I'm The District Leader Too!

Hola!

Guess what?! I'm the District Leader too!

This week has been really different, exciting, and just a little stressful! I'm so grateful for the privilege and the trust that President Glazier and the Lord have given me to be a District Leader, train Elder Orr, and re-open Santiago de María! I know that the Lord has placed me in the area and the situations that I'm in because He knows that I can do it and as I exercise my faith and trust in Him through the trials of faith that He will give me, my faith will increase!

I'm grateful that I'm able to be Elder Orr's companion. I really love his enthusiasm for the work and his desires to serve the Lord! I've already learned more from him about being bold and I've helped him to learn to be bold but not overbearing, and I know that as we continue to work together and learn together the Lord will bless us immensely and we will become powerful preachers of the Gospel!

I know that the Lord has a work to be done in Santiago de María and that as we work to reactivate, retain, and help the members of our branch repent, forgive, and love one another, we will be able to meet our goal of becoming a ward by working with them to help others to come unto Christ! I know that this is the work of the Lord! I'm eternally grateful for the blessing that He has allowed me to preach the Gospel to my brothers and sisters of El Salvador and I know that as I have the Spirit for my guide I cannot fail Him!

¡Levantate! ¡Podemos hacerlo ahora!

Love,
Elder San Diego

Me and my son Elder Orr 

Awesome News!!!

¡Hola!

So, I have some awesome news! This Wednesday we have changes and I'm going to re-open Santiago De María AND train a new missionary! I'm pretty stoked, but I'm nervous at the same time! This is part of the letter President Glazier sent us this week:

"Many of you might be nervous, wondering what changes are in store for you. Don't be nervous. Just go to work. Remember Joshua´s counsel to the Hosts of Israel, as they were about to enter the Promised Land. He said: “Sanctify yourselves: for tomorrow [or the day after tomorrow] the Lord will do wonders among you.”  Those of you prepared, committed, and sanctified will see the hand of God on Wednesday and in the days thereafter.

This is the Work of Almighty God. Our Father is mindful of everyone of us. It is impossible for me to understand how He does that. I just know, now more than before, how precious each one of us is to Him. He has specific Plans for each of us.  That is very real and serious. I know that He loves all of us, and all of His children. Sister Glazier and I love you all as well.

Now is the time to go forward, to new heights, with new visions, and greater efforts! He will lead us and sustain us in this work. Re-evaluate your goals with your companion on Wednesday evening, whether you have a change or not, and raise your sights higher!!! Congratulations on those companionships that have already passed the mark of 60 Investigators!!!! Many more baptisms will flow from these efforts. It has been done in two zones in less than 2 weeks from the Challenge Elder Duncan gave us!!  Great job!!  It can be done!!! You can do it also!

Thanks to all of you.  It was an unexpected opportunity in our lives to be here, and you are all blessings to us, and will be forever.  We can´t express enough in words alone how we feel about this mission and all of its wonderful missionaries.  We pray for you daily. God is with us."

As I read that it gave me comfort, strength, and courage in knowing that the Lord has called me and He will qualify me to lead and direct His work in Santiago De María. I know that as my new companion and I work together that we'll learn, grow, and have success! I know that with the Lord everything is possible and we can change the branch into a ward!

Yesterday was pretty crazy. Last night we were walking to visit a less-active family and we saw a drunk guy stumbling around with an ice cream cart. At first we kept walking and laughed a little, but then after a few seconds we couldn't hear the bell anymore so we turned around and he had fallen in a small canal! We ran over and helped him out and he was REALLY wasted. As we helped him out, a family in a truck came over and asked what happened. After we told them what happened, the dad looked at the guy and said he knew him. So, we helped them put him and his cart in the back and they took him home.

It's so great to hear all about the Gilbert Temple and the experiences that all of you have had with the Open House! I know that the Temple is the House of the Lord and that if we attend the temple frequently we'll receive the strength and knowledge we need to press forward!

¡Levantate! ¡Podemos hacerlo ahora!

Love,

Elder San Diego

P.S. ¡Feliz Cumpleaños Heather!

It's A Great Time To Be a Missionary!

¡Hola!

On Wednesday we contacted a couple, Idalia and William, that we had been trying to contact for a couple of weeks and they're amazing! William said that it all makes sense and in the closing prayer he said, "if this is the church that you want me to join, I'll do it." The only thing that will lengthen his preparation is that he works a 4 day rotating schedule. I know that as we continue to teach him and Idalia that they'll come to gain a testimony of the Restored Gospel and the Church and prepare themselves to be baptized.

Three of our investigators have a great desire to be baptized. We're still working to get a hold of a member so he can marry one of our investigators Carlos Alberto and his companion. Once that happens, he'll be ready. Another investigator is Francisco Marroquin. As we taught him of how the same church that Jesus Christ established has been restored to the earth and that our Heavenly Father has a plan for us, he said, "I want to join your church." Our third is Misalia Granados. As we began teaching her, everything made sense to her. The most recent visit we had with her, she told us that it wasn't that she didn't like or believe what we taught her, but she was raised Catholic and that she felt like that was where she belonged. We cleared her doubts by explaining to her that there can only be one true church and that after a time of apostasy, the church has been restored along with the same Gospel and Priesthood that Christ established. I know that as we continue to help them repent, learn, and prepare to make a covenant with the Lord that they will be ready for the day that they will be cleansed from their sins and be born again.

Yesterday, we had a Stake Meeting for each Ward Council. It was great being able to watch videos from the Area Presidency and learn how we can work together to accomplish the vision, goals, and plans that the Lord has set for Central America. It was great being able to meet with the Ward Council to discuss our plan to work together. We made a plan as a Ward Council that each member will find and bring us to the home of a non-member. We also made it clear that the work is split in half; the members befriend the investigator(s) and are ready to bear their testimonies in lessons and that the rest of the teaching is our responsibility. We also said that the members will be a part of the entire conversion of the individual, from contact to baptism, and that THEY will be the ones to baptize them. We talked about how it's better that way because when we leave, it's the members' responsibility to continue strengthening them. I know that as we work together in this way that we'll be able to surpass our ward goal of 50 baptisms for the year and that as we bring souls unto Christ we will have joy and we'll inspire the other members to participate! 

I'm grateful for the privilege I have to help hasten the Lord's work and I know that through our faith and work, we will be blessed with success! It's a great time to be a missionary!

¡Levantate! ¡Podemos hacerlo ahora!

Love,

Elder San Diego

Garrobo (Iguana)

Receiving The Vision For Our Area

¡Hola!

This morning my companion Elder Muñoz got a call from President Glazier saying that his brother and his cousin got assaulted on the way home from a concert and his cousin passed away. Please keep him and his family in your prayers.

One of our investigators Carlos Alberto is really close to baptism! He and his companion, who used to be a less active, just need to get married! One of the members of another ward is a lawyer, so we're trying to get in contact with him so he can marry them. I'm grateful that I'm able to be a part of their conversion and that they'll prepare themselves to be sealed in the temple!

This week we had a visit from Elder Duncan of our area presidency. He taught us that we will have more success if we receive the vision for our areas through revelation, set goals, and make specific plans to accomplish them. I know that as we increase our faith and the faith of others that we will accomplish our purpose as missionaries: to invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the Restored Gospel through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, Repentance, Baptism, Receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and Enduring to the End.

We started visiting with the members to get referrals for new investigators and I know that as we continue working hard with the members that we'll have success!

¡Levantate! ¡Podemos hacerlo ahora!

Love,

Elder San Diego