Hey everyone!
This week was really good! This weekend we had the
opportunity to attend La Luz de las Naciones event! It's the same one I
went to last year except this year they had David Archuleta perform and
they also had Elder D. Todd Christofferson come and speak! We took some
Spanish less actives and investigators we have been working with and
they all loved it! Elder Gowdy had to use a translator because he
doesn't speak Spanish, but he really liked it as well! One of our recent
converts, Aiko, performed in it with her boyfriend Ryan (who is one of
our Ward Mission leaders). The performance was awesome! I loved it so
much!
Also, this weekend one of my investigators in Rose Park,
Carlos Cen, finally got baptized! He had been taught for about 8 months
straight and he finally entered into the covenant of baptism on
Saturday! It was like we had a reunion of missionaries at that baptism
because so many taught him! Hahaha it was a great baptism, it was so
satisfying to see him so happy after he worked so hard to be prepared
for this step in his life. He is doing great!
Left to right: Miles Strother, me, Elder Speidel, Carlos Cen, Hermano Bocanegra, Elder Gamble, Elder Berrios, Elder Jimenez, and Hermano Sanabria from the stake.
Our week was
good for our area too! We found a new investigator who is on date to be
baptized in November and he's doing really well! Our effectiveness has
been really good so far, we don't have a ton of investigators right now
but all of them are progressing well. We currently have 3 on date and 3
progressing so that's great! That to me is a testimony of the powerful
influence members have on the work. We have been working very hard with
the members because in YSA honestly there isn't another option. It's
pretty tough to just walk around talking to Single 18-30 year old
people, so members and working on our phones is the most efficient way
we can work. We have received a lot of less active referrals from the
wards! I know as we go contacting these less actives that we will find
some non-members as well! That's always what happens, especially in YSA.
Lot's of people have less active/non-member roommates so we are trying
to find those people. I love the area, it's such a blessed area and I'm
so grateful to be serving here.
I am so grateful for the
Atonement of Jesus Christ. I love that through His gospel we can be
cleansed from sin and return to live with our Heavenly Father. I know
that faith, repentance, baptism (or the sacrament), the holy ghost, and
enduring to the end is the path that God has given us to follow in this
life, and if we read the scriptures daily, say our prayers sincerely,
and attend church weekly, we will see our testimonies grow. We must gain
a spiritual conviction that this gospel is true so that when trials
come we can stay strong and not fall into temptation. We must receive a
witness through prayer that the Book of Mormon is true, Joseph Smith was
a Prophet, and that Jesus is the Christ. If we can keep our testimony
of those 3 things, then everything else will fall into place. I love
this work, and I am grateful for how much God has influenced my mission.
I know that he loves all of us and he knows us individually.
Have a great week and may the Lord bless your lives!
Love,
Elder Strate
Oh ya - we found a chicken! ha ha
No comments:
Post a Comment