March 3, 2015

Hola Mom!!

This week was officially the best week so far!

It started off last Tuesday night during our devotional. (We have one every Sunday and Tuesday night) Bishop Causse and his wife came and spoke. Their talks were so inspirational! They spoke about how missionaries are super heroes. Sister Causse actually compared us to Spider-Man, Superman, etc. She said we all have incredible powers and, just like the comic action heroes, need to figure out how to use them the right way. We have the ability to change lives, families, and generations to come. We just need to stay worthy and learn to exercise the Power of God. Then Bishop Causse continued by telling us that we must be bold missionaries in order to be successful. The church doesn't hire professional missionaries that know all the ins and outs of the gospel. Why? Because they don't have the most important thing in missionary work. The church uses 18 and 19 year olds because they have the most power. They can be so bold, not because they know everything, but because they know so little that they learn to rely on the Lord. "For when you are on God's errand, you are entitled to his help." It was such a great devotional. Then after it was over, Elder Berg and I got to go and talk to him and his wife. That was really cool!

The next day made my week even better. Our TRC investigator, Brian, has been super difficult to work with. We haven't been able to communicate very well and he is always so short with his answers. However on Wednesday, we taught an amazing lesson where the Spirit was so strong and he accepted our invitation to be baptized. Now we are just teaching him about the other commandments, such as tithing, keeping the sabbath day holy, Word of Wisdom, etc. 

As hard as it may be to believe, it gets even better. We have two other investigators, Encarni and Gilberto. (both of them are our teachers acting as investigators from their missions) We went from having a terrible lesson with Gilberto to now being able to have him accept baptism. So that was a huge step forward!!

When we taught Encarni on Thursday we had two lesson routes planned. We had challenged her to read The First Vision and to pray about it. Our planned lessons were to go if she had received an answer that it was true and also if she did not receive an answer. When we followed up with her she had told us that she really enjoyed the story but just didn't know if it were true or not. So right there we just got the impression to have her pray about it with us there. She went ahead with the offer and began to give an amazing prayer. At the end of it I immediately sat up ready to ask her how she felt only to see her still looking down at her lap. Pondering the moment that she was in. She eventually looked up the silent moment with red eyes and a tear stained face. She broke character and continued to speak with us as our teacher saying that she felt the spirit so strongly and was so happy that she got a reminder that Joseph Smith really did see God and Jesus Christ. She told us that we must constantly ask if all the things we believe are true because even though she knew that they were, That constant reminder in such a way that she had received was so amazing and she was so happy that we were able to provide an environment that she could have that experience in. We continued with the lesson and she also accepted our invitation to be baptized. 

So now we have three investigators that are going to be baptized on March 14th. 

As the week went on we continued to have so many spiritual experiences while teaching. We had another wonderful devotional on Sunday and got to hear from the MTC presidency and their wives. 

Our lesson last night however, with Hermana Daly, was probably my favorite class. At the end of her lesson for us she had our district study Christ and the Atonement, in the spirit of Easter coming up. So we went on for maybe 30 minutes of personal study time on Christ. I strongly encourage you to search Jesus Christ in the bible dictionary and study all of the attributes of Christ. There is never a moment when you can say you are finished because he is so amazing that you are always learning from him. Hermana Daly shared an experience from her mission in Spain about how her and her companion were having a very difficult time finding investigators to teach and getting help from the ward members. There was one person that had fallen into their lap and everything was going perfect! The day of their fourth lesson they went to this ladies house and she had told the missionaries that she didn't want to talk with them anymore. Hermana Daly was just furious because she didn't have any idea why this was happening to them. So they went home for the day and her companion told her to use the Atonement. She said that it would make her feel much better. So she enlightened us on the use of the Atonement. I have always been under the impression that it is just to use when you have committed a sin. Well that is completely wrong! When Jesus Christ suffered for us on the Cross, it was not just so that we could become clean of all our imperfections. Yes he took upon him all of our sins but he also took upon himself all of our pains as well. He cares so much for us that he didn't want us to have any pain to go through while here on the Earth. So Hermana Daly decided to use the Atonement to take away the pain of her disappointments with the investigator and woke the next day feeling absolutely amazing, knowing, that was the area for them. They went on to have success but the point is, We should use the Atonement to the fullest potential! I want to challenge each and everyone of you this, if you are going through a tough time, if you have a heavy weight on your shoulders, call upon God and Jesus Christ. I know that they will take that pain from you and lighten your load! 

MTC Life: 

Elder Berg and I are the Zone leaders so that is great. It will really be cool tomorrow when we get a new district. We get to just kinda hangout with them during the night and show them around everywhere. So I am pumped for that! Also, the Spanish is coming pretty good for me! I am doing pretty good with simple conversations now which is good. I feel more comfortable teaching about the Fall of Adam than I do just having a normal conversation in Spanish. But we have officially passed our half way mark, so if any of you want to send me a fun letter or something, this next three weeks would be the time to do it!!! I love seeing how much everyone here is so desirous to serve a mission! It is truly one of the most spiritual places on earth! 

I want to conclude with my testimony in Spanish. The conjugations are not perfect but I know the spirit is here when I say it.

Yo se que esto iglesia es verdadero. Se que nosotros tenemos uno pedentor quién nos ama. Yo se que Jesucristo morir para nosotros. Sí nosotros usamos la Expiación, podemos regresar para vivir con Dios en cielo. Yo se que José Smith fue un profeta de Dios. El translado el Libro de Mormón a través del autoridad de Dios. Tenemos un profeta hoy para recibir revelaciónes para nosotros. Creó que todos las gentiles en la tierra pueden volver a Dios, Nuestros padre. Yo se que estas cosas es verdadero porque yo oré sobre las cosas. Yo tengo un sentimiento en mi corazone comó un fuego. Eso es el Espirtitu Santo. Nosotros podemos tener el Espiritu Santo cuando nos oramos. Yo digo estas cosas en el nombre de Jesucristo. Amen.

Elder Grant M Salinas

Argentina Rosario