Magon! Thanks for writing me! I love you and your family and have a picture of you guys from halloween tucked into my scriptures. You`re the best =)
I FORGOT MY AGENDA! So I`m going to have to try and remember everything that happened this week.... ummm. okay here we go...
Also, yes, I`m very bad at keeping y´all up to date, I did have a baptism about a month ago. I don`t remember if I already mentioned it. Joaquinn and his family are now super active! We`re just working with the dad now. But they`re awesome, they read their scriptures together and pay their tithing and are a super cute little family. Hermana Rosa is one of my favorite people in Chile. So we`re pretty stoked about that.
Monday/Lunes: We only had P-day until 3 pm because of an activity that was going to be taking place later in the week (hehe) so, we bought our stuff, ran to the house and slept for about half an hour before we had to get out the door and get working. It was a pretty cool day, we found some people who are in need of the gospel, which was neat. Me and my companion are working ALOT on bettering our teaching skills and being guided by the spirit, so we had a really cool lesson with an evangelical lady. I don`t really remember what religious people are like in the USA, but evangelicals here are very.... not worried at all about truth, or authority or things make sense in general. If they feel good they go along with it, and it doesn`t matter if it makes sense or had a doctrinal significance. "God loves us, and we have got to BELIEVE! Just BELIEVEEEE!" But we`re having a fun time teaching truth and calling out all the false doctrines.
Tuesday/Martes: We had district meeting and it was just okay. Elder Gray is my district leader, which is kind of funny because he was in my district in the CCM in Mexico. We had a good time there, but I don`t remember much of what we did as far as working. I am sure that I am working, I just don`t remember many details.
Wednesday/Miércoles: Kind of a cruddy day, to be honest. In Chile every four years they hold a census. That`s okay. The cruddy part is that it`s a national shut down. You are required under law to stay in your house all day so that they can cense you, and we weren´t allowed to leave til the evening. We spent the time deep cleaning our house, and it looks super good now. I testify that a good deep clean brings the spirit in abundance. If you`re looking to have a clear mind and focus, clean your room, your house, your apartment. It makes a BIG difference. At 8 o´clock we went to a members house to watch a broadcast by President Russel M Nelson which was especially for South America. His wife, who spoke before him, told an AWESOME story. After several years and the death of a great friend, she felt inspired to clean her gerage, which was full of boxes contianing years and years of medical papers, all in all over 100 boxes. After four entire weeks she had it all organized and beautiful, but states that her weekly temple attendance had been interupted during that time. She justified and excused herself til she finally finished her project, and eagerly went to the temple to feel the spirit once more. However, when she got into the temple, the first and only thought or revelation she recieved was a dissipointed reprimand. "We`re not very pleased with your priorities of late." She also meditated on the words weighter matters. She was very confused and unhappy with the revelation she recieved. Shouldn`t heavenly father be happy with all the work she had acomplished? Couldn´t he see how spotless her garage was now? After a few weeks of bitterness, she decided to look in the scriptures for the phrase "weighter matters". She discovered the scripture Matthew 23:23 (go and read it). She afterward testified and explained that we must always be engaged en making the choice between the good things and the best things in our lives. The world will ALWAYS look for reasons to justify. My case is special. Heavenly Father understands me. But our vision will always be clearer and our journey much less complicated when we focus on the weighter matters.
Maybe we don`t know why the church and the leaders have decided to impliment this policy or that program. It may simply not make sense to us. But are we going to abandon EVERYTHING we know over one small question? Are we going to doubt the truth of the restoration, the need for priesthood power and the wonder of the book of Mormon all because we disagree on personal matters of no importance? I trust Thomas S Monson. I know he was called of God. I know he`s just a man. And I know he comunicates with God to reveal to us the weighter matters of our day. I hope we can all take a deep breath and remember what really matters.
Gonna skip to Friday/viernes: We had an amazing confernce with Russel M Nelson who came to visit our mission and the Concepción North Mission. I got the opportunity to shake his hand and the hands of other general authorities. He spoke mostly about the wonder and glory that the Book of Mormon is. It teaches things no other church or religion can teach, because it`s true. He promised us, in an apostolic blessing, the health and well being of our families while we are in the lords service. I hope you guys and look for and feel those mighty blessings. He spoke of a number of incredible and important things, and so did his wife. She`s become one of my favorite "not general authority" church speakers. She asked us to remember our companions who are cheering us on from the other side of the veil. They are literally with us when we teach and talk with everyone, cheering us on and helping us know what to say. There are also people on the other side cheering on the investigator. They have alreay met with the missionarys. They too need and want to be baptized, and their only hope for now is that this person, their decendent, can accept what we`re telling them and eventually be baptized for their ansestor. It was a very cool, beautiful concept. I know my grandparents who have gone on accompany me and help prepare the way for my work. It was amazing and a huge spiritual boost.
Those were the highlights of the week. But I hope you all have a great week and can make time to read in your books of Mormon. Wuv de Chile!
Sister Ashlee Bowling
♥ from Chile!
No comments:
Post a Comment