Well the time has finally come and I can not explain the mix of emotions that I am having. I am so excited to see as many of you as I can this upcoming sunday, but, at the sametime wish I could stay and serve. Sadly I know I can and leaving is just as much as part of the plan as starting. There is no possible way to explain how grateful I am to have had the oppertunity to serve the Lord, and to see the love he has for everyone of his children.
I can not think of any better way to end the mission by sharing my testimony. Not just because I am a misisonary, but more because If you are reading this you are important to me. I have spent 2 years tesfiying of our savior to now many very good friends, but the majority strangers who I do not know, but how much more important is it to share our testimonies with those we really love.
Through out being here in Uruguay I have learned the gospel is black and white. It is true or it is not. There is no gray area, we as humans try to justify and make excuses, our own way, yet at the same time we want to say we follow christ and his way. As it says in the scriptures it is impossible to follow two master for ye will love the one and despiese the other.
It has been sad teach the restoration and see how some people are so confused, or so stubborn to change and repent that they do not accept the message. At the sametime it is amazing to see the power of the restuared gospel not he reformed or recently founded gospel of jesus christ but his church restored in our days. The invitation has and will always be the same, study, meditate, and pray and ask if it is true with the determination to act on our answer. Something so simple to do, but sometimes we make it harder than it has to be by not being willing to follow the steps 100 percent, or with real intention, or even sometimes we recieve the answer but are not willing to act accordingly because it may be hard, we are scared, or it may be a little uncomfortable to admit that we might have been wrong or to act diffrently in a world that is completly oppsite from our beliefs.
I know that jesus christ not only was a great man, with great teachings and a way of living but he is our savior and only through his sacrifice we can be saved by obeying his commandmands to the best we can and accepting the atonement through the sacred ordenanzas.
I know because he is our loving brother he has always provided the way to accept his atonement through his authoirty which he has given to his prophets in all times of the creation of the earth. If you think just having the writings of just a few prophets in our hands it is a miracle in itself. The events in the resturation and book of mormon are things recorded in history that fulfill the prophcies of the prophets from the bible. As if the scriptures are not enough of a testimony he has given the ablitiy of the holy ghost to not only testifiy to each of us individual but to testify of the truth when missionaries, members, and even children share how they know that Jesus is the Christ.
I know that he will come again, and through us today he is preparing the way to bless everyone in the world with this great message of peace. I know that if we not only are baptized but if we are firm in the faith until he comes we will live again with him and our families forever.
In the name of Jesus Christ Amen.
martes, 11 de agosto de 2015
martes, 14 de julio de 2015
Prepare, Interact, and Commit
This week in Rosario has been really a lot of work. We are not working with any innactive members because all of them have been visited and do not really want anything, with us or any of the other missionaries that have passed by. In otherwords we we are contact basically all of the time. We have actually had a lot of success for this area we taught the restoration a 7 different people this week Which is really good for this area. We are hoping they will progress. Right now we have one family that shows a lot of promise.
We also had a really great confrence with President Smith yesterday. We talked alot about what the Apostles shared with all of the mission Presidents in the last training. It was kinda of cool I was looking on lds.org and had seen the report so I had a little head start but he held the confrence with this format and it was amazing
The first part is prepare. He asked us all to read the book of Jhon before the confrence and think about what we learned and how we are going to apply it to our misisons.
Then in the conference it was basically an hour of passing the microphone around and sharing what we learned. The idea is we need to be come prepared so we can interact.
Towards the end. President smith changed the questions because everyone was just sharing what they learned, but asked us to share not just what we learned but how we were going to change to because of this new information.
The conference went from amazing to really amazing because it was a lot more applicable. he also told to not just listen to the words but try and listen to what the spirit was telling us not to write only what the misisonareis said but thoughts we had.
For example I wrote something like this I need to make sure I do everything the lord expects of me today so I can feel the gratitude of being obedient tomorrow.
It was really great. he explained that all of our studies should be like this and if they are not we need to repent, because if we are only studying to study and not looking for ways to apply it or if we are not really preparing for our lessons we will only have a good lesson and not a lesson with the spirit. He also talked about the importance of how we need to leave things every lesson and make sure they are doing the reading assignments so they come prepared if not the investigator will not feel the spirit as well.
I am short on time but I want to invite all of you to Read the book of Jhon. It was amazing to read all of the testimonies about our Savior. I then invite you to share it with someone member or non member because as member misionarie we need to invite all to Christ and that means inviting people that are already living the gospel. Todays active members who do not feel loved or do not understand are tomorrows less actives.
We also had a really great confrence with President Smith yesterday. We talked alot about what the Apostles shared with all of the mission Presidents in the last training. It was kinda of cool I was looking on lds.org and had seen the report so I had a little head start but he held the confrence with this format and it was amazing
The first part is prepare. He asked us all to read the book of Jhon before the confrence and think about what we learned and how we are going to apply it to our misisons.
Then in the conference it was basically an hour of passing the microphone around and sharing what we learned. The idea is we need to be come prepared so we can interact.
Towards the end. President smith changed the questions because everyone was just sharing what they learned, but asked us to share not just what we learned but how we were going to change to because of this new information.
The conference went from amazing to really amazing because it was a lot more applicable. he also told to not just listen to the words but try and listen to what the spirit was telling us not to write only what the misisonareis said but thoughts we had.
For example I wrote something like this I need to make sure I do everything the lord expects of me today so I can feel the gratitude of being obedient tomorrow.
It was really great. he explained that all of our studies should be like this and if they are not we need to repent, because if we are only studying to study and not looking for ways to apply it or if we are not really preparing for our lessons we will only have a good lesson and not a lesson with the spirit. He also talked about the importance of how we need to leave things every lesson and make sure they are doing the reading assignments so they come prepared if not the investigator will not feel the spirit as well.
I am short on time but I want to invite all of you to Read the book of Jhon. It was amazing to read all of the testimonies about our Savior. I then invite you to share it with someone member or non member because as member misionarie we need to invite all to Christ and that means inviting people that are already living the gospel. Todays active members who do not feel loved or do not understand are tomorrows less actives.
lunes, 1 de junio de 2015
What would you give for what you want?
This week has been really good. Young is a really small town. It is a lot of older people and a lot of the members are related in someway. For example one member has a picture with 5 generations she is 77 and had 16 kids, and I forgot all of the other numbers of grand kids, great grand kids, and great great grand kids.
I think I have written a lot about desires but this week has been intresting to reflect. I usually like it when people sincerly tell us they do not have intrest in our message because then we just do not go back, we do not waste there time, and we do not waste our time. This situation has happened a lot on my mission. Sadly here this has been the time where I have probably been rejected the most, and not just from people on the street but members who just really do not have desires to comeback. I am can really visulize the profets when they said they were in anguish to see the hardening of the hearts of the people.
This last week we have had a lots of lessons on desires and it is intresting we go to famlilies and have great lessons and they say they want to have eternal life, and we share the story of King Lamoni and how he was willing to give up everything, they agree and then....nothing happens....at least for now. It has been intresting to see how we can give all we can and sometimes things just do not work out, or the things we take for granted is something that someone here is fighting to accomplish their life long dream.
In the end I have decided our desires can be so strong, but if we do not have the faith to change we will not get results. I like to think of the slogan or motto about the stupidity of expecting diffrent results by doing the same thing. .
If you have time to goot he the index of the book of mormon and read the about conversion. It being converted really means that we need to have desires but most of all giving all we can to achieve our desires or for me the eternal life.
It is amazing to see at the end of the mision I am more converted then I probably ever have been in my life, yet I know conversion only will grow each day. I think back a few years before the mission and just remembering if I could even really just say I knew god exists like some people had told me. I would have been happy, or thinking of some of my goals. I never obtained it then....because I never really wanted it, not bad enough to fight for it. I really believe a lot of times we are content but we to stive to obtain our testimony, and anything else we want. I want to invite all of you to evauluate your conversion then ask do you really have the conversion that you have always wanted, or are you just content?
I would like to conclude there is a diffrence between wanting everything our father in heaven has given us, and just being selfish. For example I can want and want to have 100 baptisms or some crazy mission stories out of my mission that and ask why did I not have an experince like so and so, but in Alma 29 I have learned even though we should always be looking for the best we have to be balanced and be grateful for the blessings that we have.
My Desires is to finish this next 2 months the best I can and give it all I can be the convert I want my converts to be.
What is your desires, and what would you be willing to do to achieve them?
I promise when we like King Lamoni and really act on our desires we will recieve our reward. I love the irony of how he is willing to give up his whole kindgdom, when all he has to do is pray to know. To me shows that some times are answers are much more simplier than we think, but after how immediatly after Ammon finishes talking, he goes, acts, and prays.
I think I have written a lot about desires but this week has been intresting to reflect. I usually like it when people sincerly tell us they do not have intrest in our message because then we just do not go back, we do not waste there time, and we do not waste our time. This situation has happened a lot on my mission. Sadly here this has been the time where I have probably been rejected the most, and not just from people on the street but members who just really do not have desires to comeback. I am can really visulize the profets when they said they were in anguish to see the hardening of the hearts of the people.
This last week we have had a lots of lessons on desires and it is intresting we go to famlilies and have great lessons and they say they want to have eternal life, and we share the story of King Lamoni and how he was willing to give up everything, they agree and then....nothing happens....at least for now. It has been intresting to see how we can give all we can and sometimes things just do not work out, or the things we take for granted is something that someone here is fighting to accomplish their life long dream.
In the end I have decided our desires can be so strong, but if we do not have the faith to change we will not get results. I like to think of the slogan or motto about the stupidity of expecting diffrent results by doing the same thing. .
If you have time to goot he the index of the book of mormon and read the about conversion. It being converted really means that we need to have desires but most of all giving all we can to achieve our desires or for me the eternal life.
It is amazing to see at the end of the mision I am more converted then I probably ever have been in my life, yet I know conversion only will grow each day. I think back a few years before the mission and just remembering if I could even really just say I knew god exists like some people had told me. I would have been happy, or thinking of some of my goals. I never obtained it then....because I never really wanted it, not bad enough to fight for it. I really believe a lot of times we are content but we to stive to obtain our testimony, and anything else we want. I want to invite all of you to evauluate your conversion then ask do you really have the conversion that you have always wanted, or are you just content?
I would like to conclude there is a diffrence between wanting everything our father in heaven has given us, and just being selfish. For example I can want and want to have 100 baptisms or some crazy mission stories out of my mission that and ask why did I not have an experince like so and so, but in Alma 29 I have learned even though we should always be looking for the best we have to be balanced and be grateful for the blessings that we have.
My Desires is to finish this next 2 months the best I can and give it all I can be the convert I want my converts to be.
What is your desires, and what would you be willing to do to achieve them?
I promise when we like King Lamoni and really act on our desires we will recieve our reward. I love the irony of how he is willing to give up his whole kindgdom, when all he has to do is pray to know. To me shows that some times are answers are much more simplier than we think, but after how immediatly after Ammon finishes talking, he goes, acts, and prays.
martes, 19 de mayo de 2015
Its Black and White
This week has been really calm. We found a new investigator and have just continuted teaching the same people who are progressing. This week was the best week we had in the church and there were several peple missing that usually come every week due to random things.
One of the big things I have been applying this week is basing truths and confirming them by comparing to them by their oppsites. This has been an idea Elder Robins of the 70 talked about on during the most recent brodcast to the youth. He saws that if we are looking for fireflies we could possibly find them in the middle of the day but they would be really hard to see, at night when they are in a dark background they are a lot easier to spot. He compared this to faith. for example we can belive god is god of order and if we do not believe this when we believe he his a god of disorder. We can believe the family can be happy and last for the eterneties or we can believe in death do us part and families are just problems. He used this principle to explain that a lt of people who say they do not have much faith have a lot more faith then they might realize. This has been crucial in helping people comeback.
I have also compared it to many other thigns for example I am a lot more grateful for things. When things are going bad we can usually imagine a worse situation and everything seems to be great. after. Obedience. We can be selective or obey with exactness. Once we compare the blessings or put aside our justifications it is a lot easier to see the way.
We can also apply this to goals if we do not plan we can not evaluate but once we put our goals with what we accomplished we can clearly see where we need to go. In the words of President Smith
See it
Own it
Solve it
Do it.
In the end choosing to follow Christ is black or white you do or do not. Todays world thrives no living in the gray zone or justifiying there actions. So many people today are just conforming to what is going on. I am not saying that living in the world is easy or saying to go and be an extremist, but we need to choose where we want to be, be there and make sure we are acting in accordance with what we believe.
I am really sad to be leaving Rivera this week. But it amazing to see the changes and the changes that will be coming this next change for the ward I wish I could be there but I will be going to another area and will be traveling a lot each week. I will be part of the stake Paysandu but I will be living in another department Rio Negro in a city called Young.
One of the big things I have been applying this week is basing truths and confirming them by comparing to them by their oppsites. This has been an idea Elder Robins of the 70 talked about on during the most recent brodcast to the youth. He saws that if we are looking for fireflies we could possibly find them in the middle of the day but they would be really hard to see, at night when they are in a dark background they are a lot easier to spot. He compared this to faith. for example we can belive god is god of order and if we do not believe this when we believe he his a god of disorder. We can believe the family can be happy and last for the eterneties or we can believe in death do us part and families are just problems. He used this principle to explain that a lt of people who say they do not have much faith have a lot more faith then they might realize. This has been crucial in helping people comeback.
I have also compared it to many other thigns for example I am a lot more grateful for things. When things are going bad we can usually imagine a worse situation and everything seems to be great. after. Obedience. We can be selective or obey with exactness. Once we compare the blessings or put aside our justifications it is a lot easier to see the way.
We can also apply this to goals if we do not plan we can not evaluate but once we put our goals with what we accomplished we can clearly see where we need to go. In the words of President Smith
See it
Own it
Solve it
Do it.
In the end choosing to follow Christ is black or white you do or do not. Todays world thrives no living in the gray zone or justifiying there actions. So many people today are just conforming to what is going on. I am not saying that living in the world is easy or saying to go and be an extremist, but we need to choose where we want to be, be there and make sure we are acting in accordance with what we believe.
I am really sad to be leaving Rivera this week. But it amazing to see the changes and the changes that will be coming this next change for the ward I wish I could be there but I will be going to another area and will be traveling a lot each week. I will be part of the stake Paysandu but I will be living in another department Rio Negro in a city called Young.
jueves, 16 de abril de 2015
Great Video about Change
Change is really intresting. I do not have much more time but I wanted to share this videol Throughout my mission it has been really amazing to see not only how others I have seen change from recieving the gospel and really understanding, and applying it but seeing the change in my life.
Just want to Share this video with everyone about a gangbanger that changed his life to be a good man.
http://www.mormonchannel.org/watch/series/his-grace/from-gang-member-to-good-man
Just want to Share this video with everyone about a gangbanger that changed his life to be a good man.
http://www.mormonchannel.org/watch/series/his-grace/from-gang-member-to-good-man
lunes, 13 de abril de 2015
True Christianity
. I was just thinking what would the world be like if everyone lived what they believe. For a while i thought basically everyone lives the 10 commandments but after watching this video it really made me think what would the world be like if everyone really lived just these 10 commandments.
10 Commandments Video
I have decided we can not chagne society, but we can change what we do and we as latter saints really can live our beliefs and we may have friends that really do not want to be part of our church but we should encourage them to live there beliefs. For example we talk to many evangelicals and some are really great and others just using it as a label. I will be honest I feel we can find these people in our church as well but it should not be it. I have seen things where ward members here go out and do things openly that is not in accordance to the gospel, but then want us to teach there future spouse or friend. These people have a wrong idea waht is a mormon because their mormon friends are using their fatih as a title.
I loved in confrence when the general authority talked about Nelson Mandela and used the story where it defined a saint as a sinner that is trying to live as perfectly as he can. I do now want to say I am perfect or ever will be, but if we all try and be true chistians, and true members of the church of Jesues Christ of latter day Saints we will see changes even amongst the polar oppsite beliefs of the world.
This video was on during confrence in the world report, but I have been thinking a lot about true christianity. It is really intresting I have talked a lot about multifaith events, and the faithcounts from the church and respecting everyone
True Christianity
10 Commandments Video
I have decided we can not chagne society, but we can change what we do and we as latter saints really can live our beliefs and we may have friends that really do not want to be part of our church but we should encourage them to live there beliefs. For example we talk to many evangelicals and some are really great and others just using it as a label. I will be honest I feel we can find these people in our church as well but it should not be it. I have seen things where ward members here go out and do things openly that is not in accordance to the gospel, but then want us to teach there future spouse or friend. These people have a wrong idea waht is a mormon because their mormon friends are using their fatih as a title.
I loved in confrence when the general authority talked about Nelson Mandela and used the story where it defined a saint as a sinner that is trying to live as perfectly as he can. I do now want to say I am perfect or ever will be, but if we all try and be true chistians, and true members of the church of Jesues Christ of latter day Saints we will see changes even amongst the polar oppsite beliefs of the world.
This video was on during confrence in the world report, but I have been thinking a lot about true christianity. It is really intresting I have talked a lot about multifaith events, and the faithcounts from the church and respecting everyone
True Christianity
martes, 7 de abril de 2015
Our Eternal Potential and Missionary Work
This week has been a week of many challanges on the mission but we have had many success as well including my first baptism, and find another person that has accepted to be baptized at the end of this month. However one of the things that really recharged my spirtual batteries was general confrence this week. I have never had a confrence session go by so fast and through out the week. Will be posting more of what is going on in my mission as well as more thoughts about this sessions general confrence.
Lately I have been thinking a lot about our potential. It is amazing how some days I can wake up and feel like I can do almost anything and other days being a victim of realism. Elder Uchtdorf had a great talk about Grace and how not only the atonement is to make us innocent before Christ but to progress and become like him.
Before going on if you have not listend to the talk by Elder Rafeal Pino and Gods Plan and Our Potential I would watch it. One of the struggles I have is when reading the scriptures is that we are like the dust of the earth, yet we are children of God and his most beloved creations, or sometimes reading that with faith in him we can move mountains. I have come to the conclusion that we are as members of the Church of Jesues Christ of Latter day Saints are lucky to have the restored gospel. As we have been studying the gathering of Israel we really are a people of covenants, and i like how he says first got taught us the plan then gave us covenants to keep, and how really that is where are potential comes from. He has a plan and we may not know understand all of it but by following his plan we really can accomplish anything. I liked the part where he said the ¨¨lord knows what he wants and we do not have the right to council him. Why should we, we should be asking him what he wants and how to achieve it. Many do not realize but the church between the sessions gives the world report and shows great things such as church news, or faith counts and mormon messages. One of the mormon messages I have never seen is below and I really liked how it shows us just sometimes the simplest things that are holding us back from reaching our potential.
What really stood out to me in the talk of Elder Pino is the story he uses about the block of stone. Only the stonecutter knew the man was in there. Sometimes we do not really see our true potentail but God does and if we go to him in prayer, scripture study, but most importantly in faith he will help us see what we really can become. Another thing i have learned besides how truely blessed we are to have the restored gospel, but that we do not have the right to determine who should and should not see no their potential. We do this in many ways by tearing people down instead of building them up, gossip, but one thing I have learned is we do not know who is ready for the gospel. I can not say how many times when that the most unlikely people have accepted to hear our message and some to the point of accepting to be baptized. There are countless times when I may have not felt to talk to a person and my past companions have started a conversation with someone when we are on the way to an appointment and are going to be late, somtimes they are great contacts and others may not have been ready at this time but we never would have known if we did not talk to them. We can not let our first impressions determine if they are ready to hear the gospel. I want to invite all of you to think first learn your potential and I know as you reall understand the love god has for you, that you will be ready for the most unlikely moments to share the gospel and help someone understand their potential. The gospel of Jesues Christ is the plan to unlock our potential and happiness, it is also part of this plan to share the gospel.
Lately I have been thinking a lot about our potential. It is amazing how some days I can wake up and feel like I can do almost anything and other days being a victim of realism. Elder Uchtdorf had a great talk about Grace and how not only the atonement is to make us innocent before Christ but to progress and become like him.
Before going on if you have not listend to the talk by Elder Rafeal Pino and Gods Plan and Our Potential I would watch it. One of the struggles I have is when reading the scriptures is that we are like the dust of the earth, yet we are children of God and his most beloved creations, or sometimes reading that with faith in him we can move mountains. I have come to the conclusion that we are as members of the Church of Jesues Christ of Latter day Saints are lucky to have the restored gospel. As we have been studying the gathering of Israel we really are a people of covenants, and i like how he says first got taught us the plan then gave us covenants to keep, and how really that is where are potential comes from. He has a plan and we may not know understand all of it but by following his plan we really can accomplish anything. I liked the part where he said the ¨¨lord knows what he wants and we do not have the right to council him. Why should we, we should be asking him what he wants and how to achieve it. Many do not realize but the church between the sessions gives the world report and shows great things such as church news, or faith counts and mormon messages. One of the mormon messages I have never seen is below and I really liked how it shows us just sometimes the simplest things that are holding us back from reaching our potential.
What really stood out to me in the talk of Elder Pino is the story he uses about the block of stone. Only the stonecutter knew the man was in there. Sometimes we do not really see our true potentail but God does and if we go to him in prayer, scripture study, but most importantly in faith he will help us see what we really can become. Another thing i have learned besides how truely blessed we are to have the restored gospel, but that we do not have the right to determine who should and should not see no their potential. We do this in many ways by tearing people down instead of building them up, gossip, but one thing I have learned is we do not know who is ready for the gospel. I can not say how many times when that the most unlikely people have accepted to hear our message and some to the point of accepting to be baptized. There are countless times when I may have not felt to talk to a person and my past companions have started a conversation with someone when we are on the way to an appointment and are going to be late, somtimes they are great contacts and others may not have been ready at this time but we never would have known if we did not talk to them. We can not let our first impressions determine if they are ready to hear the gospel. I want to invite all of you to think first learn your potential and I know as you reall understand the love god has for you, that you will be ready for the most unlikely moments to share the gospel and help someone understand their potential. The gospel of Jesues Christ is the plan to unlock our potential and happiness, it is also part of this plan to share the gospel.
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