Wow it’s pretty cool that you guys all have such strong interests, what’s Wesley up to? You guys already know what I'm up to...THE WORK OF THE ALMIGHTY GOD. Yah, a pretty cool hobby, I do enjoy it. And yes, I have started on the tape recorder, but I don’t have a ton on it yet. My cameras card is nearly full; I took a TON of photos today in the morning. We all went down to Elder Hatch's area in Canalitos and hiked a beautiful trail up to a small waterfall, it was a blast! Just now we got to internet after Pizza hut. YUM!
Goodzies and badzies
Goodzies changes come today and the conference is Wednesday. This is a good thing because if we had any more time together me and my comp might have gotten in a fight, well and that’s the bad thing. I hope we have changes. You guys already know me, I wouldn’t fight with the nastiest person but this isn’t my doing. I guess just from being an imperfect guy he hates me. He absolutely hates me. I have never said a word against the guy nor done him wrong but I guess just not being Latino is something that I can’t really fix. He’s the kind of guy that makes quick judgments, and firm ones. He’s a really funny joker with everyone else but when with me it’s but dead silence. If I so much as speak he gives me the nastiest look. I’m honestly clueless to what could have been the cause of so much hatred! I've cooked for him, cleaned for him and said great things about him to other people; the beginning of our change was great. after our days at the temple he turned a bit rebellious and started sleeping in just to bug me, and as for these supposed last days of our companionship he won't even work for himself but has become even as a shadow to me. I will tell it to you strait, if he forgave me for the wrongs I already told him I was sorry for and gave our companionship another chance it would be my dream, I honestly don’t have a thing against the guy.
Alright REAL goodzies.
Yesterday was the most successful day of my entire mission, I fasted about the work in this area and we found 12 new investigators within 2 or 3 hours. We did divisions (I have to this point never had a bad division) but with the new ward missionaries, I was with Jose Barillas and Elder Centeno went with Jenner Goddoy and Jose's bother Luis Barillas. We took off for an appointment planed, that fell leaving us to a plan B with Ruby, an extremely intelligent collage student who was a reference from some awesome members. We taught about the plan of salvation and what happens after this life is over. At the end we asked Ruby if she would pray to know if it were true and she told us that she didn’t have to, she already knew it was true. She told us that she didn’t know you could ask God questions and receive answers and said that she’s going to pray and ask God what direction she should take in her upcoming studies instead. How awesome right? Next we left for the street and Jose led me to a house of someone he knew, Ronny. We talked at the door a little bit when I asked him if he knew what the purpose of life was. When he said no, we asked "would you like to find out?" he let us in and we ended up teaching his sisters too and found 3 new people to teach.
The star highlight of my day, week and change was later. A couple days before a man stopped us in the street, Edwin Scott asking if I could speak English, and if I would be willing to pass buy and teach a bit to his kids so we accepted an appointment at 7 on Sunday. When I arrived with Jose we found his kids and their grandpa but he wasn’t home quite yet so we talked in the street teaching English when Edwin and his wife came. They straightway invited us in and we sat down to see a family of 9 people, the youngest being about 9 or 10.
Edwin
Rosa
Rosita
Jose
Andres
Luis
Grandpa
Aunt
and cousin
Jose didn’t have any idea what or how to teach so it was up to me. Edwin told us that they are Catholic (the main religion down here) but when they saw that worshiping idols was against Gods commandments they continued to worship all except for that. I could tell right away this was a humble Christ-centered family. Each one of them down to the kids had their own bible! Alright spirit time, truly guided by the one true God. I started by telling how God loves his children and knows them/us, how the gospel blesses families more than anything. I wasn’t sure if I should go strait into a lesson about the restoration but I followed the spirit and that’s where it led me. I taught the most guided spiritual perfect Lesson 1 that I have ever taught in my entire mission. When I used a scripture from the bible they all turned and were nearly fighting over who got to read it. I shared an example of the gospel that Christ taught was like a precious shining plate, that when the people rejected it and crucified Jesus (with a throwing motion) it fell and broke into many pieces or many truths, that people used to make certain churches, all with a part but none with all. Some with good intentions, some not, none with the authority of God the Priesthood. I told how God restored his gospel through Joseph Smith and about the Book of Mormon. I felt the spirit so strongly when I shared the first vision that I think I nearly cried. I knew that they felt it. In the end after the final prayer I gave them a chapter of the BoM to read 3 Nephi 11 and told them to pray in the family to know if it was true. We invited them to church next Sunday and they asked US when we could come back and share more. They are so golden I can’t believe it! They let us go with a cup of hot chocolate and sincere gratitude. When arriving in the house that night I gave mighty thanks to God for being able to be his instrument in such a grand cause! That one day we had 10 lessons (usually five) and 42 contacts, 2 contacted references and 2 new families to teach making up 12 new investigators!
Changes tonight and I got wind of them taking both me and my companion out of our area, I HOPE NOT! I doubt they would do it they really don’t have a reason to, but I guess we will see and by next week I could even be in Petén! Who knows who knows, but I really, really wish to see this family baptized.
The Spirit of God like a fire is burning in Lomas del Norte/Hills of the North, and in my own testimony. I have never known so strongly and so unshakable that Jesus is the Christ, and he has reestablished his kingdom here on the earth once again, that Joseph Smith was a true prophet of the Lord and that the Book of Mormon is the true and living word of God
You know how much I love you, please stay strong in the faith and never give up the little things. Prayer, scripture study, church and the others like tithing and fasting they work miracles and will give you the peace and happiness you might be missing in your life. If ever you feel empty, thirsty or hungry the gospel of Jesus Christ is the Living Water and the Bread of Life, and all those who partake of it shall never hunger nor thrust again. These things I say in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Elder Andrew James Bronson
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