Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Christmas

The amount of creativity my titles bear is about proportional to the time I have left in the mission.

This Christmas was fairly uneventful! We had to be in the house at 6:00. My companion taught me how to make papa de la huancayina (sp?), a Peruvian dish that was pretty good, and I attempted to make oreo truffles, which turned out horribly ugly but pretty darn delicious.

Thanks so much to everyone who signed the tie! Especially all the banders.

I called home on Thursday. My third call. I can't believe it. I've only got one left. Things go flying by. I mean, I've got plenty of time left, but shoot...it's almost 2016. Set goals! Goals help you become better than you are. But that's a sermon for another day.

This weekend we had a baptism! It was for a member whose records had gotten lost, so it was really just a formality, but it was nice nonetheless. She's a good member (her name's Ana, she's 15) and wants to serve a mission. She knows a ton about the gospel and is generally awesome. It was a kind of weird circumstance, but a blessing nonetheless.

Yesterday we went to teach her and her mom, and we didn't have much time because the last bus in that part of the sector was going to leave in about 20 minutes, so while my companion prayed to start the lesson I prayed to know what we could share, something to really help them, even though they are active members. Their dad, on the other hand, isn't super active and doesn't have a testimony, and a scripture came into my mind - D&C 123:17, which I had been studying just a few weeks earlier.

 17 Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed.

So, I shared it with them! And it turned out to be perfect - the mom shared with us how her son, Ana's brother, had been pretty rebelious for a time and didn't want anything to do with the church. It was very hard, but she tried everything she could to help him, the way a mother does. Absolutely everything. She even read the Book of Mormon to him while he slept, hoping that perhaps he'd listen. And she always left it there in the table for him, hoping that some day he'd pick it up. And one day, finally, he did! He read it, and slowly started back to church. And now he's on a mission!

It's a message for all of us. I was remembering that if we have faith in Christ we must neccessarily also have faith that anyone can change. And that little lesson was more a lesson for me, because it's something needed to remember. It's how we should work with our investigators.

The other day I was reading Elder Packer's final testimony that they put in the Liahona and it really struck me.

“After all the years that I have lived and taught and served, after the millions of miles I have traveled around the world, with all that I have experienced, there is one great truth that I would share. That is my witness of the Savior Jesus Christ. 

“Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon recorded the following after a sacred experience: “‘And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives! “‘For we saw him’ (D&C 76:22–23). 

“Their words are my words.” “How privileged I have been throughout my life to be able to bear my special witness that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. I testify in all humility, but with absolute certainty, that He is the Only Begotten of the Father. This is His Church; He presides over it and directs this work. He is our Redeemer. I know He lives, and I know Him. Of this I testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.”

I'd like to testify as well that Christ is our savior. I know he lives, I know he is at the head of this church. I learned this through the Book of Mormon and I know that anyone who reads it can receive that testimony as well. I know he is the son of God!

Hope you all have a good week!
Baptism! 


My failed oreo truffles attempt.

Papa de la huancayina
Me eating it.

Gorgeous views.


5. 

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