LITERALLY started to get watery eyes ( which doesn't happen ) I have SUCH a strong testimony of the Book of Mormon that only seems to get stronger as the days go by. The more I read the word of God, apply it to my life, and see the difference it makes - the more I fall in love. I love how close the Bible and the Book of Mormon bring me to my Savior. It think it is so incredible to have another witness of Christ and his life. To learn MORE about what Jesus did while he was here. I just LOVE it.

So, I hope you are all doing well and continue to put Jesus at the center of your lives. I have countless experiences where I feel his love even throughout the pain I feel. 

I have been feeling the strength from all of you who are including me in your prayers. ♥♥♥ I am beyond thankful and full of love for you in every way. I love you love you love you all! 

Thank you SO much!!!


Love,
Sister Corina Selene Cuevas