Sunday Will Come

Hola,

Well, I feel like I havent really mentioned hard times on the mission apart from the heat. But honestly, this week was REALLY hard for me.

For about the past three months we have been visiting Cynthia and Abraham. They are a young married couple, and have a little girl that is one and a half. Their baptism dates are for the 22nd of November. 

Cynthia and Abraham have been living with Cynthias family so that Cynthia could watch over her Mom because she was recently diagnosed with Cancer (the week before I got here).

Cynthias Mom Lili is a member, so we were also visiting her. When she was down spirited a little, me and my companion wrote and collected cards for her from members of the ward. We sat on her bed with her as she read them, as she tearfully read each one of them and thanked us.

She entered the hospital this past Wednesday, and we heard that she wasnt going to make it. So we went to the hospital to visit her. We were outside the hospital talking to her daughters, and we then entered the hospital and got to the stairs to go up to her room. The Bishops wife came down, and told Cynthia to go up. She then told us that Lili had just passed away. We literally missed her by minutes. We were there when the bishops wife delivered the news to Cynthias sister. I will never forget her sobs from this moment.

A lot of Lilis family was in town to visit her, so the funeral was soon after. Thursday we went to the Funeral House (I dont know what you call it in English). We were the first to arrive with the Relief Society President. And found Cynthia and her sister Lili sobbing over the coffin. Hugging someone as they sob at the side of their Mothers coffin is so heart breaking.

Friday we went to the Funeral in the Chappel, which was well given by members on The Plan of Salvation and the joy and knowledge that we have that we will see her again. And we also went to the Cemetary after. But I did love the dedicatory prayer at the grave site. That her body would rest there until the Resurrection. 

I recently read about death, and that when we experience sorrow from death of loved ones, it is because love exists. If we didnt love them, it wouldnt be so hard. But I cant imagine, and I dont want to know, how it is for people that dont know of the plan of love that God has for us.

I know that Lili is at peace, that she has joy, and no longer is in pain. And even more, I know that she will rise again.

There is a talk by Joseph B. Wirthlin titled, "Sunday will Come", I enjoy the part where it says:

"On that Friday the Apostles were devastated. Jesus, their Savior—the man who had walked on water and raised the dead—was Himself at the mercy of wicked men. They watched helplessly as He was overcome by His enemies.

On that Friday the Savior of mankind was humiliated and bruised, abused and reviled.

It was a Friday filled with devastating, consuming sorrow that gnawed at the souls of those who loved and honored the Son of God.

I think that of all the days since the beginning of this world’s history, that Friday was the darkest.

But the doom of that day did not endure.

The despair did not linger because on Sunday, the resurrected Lord burst the bonds of death. He ascended from the grave and appeared gloriously triumphant as the Savior of all mankind.

And in an instant the eyes that had been filled with ever-flowing tears dried. The lips that had whispered prayers of distress and grief now filled the air with wondrous praise, for Jesus the Christ, the Son of the living God, stood before them as the firstfruits of the Resurrection, the proof that death is merely the beginning of a new and wondrous existence.

Each of us will have our own Fridays—those days when the universe itself seems shattered and the shards of our world lie littered about us in pieces. We all will experience those broken times when it seems we can never be put together again. We will all have our Fridays.

But I testify to you in the name of the One who conquered death—Sunday will come. In the darkness of our sorrow, Sunday will come.

No matter our desperation, no matter our grief, Sunday will come. In this life or the next, Sunday will come."

When my friend Laney passed away, and it was super hard. She was in one of my dreams, and she told me "The best part about life, is after you die." And I think that is true. We are the ones still here to prove ourselves and learn. We still have more to learn, and more to become.

But with all the assurance of my heart, I can tell you that Christ lives. That he loves us. And we will rise again. We will see our loved ones again. Pain is only for a moment.

Here is a picture of Ramon, Jose Ramon, Lili, my companion, Abraham, Cynthia with her daughter Valentina, and Me.

I will remember the kindness of Lili Camargo, of her firm hugs, and sweet laughter. The day will come that I will see her again.

I hope you all have an amazing week!  :)

Love Always,

                    Hermana Smith

P.S. I am on late, because my companion is sick. We thought it might be Dengue, so she has to rest a lot.