im
doing good though. honestly its been a huge help and relief to be able
to play soccer every week. i feel like it takes out all of the
frustration, and disappointment and you just forget about it all for a
little while. its helped me to have more energy to keep going even work
hard even though we dont have as much time in our sector to work as i
would like. This week especially is going to be rough preparing for
changes. a million things to go buy and prepare for changes and mission
council, and a lot of presentations to make too. We`ll probably be late
in the office every night considering that it will be the first and only
time i help my comp do it all. its chill though, we have a good time.
if everythign goes well this week, were also going to have a baptism on saturday!
Catalina wants to do it and we`ve been working really hard to help
her...the only thing that would hold her back is the support from her
family or if she decides to go to her soccer game on sunday
instead of following through with it. Shes committed to do it though
and ive got the faith that we can help her understand better so that she
can make the decision with confidence!
other
than that we`ve been working with a sweet family (the Reppeto`s) we
found a week ago and theyre progressing really well. were gonna help
them with a service project his weekend and hopefully help them feel
comfortable to go to church as a family... the only reason they arent
getting ready for baptism is because theyve lived together 26 years...
and theyre still not married! common theme. But its been sweet because
the branch has come alive and we`re leaving with the members to do
visits every day! we had 3 less actives show up to church last week for
the first time in years which was awesome! its crazy how much of a
difference the gospel can make in somebodys life. it really shows in
their lifestyle and happiness.
ive been
downloading talks from byu devotionals this week and heard a few awesome
ones. then yesterday it occurred to me to search for talks from Grandpa
Rex... so i did and i downloaded one from the archives named Lift up
Thine Eyes: Miracles Big and Small... its a talk that Rex did together
with Nana. I had never known that they did that. Way cool! first thing
that comes on is a story about alex asking if santa was real to Di haha!
super wierd... i wrote down a lot of the things that they said in the
talk and i loved it, but htere was something that really called my
attention.. a story from Rex on his mission.
He
told how his first change in the mission as he taught the restoration
he began to have doubts about if he actually knew, or if anyone actually
knew that it had happened... he began to worry about it which drove him
to study Moroni`s promise and actually put it to test again for himself
and eventually he felt in strongly in a lesson he was teaching that
yes, joseph smith had actually seen God and Christ, received the
priesthood, and restored the church of Christ..
it was amazing
for me cause i felt such a profound identification with what had
happened with my Grandpa in his mission, to what had happened to me in
mine. the same way... i was struggling my first few months. i began
asking myself if what i was preaching actually had roots in me and if i
knew it was true. so i prayed hard, i wanted another confirmation. then i
remember very very clearly that one day we did a contact in the street
and i did something i had never done, i recited the first vision from
memory in the street. and it was then that i felt an impressively strong
and undoubtable feeling of the spirit take over my body and tell me
that i did indeed know that it happened! it was good to remember that
moment and appreciate the answers to prayers ive received countless
times.
this is my last week in the office, and im pumped to continue the journey. ive got two changes starting next wednesday
to leave it all out on the field... literally the mission field. and im
110% committed to do it. ive got a busy last week int eh office which
will be good, i pray almost every minute of every day that i can finish
here with a baptism in the branch, and if its not the Lord`s will i know
it`ll be better anyway.
keep on keepin on
fellers. If its been awhile since youve received a spiritual renovation
the book of mormon is true, put it to test. and even if it hasnt, do it
again. our testimonies are the most important things we possess.
Love all of you knuckleheads.
Somebody
please tell Hilary Clinton to stop sending me campaign ads to my
mission email and that ill get around to my donation when i get back.
-Elder Allred - Chilean Street Raptor
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