Monday, June 30, 2008

Daniel and Nadia

The week that has gone by was filled with too many experiences to tell. My companion and I were brought super low for the first part of one day. We didn´t know what we were doing wrong after being rejected over fifty times in about twent minutes or less. We still went out throught the day and continued. Then everything changed and things happened like never before on the mission. People we stopped started to listen and not only that but say things like, ¨I´m busy right now but I want to talk more to you¨ ¨Why don´t you take down my number and call me anytime¨. We were then not sure what was going on. The morning was full of humble experiences and then the evening was a complete difference. Even the following days, things unexplainable started to happen.
So we found Flaminio and we taught him Wednesday and then met with him on Thursday and everything was going great. We met with him again on Friday and he even came that night to Noche de Rama. He had lost his job and had been without work for two weeks. Our biggest challenge with so many of the people we talk to is not that they don´t want to listen but they just don´t have time. Many people have two jobs and the little time they have they want to just rest. So Flaminio was a miracle. He couldn´t come to the Baptism on Saturday because he had a job interview in a little pueblo (town) hours away. We ended up talking with him and he said he got the job and would be living there and not come back for a while.
So, the Baptism of Celenia was great. I have learned on my mission that we should start meetings when they are supposed to start. How much respect do we show our Father in Heaven when we start or arrive to meetings not on time. This Baptism actually started on time and everything went smoothly. Celenia recieved the gift of the Holy Ghost the following day in Church. She has come to know the truth about what God wants for her in her life. God is waiting to bless us and it is up to us to act and recieve those blessings.
Last week we went to Gernika and the story itself is sad but when you learn that the people didn´t give up hope, it changes everything. It shows us and teaches us to never give up even when our whole city is gone and all that is left is a tree. That life does go on and we can be happy even when it was the choices of others that brought pain to our lives. We have the choice to either feel sorry for ourselves during that time of pain or endure it and reach a happiness that wouldn´t have been known if not for our endurance.
I want to end with two of the nicest people I have met probably so far on my mission. Daniel and Nadia are from Brasil. They speak portugese, english, and now spanish. Some find it not so easy to be away from home and family but when you have friends like them, everything changes and you start to see that life is full of miracles.

Monday, June 23, 2008

Sabboth Day Simple . . . If Fully Understood

Feliz Cumleanos Lily! Espero que tenga un beun dia. I didn´t realize that you also celebrated Father´s Day Mike! Happy Father´s Day. As I think about the Lord´s work more and more, I find it not so easy to think about all my family. I know I won´t ever forget my family but I do think of you all when I have time before I go to bed.
This week was filled with the Spirit. It is because of the promise we are already entitiled to by God. As we do what He wants and not what we want we will be happy and feel of the Spirit. My companion is right by my side in being as obedient as we can be. We saw our week fly by as we worked hard looking for people. We are always looking for people to teach. We taught together and it went great. We have gotten to know a woman named Rosario and she is not an investigator yet. We spent some time with her in a plaza getting to know her. She asked if she could come to church and she did. After she asked if there were more activities we had and so we hope to see her at noche de rama this Friday. We have plans to teach her the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. We have many waiting to be taught. We are learning patience by doing all we can and waiting till the Lord directs us to what we need to do next.
Celenia will be baptized this Saturday and I am excited for her. She is ready to make a promise with God to obey Him. She will be strengthed by the Rama of Bilbao as she learns what it means to be a member of Christ´s Church.
One thing I have realized when I had the opportunity to prepare to teach her about the Sabboth Day was what the commandment actually means. The scripture in Exoudus in the Old Testament says to Remember the Sabboth Day to keep it holy. So the commandment is to Remember it and Keep it Holy. So I thought what does it mean to keep it holy. Questions are always brought up what we can and can´t do on the Lord´s Day. We often have to choose for ourselves what to do because we feel like no one has the right answer. In the scriptures we also learn that God does not need to command us in EVERYTHING! We should be doing good on our own. We should realize that we shouldn´t wonder if it is okay to go boating on Sunday and say,´Well I am spending time with the family. What better thing can I being doing than be with my family?´There are so many other things like should we watch tv or go shopping on this special day? If we could just remember the day and what the commandment really is, then we won´t have to wonder if what we are doing is okay. It is as simple as to ask yourself, ´Is what I am doing making this day Holy?´Are my activities making this day the Lord has given us More Holy or not? I wish I knew this simple understanding of the commandment that makes us happy a long time ago. Now I don´t have to wish anymore but do what I know.

Monday, June 16, 2008

Are We Practicing Religion the Way Jesus Taught?

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!!

I finally get to get back to work in my areas now that I have my new companion. Elder Bingham is great in so many way. He is humble, thoughtful, full of ideas, hard work ethics, polite, friendly, smart, dedicated, wants to improve in all aspects, and is open minded. We get along great and that means we are finding people and the work pushes foward. We only have worked together in our areas for a few days so far and we have found people to teach. We are making a difference in the lives of so many people in so many ways.
Many have believed in God for most of their life and practice in their own way. I like the way Javier put it, one of our investigators, when he used the word ´transmit´. He said that he didn´t know that God called Joseph Smith to be a Prophet. He understood that God is the same Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow or you can say Forever God will keep calling Prophets as He has done since the begining of the World. He was greatful that we dedicate our time to transmit this message to him. He knew that we were called of God to teach him or to transmit this knowledge of truths. He told us that he knows we aren´t obligating him to accept these truths but that he can choose for himself to accept it or not. Him and Maira have a cute little boy of one year and three months named, Alexander, and they have a cute four year old girl, Beyonce, who waits till they can have her come from Bolivia to come be united with them.
I explained to a spanish mom and her daughter who was already grown up that Jesus Died for both of them whether they choose to accpet it or not. If they accept the Atonement of Christ then they would do all they can to follow him or in other words, they would go to church, read the scriptures, pray, teach their children about God and the Savior, repent daily, fast often, and everything else the Bible teaches us what it means to actually accept the Savior and follow Him. To accept what Jesus did for each and everyone of us is more than just saying out loud that,´I believe in Jesus and God and the Holy Ghost´ ´I believe the scriptures and have faith´
Jesus taught us the way we practice our faith and the things we have to literally get up and do. So the next time I say I have faith in God and believe in the Savior and what He personally did for me, I´m going to think for just a bit more and think, ´Am I doing all I can to follow Him? Am I doing all I can that actually shows that I really do have faith and believe?´ Then the next time I tell someone I have a testimony and have faith, it will have new meaning and will have works to show my faith. This is my witness of the truth that all can know and choose for themselves. Elder Rodriguez.

Monday, June 9, 2008

For John´s Family

Since Elder Waldvogel left we have been in a trio. My companion Elder Batty and I and then Elder Hutchison. Elder Hutchison was the district leader but now got called to be Ayudante and Elder Batty will be my new district leader. Elder Batty will also be training! I revcieve my new companion, Elder Bingham, Wednesday. He is supposed to be a fantastic person. Everything for Dean´s Honor List for Florida State and his spanish is supposed to be superb for what I hear. I only have six weeks more than him in the mission. I can´t wait to make a huge impact in my area working with him
Well this is what has happened so far. Elder Batty will take over the other area and finish teaching Celenia till her Baptism the 28th of June. I will stay in Sestao and Barakaldo and keep working with all our investigators.
A few weeks ago John for Ireland came into the church. I made mention of him once. He is the one going through Europe with a sign laminated that says JESUS and has a Bible in his hand. All because of the words of the Savior that say take His Gospel to the whole world. As missionaries we are in so many parts of the world and keep looking for every soul to give the opportunity to know they have a Savior and the ones that already know of Jesus Christ, to get to know Him better. I had a long talk with John in the capilla and we talked about scriptures. We would bring up a scripture and I am so glad I studied and memorized some in English before the mission. I explained the Book of Mormon to him and commited him to pray about it and his replay was yes at first. Then without changing his answer he brought up a scriputer by saying, ¨In the book of Revelation. . . ¨ and that´s when I finished his sentence for him becuase I knew what he wanted to know. He brought up the scripture about not taking away from the Bible or adding to it. I am my amazing sister Christina to thank for me being prepared to explain him what it is talking about. He understood he´d get an answer if he prays to know the Book of Mormon is true only if he had real intention. Why would God give us an answer if we will not act on what He lets us know if true? So I testified to him that the book is of God and is true and that it doesn´t take away from the Bible and what Jesus taught but Testifies of Jesus and His teaching. It is another Testament of our Lord and Savior. I didn´t even have to assure John that he woundn´t have to worry about the plagues being brought upon him. I have faith he will pray to know the truth becuase he told me he knows the Bible is true because the Spirit testified to him of the truth. He told me that he didn´t know if he´d come back yesterday when I talked with him. He said he prayed to God to know where to go and ended up in front of our Church. He said he prayed again and asked God, ¨Do you want me to go into this church again?¨ I know I was suppose to be there to listen to him and talk to him. I actually had one extra cinnimon roll in the fridge and realize that when the Apostoles went out, Jesus told them not to worry about taking certain things with them because they would be blessed so I decided to give him the cinnimon roll and he wanted to split it with me so we ate half each of us an he went his way. I don´t know if I will see John again while I am here but I know he know has the opportunity to make the decision for himself of the truth he now knows.

Monday, June 2, 2008

Waldvogel

Hola a todos! I hope everyone is doing great. I don´t know where to begin but I am so happy for so many reasons. Enlai Keanu starts his journey in this life. He is born into a family that puts the Lord first. He will be loved by parents I know will love him. He has been trusted into their hands to raise him stong in the Gospel and just show him love. A lot has happend here in Spain. Elder Waldvogel starts his mission off strong. Igot the opportunity to get to know him and see him in the service of the Lord. He is missed here in the Bilbao mission and the Sestao district. He is home with his family and loved ones but we hope to see him soon. He and Elder Hutchison were teaching Celenia. She gained a testimony of the Book of Mormon and knows it is the word of God. Since he left we have been in a trio. I heard that she knows this is the true Church on the earth today. The Spirit bore testimony to her of the truth Elder Waldvogel taught her. I saw it in her as she was commited to be baptized and happily accpeted! She will be baptized on the twenty-eighth of June and recieve the Holy Ghost on the twenty-ninth. She has had to make changes in her life but she has the desire to change and listen to us as we teach her what her Heavenly Father wants her to know. Actually the Hermans and two of the other Elders each have someone that wants to be baptized on the same date. So we should have three baptisms once again shortly. As the world becomes more and more wicked or that is to say that people are ignoring what their heart tells them and are choosing not to follow their Savior, More and More people are coming unto Christ. We will all have to make that decision one day . . . what side will we choose . . . are we doing all we can to follow the Savior of the World . . . maybe we don´t know what exactly it means but the truth is out there . . . may we all be searching for it and find happiness.I can´t describe what a blessing it is not to be in Spain but because I get to labor in the Lord´s vineyard. This is His work and of this I testify. His teachings and authority are on the earth once again and I pray that I am humble enough to find all those that are looking but know not where to it. Elder Rodriguez.