Hey Everyone!
Elder Jenson's Zone Independencia June 17, 2013 El Salto Chile
This week was absolutely amazing! My companions and I worked hard and the Lord blessed us so much. We found tons of really promising investigators that are so prepared for this gospel and the investigators that we already had at that point decided to kick it in gear. It was so great to just be a part of the work this week and see the Lords hand helping us the whole way.
Logros (Achievements)
bautismos 0
confirmaciones 1 (Paloma!)
inv con fecha 9
inv que asisten a la iglesia 8
lecciones con miembro 18
otras lecciones 7
inv que estan progresando 8 (Viciana, Soledad, Erika, Fernando, Katherine, Licet, Esteban,Cristian)
ref recibidas 10
ref contactadas 11
nuevos inv 7
lecciones a cr ma 14
contactos 69
MED 519
We have 8....yes 8 progressing investigators! 8 out of 9 investigators that have a baptismal date attended church yesterday. Sick! That's the most progressing investigators in the whole mission right now by 2! One other sector has 6 progressing investigators. Like literally, my companions and I received soooo many blessings this week to be able to achieve that. All 9 investigators that have a baptismal date have their goal for baptism in the month of July and are so stoked for that blessing in their life.
SWEET EXPERIENCES WE HAD THIS WEEK:
1. There are two recent converts in our sector named Amalia and Alexandra. Alexandra's dad and Amalia's husband, Rafael, just decided after so much time to start listening to the missionaries. During one of our closing prayers in the second visit my companions and I had with him, Rafael asked to say the prayer. Rafael said a very simple, but heartfelt prayer and when he finished, the emotion could not be contained for Amalia or Alexandra. Tears of joy streamed down their faces. The spirit was there in that room. I was so happy for them because I knew that our prayers, but most importantly their prayers had been answered.
2. My companions and I found a new family of three (Katherine, Licet and Esteban) through a reference of a family friend in a different sector. Their GOLDEN!! This family in the other sector had lost their son in an accident over 3 years ago at the age of 5 years old. She was devastated and depressed until the missionaries got in contact with her. She found renewed strength through the plan of salvation and was baptized. Just two weeks ago, she was sealed in the temple with her husband. Katherine wanted to know how her friend could overcome such a tragedy and how she could change so drastically from being so depressed to now so happy. My companions and I knocked her door and she readily received us in her home. We taught Katherine, Licet and Esteban the restoration and all three of them came to church yesterday and are progressing towards their baptismal date, the 28th of July.
3. We have a list called Permaneced that's a list of all the less active members in the ward. My companions and I were working with that list one day this week and one of the people on that list wasn't home. We decided to knock the neighbors door to see where they were or even if this family we were looking for still lived there. Luz came out and answered the door. She greeted us and then went back in the house....she was getting the keys to open her gate to let us in! Luz let us in her home after a 15 second word exchange. Luz said that she was from Columbia and we started talking about the gospel. Luz was very interested and excited to learn. My companions and I have taught her twice and have an appointment set for tomorrow where we will invite Luz to be baptized along side her family as well. Nice.
4. My companions and I started talking with Jose Toro's parents, Erika and Fernando! The Bishop of our ward accompanied us to an appointment we had with them to help see if we could fix their tattered house. There are 11 in their family and they live in a very small, humble home. Most of the family members sleep on the floor and their floor is cement. Our Bishop said that we could help them out of necessity and they were so excited and grateful. This coming Saturday, my companions and I are going to go to their home and help them cover up cracks in their house from the 2010 earthquake, so they don't have to continue to suffer in the cold all day and night. We will also help them put down tile so they don't have to sleep on cement anymore. Erika and Fernando were so grateful that they came to church yesterday. This was followed by a sweet lesson in the Bishop's office after church about the spirit that they felt. Erika told us that she went to church when she was a little child and liked it but she was never baptized. She then expressed her desire to be baptized because she felt that this IS the true church of Jesus Christ. Fernando also talked about how he used to go to different churches when he was younger but always felt awkward. When Fernando enters our church, he feels at home. Erika and Fernando accepted a baptismal date of the 28th of July, but they have to get married first. That will be a lot easier since they both want to get married!!
There's 4 sweet, testimony building experiences that my companions and I had this week. Hope you liked hearing about them. I sure do :)
Highlights of the week/Thoughts:
Loved seeing the Allen family picture of them at the Carthage Jail. That was really cool. Remember when we went as a family? Great memories!
Loved the special pictures I got from Lolo and Will this week. I've got them hanging up on my wall so I can see them. Tell the Michael Horsley's thanks for their support and that I love them.
Loved the Missionary Braodcast last night. Crazy that missionaries will now start to use computers on a regular basis. I don't know how long that will take to get implemented here in Chile...prob after my time...but pretty sweet. My companions and I can give tours of our church but I've only done it once in my whole mission. Maybe we'll start to do it more.
Pretty sweet that the former Mayor of Parker got baptized yesterday and is in your ward. Help him stay active!
Love the communication from friends and family each week. Thanks for thinking of me!
Tar, I can't believe that you're turning 16 yrs old! I have lots of meaningful experiences with you when we were younger and always hung out together. Being on my misson, I've realized your love for me. You've always been someone that just wants everything to go right whether it be in the family, school, friends etc. That's a very good Christlike trait you have! Everything always can't be right though. There's always difficulties, tests and afflictions in this life that we have to overcome. Jesus Christ always wanted to help others and did this by serving them, teaching them the way to return to the Father, establishing the true church on the earth, healing everyone He came in contact with and the biggest service of them all, taking upon Him all the sins, afflictions, pains, temptations, hunger, thirsts, and much more and carrying out the Atonement so that all of his friends, us, could return to live with our Heavenly Father. Everyone saw all of His kind acts but still did not believe Him...so they beat Him, spit upon Him, whipped Him and talked bad about Him behind His back. We all know He is the Christ, but they didn't. Seek His help in all you do. Seek to feel the comfort of the Spirit. Seek to feel His love. Seek to feel His peace, not the wordly peace because His peace is not of this world. Maybe more than anything, seek His healing power of the Atonement because "through his lashes we are healed" as it says in Mosiah. I love you with all my heart and hope you can feel of my love. I know that this life is hard, the Lord never said it was easy, but we can overcome our afflictions through patience. Be patient though your afflictions and the Lord will exalt you on high as it says in the Doctrine and Covenants. That is the ultimate goal....to live with our Heavenly Father again as an eternal family. Happy Birthday Tar. Hope you have a good one...you deserve it :)!!! Love, Tan
I'll close with a quote from President Packer from yesterdays Broadcast...in spanish translated he said, "The Lord lives. I know Him." Pretty sweet. I wondered when he said that what it takes to "know" the Lord. Something for each of us to think about this week.
Hope you all are doing really well. Good luck to Tay as he heads to SUU this week!
Have a good week!
Love,
Elder J.
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