Week 51.... Catalina and the Power of the Atonement!!!

Elder Saune

This was a week full of intercambios, and a lunch of mission conferences. I think I spent more time out of my sector than I was in my sector. It was a good week to get to know other missionaries. I was able to work with Elder Sauñe from Peru and Elder Haynes from Florida. It was good to get to know them, and also be able to work with them. Also I was able to work and get to know Elder Callister who is a greenie from Idaho. It was fun to get to know him and help him, because he only has like 2 weeks in the mission. 

One of the coolest things that happened this week was on the intercambio with Elder Haynes. Elder Haynes and Elder Callister have this investigator who is 13 years old, she is being really stubborn about baptism. Her mom was baptized about a year ago. We went to this appointment to see where she was spiritually and to find her needs. Apparently she has been very closed off and has not been very accepting to the missionaries. So when Elder Haynes and I went in there we just started asking questions. The nice thing about coming from another sector is that you can ask any question because you don’t know anything about them. So I was able to dig into her beliefs. The whole first part of the lesson we asked questions. She ended up telling us that she doesn’t believe in God. That she just wants to do her own thing. She feels really pressured from her mom to be baptized and doesn’t want anything to do with the church. We asked her if she had seen a change in her mom. She told us that she had seen a huge change. We asked her if she would want to see that change in her own life. She said of course. Then we went on and taught about the Dad of King Lamoni. And how Aaron went in and taught him the plan of salvation. The king did not believe in God. Just like Catalina. So we started reading the scriptures with her. And every time it said "the king" we replaced it with her name "Catalina" as we read more and more, she opened up more and more to us. You could see the power of the scriptures coming to life. It started working in her and her heart was slowly softened. 

In vs 16 of chapter 22 of Alma it says:

"But Aaron said unto him: If thou desirest this thing, if thou wilt bow down before God, yea, if thou wilt repent of all thy sins, and will bow down before God, and call on his name in faith, believing that ye shall receive, then shalt thou receive the hope which thou desirest." 

Aaron asks the king to pray to know if God exists. He asks him to repent and act on his faith to know if these things are true. In that moment we asked Catalina to kneel down and pray to God and see if he existed. In that moment she sat there in silence thinking if she was going to pray. We sat there for over 2 minutes and just listened to what the spirit was saying. The spirit filled the room as we sat there in silence. She sat there and thought, we sat there and waited for her. After about three minutes she just started bawling. She ran to the bathroom. She stayed in the bathroom crying for a while. It was the first time that she had felt God in her life. She knew that God existed. It was one of the coolest experiences to see that huge change in her life. To see her receive her answer that God exists and loves each and every one of us. I learned so much from that little 13 year old girl. 

For my spiritual thought this week I wanted to bare my testimony on the power of the Atonement. The Atonement and suffering of Jesus Christ is by far the most important event ever to happen in Church History. It is amazing what the Atonement can do in our lives. I want to challenge all of you to read Mosiah 24:14-15.

It talks about how through the Atonement God can relieve us of our burdens. At times we feel weighed down by our callings, by our lives, by our mistakes, and by everything. But through the atonement we receive strength through our Savior Jesus Christ to overcome these trials. Our load will instantly become lighter as we use and focus on the Atonement of Jesus Christ. 

Week 50.... I have found my friends!!!

This week was a really good week for Elder Anderson and I, here in Los Angeles. I have been learning a ton from him and a ton from this new sector. I know God calls us to the right place at the right time, and who we are supposed to be with. I am learning so much and it has been awesome. I have honestly been super stressed out this week. I have felt a lot of pressure lately and it has kind of been tough to think positive. It was honestly a pretty down week.  I have been praying and fasting more than ever. It has really seemed to help. I feel a little stressed because the people here are very hard hearted. It is a very tough sector. We don’t really have many investigators and all the ones we do are really hard to teach, they are all too busy with their jobs. So this whole week I kind of felt sad, and let room for Satan to enter. He did a great job this week. He made me feel like I was unprepared, like I was worthless, that I didn’t know what I was doing. But as the week went on my comp and I really began to focus more on the Faith. Elder Anderson really helped me through this week. He helped me overcome the feelings of sadness, the feelings of stress. We began to have a great time. I really began to focus on the happy moments and the miracles that happen every day. 

Zone Conference

Zone Conference

One of the most spiritual things that 
happened to me this week was during our missionary Zone Conference. It was a really great conference and we learned a lot. To finish the conference, my comp and I had to give a talk about Faith and Miracles.  To get the Zone excited to work and pumped to find people, we thought it would be a good idea to bring in recent converts and have them bare their testimonies about their conversion. Let me tell you, those converts have the power to move the hearts of people. They began to tell about their life. One of the guys we brought in lived in a really dangerous area, the most dangerous area there is in Chile. His mom was a drug addict and he was living day to day. He felt very scared and felt very lost. Then one day, 2 young white boys knocked on his door. As soon as they walked in he felt the light that these young men had. His life did a complete 360. He now has been to the temple, he has been sealed to his family. He bore his testimony of how the message of the restored gospel changed his life. That just because 2 young men, who didn’t know much Spanish, who didn’t know much about the world, followed the direction of the spirit and were able to change his life. When he finished his testimony there was not a dry eye in the room... well maybe just mine were wet, but I felt the power of his testimony. We also read a story of a missionary in Utah who had a dream that he was with a friend in the pre-earth life and that he had gotten his call to come down to earth. He was called to go to Utah to a family that was righteous and he would be born in the church. His friend also got his call, but he was going to go down into awful times, his family would not support him and he would not know the church. He was going to be born in Costa Rica. His friend right before they departed said "I WILL FIND YOU" the kid received his mission call to go to Costa Rica. A couple months later, he wrote back home with only a few words the words read "I FOUND MY FRIEND." I want to bare my testimony that the power of missionary work is amazing. I know that I have promised people in the pre-earth life that I would find them. I have had many times in my mission where I think I know the person, or I think I have met them. I have made a ton of friends here in the mission. I know that God guides His Children so that everyone, no matter the circumstance can find the message of the restored gospel. I know through Faith comes miracles. It is amazing what this message can do to the lives of these people. I am so grateful to see each and every day the power of change. I love being a missionary. I love this Gospel. I know Christ lives, and I HAVE FOUND MY FRIENDS!!

P-Day Activity: Today we went to see a Volcano in a blizzard... It was way fun!

Week 49... The Power of 3!!!

Hasta La vista, Mulchen!!!

I know that I always say this... But for reals.... this week was one of the greatest weeks of my time here!

Elder Anderson

Last Monday I had to say goodbye to all my friends that I had made in my short time in Mulchen, and I had to pack all my bags. On Tuesday I made the transfer over to my new sector. I got to meet my comp. and got to know my new area. Let me tell you, this is by far the best ward I have ever been in. The sector is so awesome. So when I first got to the bus terminal, I got to meet my new comp. He is super awesome. His name is Elder Anderson. He is from Colorado and has about 20 months here in the mission. He is probably the coolest kid I have met. He is a beast. He is a 6'4 tall white dude. He is probably the most humble kid I have ever met. I know we are going to have a great cambio together. He is a super funny kid and we were like best of friends from minute one. 

This week I had the opportunity to go around and meet all the members of the ward and get to know the sector. It is a great area. I am right in the middle of the city, so everyone here has a lot of money. I have a bunch of stores by my house and everything. I am not quite used to this, it is almost like the States. I have been in a couple of run down areas, but this will be my first area where I have been in a big city. I am super excited to be here and to learn.

My comp and I had a really spiritual week.  Since we are here in the city, there has been a lot of missionaries that have passed by the houses. So, the people are a lot meaner to us. They reject us a lot more. We have had some really funny rejections actually. Like the very first person I talked to in this new area totally blew me off. I went up to her and asked how she was doing and if I could help her with her bags. She totally looked the other way, jumped off the curb where we had been standing. It was funny. Even though we have had a lot of rejections, we were able to have really spiritual experiences. The other day we felt like we should go visit this less active family. So we made our way over to their house. We got there in the precise minute, because the family had just been in a fight and everyone had been very upset. When we got there the family calmed down and the spirit filled the room again. We found out that the aunt of the family and the grandma have not been baptized. We were able to talk to them about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It really brought the spirit into the house. The grandma and the aunt are now really interested in listening to us. They saw the difference in the spirit and now they want to learn more.

My testimony has really grown this week, kmowing that the Lord has his hand in this work, and that He guides his servants. He puts people who are ready for His messages in the right place in the right time. As servants, we just have to keep our spiritual ears open to hear the spiritual prompting of the Lord. I am so grateful for this new opportunity to be here in this new sector and learn new things.

This week I really started to think a lot about the Power of 3. This week we had a conference with President Bluth and it really caught my attention what he said. He talked a lot about the Power of three. Everyone knows of the most powerful 3: God the Father, His Son Jesus Christ and The Holy Ghost. But, there are also many others. The First Presidency… how many are there? 3. I really began to think about me and my life. I am out here in the mission, but we are only 2 people: my companion and I. Who else could be the third member? I then realized it was the spirit. It is a perfect triangle. Just like in a triangle, if you don’t have one side, it is not a triangle. Like in a tripod, if you don’t have one part, it will fall. It is the same in our lives. If one part is not in line, or one part is not working we will fall. There are many 3’s in this life. One of the most common is Husband, Wife, and the Spirit; or Person, Family, and Spirit. If the three work together, they will accomplish great things. They will be one with God and do His will. They will be blessed and will see and do what our father wants of them. But, if they are not one, they will fall. They have to have a good relationship within them and they have to have the spirit. 

Like it says in 3 Nephi 11:27: "We are one", and in D&C 38:27: "Be one, and if ye are not one, ye are not mine" 

I have learned a lot, that we always need to have the Trinity in our lives. We must always have the spirit to be with us and we will accomplish what the Lord wants.

Saying goodbye to my friends from Mulchen:

Gracias, Elder Alvarado

Week 48.... I'll go where you want me to go!!!

Baptism Day: Jessica and Camilla Andrade

 For those of you who have been reading my weekly letters, you will all know about the family that we have been preparing for baptism: Family Andrade. After much praying, fasting, and many miracles; we were able to baptize the Mom Jessica, and her daughter Camilla. With these baptisms it completed the family. I am so happy to have gotten to know this family. They are such incredible people.

I wish all of you could have seen the changes they have made. I was a very spiritual day and a very spiritual baptismal service. You could see the happiness this family now has, the smile that the husband gave me when he wife went under the water will be an image I will never forget. The husband has wanted his wife to be baptized since day one. And when she was going through a lot of trials and hard times, he was very sad and upset. But as she started to progress you could see his love for his wife grow, you could see how much he wanted this happiness for his wife and his daughter. I was lucky enough to have the privilege to baptize Jessica. When I was in the water with her, I looked up and saw the whole family right next to the glass, all of them grinning ear to ear. 

The spirit immediately filled my heart. Knowing that this family is going to be complete and now they can continue on and become an eternal family. It is amazing to see all the blessing a missionary receives in his time here in the mission. I have been so blessed as a missionary and a person.
It is so awesome bringing this message of happiness to the lives of these people and seeing them make dramatic changes. I don’t think I have ever been so happy in my life!

So this morning we got the news for transfers. I was totally expecting that my companion was going to leave and I would stay here in Mulchen and continue working here in this sector. But President Bluth called me and the Lord has a different calling for me. He asked me if I would go to another sector and be a Zone Leader. I was not expecting that at all. I was completely surprised by his call. I am so grateful for this opportunity that I have been given. I know I have only been here 6 weeks in Mulchen, but I have met a lot of great people and it is going to be tough saying goodbye to so many great people.

I am so excited for the new assignment and all the new people I will get to know. I WILL GO WHERE YOU WANT ME TO GO DEAR LORD. 

This week for my spiritual thought I wanted to share a story with you that comes from the book of Mosiah. This is the story of Abinadi. Abinadi goes to King Noah and tells him of the wickedness, and unless him and his city repents God will visit them with His Wrath. As I was reading this story I put myself in his situation. I then read these 2 scriptures:

8For thou hast said that God himself should come down among the children of men; and now, for this cause thou shalt be put to death unless thou wilt recall all the words which thou hast spoken evil concerning me and my people. 

9 Now Abinadi said unto him: I say unto you, I will not recall the words which I have spoken unto you concerning this people, for they are true; and that ye may know of their surety I have suffered myself that I have fallen into your hands. 

King Noah tries to tempt Abinadi. He tells him is he will take back his words, if he will reject the words of God he will not be put to death. For many this is a very great option. To just say you know what King Noah I was kidding, I didn’t mean to say that and then continue on with your life. But that is not what Abinadi did. He stood face to face with the King and Said I WILL NOT TAKE BACK MY WORDS!!!!  I WILL NOT REJECT MY TESTIMONY… Not one of us will have to give our lives like Abinadi did, but we can still apply this into our lives. If Abinadi was willing to give up his life for his testimony, WE SHOULD BE WILLING TO STAND UP FOR OURS. There are many wicked things of this world and Satan is tempting us in every possible way. So stand up against Satan and say

I WILL NOT REJECT MY TESIMONY!! Show him that you are a child of God, and that you love our Savior. Many of have friends that may not be doing the right things. But we as members of the Church of Jesus Christ should be like Abinadi and Stand up for our beliefs, stand up for our testimony. 

I hope all of us can have the courage as Abinadi did and always stand up for our testimony and as we do, we will be blessed and God will show His love for us.

"These are my Baptism clothes..."

Chile Concepcion South Mission ....Mulchen Zone

Week 47... The Power of Prayer!!!

This was another week of miracles here in Mulchen. My comp. and I have really been so blessed to see these miracles. I will tell you a few of them. So this week we started off by fasting for all of our investigators. We have a ton, but none of them were really wanting to make the next step and be baptized. So we started off my fasting and making a goal to put 100 % trust in the Lord, to make it a priority to pray and look for new ways to teach. That is exactly what we did. It payed off!!! 

We have been battling with an investigator for 3 weeks now. She is the wife of the man and the 2 kids we just baptized. She was supposed to get baptized, and also her daughter, but at the last second they cancelled and said no. We were so confused why. We figured out that she was scared because when she was pregnant with her daughter something terrible went wrong. The baby was going to die, and most likely she would have died to. So she being Catholic, went to the Virgin Mary and did a contract. Long story short, she and her baby were saved. This happened about 10 years ago. So we asked her why she didn’t want to be baptized. She told us that she was scared that if her and her daughter get baptized, the contract will be reversed and that her and her daughter will die. She has been super scared. For three weeks she has ignored us, she didn’t want to talk to us. So when my comp and I started the fast, we prayed for the opportunity to talk to her again. Well that opportunity came on Tuesday. We went over there expecting to teach the family and the little girl like always, to have another excuse why we couldn’t talk to the mom. But when we got there, the mom Jessica was down stairs. We took that opportunity and began to ask her questions. We began to teach her about Faith in God, but there was something different. We could not feel the spirit in the house. I was so confused why. So I began to pray in my head and asked that we could know the reason. At that moment the family began to argue and fight. That father and the mother began to yell and the kids got into it too. The whole room was filled with contention; and as everyone knows contention is of the Devil. So at that moment we knew why the spirit wasn’t there. We helped resolve all the problems with the family. I asked if we could kneel down as a family and say a prayer to bring the spirit into the house. So that is what we did. During the prayer you could feel the spiritual shift. The family went from super angry and contentious to loving and accepting. After we got done praying, we continued on teaching about Faith. The mom then looked at us and asked us so many questions about baptism. We began to teach and answer all her questions. I have never seen someone change so fast. She was so ready for baptism, she just couldn’t have the spirit testify of these things, because there was too much contention. In that moment we invited her to be baptized on the 22nd and she accepted. She is now preparing and is super excited for this weekend. It was such a miracle for us. We will be baptizing her and her 10 year old daughter, Camila. I have the privilege of baptizing her because she is 8 months pregnant and there is no one that is big enough to baptize her, so I get the privilege to do so. I am super excited ;) ANOTHER WEEK OF MIRACLES!!

    

 
This week I hit ONE my year mark! I cannot believe that I have been out here that long. It has been such a great experience. I was able to burn a shirt and have a great time.

 

    












 I just wanted to share with all of you a little bit of what I learned this week. I was really studying hard this week and began to study a lot about prayer. I have been thinking a lot lately on what I can do to become closer to God, and be more receptive to the spirit. I started studying about prayer. I read talks and scriptures on the topic. So I just wanted to say a couple things that I learned and hopefully it can help some of you guys.

     First off, how many of us take time before a prayer and think about what we are going to say? How many of us as we are saying our nightly prayers find ourselves falling asleep? How many of us, say quick prayers right as we wake up or are going to bed? I will raise my hand and say I am guilty of all of them. But as we are praying we are showing God a sign of how much we love Him. Do you think we are showing love if we are falling asleep, repeating the same things in our prayers? Prayer should be a time of communication with your Father in Heaven. Prayer should be a time where you thank Him, make plans, and talk with your Father. Many of us take prayer for granted. Prayer is the most powerful gift we have. We literally have the Power to talk with God and receive answers from Him. I read a quote that says “Without prayer it is impossible to return to our Father in Heaven." I know that to be true, because as we pray we will be directed in the straight and narrow path, always choosing the right.

 I want to share 2 scriptures with all of you:

 3 Nephi 19: 9 "THEY PRAYED FOR THAT WHICH THEY MOST DESIRED." 

3 Nephi 18:20 "Whatever thing you asketh in the name of Christ if it be just, 

it shall be given unto you."

I want to bare my testimony that the power of prayer is real. Each one of us have the power to talk to God. The next time we pray we should think of the sign we are giving God, we should pray for the desires of our hearts. 

I promise as we better our prayers and take more time in prayer to God, we will find greater blessing and promises, from the one who created us. 

P-Day Fun!!

Week 46.... Guess what day it is? ...HUMP DAY!!!

WOW!!! I cannot believe that I hit my one year mark this week. On Thursday it will be the one year mark. It has not felt like I have been out that long.

 I started to think back to the things I have learned and I was amazed by the progress I have made as a person and as a missionary. The mission is by far the best decision I have ever made in my life. I am growing into the person that God wants me to become. I now realize that when I first got to the mission I was just one big punk. I only wanted to do what I wanted to do, and if anyone got in my way... oh boy, you best be watchin’ out.

My friends and I always had the joke that I had The Rage, or that I would get super angry all the time. And that was true. I want to take this short little time to apologize to everyone out there that had to experience my attitude. I now realize I had so many weaknesses and I was so far away from being Christ like. So sorry again. :D  

The mission really has changed me for the better. Each and every day is a new challenge, but every day is a new day to change, learn, and grow. I like to think of the change a little bit like working out. I know I have shared this before but I love it so much. It explains it perfectly. When we work out, it hurts! We are literally tearing down our muscles. When I first got to the mission it was exactly like this. I was a very weak person, I wasn’t very Christ like and I had a lot of pride. So from day one, Christ began to break me down. Just like when we are breaking down our muscles, it hurts. When we give more effort it hurts even more. As missionaries, we are required to give all our heart, might, mind, and strength. So when I began to do that, it began to hurt even more. Christ literally began to break down my weaknesses, my bad habits, my faults, and everything that was not in line with Him. There have been many days where I have been so beat down I just wanted to sit there and cry. Just like after a workout, there is nothing better than just sitting there and taking a break. But when the next day comes, and your muscles have healed, what do you do? You break them down again. This has happened so much in my mission. I rise up, or heal my spiritual muscles, and then Christ breaks me down again showing me that I need to humble myself and give everything to Him. But each and every time this happens…I get a little stronger. Each and every time we go to the gym…we get a little stronger. If we give it our all… we get a little stronger. Here in the mission it is the same; for the missionaries who give it their all they change. They become a little stronger. I have seen so many blessings that have come from Christ and His atonement. I have been built into the person God wants me to become. I have been giving it my all and God is literally reshaping me into a better person. I know I still have a long way to go, I am not done, and this process will not be finished in this life. But, I am becoming stronger in this Gospel each and every day. I am so grateful for my decision to give up the World, and serve Christ.

 This week I studied a lot about giving up the world and loving God. I started to read Scriptures like 2 Nephi 9:50:  

 Come, my brethren, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters ; and he that hath no money , come buy and eat; yea, come buy wine and milk without money and without price.

Wherefore, do not spend money for that which is of no worth, nor your labor for that which cannot satisfy. Hearken diligently unto me, and remember the words which I have spoken; and come unto the Holy One of Israel, and feast upon that which perisheth not, neither can be corrupted.

I began to read scriptures like this; where Christ is inviting all men, to come unto Him, to drink of His fountain, to be perfected in Him. To give up the things of the world, (The bad habits, the bad thoughts, Pride, bad friends, bad music, bad shows, anything you can think of, etc.) To not have your mind set on the things of the world. The things of the world do not satisfy us; they cause instant happiness that only last a minute. Christ has invited all of us: brothers sisters, whoever we may be, to come unto Him and give up the Things of the World, and BECOMETH A SAINT THROUGH THE ATONEMENT OF CHRIST: (Mosiah 3:19)

I want to challenge all of you to think of the worldly things that each one of us have, and make a list. Take this list of worldly things and do as the Anti Nephi Lehites did:

17And now it came to pass that when the king had made an end of these sayings, and all the people were assembled together, they took their swords, and all the weapons which were used for the shedding of man’s blood, and they did bury them up deep in the earth. 

BURRY THEM DEEP IN THE EARTH!!!

Take these worldly things and get rid of them, burry them in the earth and never partake of them again. That is the biggest thing I think I have learned in the mission. Is to put 100% of my Trust in the Lord. To take the things of the world and burry them deep in the earth. I testify to all of you that Christ lives, and that He blesses each and every one of us. He has an active part in our changes. For those that think you cannot change, you can, YOU CAN DO IT!! I never thought I could, but I have have!!! DID IT HURT?? YES IT DID; but WAS IT WORTH IT??? BY FAR THE BEST DECISION I HAVE EVER MADE IN MY LIFE!!!!!!!!
 I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Week 45.... Another week of Miracles!!!

This week has been such a great week here in Mulchen. Literally we have been seeing so many miracles. I have never been so happy in my life. I have never seen the Lords hand so much in my entire life. I am so in love with the mission. It has been so awesome helping so many people come to understand about the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the blessings they can receive when they begin to use it. 

This week was seriously full of miracles. We have been working super hard with the members here and been gaining their confidence. This week we received a ton of references of family members, friends, and neighbors. We began to visit these people with the members and all these people are so ready to enter into the door of baptism. 

I wanted to share one story with you guys, a complete miracle that happened this week. So on Monday last week, we went over to our ward mission leader’s house to have a meeting and talk about our investigators. When we got there to his house, there was this girl there that I had never met. I began to talk to her and ask her who she was. She began to explain to me that she is the girlfriend of our ward mission leader. I asked her if she has ever had talked to missionaries; she told me no. I asked her if she was attending or going to another church; she also said no. She went on to tell me that she hasn’t attended a church for more than 3 years. I really felt strong to ask her if we could visit with her one day. She said that we could. So I then went and talked with our ward mission leader, and we set up a family home evening for Saturday. So Saturday came around and we show up to this family home evening and the whole family is there. This family is so strong in the church. The mom is our mammacita and a counselor in the Relief Society, the daughter is the primary president, and the son is a returned missionary and ward missionary leader. We get there and we had a great family night. We had a lot of fun. We taught a little bit of the restoration of the church. At the end of the lesson my comp. bares his testimony and finishes the lesson. Usually after the lessons we just continue on. I felt inspired that I should ask the family to bare their testimonies about their conversions. So, we went around and each one of the family members and us missionaries bore our testimonies. I have never heard stronger testimonies of the church. The room instantly filled with the spirit. You could see on her face that she could feel it too. We ended with the testimony of her boyfriend. He finished his testimony with such power. This really touched her heart. She began to cry, she looked at me, and said Elder, I know these things are true. I feel so good right now. So in that instant I asked her to be baptized on the 22nd. And she said of course. It was such a miracle. I am so grateful that the spirit was able to testify of the truthfulness of these things. The next day she came to church and she loved it. She is so excited to continue on and experience the blessing and make the changes necessary for baptism. I am so excited for this week. We also have had many other miracles that have happened. And I am so excited. 

This week for my spiritual message I wanted to share with you guys this scripture:

                        D&C 112:22:   si se humillan delante de mí, permanecen en mi

                                                    palabra y dan oido a la voz de mi Espiritu.

 This scripture talks about that if we humble ourselves before God we will have His spirit to be with us.  I have seen so many blessing that have come by giving 100 percent of myself to the Lord; doing His will all of the time. We have to submit our will for His. If we do this we will have His sprit, and we will be blessed.