December 16, 2013

WHAT THE CAMBIOS (changes)?

So many changes I don't even know how to feel? Happy, sad, excited, nervous? I don't even know. But I am heralding off to Talcauano Sur, Sector Cerro Verde. I'm leaving tomorrow morning. My new companion elder Sanchez happens to the best friend of Elder Rojas my current companion. And my new district leader will be none other than my padre en la mission Elder Barker! Small world.

I don't know much about my new sector but is right close to Concepcion and the mission office. So the package's to me quicker! Whoo hoo! Big city life here I come.

I will also be companero mayor (senior companion), and I am very excited about that! Now I will have more responsibilities and more leadership opportunities. 

I kind of had the feeling that this would be my last week in Quillon so throughout the whole week I was more aware of all the great things about this sector. I really love the people here and am very sad to leave. 

For my last Sunday it was my turn to give a talk in church. I decided to talk about La Fe (faith). The most well-known topic in existence in the gospel. But also one of the most important. I was very glad for the opportunity to study faith more in depth this week and learned many new ways to apply that principle in my life. 

I shared the story of when Jesus was walking on the water. Peter, good ole loyal Peter, wanted to join him, and with the invitation from Christ he leaped out of the boat. At first his vision never left the savior, his hands out stretched, his loving smile, peter was focused on his goal to reach him.  I imagine that he took a good few steps, 5 or 6 maybe more; full of excitement, amazement, love and gratitude for his redeemer and friend he was trying to reach.  With his vision directed on the savior, he was able to walk on the water. But I'm sure when peter was somewhere in the middle, half way from the boat  to Christ, both places seeming to be quite some distance away his doubts began to creep in, Christ still looked far away, and that wave fast approaching looked way to close. Peter took his eyes away from Christ and immediately began to sink.

It is so important for us to keep our faith, our hopes and our eyes on the savior. He is our goal and He is where we want to get to, yeah there might be giant waves in the way and we might feel very alone and scared sometimes, I'm sure Peter felt that way, but right in that moment when Peter began to sink, he called out for Christ immediately, and He was there.

There is no need to doubt, there is no need to fear when we have faith. 

Also I have learned that we need to have faith in the will of God and not in our desires- Elder Bednar

....Elder Bednar in a talk shared a story about a young newlywed couple. The husband, after 3 weeks of being married in the temple contracted bone cancer. This was a hard time for them as you could imagine. They had faith and hope to begin a family, to raise their kids in the gospel, not this, not cancer.

Desperate for advice they called Elder Bednar to came and give them a blessing and advice. And he asked this young husband a question he was not expecting. 

Do you have the faith to not be healed? If it is the will of God that you pass on and continue your work in the next life will you accept that?

WHOA, that would take some faith to accept that. As people a lot of the time we have faith that things will work out the way we want them too. But the secret is to have faith that things will work out the way God wants them to.

The will of God is always better than my will for me.

Yeah that's some quality doctrine right? I tried to share that story in Spanish for my talk... and in the most important part of the talk...I BLEW IT.

The question in Spanish is...¿tienes the fe para no se sañados?

I said ¿tienes la fe para que no se salvados? meaning do you have the faith to not receive salvation?

How HORRIBLE is that. No one wants faith to not receive salvation. That doesn't even make sense. que error.

¨pero lo que se dice no is tan importante como lo que escuchamos o lo que sentimos¨ (but what is said is not as important as what we hear or what we feel) So I hope the branch understood (quote by Robert d hales)

I am so excited for this Christmas season. The houses are full of lights, there's Christmas tress everywhere, and it feels like I'm walking around in an oven... it’s great.

love you! if you have any questions for me!

Elder Sayre Stewart