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| My Two Sons! (Two guys I've trained) Elder Short and Elder Torres |
May 23, 2016
Hello everyone!!
Elder Torres and I have been having
lots of fun here in downtown Reno. This
past week has been another beautiful week and we've been enjoying ourselves. We
had a few big meetings this week including zone conference and zone training
and those took up a lot of our time, but we were still able to teach some good
lessons.
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| "Noche de Hogar" (Family Night) with the Castiblanco and Luciano Families |
Certainly the highlight of the week
was yesterday when we had a "Noche de Hogar" with the Castiblanco
Family and the Luciano family!! (Brother Castiblanco is the branch
president.) It was great!! The Luciano's
said it was the first time that they had been invited to another family's home
ever, and they felt really honored. It was a great experience for everyone to
get to know each other, and the Luciano parents haven't really come to church
yet, so we are hoping that now they know at least one family really well, so
they will have less anxiety over coming. The Spirit was SUPER strong and I know
that the Luciano family felt it. We learned that the parents aren't actually
married yet, so of course before they get baptized, we gotta get them
hitched...but lately we have been really focusing on how to help their family
grow and be happier. Last night was a great chance for them to see another
family who is happy and blessed because of the gospel. I think last night they
saw what the Gospel REALLY has to offer...and that is a family who is happy and
peaceful and blessed...and not to mention really fun! The 17-year old daughter
is still on track to get baptized this Saturday, and it appears that nothing
will stop her. She is pretty excited.
Francisco is doing well, we had a few
more lessons with him this past week and he loves all of it. We watched the
Joseph Smith Restoration movie with him, and afterwards he shared his testimony
with us that he knows Joseph Smith was a prophet. Francisco is dead set on
moving to Provo ASAP though, we told him (jokingly) that if he moved to Utah he
could work somewhere that wasn't open on Sundays, and ever since then he has
actually been serious about that. He got even more serious when Elder Han and I
told him that we would be there for school. We've developed a good friendship
with him.
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| Exchanges with Elder Naegle |
We had Zone Conference this past
week, and President Chesnut had one of his friends fly in who is like a Book of
Mormon professor who works at the MTC now. He is SUPER passionate about the
Book of Mormon and it was inspiring to listen to him and let him teach us. He
told us that as part of their inheritance, each of his kids will get one of the
copies of the Book of Mormon that he has studied. He really inspired me to
learn more and dig deeper into the Book of Mormon. There is no doubt that I
have developed a love for it here on the mission. I am studying in the end of
Alma right now…in the war chapters with Moroni and Helaman, and it is
fascinating for me to see the scriptures come to life and imagine being there
with the stripling warriors fighting along side them. Moroni is such a
brilliant war captain and a powerful leader. I would love to serve under his
direction.
But anyways, Brother Dickerson (President's
friend) showed us a few ways that we can teach people about the Book of Mormon,
and how to teach about how important it is. He told us that too often
missionaries are complacent when an investigator doesn't keep their commitment
to read a chapter, but that we need to be bold and be devastated when they
don't read. I certainly fell under that category and he really inspired me to
be more passionate when I teach, and show more emotion.
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| With Elder Naegle |
I have grown to love hearing the
testimonies of other people and to be taught by people who are so
knowledgeable. I love being around members of the church and hearing about
their experiences and their testimonies. There is one member in our branch who
didn't talk to her parents for 26 years after she was baptized because her
Mother was a devout Mexican Catholic and was upset with her decision. Two years ago, she spoke with her for the
first time since her 20s when she joined the church. We had dinner with her and
she was sharing her story and everything – and the Spirit was so strong as she
shared her testimony with us. She said
that she would go back and do it again 100 times if she had to. It is a no-brainer
why we have a testimony meeting each month...because truly we are all
strengthened from hearing testimonies from each other.
The gospel blesses families. If I had
to choose ONE thing that I've learned on my mission it would be that, that the
gospel blesses families. This is because having the knowledge about The Plan of
Salvation offers us a better perspective on life. I know that there is more to
life than making money and working...we know that now is the time to prepare to
meet God, and that all sorrows, trials, and unfair things that happen to us can
be over come because of the Gospel. I am so grateful for modern day revelation
through prophets that can teach us things such as the Word of Wisdom, the Law
of Chastity, Family Home Evening, and many other things. These help us find
true joy and happiness. President Packer said, "The end of all activity
in the Church is to see that a man and a woman with their children are happy at
home, sealed for eternity." I know that this is true. I know that
there is no substitute for regular family prayer and scripture study, and I am
SOOOOO grateful that my parents taught me that growing up. I love my family.
Have a great week everyone! I love
you!
Elder Todd
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