Who We Teach and Why

 In this post you are not just going to find pictures that look like we are having tons of fun but a family that was really fun.  The family below is a family that were recent converts when I got to the area. They are one of the strongest famlies I have seen in the gospel. 

Hermana Otonelli is a recent convert, She was found by missionaries knocking doors. The missionaries past her house several times and were about to give up on her when she let them in and they found her and her three daughters two which are twins and the other in the picture below in the purple sweater. The one in the pink is actually thier cousin. Anyway with time they all accpted the invitation to be baptized including her husband who was sadly out of town when we took picures.

They are very faithful, and you can see that the gospel has changed their life. I don´t believe they had tons of problems before they were baptized becasue they are an amazing family but you can tell they went from content to a joy beyond all measure.  Hermana Otoneli reguarly gave us amazing food, but also would leave with us and has given us many refrences of her huge family that at the point when I left were just starting to meet with the missionaries.

One really cool thing, that Elder Call and Elder Muller did while teaching them was give them the challange of Elder Ballard and invite a friend or make a new friend and invite them to meet with the missionareis every three months. Every member in this family has beein doing that. I really liked how Elder Call explained it to them. That they willl have a new friend in the gospel or they will just have a new friend. Currently they are working with there family members and as you can see their cousin is enjoying the time with us just as much as we are enjoying the time with them.

 

Through the mission we have the oppertunity to talk to many wonderful people, and famlies like the family Otonelli. In some cases like them we have seen content families obtain more happiness, and some families who have had hard times come to this truth. In the end yes what we teach is important because the message of God and it is true, but just as important is the message is they why. We are teaching our brothers and sisters and so they can enjoy of the same blessings that we recieve. We are not teaching just to have more members in our church we are teaching and helping our brothers and sisters. If everyone in the world thought this way the world would be a whole diffrent place.

In the end I just had to put this picture of another family we taught in Dolores they are not members but are on the road to be members the last I heard they were progressing and I am hoping within the next few weeks they will be baptized. Best part is the little girl Mataina already told us she believes the Book of Mormon is true. Looking over this post the words can´t even describe the moments I spent with these famlies, and just seeing how the gospel can make a family happier even if they already thought they were happy.

In the end I invite you all to take on Elder Ballards challange and in the next three months find a friend you already have or make a new one and in 3 months the worst thing that can happen is you will have a new friend, but even better you will have a new friend that is enjoying the gospel.