Week 72 Buena Vista

Hey everyone!!!! This week was great for Christmas. We were able to teach Brandon the 10 commandments and the Sabbath day. We got someone to take him to church far in advance, but he said he'd be fine, that he didn't need any ride. We came by the morning of Sacrament meeting, and he wasn't home, and didn't answer the phone. But we came by that night, and the whole family wanted us to stay. They set up a time to feed us dinner. I think the hermano didn't want us to come, because he left like two seconds after entering, but the family liked us. On Christmas eve we made a few brownies and gave them to our investigators. There was one person who we saw on the street, and gave a pamphlet to them, and the next day we came by. We had to walk, and it rained, and she said "you're here in the rain?" and we explained that that was how big the message we had was. We taught the restoration, and when we got to the scene in the sacred grove, her eyes got really big and she was amazed. Even after that, she said "I'm fine". We asked if she wanted to learn more about Jesus and grow faith in Him, she said she was fine where she was at. We left into the rain and later, the English elders came by to the same house. The woman's brother answered and in broken english said he wanted us to come by. We came by and the sister answered, and said that was indeed her brother and we could come by. Christmas eve we found awesome people.

   Christmas is great, and in my studies, I learned the following throughout the week.

    It was all about the Spirit, learned from 3rd Nephi. Like the people often speak with one voice, glorifying God, and they become one, as Christ is one in the Father and the Father in Him. And that happened after they received the Spirit. We "walk with God." so that's why the promise of the sacrament prayers is "that they may have His spirit to be with them. Even when they prayed, it said that they were filled with desire and that the Spirit told them all things they should say, so their mind became God's mind. When we act on the Spirit, our mind become His, we become one with Him an His purpose of Glory.

I hope that made sense. 

I love you all!!!!!!!!

Week 71 Buena Vista

Hey everybody!!!

   This week was a pretty awesome week! We went by a recent convert and asked her if any of her family wanted to join in. I hadn't really known the family, so I wasn't sure if there was more of the family that weren't members. One man came down and we taught the restoration, set him on date. He seems very awesome, very promising. We tried to teach Brandon the word of wisdom, but his less-active father came in and would interrupt us and tell us how Joseph Smith wasn't receiving revelation from God and such things, but we basically ignored him and kept teaching Brandon, because it looked like he wasn't having it either. He said he'd commit to live the word of wisdom. We went by the Guerra family, whose date dropped, but when we came by again, Hilda and Antony said that they have been reading the Book of Mormon as a family, and are in 1 Nephi 11. It is pretty awesome. We also had a handoff lesson with the hermanas that was very good. I learned a few things about teaching. 

   In the hand-off lesson the wife, Rocio, said she had read all of 2 Ne. 2 and explained it to us. They are an amazing family!!!!!!!!! 

   I also held a baptismal interview that was very good. 

   The Lord is blessing and preparing us in so many ways.

   We also got transfer calls, and I am staying! But Elder Rasmussen is leaving. I'm going to miss him, we was one of my very favorite companions.

   One night we asked the Wilson Elders for a ride from an appointment, and while in the car, Elder Webb explained to us how inadequate he felt as a missionary. He just talked about his weaknesses, how he can't talk well to strangers, forcing his companion to take over so often, and how little worth he believed he had. We all chipped in how he had so many glorious talents only he could handle in this life, and I explained to him that if the Lord wanted him to be a perfect leader and a great conversationalist, He would have done it. I could have been disabled and held back in so many ways, but the Lord saw in His infinite wisdom a few skills I needed, a few things He wanted me to accomplish. If He wanted me to be glorious and great in words, I would be, but He has a plan for each of us. He has something else held in reserve for me, and the plan for Elder Webb is also glorious. 

Note- you may choose to include that paragraph in the open email for everyone or not.

   We also went to the Temple, and I learned so many amazing things that just blew my mind. The temple is a great gift. I learned the importance of order, and how covenants allow you to become Holy and set apart for a sacred and eternal purpose. That they are the gateway to accessing the power of the Atonement. 

   I love you all, and I want you all to also have a fantastic Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Love 

Elder Sant

Week 70 - Buena Vista

 

Hey everyone!!!

   This week was a crazy week, but a very good one. We went to Brandon, and we taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It was very powerful. We set him on Date for 30 Diciembre! The other elders in our district were having a baptism, and so we invited Brandon to see it. He got teary eyed during it, and it was actually a very powerful baptism. I gathered a lot of thoughts from it, such as how Elder Pena walked down with him into the font, and of course the submersion and rising as the death and resurrection, but that Elder Pena submerged him in the water, and then getting back out of the water together. Brandon was teary-eyed and said things like "when I get baptized will this...". It was pretty good. He was not at church the next day though. We came to his house in the morning and his mom answered, was on her way to work, and we offered to give him a ride, She said she could drop him off on the way to church, but she did not. We had interviews with President Layton, and they were pretty good. We did role-plays with Sister Layton as well. The Light the World initiative is a great way to get people to learn about Jesus Christ. It is really cool. 

   There was a cool experience I had with the Sacrament. I was reading my Spanish scriptures during the ordinance, reading about Sanctification. The word means to make holy. Holy means to set apart for a sacred purpose or office. Moses 6:60 says that the Blood of Christ sanctifies us, and Hebrews 9:22 says that without blood there is no remission. Why? In the Bible dictionary it says that Blood is the seat of life or vital energy of all flesh. The atoning power of the sacrifice was in the blood, which was sprinkled over their sacrifices. Jesus Christ gave His entire life when He bled from every pore. His life and energy was perfect and clean. We take that life upon ourselves. We eat of His flesh and drink of His blood in the sacrament and put that life inside us. We can be cleansed, His strengths become ours, and we become one with Him. We become perfected in Him as we follow the Spirit, and we become Holy and sanctified. It was just an uplifting thought I had. 

   It was a great week, a little upsetting because la familia Guerra dropped their dates and said they would always be in their own religion. We had an amazing lesson full of the Spirit and with a member family with us, and they still didn't want it. On the bright side, we had exchanges on Friday and found a part-member family. We were walking after an appointment fell through, and we talked to a few people, and just kept walking until we came by one house. I heard "Knock the door", and just as I thought that, Elder Pena suggested it, so I was like "Yes, let's do it!" We went by and a woman answered and said that her husband wasn't home, and that we should go back when he's there, and then gave us his number. As we left the husband drove up and let us in. We found out that he and his family are all extremely less-active, remember almost nothing, and that his wife is not a member! They were really cool, but said they wouldn't be able to come this week, but next week. The Lord really has prepared me for this work in unexpected ways. Thanks for all the prayers you give for us and the support. I love you all!!!

Week 69 - Buena Vista

 

Hey everyone, this week we went by Brandon, and we had the plan of setting him on date, but the Spirit dictated otherwise. We planned on showing him the Temples and Families pamphlet, but we instead read Alma 50. In the chapter we read where it says that the promise is that when we follow God, we are prospered in the land, but when we disobey Him, we are cut off from His presence. He told us that he saw that there were so many churches and he wasn't sure how to find what was true. We explained the Joseph Smith's experience with that when he was his age, and we said that to find the truth he would have to act by reading, praying, coming to church, and then ask God continually if the conclusion he's reached is true. He came to church, was an hour late, but he came still.    Probably one of the most stressful parts of missionary work is getting everyone rides. We have to get investigators and less-actives and members all rides to church and find the way to do that.

   We went by the Guerra family and taught the 10 commandments. We brought an hermano from church. He was our first thought, and before we asked him to come out with us, we considered the fact that he doesn't have almost any money, and the last time we went with him he had to get gas and just put like 5 dollars worth of gas in it, all that he had. We thought, "It's probably best not to." but then we thought of all the possible blessings he'd receive from coming out with us, so we asked him, and he came on his low gas in the truck, and we had a great lesson. Hilda Guerra, who almost never talks or participates, was excited as ever because they were both Peruvian, and lived in the same area of the city! They became good friends right off. 

  My companion is a lot happier now. He just changed. We have learned a lot, especially in language study. 

  I learned in my studies that from Alma 58 the Lord keeps us continually in His presence when we are keeping His commandments. It says that if we don't keep the commandments we will be cut off from His presence, but that when we do He keeps us in it. We are as close to God that we can be in daily life when we keep His commandments, we are in essence in His presence. 

   In district meeting we practiced using the Families and Temples pamphlet to teach the plan of Salvation. It really teaches it in a way that only shows the clear, pure doctrines and blessings of the Plan. 

   I love you all, and thanks for everything you do!!!!