Ups and Downs (Not Just Geographically)‏

Another crazy week. We've been climbing lots of hills to get to know this sector, and little by little we're finding people to teach. It's not too hard to find less-active to teach, because there are lots here. We just need a good focus, more than anything. We've met lots of people, but we just don't know who's going to progress yet.

More than anything I've realized that we just need to focus on letting the Spirit guide us. I had to go to Quito this week for a meeting where they train many of the leaders in the mission, and while we were there, someone asked President, "Of all the things I have to do as a leader, what's most important?" And he simply replied, "You just need to follow the Spirit." Now, that's not always the easiest thing to do, honestly! But I learned a few things about that this week.

In another meeting we had, one of my zone leaders said, "Sometimes the Spirit just tells you to do CRAZY things, and you don't know why." I think it was later that same day when our appointments fell through and we didn't know what to do. So, I suggested we pray. We prayed, and I always wait for a moment after the prayer to see if I feel anything, and a name came to mind, the Morales family. Now, I don't always trust my own thoughts! I often ask myself, are they my thoughts or is that an idea from the Spirit? We had an appointment with that family the next day anyways, why would we need to visit them now? So I said, let's go over here instead to find someone else, a recent convert we wanted to get to know. Well, that person...wasn't there. So I was like, fine, we'll pray again. We prayed again and after waiting for a moment the same family came to mind once again. I also remembered what that zone leader said. And if there's anything that's helped me understand the Spirit in these past few months, it's the scripture in John 14:26, which explains that the Spirit will bring things to our remembrance. So I decided to go to that family. We did find them there, and could teach a good lesson! I do feel like it was a spiritual prompting, now. But it's so hard to distinguish them!

We also had a kind of weird experience this week with an investigator. This investigator, I don't know how, just has the strangest idea in his head that Christ isn't the Son of God. He believes in God, but not in Christ. What's stranger is that he believes in the Bible. He must not have read it much because it exists to testify that Christ is the Son of God, that He really was divine.

At the same time, I realized that we need to help him read the Book of Mormon. Is great as the Bible is, it doesn't give us the complete understanding of Christ and His purpose the way the Book of Mormon does. That's why it's so important!

I personally received my testimony of Christ through the Book of Mormon. Here are some passages in Alma 34 that I like:

 8 And now, behold, I will testify unto you of myself that these things are true. Behold, I say unto you, that I do know that Christ shall come among the children of men, to take upon him the transgressions of his people, and that he shall atone for the sins of the world; for the Lord God hath spoken it.

 9 For it is expedient that an atonement should be made; for according to the great plan of the Eternal God there must be an atonement made, or else all mankind must unavoidably perish; yea, all are hardened; yea, all are fallen and are lost, and must perish except it be through the atonement which it is expedient should be made.

 10 For it is expedient that there should be a great and last sacrifice; yea, not a sacrifice of man, neither of beast, neither of any manner of fowl; for it shall not be a human sacrifice; but it must be an infinite and eternal sacrifice.

...

 14 And behold, this is the whole meaning of the law, every whit pointing to that great and last sacrifice; and that great and last sacrifice will be the Son of God, yea, infinite and eternal.

 15 And thus he shall bring salvation to all those who shall believe on his name; this being the intent of this last sacrifice, to bring about the bowels of mercy, which overpowereth justice, and bringeth about means unto ment hat they may have faith unto repentance.

I know that Christ lives and that He really is the Son of God! Salvation only comes through Him. I'm glad I have this opportunity to testify of Him, even if people don't always get it. :)

And well these past few days I've been pretty sick. But hey, things can only get better. See you next week!

It seems like the cows just sprout out of the mountainside here.

Eating.

In a member's house we found some souvenirs from when someone from her family had gone to the states...complete with a postcard from Pittsburgh!