Week 84 - Buena Vista

 

Monday night was terrible for us. We had just finished a bible bash with an investigator, and another investigator seemed super annoyed by us. I was SO down. But on Tuesday, plans fell through and we decided to pick a street to tract on. We both had the maps in our phones, and we both chose the same street! We went to the street, and on the first door we knocked, there was a lady answered who said she was super interested, and that she'd read the Book of Mormón, and that her family would be interested. 

   We taught hna Jackie, and it was a little late, but we taught her about the Book of Mormon. 

    We taught the plan of salvation to Samantha. She liked it and she understood the importance of coming to church. She told us that she felt like she was too young to know the truth right now and that she felt a little blinded, as though she wouldn't really know the truth until she was old enough to decide for herself. We told her that God would answer even a 14 year old, but she would have to read the Book of Mormon and pray about it and come to church in order to receive an answer and the answer would come directly from God, not from us or her friends. She sounded excited to find for herself. Miracles are everywhere. 

   In the story of the woman who was sick with an issue of blood and knew that by touching the clothes of Jesus, she'd be healed, is such a simple idea, as also is "touching the stones" and making them shine from the story of the brother of Jared. We present the lord with an idea that is so simple and hope-providing, we just have to act in faith. Anything that will make us stretch, if we trust what He says, will provide miracles. Also, I am getting transfered to Palmdale, the same zone as little rock, but in Esperanza ward. I am so sad to be leaving, but what the Lord wants will make me happier than anything I would rather like right now. 

   I love you all,

Week 83 - Buena Vista

This week was good. I had tacos on Friday with our investigator Sandra from a taco truck. We invited her to be baptized, and she was like, "I'll pray about it." We went to Oak ward's district meeting, and it went well. We read Ether 12:14-15

   14 Behold, it was the faith of Nephi and Lehi that wrought the change upon the Lamanites, that they were baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost.

   15 Behold, it was the faith of Ammon and his brethren which wrought so great a miracle among the Lamanites.

   Sometimes we think it's all on the investigator whether or not they read and find an answer, but it was the faith of the missionaries that caused the faith to change hearts. 

   We were on exchanges, and we decided to stop by an investigator we hadn't seen in a very long time because she hadn't been home or answering the phone. We decided to go over there, and she was outside! Turns out she got a new phone and got super sick. It was cool that at the moment we felt we should go we were able to help her. Her son asked her what we teach and she basically taught him the restoration! It was awesome. We had MLC, and it also went pretty well. We taught Brandon's family, and they want to get sealed in the temple, and so we invited tgem to come to church and repent as necessary. 

   We also taught a man named Luis, who has been investigatingthe chirch for a while. We taught the restoration and invited him to finish 3 Nephi 11, after starting it with him. He told us that the church has to be true, but that he'd have to sacrifice and change a lot in order to accept and join it. We drew out, and then taught the parable of the sower, how there were the seeds that grew quickly at first, and then died as well, but that the strong seeds took time, sacrifice, and effort, but that it would stay strong and grow into a big tree. He could be like the first seed, where it took little effort and we was excited in the moment, and then withered after the moment passed, or be like tge latter, which grew slowly and naturally in to a firm and immovable tree. We told him that he was the last tree. It would take sacrifice and effort, but totally be worth it. 

   In my studies I've been learning a lot about faith. It has been pretty intere

   We taught a partmember less active family, and they just have a pet owl in their shed outside. Keep praying for us, and I love you all.

Week 82 - Buena Vista

 

Hola, this was a pretty good week. To start off, we did some service Wednesday night for a member that's going to move. One of his friends was there, and after we had done the service, we all started talking, and an hermano said that he was a recent convert, she asked what it was, and after explaining it, she said "just like when I get baptized." 

    She said she didn't want to go another week without church again. She said she owed it to God. She came to church, and moved her work an hour later so she could come, and it was testimony neeting, and everything was amazing. She cried! I've really been learning about faith recently, and I see the effects that grow from having it. 

   There was a baptism we went to in the zone, and the man baptizing looked like he had never baptized before, and the man hit his head on the font's steps. It was all super awkward, but after, the bishop held a testimony meeting. One of the investigators in the audience came up unnanounced and in tears bore her testimony. She said something I'll never forget. 

   "My brother died last week. I'm not crying because he died, but because of what the missionaries taught me: the Plan of Salvation."

   She was amazing. Despite a super awkward baptism, the Spirit was still so strong. Here's something I learned. 

   "Giving him enough time to be out of sight, I said my last prayer—that I wanted my family to know I loved them and that Jimmy could make it home safely on his own—then I leapt. There was enough adrenaline in my spring that the jump extended my arms above the ledge almost to my elbows. But as I slapped my hands down on the surface, I felt nothing but loose sand on flat stone. I can still remember the gritty sensation of hanging there with nothing to hold on to—no lip, no ridge, nothing to grab or grasp. I felt my fingers begin to recede slowly over the sandy surface. I knew my life was over.

“But then suddenly, like a lightning strike in a summer storm, two hands shot out from somewhere above the edge of the cliff, grabbing my wrists with a strength and determination that belied their size. My faithful little brother had not gone looking for any fictitious tree branch. Guessing exactly what I was planning to do, he had never moved an inch. He had simply waited—silently, almost breathlessly—knowing full well I would be foolish enough to try to make that jump. When I did, he grabbed me, held me, and refused to let me fall. Those strong brotherly arms saved my life that day as I dangled helplessly above what would surely have been certain death.”

   What I learned: As we take our many leaps of faith, He is ALWAYS there to reach out and take us and never let us go. Every time. Are we destined to fall? No, but to acheive gloriously. 

Even though we feel like nothing is there, just gritty sand, He is there. Even though we feel He is not answering, He is waiting breathlessly for us to take our leap. That's from Jeffrey R. Holland's talk Where love, justice, and mercy meet. 

    I love you all,

   Love Elder Sant

Week 81 Buena Vista

 

This week went by fast and was extremely interesting. First, I conducted my first ever Zone Conference. I was super nervous, but there were friends all over the zone, so I was alright. There were about 60 missionaries in the room. It went well, and President seemed pretty merciful about it being my first time. We went by Freddy and he basically said that he would be unable to give up wine. But we talked with Samantha a little, and we invited her to church, but she said that she couldn't make it last minute. That was a heart breaker. We did find a family who also would be baptized in the blink of an eye, but can't because of marriage problems.

   We saw quite a few miracles for other people: for example, we were on exchanges, and we were walking, and I really felt like there was something better we could be doing, so as we walked, I decided to try to find out what that was. I told Elder Tigrett what I felt, and I felt we shoukd turn the corner onto a fairly loud and busy road. We knocked a few doors there, and with one, a man opened up and we started teaching. When we told him that the Book of Mormon was written here, and that Jesus Christ came and visited, he stopped me and said "Wait, repeat that." I did and he said "I've got some reading to do." He took a Book of Mormon and said he'd read it. He thanked us for coming and told us to come back as soon as possible. 

   There was a referral that we received from the hermanas that sounds pretty legit. It's a part member family. 

   In my studies, I have been trying to get closer to my Savior. A thought occurred to me, that Jesus Christ suffered so much to know me personally. What am I doing to come to know Him? I take upon me His life as I take the sacrament, I become one with Him, and therefore I am worthy of the Holy Ghost because He is one with me. As I develop His attributes I come to know Him as well. He is there, and He reaches out to us, and we can apply His grace as we put His Name upon us. And the Holy Ghost is one of His biggest blessings He can bestow upon us. It is what makes us different than any other church.

   And, one more thing: from 3 Nephi 20:8-9 

   Eat of body to soul, drink of blood to soul.

 Soul= body & spirit combined. 

Blood in old testament was a symbol of life source or the spirit(BD). You're taking His soul upon you, becoking more like Him. He was the only one worthy of the Holy Ghost, so when we take Him upon us we become worthy. That's why the sacrament, in my opinion, allows the Spirit to sanctify you and be with you always. The sanctification comes as you, through the week, becoke a little better by a little better. That's why we take a small peice of bread and a small bit of water. It's a continual process God is willing to recognize. We thus grow grace by grace. 

   I hope your week is filled with miracles!!!

 Love Elder Sant

Week 80 - Buena Vista

 

Hello everyone, this week was a long but good week. We were able to work with our investigators. We came by Freddy, and his 14 year old cousin came in and said she wanted to get baptized before May. We were like "We can do it by the end of March." We taught her the Gospel and explained all the steps for before baptism, about the Sacrament for after and such, and then watched "My Words Never Cease" by Jeffrey R. Holland. She said it all made sense and that she'd come to church, but then she went and stayed the night at Wasco.

   We are both doing well. In my studies I was thinking about how the only filters on our phone are the Holy Ghost and our missionary purpose. We are free to use them, and we do not have enormous blocking and restricting rules, but as long as it's the desires of God we can. On the contrary, if we are to have many rules that restrict what we can do, the Spirit cannot tell you fully what to do and you cannot fully fulfill your purpose in the most effective ways. I was reading in Alma 61:15, which says "according to the Spirit of God, which is also the spirit of freedom which is in them". 

The book of Alma is full of people who try to take away agency, and they were always put to death. The Spirit of Freedom is the Spirit of God. When we deny ourselves or others their agency, we deny the Spirit of God. When Satan was cast out of heaven for trying to take away agency, he was denying the Holy Ghost. Without liberty and agency, we cannot follow the Spirit.

   The church could have put a bunch of filters on our phones so we don't act against the rules, but the freedom allows us to act according to God's will more freely. 

    We went by la familia Delgado, and their children are pretty cool, and we'll be working with them. When we taught Freddy on Tuesday, he said "When I draw, I am able to be patient because I can see the end product. I have hope for the end and how good it will turn out". 

I love my investigators, and I really see a lot to come in the future.

Week 79 - Buena Vista

 

Hello everyone. This week was a pretty good week, stressful, but good. Elder Barney and I are the new zone leaders of the south bakersfield zone, and neither one of us have ever done it before. We had a meeting with President Layton on Tuesay where we learned the basics of being a zone leader and our responsibilities. We met with Gaby, a person we've been teaching for a while, and we set her on a baptismal date she set herself and after promising the blessings of the Holy Ghost. We also taught Brandon Arias about Jesus Christ. We read 3 Nephi 17 with him, and left an invitation to watch the bible video about Jesus Christ healing the man born blind and to see ways he would have to apply the Atonement, and we said we'd do the same and get back to him on that. In my studies I was reading for Brandon. Alma 33:1,22-23 you plant the seed by beginning to believe in Christ. You nourish it by acting on that hope(believing Christ). Alma 34:41 You don't need to know,  you need to have enough hope to try(firm hope). Enough hope to try=faith- Quote by President Layton. I love you all!

Elder Sant

Go and Do