TRANSFER 8 WEEK 6

Well. This transfer has gone by so quickly. I have loved being with hermana Maza. She is an awesome person and I love her tons. This last week flew by. We did so much stuff. And there wasn't anytime to do anything expect work. It was awesome and I loved it. 

Well just a summary of the week:

Hermana Maza had a panic attack so we went to the hospital in the middle of the night and were there for a few hours. So the next day she was okay so we went out and had a few appointments and found some really awesome people. 

Then we made some bookmarks, and bracelets. Okay so this sounds a little lame, but there are a lot of girls in the dance academy that have taken the lessons and want to get baptized but can't because their parents won't let them. They are so strong and faithful, but they need some support and love so with them in mind we made bracelets and this really cool bookmarks with flowers that we picked from the street and gave it to them. These girls are seriously amazing. They have a scripture reading group where they read together everyday. They even give the girls that are members their tithing so that they can pay it. Can you believe that? They are amazing. 

Then we helped this lady named Patricia move. She is sups cool, and from argentina! So she told us that she was moving iiut of her piso because the people that lived there, "Need Jesus." So we helped her get all of her stuff, and then called a taxi, but we didn't fit as well as a suitcase a chair. So we told her that we would take it to the church and that she could meet us there, later because there was going to be a baptism. So I had the chair and hermana maza had the suitcase and we tried to take the guagua to go to the church, but the hhus driver said no and kicked us off. Then we decided to walk until hermana maza got tired and then we took a taxi. So we stop and ask the taxi driver if he accepts card and then sees the chair, and almost doesn't let us get it. The chair has some bad voodoo I guess. Then we made it to the church. So the elders had asked us the day before to sing a musical number for the baptism. We had no time to practice before but then got there about 30 minutes before the baptism and practice one song and then decide to do something diffrent with out practicing. So then we had to musical  number and it was fine. MARLON got baptized! It was awesome. Patricia didn't come. Then that whole night Hermana Maza was up packing, I mean she didn't got to sleep until 6 in the morning. Then on Sunday, we went to church and Then I came to Telde, and she went to the airport. 

SO your probably wondering what is happening with me? Well I am staying here and I will be companions with hermana Storheim! She is from the same group as hermana Jarman! So I am really excited. I know that the Lord it good, and that he will bless us. I know that this transfer is going to be awesome! 

So I was reading an awesome conference talk from April of 2017, called: 

To the friends and investagstors of the church. I invite you all to read it. 

Last, Repenting

The final experience I’d like to share is about repentance. After I had finished taking all the missionary lessons, I was still not convinced I needed to change anything in my life. It was Elder Cutler, a young, confident missionary with limited Spanish, who one day said, “Joaquin, let’s read together Alma 42, and we will include your name as we read it.”

I thought it was silly, but I did as Elder Cutler asked and read in verse 1: “And now, my son [Joaquin], I perceive there is somewhat more which doth worry your mind, which ye cannot understand.” Oh! The book was speaking to me.

And we read in verse 2: “Now behold, my son [Joaquin], I will explain this thing unto thee,” and then the Fall of Adam was described.

And then in verse 4: “And thus we see, that there was a time granted unto [Joaquin] to repent.”

We continued reading slowly, verse by verse, until we reached the last three verses. Then I was struck by a powerful force. The book spoke directly to me, and I started to cry as I read, “And now, [Joaquin,] my son, I desire that ye should let these things trouble you no more, and only let your sins trouble you, with that trouble which shall bring you … unto repentance” (verse 29).

I realize now that I had expected to receive revelation without paying the price. Until then I had never truly spoken to God, and the idea of speaking to someone who wasn’t present seemed foolish. I had to humble myself and do what I was being asked to do even if, in my worldly mind, it sounded silly.

That day I opened my heart to the Spirit, desired to repent, and wanted to be baptized! Before that moment, I had thought of repentance as something negative, associated only with sin and wrongdoing, but suddenly I saw it in a different light—as something positive that cleared the path to growth and happiness.

Elder Cutler is here today, and I want to thank him for opening my eyes. Every decision I have made in my life since then has been influenced by that moment when I humbled myself and prayed for forgiveness, and the Atonement of Jesus Christ on my behalf became part of my life.

So the last lesson, in one statement: experience repentance; nothing draws you closer to the Lord Jesus Christ than a desire to change.

REPENT! Be good, and you will be happy. Not a fleeting happiness that you can find in the bottom of a drink, or at the end of a lighter, but a true, lasting peace and joy that comes from knowing that you are loved, you have a great worth and potential, and that you have a plan later out for you to have success in this life and in the next. 

I love you all and I hope that you can all experience this change of heart, and find this lasting peace that only living the gospel of Jesus Christ can bring. Love you!