Touch Of The Master's Hand

¡Hola!

First of all, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! It was a great week being able to celebrate Christmas with investigators and members even though I got sick on the 24th!

Francisco didn't pass his interview because it turns out that he's not married and may have drank coffee. Emanuel passed, but the mom probably won't let him get baptized unless Francisco does too. We just have to keep working with them and involve the family so they can get married. It was a little frustrating, but we just need to have patience.

It seems like everything is going wrong for Leonardo Guatemala. He still has economic problems and on Saturday he and his family got news that one of his cousins is sick and close to death. The thing I admire about him though is that amidst the trials and afflictions he's having, he maintains his faith. He really trusts us and knows that we're his friends and we love him. His wife is willing to listen to us now and both of them desire to learn and live the Gospel. He knows the Book of Mormon is true and asked us what scripture he could read concerning his cousin. In order to comfort him we told him to read 3 Nephi 17 about when Christ healed the righteous that were spared after His resurrection.

On Saturday we had a training meeting for our zone with the Assistants. They taught and showed us how we can better our teaching and the new way is way better than the way everyone used to teach.

The most spiritual experience of this week was when we were able to visit Katherin and her family where they live in Nueva Granada with our Branch President, President Osman. We watched the video the Touch of the Master's Hand which shows how the Atonement applied to our lives can change us, clean us, and allow us to reach our divine potential. I love that video because none of us are perfect, but with the touch of the Master's hand He allows us to become more than we could without Him. I testify that that is true because I've seen it in my own life and in the lives of others. As we are touched by the love of the Savior and His Atonement our hearts change!

¡Levántate! ¡Podemos hacerlo ahora!

Love,

Elder San Diego

On Christmas Eve an investigator made us pizza 

¡Feliz Navidad!

Dear brothers and sisters,

We want to send you warm Christmas greetings together with your children. We feel very thankful for their dedication to this beautiful work, where the atonement of Jesus Christ has made great changes and miracles in the lives of the investigators, converts, and less actives. Thank you, thank you all for the support! Thank you for sending the best part of your lives here to our mission, San Salvador East!!! We hope you have a Merry Christmas and an amazing New Year!

Sincerely,

President and Sister Vasquez  

Can't Wait To Skype On Christmas!

¡Hola!

This week went by so fast! On Friday we had an activity as half the mission to celebrate Christmas with Presidente and Hermana Vasquez. It was cool being able to see everyone I know and each zone did a presentation relating to Christmas. Our zone did one about the Nativity. I had someone take a video of it, but it's too big to send in an email. On Saturday we had our branch's Christmas Dinner and we also did an act, but nobody took a video.

We hope that this Saturday Francisco and his son will be baptized and maybe José Araniva too. Leonardo Guatemala is having some economic and emotional problems and we talked to him and comforted him. He wants to get married and have his family live the Gospel, but he wants their support. We're going to see if we can teach the entire family next time we go. Can't wait to Skype on Christmas!

¡Levántate! ¡Podemos hacerlo ahora!

Love,

Elder San Diego

  Elder White, Elder Aldridge, and me at the Christmas Actvity we had as half the mission

 

 me and my zone

Instruments In HIS Hands!

¡Hola!

We had changes last week, but I'm still here with Elder Chamorro in Chinameca, yeah! Elder Aldridge is in my zone now! He's in Berlin so I don't get to see him that much, but it's still cool. 

Anyway, we're still working to help Francisco Ulloa and his son Emanuel be baptized. Emanuel really wants to, but Francisco is still a little nervous even though we know he's ready. He also got sick with the Chikungunya virus, but we gave him a blessing, so we hope he gets better quickly.

Leonardo Guatemala came to church for the first time yesterday and he really has a true desire to learn and live the Gospel. So far he's been keeping all of his commitments of reading the Book of Mormon, praying, and coming to church. He has so many great questions and is really prepared. The greatest part is that when he says he'll do something he does it.

One of our investigators José Araniva brought his mom and his sister to church yesterday and they want to know for themselves that the Gospel is true and has been restored. At first his mom didn't want to accept that the church "came from the U.S." and that Joseph Smith was from there because her husband had abandoned her and their kids in search of the American dream and got married there. She was mad, but then she said she'll read, pray, and go to church to be able to know for herself the truth.

I know that as we continue in faith, diligence, and patience the Lord will bless us and allow us to be instruments in His hands!

¡Levántate! ¡Podemos hacerlo ahora!

Love,

Elder San Diego

 Guess what?! Elder Aldridge is in my zone!

The Lord Is Helping Us Accomplish HIS Will!

¡Hola!

This week we had an activity at the temple for invetigators and it was excellent and gave results! One invetigator Leonardo Guatemala told us yesterday that what he saw in the temple was extraordinary! He wants him and his family to learn and be baptized and one day enter the temple to be sealed and become an eternal family! 

When I was with Elder White we taught the Elders' Quorum President's family and they were receptive, but he had to go to the U.S. for an emergency and  we couldn't visit them. He came back yesterday and took his family to the Christmas Devotional! 

We are still working with Francisco Ulloa and his son Emanuel so that they can fulfill their goal to be baptized this Saturday.

I know that the Lord is blessing us with those who are ready and we can accomplish what He wants us to!

¡Levántate! ¡Podemos hacerlo ahora!

Love,

Elder San Diego

Elder Chamorro, Emanuel Ulloa, Elder San Diego and Francisco Ulloa at the temple activity

Joseph Smith: The Prophet Of The Restoration

¡Hola!

This week was pretty good. On Wednesday we went and helped a family make tortillas and on Saturday we helped another family thresh corn. We're working on constantly getting new investigators and helping them progress. Two of them that are getting close to baptism are Francisco and Emanuel Ulloa (father and son). They've already come to church three times, stopped drinking coffee, Francisco and his wife are married, and they're really excited to be baptized! 

This week we're going to have an activity on the temple grounds for non-members to come and learn about the temple and gain the desire to listen to us and prepare themselves to one day enter and receive all the ordinances of salvation and exaltation for themselves and their ancestors. We also had an activity in the branch and we watched Joseph Smith: The Prophet of the Restoration. There weren't as many people as we thought would come, but a few came. The problem was that a lot of them probably thought:"Well, I came to the activity, so I don't have to go to church!" We hope that a lot of people come to the temple this Saturday though.

¡Levántate! ¡Podemos hacerlo ahora!

Love,

Elder San Diego