Week 33 - Delano

This week was pretty good. I am not snoring anymore, maybe once a week. My shoes are holding out pretty well. One pair is falling apart, but it's still in use. I am still tired, and worn out often, but such is the work, I suppose. Our companionship is going awesome.

On Monday we had a zone activity with Nerf wars, and it was fun. We had dinner with a less active named Jorge, and he loves missionaries. He made really good molae. It was awesome. On Tuesday we went up to earlimart, and taught a few investigators there. There's one who is named Jose, and he sounds really promising. Very humble man. On Wednesday we had exchanges with Elder Ruis and Elder Tolman. I was with Elder Ruis, and he is an awesome elder. He also played rugby in high school. We went by a potential named Cynthia and Jose, and that was fun. Later in the week, we teach the first lesson, but this time was a bad time for them. Elder Keeney has taught me personally how to teach simply. It really makes simple doctrines the most powerful and clear and useful. Clear and precious things. On Thursday we did a lot of finding, but no one wanted to hear our message. We were pretty down, so for dinner we went by panda express, and we got fortune cookies. Elder Keeney opened his and shouted "I'm trying! No one wants to!" 

It said "Share good fortune with others". Hahaha. I opened mine, and I got the same fortune! Our Heavenly Father has a sense of humor at times. We went to Esther Cardenas, and we taught her the word of wisdom, and promised blessings. She is in Mosiah 18.

We had another lesson on Saturday about the importance of prophets. It was a powerful lesson, and she was in tears. It was awesome. By the way, something cool is that Ephesians 4 talks about how when Christ came, He had one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism. One understanding of the Lord, who He is, and what He does for us: One faith, in unity and brotherhood, one church: One manner or way to baptize. 

How does God accomplish it? In verses 11-14 of that same chapter, it explains it: Prophets! It then says what happens without them, we become "children tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine......" 

Also, we are like a power pole:

​Translation: God-Dios, Profetas- prophets, Nosotros- us, sacerdocio- priesthood, fe verdadera- true faith, propio entendimiento- own understanding, fe unida- united faith, sin profetas- without prophets, con profetas- with prophets.

On Friday we had service picking oranges from a tree, and we got to keep a few bags! We had dinner with Lupe Romero, and she made awesome tacos for us! Super good! On Saturday we went by Esther, where we taught the lesson on prophets! On Sunday we went by Margarito, and he is feeling the Spirit in the Lessons. He is super old though. We tried setting him on date for baptism, and he wouldn't accept one. Also, Esther went to church and loved it. Today, at 9, we had a lesson with a man named Gabriel, and he is SO SO ready. We come in, and a few days ago we gave him a pamphlet, and he said he read it and had some questions. The first thing he said, was when he opened up to where Joseph Smith receives the authority from God, and asks about it. He then says, "How can I get baptized? And after getting baptized, how can I stay in the faith, or endure to the end? He then asked, "How can I know if I am truly forgiven of my sins? How can I trust Jesus Christ more?......"? Super awesome. We set him on date. There are miracles in this work. 

I can testify of clear simple doctrines. There is a loving Heavenly Father. He knows us, and He provides His gospel for us as a path to make us happy, when applied personally. They are 5 simple steps! 

Faith in Jesus Christ: Trust He can do what He says He  can.

Repentance: Bring a change of heart and desire to something good and better through Christ.

Baptism/ the Sacrament: Create this Covenant with God that every week, you'll try to be better than the week before. It's a promise of progression, and Renew it every week. 

Receive the Holy Ghost; It is the cleansing agent from our sins, and comforts us to know that for Jesus, we are doing sufficient. He is a light for us.

Endure to the End: Repeat the following steps with full purpose of heart. 

Elder Keeney and I were thinking about prayer, a simple doctrine, but we figured this out:

We pray in the Name of Jesus Christ because we are unworthy to talk to God, but we say "In His Name", because literally without Him, and what He did, we can't have that connection. We say "In the Name of Jesus Christ" or "Because of who He is and what He did, I can talk to you. I remember Him, and I do this in His Name, by His Power." The Atonement of Jesus Christ was not only to save us, but it's so that we can keep that connection with our Loving Father in Heaven. For that reason, we pray in Christ's Name. In the Sacrament prayers, we say,"Remember Him, don't do it for us, but for what He did for us. Don't let what He did be a waste. Let us in for Him, not for us".

D&C 45:3-5 He says in the judgement "Look at me, not them. I suffered so they can come. Don't let that be a waste. Do it for me and for my suffering, not for them. I know they don't deserve it."

I love you all, and I hope all of your weeks this week go well!!!!