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!