Dear Family and Friends,
Sorry
for a no email week last week. President Barrientos surprised us all by
announcing the morning after Zone Conference that MLC was a week early.
In all of the craziness of traveling I was unable to send an email
home. I will be sending some pictures next week, since I forgot my
camera and flash drive today.
So it has been a packed past two weeks. We have had Zone
Conference, MLC, ZTM, and a correlation meeting with the leaders of the
Gonzaga District. So many meetings! I have received a lot of personal
revelation in the past two weeks of things that I need to do to improve
in the next and final six months of my mission. The monthly focus for
our mission is qualifying for the Spirit and helping others to receive a
witness of the truth through the power of the Holy Ghost. The Spirit is
so critical in this work. I testify that without the Spirit nothing
happens in this work. I have seen the Spirit change the lives of so many
people over the past 18 months and I know that by the Spirit the lives
of millions around the world are changing.
Some quick updates. M got baptized on the 29th of March.It
was great to see her finally enter the waters of baptism. She used to
have some interesting concerns. but by the power of the Holy Ghost and
the atonement of Jesus Christ she was prepared to make that covenant
with Heavenly Father. I will be sending pictures of the baptism next
week.
We found a new investigator last week, H. He is a former
investigator from another town in the zone, but he hadn't been taught by
the missionaries since he move to Buguey two years ago. We actually met
him once before at the church where he was playing basketball. He is
super receptive and accepted a baptismal date for May 24 on the first
lesson. remembers about Joseph Smith very well and he makes the
connections of all of the doctrines. We have given several of our
investigators baptismal dates and we are preparing to have a large
harvest in May. In March, our mission had 141 baptisms! We are well on
our way to our goal of 1000 souls by the end of the year. I am hoping
that we can hit the goal before October, since that is when I will
finish my time in the Philippines Laoag Mission.
On the bus to MLC last Sunday, I had the chance to talk with a
man from Fiji who is here with his fiancee. He is Jehovah's Witness and
of course the discussion turned to religion. He was very knowledgeable
of the Bible, but there was a big difference between us. For me, my
knowledge comes from the source of all truth, even God the Father
through the power of the Holy Ghost. I had the chance to testify to him
repeatedly about the Book of Mormon and the Restoration of the Gospel
through the Prophet Joseph Smith. I love bearing testimony to others.
That is the most powerful way for us to invite the Spirit into the lives
of others. I left the bus with a new friend and I pray that he will
have the chance again one day to hear and accept the Restored Gospel. We
are so blessed to have the Book of Mormon and a living Prophet to guide
us in these last days. There is no greater source of direction than
revelation, both personal and through the living prophet.
Speaking of a living prophet, it is General Conference time! I
am super excited to watch conference this weekend. I love hearing the
words of the prophet and apostles. I know that God has called Thomas S.
Monson to lead the true church at this time and that we have living
apostles who bear witness of the Savior even Jesus Christ. I know these
things with all my heart and soul.
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