June 20, 2011

This week we were just so blessed with teaching opportunities and with people accepting baptismal commitments. We weren't so blessed with people coming to church, but its ok because I was just checking myself on the things that I should be doing, and on doing everything I can do to get people to church I have completely failed. So it just let me know that God wants me to have success and miracles, but it is all dependent on my faith repentance and what I do. And what we did this week was focus on using the Book of Mormon and baptism. And God blessed us with people that were interested in the Book of Mormon and accepted baptismal dates; but in the process we forgot to focus on church; and well we didn't receive all the blessings for that. But now this week we will be focusing on all three, and I know we will see the blessings from all three. One of the people that accepted a baptismal date is named fransisco Villa, who is a son of a former investigator. And he is only 15, but we just had like 10 min. the first lesson, so we just taught him how to pray. And he is like well I don't really have anything I want from God, so I don't rally need to pray, right? And we were just like well Yes you do. Its a commandment to pray, and if you don't have anything that you need or want, then you should have a giant list of things to thank God for. And he was like oh well that makes a lot of sense. And so he said a prayer of thanks. And all he said was I thank you for my family in the name of Jesus Christ Amen. And it was just an awesome prayer. And after finished, he just said, wow, I feel really good right now. And it just so amazing to me the power of prayer, and how when we have the desire and the understanding of prayer, it doesn't matter what we say or ask, but we will feel the confirming presence of the Holy Ghost. Some of the most powerful moments on my mission have been in having investigators pray and feel the presence of God. Whether that is a prayer to come to know if the BOM is true, or something as simple as I thank you for my family. oh y tambien esta semana we taught a guy from India who is of the religion Siek. He had the whole prayer room and idols and everything. But we started with the plan of salvation, and how all of us started from the same religion, and how that religion had a prophet named Adam who was instructed by God. And how those prophets continued to go down, and people that didn't believe would break off and not listen to the prophets and even some times claim to be a prophet themselves. And that's why we have so many different religions today such as Siek and Buddhism and Judaism and Christianity and everything. And ya it was pretty cool, but his english wasn't all so good and so I don't think he understood, but I drew it out for him; and ya that probably actually made it worse. But what can you do? way nice guy though. But for me once again it was an experience that helped me understand prayer even more. Because obviously they aren't praying correctly and yet still feel way good when they do it Like it doesn't matter who you are; God will answer because you are his son or daughter. But prayers become just even more powerful as we come to know that God is not just a god of a certain attribute or thing; that God is not just a creator; but he is our Father, and he loves us. And that through His son Jesus Christ we can return to his presence, not just as an angel singing and playing a harp; but with the potential of becoming like Him and learning form a father that wants to teach us so much. I really do love this gospel, I love the power of prayer, I love seeing people change their live as they realize that they can not only talk to God, but that God can talk back. I know this is true, because I have heard the words of God through the whisperings of the Holy Ghost. I love yall so much! have a fabulous week!

June 13, 2011

This week was like service week for us; food bank, mowing yards, removing sod, setting up a graduation party and painting poles. Which is awesome cause I had been praying that we would have many opportunities to serve, and well God definitely blessed us with that. And you know I learned a lot from it this week. I was reading in preach my gospel, under ways to find people, and it said to just always pray for unplanned service in order to find people to teach. And so that's what I did and that is what God blessed us with; but what I learned was this; when we serve we need to serve with pure motives. And what I mean by that, is that because PMG had told me that this was a way to find new people to teach that is why I decided to do it. And after each act of service I would find myself tired and sad at the end of the day when I realized that we didn't really teach that many people. And it hit me at the end of the week when I asked myself, why did we do service this week? And my 100% motive was to find people to teach, (and granted it was to help people out as well, because I really do just love helping people out as well), but then I asked myself, and, what is my motive behind teaching people? And it just hit me; i had made that goal to see our numbers go up, and not with the intent to really serve people because I love them. And the way we can tell if we love them, is how much we desire them to listen to the message. But the concept I learned is that there really is no number attached to a pure motive. The goal and concept behind PMG is flawless, but my own flaws for thinking that finding people to teach is a number is completely flawed. Amazingly our numbers for finding were awesome this week, although none of them came from the service that we rendered. Truly this is God's work and he did want us to find more of his children this week. One of the guys we found this week is name Tomas. I think he has really been prepared. Lauro our team teacher just bore the powerfullest testimony ever about the book of mormon, and then my companion bore his, and then I invited him to be baptized and he accepted it. That was our first day ever seeing him; and so I definitely know that God is preparing his children here for me to find, and I know that as my motives stay true and pure that I will find these people and invite them to come unto Christ. I love yall so much and have a good week

June 6, 2011

Well this week was way good. But i guess some comments beforehand. congratulations Alisa! that is so awesome that I got a new niece. And also I felt impressed that I needed to pray that you had peace cause i had feeling that you were somewhat stressed. And well it sounds like you may have been a little stressed this week haha. And i just got the letter from Payden and Cha Chi today. And so I will probably send them both a letter next week. But Holy Cow this week was awesome. My new Companion is Elder Salomon from Mexico City. He is a stud. He is somewhat scared to talk in english with people, but he is a powerhouse in spanish. But ya i really want to help him with his english, but we just don't have any english investigators right now. And so that is something that I hope we can start doing this week. Cause we definitely need to teach more english people. But the familia Lopes got baptized and confirmed this week as well as Josiah which was way awesome. But now we're back to nobody on date, but I know if we work like it all depends on us and expect miracles like they all depend on God, that the windows of heaven will be opened and we will see and find people who are ready. But I don't have my planner on me so I am failing at remembering what happened this week. But ya this week was way good, and I love yall so much; have an awesome week.