How Great Is HIS Joy In The Soul That Repenteth!

¡Hola!

I know that this is the work of our Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ. I'm grateful for the blessing I have to be a missionary and "invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the Restored Gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism by immersion for the remission of sins, receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end." 

This past Saturday, I had the privilege to baptize Ernesto. The Spirit was so strong as we carried out the ordinance and as Ernesto shared his testimony. I'm grateful that I was able to be a part of his conversion and help him step by step as the Atonement took effect in his life. The promise in D&C 18 (10-16) is true.

10 Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God; 

11 For, behold, the Lord your Redeemer suffered death in the flesh; wherefore he suffered the pain of all men, that all men might repent and come unto him.

12 And he hath risen again from the dead, that he might bring all men unto him, on conditions of repentance.  

13 And how great is his joy in the soul that repenteth! 

14 Wherefore, you are called to cry repentance unto this people. 

15 And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!

16 And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!

As we bring souls unto Christ, He gives us the joy He feels in the repentant soul!

This week was a little difficult with finding people at home to visit them, but next week is a new week and we're going to work hard to find new investigators and teach by the Spirit in order to help them progress and have secure baptismal dates. It's a great time to be a part of this marvelous work!

¡Levantate! ¡Podemos hacerlo ahora!

Love,

Elder San Diego

Ernesto's Baptism

Repentance - The Plan Of Happiness For All Of Us!!

¡Hola!

This past week was pretty good. On Tuesday we were able to visit investigators and less-actives with our branch president. It was great having him come with us and be able to share his testimony. I know that as we continue to support him and serve him, he will feel our love and our desire to hasten the work in Santiago de María and he will desire to change. I think he may already be trying to change his work schedule to be at church every Sunday.

We're still working on finding new investigators, but I know that as we pray with faith and talk with everyone the Lord will guide us by His Spirit to those He is preparing to receive the Gospel and the message of the Restoration. Elder Orr is coming along in his training and we're both learning and finding ways we can improve individually and as a companionship. We're working on speaking in Spanish all the time, cutting our lesson times, and making sure we're focusing on teaching the investigators and not the lessons. We know that as we continue to recognize things we can do better and work to improve the Lord will support us in our efforts.

This week we're going to baptize our investigator Ernesto! He's come such a long way since I first came to Santiago de María. Before, he used to smoke five times a day! As he progressed, he smoked less and less. Now, he hasn't smoked at all for almost three weeks! I know that as we've taught him about how prayer and scripture study can help him overcome temptation he has done so and felt the difference. I know that he'll be ready this Saturday to enter the waters of baptism and covenant with the Lord to serve and obey him to the end. This week I was able to study the reto about repentance and I learned a lot more. Then I was able to help Ernesto learn and understand that repentance is more than just stopping sinning. It's feeling godly sorrow, how Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ felt when we sinned, and changing completely and permanently. I know that the principle of repentance is really the plan of happiness for all of us and as we repent daily, we will be happy and at peace.

¡Levantate! ¡Podemos hacerlo ahora!

Love,
Elder San Diego

Fútbol with the youth from Berlin and Santiago de María  

Fulfilling Our Purpose As Missionaries!

¡Hola!

This week we had a meeting called Phase 2 for trainers and new missionaries. There, we were able to have our questions answered and learn how we can be better trainers and missionaries. Also, we had Super P-Day with President Glazier today and watched the movie Secretariat. I learned from the movie to never give up no matter how tough the circumstances, and that when we push ourselves to our limit we find that we can do even more. If you haven't seen it, you should watch it.

Ernesto is really progressing and I know he'll be ready for his baptismal date of March 29 as we continue visiting him each day and helping him to continue studying the scriptures, praying, and going to church. I know that as he does those things, he'll gain the strength he needs to quit smoking and be ready to make and keep covenants.

I know that as we focus on finding new investigators always and helping our branch that we will be blessed and receive divine help and guidance in the Lord's work and fulfill our purpose as missionaries!

¡Levantate! ¡Podemos hacerlo ahora!

Love,

Elder San Diego

 ¡Burrito de carne y pollo!

Listening, Discerning And Teaching According To Their Needs!

¡Hola!

This week we had a special Multi-Zone training meeting. It really helped me to increase my faith and desire to expand my vision, work even harder, love the people more and do EVERYTHING possible to help them progress, and be a better leader. I know that as we focus on our purpose and sincerely love the people by teaching them and not lessons that we will be able to have the Spirit with us and teach with power and authority.

Elder Orr and I had experiences with that after the meeting. One of our investigators Ernesto has had everything and his only problem is that he smokes. When we went to visit him on Saturday, we talked to him about his smoking problem. As we talked, Elder Orr asked him if we could all start a fast to help him. At first I was a little surprised because we hadn't planned to do it, but I know that it was the Spirit bringing to his remembrance what we had learned in the meeting for doing everything we can to help them and show our love for them. I pray that as we did so, he will receive the strength he needs to quit and that through the Atonement, he can be cleansed physically and spiritually.

Yesterday we went to visit Edgar Antonio, an investigator that we haven't been able to visit for a couple of weeks because of his work. He's had visits from the missionaries for the past 7 years and he hasn't ever progressed completely. Yesterday we listened, discerned, and taught according to his needs. We didn't commit him to baptismal date, but we asked him to try to live for three weeks as if he were baptized; meditate and pray everyday (he can't read) and go to church each Sunday. We promised him if he does that, he'll feel the difference in his life and in the end, he'll have a decision to make. I feel that this is the first commitment he's really going to keep and as we support him in his efforts, he'll be ready to be baptized.

¡Levantate! ¡Podemos hacerlo ahora!

Love,
Elder San Diego

 Our Branch President drew this for the talk theme of this month: "Missionary Work"

Gaining Unbreakable Faith

¡Hola!

This week has been a testing week of faith, and my faith has grown. When we returned to Santiago de María, we found that there were only 20 in Sacrament Meeting and that after Elder Aldridge and I left a lot of people started to go less-active without our visits. At the beginning of the week I felt alone and that everything was on my shoulders; my new responsibilities, the work in my area and Berlin, and rescuing the branch. I've definitely never been more stressed in my life! However, as the week went on and we began visiting less/inactive members and investigators, as I studied the reto (the training plan for the mission each month) on faith, and as I prayed, the burden began to be lifted.

I'm grateful that I was able to study and teach about faith in our District Meeting this past Friday. I experienced faith unto repentance, and I learned what it means to have unbreakable faith. As I started out the week, I found myself being internally impatient with members and investigators and complaining about things. One day as Elder Orr and I were discussing things, I told him how I felt that the Lord wanted me to learn patience and faith. As we talked, he reminded me of Nephi and his family's afflictions in the wilderness and how everyone including Lehi, the prophet, complained except for Nephi. As I pondered on that, I realized and felt pained for sin I had committed in complaining. I knew that I needed to repent. As I prayed and asked for forgiveness and strength to bear with my trials, I really experienced faith unto repentance and my burden was lightened. As I studied and pondered on what it means to have unbreakable faith, I read the quote in the reto about having the faith sufficient to work miracles, even raising the dead if necessary, and remembered what Nephi said: "If the Lord commanded me to do all things, I could do them!" In all, this week has been a trying and learning experience for me and I know that as I continue to exercise faith in my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ that I will be able to work miracles according to His will for my district and my area!

¡Levantate! ¡Podemos hacerlo ahora!

Love,
Elder San Diego