Week 56

We have a baptism this Saturday!!! YAY!!! We will be seeing great success for this next change!!! There are so many people who are progressing!!!! It is amazing!! We find, teach, and they start loving it!!! Well, the only problem is that the people need, I mean NEED to do their commitments! The door is open!!! JUST WALK IN!!!!!

We have located many families who all can progress.  Please keep them in your prayers. We have Alfredo and Amanda who are really great people. Alfredo really wants to know more and we taught him about the Book of Mormon and of course invited him to read ponder and pray. We haven’t passed by him since Sunday, but we will see this week! Amanda we taught with him once and she was interested the first lesson we taught about the Plan of Salvation!

Some sad news though, we invited all our investigators to go to church and 'they were all saying, “Yes, we will go!” However, they didn't show up, not one of them. My companion had his first discouraging day. He was just sad one day before leaving for work and I could tell something was wrong so, I asked him. He said, ''I feel inadequate at times. Like, what am I doing to help the investigators and why aren't they progressing? We are obedient and diligent but why......??'' I told him, ''I know exactly how you feel, I know how sad it is not to see baptisms. I know how sad it is to work as hard as you can, but yet it could appear to do nothing.'' I then painted a picture in his mind. ''Think about this, is the area better now than it was before we entered? Are each of our investigators better than they were before we met them? How about the ward??'' He agreed and yet still felt sad as if he personally wasn't doing anything. I told him, ''I KNOW EXACTLY HOW YOU FEEL.” I entered into my mission with a Spanish companion I couldn't speak that language.  I was thrown straight into a jungle, with no idea what Q'eqchi' was, the culture was completely different and without daily needs of water and food, I FELT HELPLESS AND USELESS.'' I told him that we needed to pray, and see what God thinks of his efforts, so we began to pray together and it was just a great spiritual feeling of the assurance I had. I knew that we aren’t seeing the success, because God has a plan!! He has a spiritual plan for us. I know we are teaching right, and have great companion unity, I know we are always striving to be better, and we are being better. I knew without a doubt that it is a lesson to be learned. We ended the prayer in tears and hugged. I know we have bettered the area and the people; we have bettered the ward and have planted great SEEDS that will not perish!! I know I am doing what is right, even though the results may not seem so. I know that this is a great lesson to cherish. I used to think that completing God's will was seeing the easy way of investigators completing tasks and entering into the waters of baptism.  I found out no, God's will is giving your all, devoting and being effective, and also being intelligent when working. I know that we do our part when helping people, we just can’t adjust the manner, they have to exercise their agency.  I haven't felt discouraged at all this transfer, but I knew that we had to learn something. I entered this transfer wanting baptisms and I know that is why I am here.

A less active lady told us, ''I will not let you down. You elders have really touched my heart. The seed you have planted in my heart, you will be in awe when you elders see me walking to church. I wont lie to you elders, I keep my promises I will go.'' This sweet lady, being a less active for nearly 20 years has made an amazing transformation. Also, it was wonderful seeing a 50 year old recently divorced man re-enter the church after having a simple inspired thought to make a trip to his door. We taught him a simple lesson of God's love and the divinity of his grace.  We also taught him of the reassuring feeling of the restoration. We have the great privilege to see him grow again in the church, after not going to church for over 20 years too. He is looking forward to receiving the Melchizedek priesthood.

I am finishing the Book of Mormon again right now am ready to begin reading Ether. I love sharing the great testimony I have of this book. There really is no other book like it. As it is the greatest tool and true key to conversion. This BOOK needs to be shared! It is our responsibility as members to share this message and to invite others to see this  joy and light we have.