Week 94

Yesterday we saw the special Christmas devotional with the first presidency. That was super special! I loved it. I came up with some ideas to wrap little presents for our investigator and give them a Book of Mormon wrapped up, and I will give sweets to the members. I love the giving season!!!!! I have learned the beauty of giving!! I hope that the final Christmas in the mission is a giving Christmas and one filled with the light of Christ. It is my goal to do as he would and be as he would also. I am so grateful for the time we will have to speak while I am here in Teleman.

We will be baptizing Christian the young 12 year old, of an inactive family who are slowing progressing again. Christian’s baptism is on the 24th!!!! We also taught Am and his girlfriend M (member) and we talked about baptism and challenged him. He said ''I want to be baptized!''  I asked after congratulating him, ''Why have you decided now to be baptized?'' and he then bore his testimony and said, ''Because I want a better life, and I want to have a blessed family and I want to be even more happy.'’ I just lit up and about screamed ALELUYA!!!! (All missionaries love those words from their investigators!!!) Rather I sat back and smiled and the room burst with the spirit. We talked about when the service of his baptism could be held. We talk first about his wedding, which we have planned for the 22nd. We hope that everything will go just great!!!

We have just reactivated an inactive family and talked about baptizing their 12 year old daughter, and received permission to teach and see if she wants to be baptized! They came to church yesterday, and Christian and his inactive older sister, and Am and M!!! We are working with a very old elderly couple still Tu and ‘Tom’ they still have their doubts. They just love the Book of Mormon!!!!!! We will challenge them again to be baptized.

Sadly we couldn't visit ‘Sif’ yesterday.  We had to travel to Cobàn and right now we are in the capital. I have a dentist appointment in an hour so I will tell you how my teeth are haha.

Things are going great with my companion he llllloooovvvvvved the birthday presents that you sent us. We had our cake, and we partied together!! Let me tell you I am just super happy to work hard every day. I just love talking to people and hearing their story. EVERYONE HAS A STORY!! I LOVE IT, just open the mouth and use the talent God gives us, and well we can find out instantly what they need, in their life. Just barely from the bus we got in a taxi and talked with the driver and found out he has driven for missionaries many times and has dropped them off at the temple many times. So I asked him what did he think of the temple and I then asked him if he knew what the temple was for. We then talked about his family how he has a family of five and some relatives are even members of our church. It is so simple yet, we planted a seed by explaining that families can be together forever. We extended him the invitation to listen to the missionaries in the area and told him his family can be together forever.  He was thrilled, and joyfully accepted. Can the mission get boring???? (Answer: NOOO!!!) haha. Well on p'days they can be, because sometimes all we do is travel and sit and do nothing haha. I LOVE IT THOUGH!!!  I just started studying of Christ’s birth and his visit to the Americas and realizing the entire congregation he let every single one of them touch his marks and piercings!! SOOO many people, talk about patience!!! What are the Christmas plans for the family???

Those crazy winds!!!!! If I was there I would love to help do service and pick up the limbs and branches I feel bad!! Was there any bad damage?? My goal for this week is to include baptism in every single lesson. It will just be perfect. We'll show them clearly the needs of repentance to have a better life here and to receive an eternal life after this one. We get a lot of couples or individuals that say, “Well we have already been baptized, so we don't need yours." Then the key question that they never answer with a yes is this, "…and after your ordinance, did you receive the Holy Ghost by laying on of hands?” Silence comes to the room always. ACTS 19 will always have a great explanations and as well as in Joseph Smith translations when Christ rejected the pharasies baptism. It opens up minds and the spirit to touch their heart.  Then sometimes there are those who harden their hearts before the truth. Those we always feel badly and we leave those appointments feeling sad. However at ease knowing we did our best. We don't always use the same technique we always mix it up and try the many scriptures, the ones who receive ordinances such as baptisms as children, well.... we explain what is the purpose of a baptism, ACTS 2, where Peter explains it. Then we ask what is a sin?  Then we look at their kid and say, does he have sins?? I know it may sound blunt and rude when I type it, but the spirit guides the lesson and teaches them, we don't really do much. Just asking questions that come from the spirit and show the doctrine, however the spirit, is the teacher. I love that truth.

I love this church and I know without a doubt it is my Savior's church. I can testify that he restored it to complete and bring to pass the purpose of our Heavenly Father which is found in Moses, to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. I know that, I know God's plan is real, it makes perfect sense. Having Christ as the center piece of it all just makes my heart rejoice in a solemn hope that one day I will be held in his arms. I know that the Atonement is the most beautiful art of all, how it motivates and illuminates and strengthens the weak, who we all are. I can testify with the assurity that He exist. I don't have a complete understanding of his messages, nor have I read them all, I know by what I have read that we have, that he is real, he is the light and the life and the hope of our world. I can testify of this, I have seen the works of his majestic hands in my life, and in the lives of my friends and families and of the people I have met here. The sacred books of canon are true, I know it. I have never cast my eyes on such well scripted, well detailed instructions to make one’s life become better,eternal and immortal. I strive ever more to come close to my Savior, I need to search and cast in the nets here in my mission with the right kind of bait and I will see my reward if I am faithful to the end. I know from my heart and with the knowledge I have attained that this is the one and true hope of our lives. I share this in the sacred name of Him, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, our Master. Amen.