March 17, 2015

This week has been jam packed with miracles and exciting things.

First of all I had a mini cambio this week with Elder Barnes and Elder Evelo.  Yeah we were in a tri-companionship.   Elder Barnes was my district leader when I was in Yungay! So we had a blast to work together again, and Elder evelo has like 2 months in the mission and is still working on his Spanish, so I felt like a trainer again and it was fun!

In their sectors they have been having problems finding new people to teach, so as a tri-companionship we decided to make that the focus of our mini cambio…

We get to working, laughing, talking to everyone and teaching... Always focused on our goal...and by the end of the day we found 2 new families to teach.

I really believe that the attitude and work ethic is everything. If we do our best, God covers the rest.

This week we also contacted a girl named Carolina, well she actually contacted us. We were just walking through the street when she shouts at us, waves us over. She said she was interested in learning English and asked if we offered classes. We said yes. And as we got to talking, she started to tell us that more than learning English she wanted to get closer to God and get to know the church.

This past Sunday she went to church and loved it!

Also…Raul and Jose got baptized! We had the service at the Bella vista river and everything went so well. The spirit was very strong I am 100 sure that everyone felt it. I think that is what I like most about being a missionary, getting to see people change. Not just a change of actions but a change in their hearts, you can literally see it in a person when their heart is changed,

Alma, an ancient prophet in the Book of Mormon talks about this very change. He said...

And according to his faith there was a mighty change wrought in his heart. Behold I say unto you that this is all true.

 …and a mighty change was also wrought in their hearts, and they humbled themselves and put their trust in the true and living God. And behold, they were faithful until the end; therefore they were saved.

And now behold, I ask of you…have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?

(Alma 5: 12-15)

It is so cool so see this process of a heart changing. God takes raw material and refines it and polishes us to his liking, and he does it through many means, through other people, through life experiences and challenges, and through the Holy Ghost.

As missionaries our job is to help people Find and accept Christ and His gospel. That means we are inviting people to walk an unpopular path. The path of Christ is not an easy or popular one, only those with a changed heart are able to see and follow.

33 And it came to pass that when Ammon arose he also administered unto them, and also did all the servants of Lamoni; and they did all declare unto the people the selfsame thing—that their hearts had been changed; that they had no more desire to do evil.

 34 And behold, many did declare unto the people that they had seen angels and had conversed with them; and thus they had told them things of God, and of his righteousness.

 35 And it came to pass that there were many that did believe in their words; and as many as did believe were baptized; and they became a righteous people, and they did establish a church among them

 36 And thus the work of the Lord did commence among the Lamanites; thus the Lord did begin to pour out his Spirit upon them; and we see that his arm is extended to all people who will repent and believe on his name.

(Alma 19:36)

These 2 weeks have not been easy for Raul and Jose, they passed through a lot of problems but now they have felt and now they know where they need to be.

I love you family and friends!

Happy Birthday Grandpa Brown! I love you!