Week #23 Good Times

This week was fun.  haha.  Lots of weird stuff happened. We had to go to the hospital on the other side of Santiago to see one of Elder Soulier´s friends in the hospital.  He just found out he has diabetes.  It was like 2 hours in a metro and bus one way. We were definitely tired afterwards.  Also, another day, we had to go to the center of Santiago so that Elder Soulier could go to the doctor..he has a big blood clot in his leg.  It´s okay though.  Another day, we saw a truck with really tall sides on it...they opened the back and there were like 50 Peruvians standing in the back...they started unloading some of them...backpacks and all...I thought about Mexico.  HAHA.  

It's not so bad here in Santiago!!!

We are consecrated Missionaries who lives and work is centered in the Doctrine of Jesus Christ

Zone Picture

Changes were Tuesday, so we celebrated this change with the neighbors.  We went over to their house for dinner and ate seafood!! :D  We are going to climb cerro negro with the young men today and pick blackberries! :D  We had a group of Latinas tell us "We REALLY like gregos" hahaha It was absolutely hilarious.

The Light of Christ

Rainy Day Service

What a great day that the Lord has given us.  A new day to learn, live, and grow.  Today, I want to share one of my favorite stories from the Book of Mormon.  The story of the Anti-Nephi-Lehies.

I´m certain that most of you are familiar with this story.  A portion of the Lamanitels were converted to the Lord.  They desired to be seperated from the wicked Lamanites, so they renamed themselves the Anti-Nephi-Lehies.  The wicked Lamanites were stirred up to anger against the ANL by the Amelikites and they made preperations for war.  When the ANLs saw this, they had a council to decide what they should do. (Alma 24:6)  I simply love this!  THey had such an understanding of the gospel that not only would they not fight their brethren, but "they would not even make any preperations for war."  Talk about love!  I hope that one day we can understand and obtain this unconditional love of Christ.

(Alma 24:16-17)  Not only is this a principle of love, but a principle of faith.  We know that true faith leads to action.  Not only did they say they wouldn´t fight their brethren, but they burried all of their weapons "deep in the Earth." as a testimony to God.  I love the wording here.  It doesn´t say they made a pile of weapons.  It doesn´t say they sat them aside for if things get bad.  "They did bury them up deep in the Earth."  I want you to imagine this for a second.  There´s an army coming to destroy you and your family.  You put all of your faith in the Lord, trust in his will, and bury your sword deep within the Earth to never be seen again...your only hope of life.  i don´t know about you, but I doubt I could muster up the faith to do somethingg as extreme as this.  This truly is one of the greatest examples of absolute faith that we will ever have.  They even went as far as to meet the Lamanites with prayer.  (Alma 24:21)

The last principle that this story teaches is absolute diligence.  (Alma 24:22)  Over 1000 of the ANLs were slayed...1000!  Still, the others continued to pray to the Lord with all of their souls...knowing that their brothers and sisters on their sides were being slayed.  I cannot imagine the feeling, but that level of diligence really is inspirational.  I pray that one day I can learn to be as strong as these people.

Follow me, I  know the way.....

Everyone stumbles along the way....

But someone seems to always be there to lend a helping hand.....   Sometimes it is not what you expect...

We All Made It!!!!!!!!

Feeding the homeless on Christmas Day

It was a great success!!!

(Alma 24:25-27)  This is my favorite part of the story.  Though many of the ANLs were slain, there were more of the Lamanites converted to the Lord than those who were slain.  Though there was much pain and suffering, there was much rejoicing in the end.  The Lord works in amazing ways.  Many times we don´t understand why things happen, but we have to realize that "the Lord worketh in many ways unto the salvation of his people."  All that happens is to bring to pass the great Plan of Happiness.  I feel that there is so much that we can learn from this story.  Most of all, love, faith, and diligence.  i pray that each of you is striving to develop these attributes in your lives and in your families.  if we are, we truly will see miracles in our live.  Of this I testify in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, Amen.