Another great week in San Nicolas.
We started teaching a man named Roy a few weeks ago, and this week we set a baptismal date with him. AND he came to church. Its been a while since we had people in church and i have been meditating a lot on it and i think it was just a lack of Bold invitations to repent and follow Gods commandments. Something that i have realized i have never done so well on in my mission. I am still striving more and more to know and have the spirit with us while we teach. Seeking after it so that what we say strikes that familiar chord for them. One person specifically is Anamilena. She is from Colombia and has a 19 year old son who is autistic. We have no idea what to do... She has loved us coming over and mentioned how much she just loves what she feels while we're there. the last contact we made in our finding time a few weeks ago. But her son is getting into an age where the doctors say is hardest for him. They don't really have the facilities here to work with him and so he sits locked up in their house all day. She can't make it out for church. We called her to ask if she could come and i could hear in the background that he was slamming the door over and over. She very flustered answered the phone and quickly hung up. We just really don't quite know what to do. She really wants to come to church because she says she knows she will have a greater peace in her life but she just cannot leave her son with her husband. He also loves what we share and has read a quarter of the Book of Mormon and reads it daily, and so its either one comes and the other stays or they just don't come and its too difficult these days to just have one stay.
I want so badly for them to find a way to come to church a way to better care for him because their interest level is so high. Its just very hard.
Other that that wonderful family we have many other people that we are finding and mainly trying to get them to church.
I am so grateful for all the experiences we have had as missionaries and members of the church. President Buckley is very nervous about Branch conference and it is pretty funny. =) President Martineau and the new president will both be down here and so President Buckley is trying hard to get as many people to come as possible. He says he's losing sleep over it.
Reading about Natalee, was hard. I can't believe she's made it so far. What a trooper. Again the reality of the plan of salvation gives me joy in moments of pain and sadness. Knowing that there is a plan. We taught Keith and Anamilena this week about the plan of salvation and as we got to the end teaching about the Kingdoms. She said. Wait wait wait. So fitzgerald (their son) tendra la misma carita que tiene ahora? y viviremos juntos tambien? as we answered her questions she looked at her husband and tears rolled down her face. It was a moment of complete hope for her. Something that she mentioned no other church had ever shared. She has accepted all in her house looking for answers and has never found them. She received more than she expected by letting us into her house that one rainy day. What a wonderful blessing the plan of salvation is.
There was a senior couple here in our mission that the Wife was having medical problems and while elder Bednar was here for a conference she asked him for a blessing. He asked her before he blessed her. "do you have the faith not to be healed?" somewhat perplexed by the question then after understanding what he meant she accepted.
I loved this last general conference message by Dallin H Oaks. "Our family's faith is in Jesus Christ and is not dependent on outcomes."
What a great statement.
I know Jesus Christ Lives!
May 17, 2010
fotonan
So this week has been great. We are teaching some really good people but honestly the hardest thing is just getting them to come to church. I want so badly to see this chapel be filled and for the members to love coming to church. After watching Pioneers of Africa. i wish all new members could have an experience like that. It is just a wonderful blessing to have the restored gospel and i absolutely love sharing it. That God has spoken again to us! HE HAS I KNOW IT!!! i love teaching them that God has given us the answers to the questions people have had for centuries. and they aren't some oddly fitting answer but instead they MAKE SENSE. They truly do make sense and bring peace to our souls. It is so simply complex. Plan for everything. Watching our health watching out for the welfare of other people or as we believe and say Brothers and Sisters! How marvelous the plan of God. We go to church to be strengthened and to learn there is not a single person that cannot learn something in church. as Spencer W Kimball Stated (paraphrased) If you go to a testimony meeting and do not feel a well needed spiritual lifting there is quite the problem with you!.. that is so true. There is room and if everyone is wanting God the Divine teacher will send the holy ghost to teach you not mattering what words are coming out of the teachers mouth beit a member with 30 years in the church or 30 days bearing their heartfelt testimony in a class We can receive divine revelation wherever it be. I LOVE SHARING THAT. I love sharing that a 14 year old boy had a grand experience as he went unto God seeking for that same divine teaching. From his grand experience God has given us today more of the words of life to bring peace a relief to the weary soul. He will lift the hands that hang helplessly down.
How AMAZING it is to be part of this wonderful work. There are not enough positive words in my vocabulary to express how much i truly love this Gospel. Nor how pleased i am for the opportunity God has given me to serve him and study of his Son Jesus Christ.
God Speed.
So this week has been great. We are teaching some really good people but honestly the hardest thing is just getting them to come to church. I want so badly to see this chapel be filled and for the members to love coming to church. After watching Pioneers of Africa. i wish all new members could have an experience like that. It is just a wonderful blessing to have the restored gospel and i absolutely love sharing it. That God has spoken again to us! HE HAS I KNOW IT!!! i love teaching them that God has given us the answers to the questions people have had for centuries. and they aren't some oddly fitting answer but instead they MAKE SENSE. They truly do make sense and bring peace to our souls. It is so simply complex. Plan for everything. Watching our health watching out for the welfare of other people or as we believe and say Brothers and Sisters! How marvelous the plan of God. We go to church to be strengthened and to learn there is not a single person that cannot learn something in church. as Spencer W Kimball Stated (paraphrased) If you go to a testimony meeting and do not feel a well needed spiritual lifting there is quite the problem with you!.. that is so true. There is room and if everyone is wanting God the Divine teacher will send the holy ghost to teach you not mattering what words are coming out of the teachers mouth beit a member with 30 years in the church or 30 days bearing their heartfelt testimony in a class We can receive divine revelation wherever it be. I LOVE SHARING THAT. I love sharing that a 14 year old boy had a grand experience as he went unto God seeking for that same divine teaching. From his grand experience God has given us today more of the words of life to bring peace a relief to the weary soul. He will lift the hands that hang helplessly down.
How AMAZING it is to be part of this wonderful work. There are not enough positive words in my vocabulary to express how much i truly love this Gospel. Nor how pleased i am for the opportunity God has given me to serve him and study of his Son Jesus Christ.
God Speed.
May 10, 2010
Elder Ellis did send a letter after all but he sent it to the wrong address. So here it is:
Well this week.
I got a new companion. Said goodbye to my old companion spent two days waiting for my new companion to come. and yeah many other things.
This morning while studying i learned a little bit about analyzing my mission. The past and what the problems are. My companion and i looked at the numbers from last transfer. Something that i have rarely done so far. I learned a whole lot though! a Whole lot. We just kept beating the same dead horse it looks like. or at least thats what my new companion thought. We got new investigators but we just never had anyone progressing never had anyone come to church. So this morning looking over all that he said well if we dont have anyone coming to church we need to find people that will come to church we need to find people that will obey the lord commandments. That is so true.
This week i spent the two days without a companion with Elder Roggeman and Elder Maxwell. I was able to observe them. Watch and think about what was in their heads. Elder maxwell was trying to teach them everything they need to know. Elder roggeman got frustrated that elder maxwell was teaching so much and so then just sat there without wanting to say anything. and elder maxwell would just continue on and keep teaching. now personally i think that form of teaching is not effective at all. Not to mention they werent really listening to the people they were teaching they were both focusing too much on either what they wanted to share or what the other was sharing. that they forgot the importance of observing one another. Watching this i learned and reflected on past transfers with other missionaries. seeing that i have done the same things at times. and really learned a lot about people. and mainly realized again recieved an added testimony of the importance of the holy ghost. What a vital tool that we dont use/ This week i was also studying the Book of Mormon and really feel like there are many missionaries that really are the condemnation of not using the Book like were the early missionaries of the Church. That is why president invited us to read it again. because he felt we needed to use it more. I have been studying to do just that. Better use the book in our teaching. How great a tool. It explains so clearly the apostasy and the restoration of the gospel. We use the bible way too much as missionaries thinking tht if we dont show them from the bible they wont believe it. So untrue. There is nothing to bring the spirit stronger than show them Revealed truth. I hope to use it better this week and for the rest of my mission!
I Love you all! Hope you have a good week!
Well this week.
I got a new companion. Said goodbye to my old companion spent two days waiting for my new companion to come. and yeah many other things.
This morning while studying i learned a little bit about analyzing my mission. The past and what the problems are. My companion and i looked at the numbers from last transfer. Something that i have rarely done so far. I learned a whole lot though! a Whole lot. We just kept beating the same dead horse it looks like. or at least thats what my new companion thought. We got new investigators but we just never had anyone progressing never had anyone come to church. So this morning looking over all that he said well if we dont have anyone coming to church we need to find people that will come to church we need to find people that will obey the lord commandments. That is so true.
This week i spent the two days without a companion with Elder Roggeman and Elder Maxwell. I was able to observe them. Watch and think about what was in their heads. Elder maxwell was trying to teach them everything they need to know. Elder roggeman got frustrated that elder maxwell was teaching so much and so then just sat there without wanting to say anything. and elder maxwell would just continue on and keep teaching. now personally i think that form of teaching is not effective at all. Not to mention they werent really listening to the people they were teaching they were both focusing too much on either what they wanted to share or what the other was sharing. that they forgot the importance of observing one another. Watching this i learned and reflected on past transfers with other missionaries. seeing that i have done the same things at times. and really learned a lot about people. and mainly realized again recieved an added testimony of the importance of the holy ghost. What a vital tool that we dont use/ This week i was also studying the Book of Mormon and really feel like there are many missionaries that really are the condemnation of not using the Book like were the early missionaries of the Church. That is why president invited us to read it again. because he felt we needed to use it more. I have been studying to do just that. Better use the book in our teaching. How great a tool. It explains so clearly the apostasy and the restoration of the gospel. We use the bible way too much as missionaries thinking tht if we dont show them from the bible they wont believe it. So untrue. There is nothing to bring the spirit stronger than show them Revealed truth. I hope to use it better this week and for the rest of my mission!
I Love you all! Hope you have a good week!
May 10, 2010
No letter from Elder Ellis today as I suppose he talked it all out yesterday in his telephone call home. He is doing "Amazing" and working very hard. He really enjoys his companion as they are working hard together. He enjoys working with the Branch President in his area and he is committed to learning as much Dutch as he possibly can during the rest of his mission in Aruba. There are 35 members attending the Branch and the hardest thing is keeping them coming but those who do come are working very closely with them.
He is looking forward to joining the Dominican Republic Mission and seeing President and Sister Harris of the Dominican Republic Temple as he nears the end of his missionary work.
We look forward to receiving another letter next week.
He is looking forward to joining the Dominican Republic Mission and seeing President and Sister Harris of the Dominican Republic Temple as he nears the end of his missionary work.
We look forward to receiving another letter next week.
May 3, 2010
SO....
hmmmm
This week alot like last week we didn't get our contacts like presidnet has asked us but we taught many lessons and this week especially we were almost more in service clothes than in proselyting clothes. It was awesome! I loved working hard and sweating and getting dirty. After being in clean nicley pressed clothes all the time it feels good to spend a day getting way dirty. Then there was a lady we found. AWESOME named Elma she loved the first lesson and we are excited to go back this week... she had a few beams outside of her house 3 big ones that were about 300 pounds or so. and then about 30 smaller ones that were about 80 lbs around there. my arms are still sore. It was a great service project though. She told us not to till next week, but we did anyway and got it done and she was very grateful. President buckley had someone for us to go help. She had about 3 feet of vines and weeds and we started with weed wackers but it made it like confetti. then i just started taking armfuls of it getting way way dirty but it was so much faster. picking it up and just throwing it into the back of the pickup. my face was all brown and so were my arms. and we got way burnt that day. then after that we went and cut another members yard. then we went and cleaned up the church with the Priesthood. (my companion and me, president buckley and ivan.) cut down all the weeds.
This week i also noticed something else. I have truly gained a testimony of Fast offerings. I know the lord blesses us with what we need if we but put our faith in him and freely impart of what we have.
in my personal study i am reading the words of Isaiah and what amazing prophecies we have from him. The christian world doesn't even touch isaiah and we believe it to be some of the most sacred scripture that we have. As it is quoted frequently in the Book of Mormon.
i can't believe this is the last week of the transfer. i'm heading into my 3rd to last transfer. and it will be shorter than normal because we have an extra week in this companionship taking a week off the beginning of the next.
Well i hope Josh is doing great. Sometimes i wish i could be with Josh to experience these things. i was praying that he might get sent to the DR that i could be his trainer here in the Island of Aruba. But the lord knows where he needs him. I don't like to see josh go after me. I want him as a roommate in BYU-I.... That would be great!
We'll see.
I got hugged by a gay man. He wouldn't stop telling me how much he loved me and hugged me three times. He's a nice guy just kind of special. well i will keep writing other things as they come to mind but thats the main chunk of this week.
hmmmm
This week alot like last week we didn't get our contacts like presidnet has asked us but we taught many lessons and this week especially we were almost more in service clothes than in proselyting clothes. It was awesome! I loved working hard and sweating and getting dirty. After being in clean nicley pressed clothes all the time it feels good to spend a day getting way dirty. Then there was a lady we found. AWESOME named Elma she loved the first lesson and we are excited to go back this week... she had a few beams outside of her house 3 big ones that were about 300 pounds or so. and then about 30 smaller ones that were about 80 lbs around there. my arms are still sore. It was a great service project though. She told us not to till next week, but we did anyway and got it done and she was very grateful. President buckley had someone for us to go help. She had about 3 feet of vines and weeds and we started with weed wackers but it made it like confetti. then i just started taking armfuls of it getting way way dirty but it was so much faster. picking it up and just throwing it into the back of the pickup. my face was all brown and so were my arms. and we got way burnt that day. then after that we went and cut another members yard. then we went and cleaned up the church with the Priesthood. (my companion and me, president buckley and ivan.) cut down all the weeds.
This week i also noticed something else. I have truly gained a testimony of Fast offerings. I know the lord blesses us with what we need if we but put our faith in him and freely impart of what we have.
in my personal study i am reading the words of Isaiah and what amazing prophecies we have from him. The christian world doesn't even touch isaiah and we believe it to be some of the most sacred scripture that we have. As it is quoted frequently in the Book of Mormon.
i can't believe this is the last week of the transfer. i'm heading into my 3rd to last transfer. and it will be shorter than normal because we have an extra week in this companionship taking a week off the beginning of the next.
Well i hope Josh is doing great. Sometimes i wish i could be with Josh to experience these things. i was praying that he might get sent to the DR that i could be his trainer here in the Island of Aruba. But the lord knows where he needs him. I don't like to see josh go after me. I want him as a roommate in BYU-I.... That would be great!
We'll see.
I got hugged by a gay man. He wouldn't stop telling me how much he loved me and hugged me three times. He's a nice guy just kind of special. well i will keep writing other things as they come to mind but thats the main chunk of this week.
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