Week 58: Noche de Luz

This week there isn't much to report because it was mainly just us running around going to other areas to help them out. It really has been lots of fun being able to see my companion grow and help him out!! 

We noticed yesterday that almost every day we have been outside of our area to go with other missionaries in the zone. It's been a really good experience to be able to see so many different situations of investigators and be able to help solve them!! 

This week we had an activity with the stake where we had the opportunity to invite our people who are getting to know the church and it was honestly really good. The choir and the messages were great!!! 

One of my favorite parts is when the stake president spoke of the moment known as "The Christmas Truce of WW1" where during the war the song Silent Night began to be sung and it ended with both sides just celebrating this time of Christmas with no fighting!! Even though they were all soldiers sent there to kill the enemy, they in that moment were not thinking of  the war. But they were all bound together in the peace of this Christmas season bonded together in the belief and knowledge that we all have one Savior and He was born and He lives!!! 

We too should follow this example and try to be unified with our brethren here on earth through this knowledge that we all have one Savior. He did suffer and die for each and every one of us!!! 

TRABAJAR

CON AMOR

DISFRUTAR

HASTA EL ÁRBOL

TGM!!!!!

Week 57: LA ESTRELLA!!! (The Star)

This week was pretty good!! It was lots of fun!  We were able to have 4 baptisms which is always great!! We had the opportunity to go out a few of the days this week to help other areas with their investigators. 

One of my favorite visits was in Berriozabal. With the sister we had a noche de hogar (Family Home Evening) with a few families. During the visit we listened to the people that were members share their testimonies of how the gospel has changed their lives. In every testimony they mentioned how missionaries helped them to feel hope and receive the gospel into their lives. 

As they were sharing a word came into my head "LUZ" light a powerful word honestly. It was the only thing I could think of as I listened to them all sharing their testimonies especially when the little kids shared!!! A scripture then came to my mind 3 Nefi 12:14-16. These verses are our Savior himself talking to us, that we are to be a light!! and to shine it on los demás!!! 

As I was ready to share the scripture and my thoughts one more came to mind as I looked up at a picture the family had up of the nativity with the Christmas star. The Christmas star is a very important part of the nativity and we don't focus on it. It brought hope to many around the world including our brethren in the Americas. 

The star was a testimony of the birth of our Savior--a light to all the world that Jesus Christ was born. So I mixed that into my thoughts that I shared. I explained the scripture and how we should strive to be like the Christmas star a bright shining representative of our Lord and Savior--a testimony of light; a testimony of hope to all!! You don't even have to be a missionary to do it. We are all called to be a light to others. 

There are people around us suffering, hurting, sad, have lost all hope, or maybe just don't know of a Savior and for all of these people we can be a light to them. We can shine the light of the gospel upon their lives and help them feel the love of Christ. 

So I will leave the same invitation to you as I left the families that especially during this Christmas time but from now on, look for opportunities to be that light. Everyday in your prayers, pray for an opportunity to be a light to your brothers and sisters here on earth.  As you do so, I promise you as a representative of Christ that you will find opportunities. They will practically fall right in front of you!!

TRABAJAR

CON AMOR

DISFRUTAR

HASTA EL ÁRBOL

TGM!!!!!

Week 56: YA NACIÓ MI HIJO!!!

Wellll I received a kid this week which is very funny for many of my friends here in the mission because I always said how I didn't want to train during my mission....lol. But this Tuesday I was blessed with a Greenie lol. 

It is pretty fun watching him in his first days and remembering my first days. We got him off to a good start because we had 2 baptisms and one of them he was able to do!!! It was a fun week. We traveled out to Berriozabal on Thursday to go work with the sisters, and it went great. We met with a family and talked about the Family Proclamation to the World and it went well!! 

The mom started talking about what they believe and the family so I felt the need to talk about eternal families and testify. I'm so happy that they were receptive to the Spirit in that moment because after she heard the testimony she asked how they can get to the point of La Vida Eterna. 

I explained that they had to make and keep covenants--one being baptism-- and the husband cut in and asked if we could help them prepare for them and that was GOLDEN!! So we will be helping the sisters prepare the family for baptism!!! 

After the visit we waited for our bus that took forever and finally got home at 12 but when we got home we didn't have our keys!!! lol We had lost them in Berriozabal so we waited for a little bit to think of something and we saw a huge rock by the door. So I decided I would break the doorknob so we could get in lol. 

Right before I did it I said a prayer in my head asking if that was the right thing to do and I didn't feel anything so I decided it must be right. So I lifted the rock and right when I did it someone walked around the corner and looked at us scared obviously because he thought we were trying to break in lol. But then we explained and he said he would help us. 

Dude I felt like Abraham lol right before he killed Isaac the angel showed up.... the guy was definitely our angel. He helped us get in and we didn't have to break our door down lol. 

The day after that we had a baptism in our area and then ran to do some baptismal interviews in an area nearby. On Saturday we went out to Coita pretty early in the morning to be able to do a few interviews and baptisms, and while we were there I introduced my kid to tacos al pastor 2x1. It's a place where they have a huge stick out in the street and a huge chunk of meat is on this stick spinning in front of a fire and you order your tacos and they cut it off and give it to you right there and it's pretty great lol. Especially because if you order 3 tacos they bring you 6 because its 2x1. 

So we ordered my kid 5 tacos so 10 and he took it well!!! After that, Sunday was a normal day we went to church and put two baptismal dates woohooo. Then today we received a call asking if from a sister who desired her son to get baptized on Friday. So we'll be having another baptism this week!!! We have been seeing so many miracles recently and it's awesome!

I'm lovin' it out here and we are looking forward to seeing more in this great time... CHRISTMAS TIMEEE!!!!!

TRABAJAR

CON AMOR

DISFRUTAR

HASTA EL ARBOL

TGM