March 18, 2013

Well, this week was absolutely great! It all started off with a dinner we had with a less active member on tuesday night. We were talking to him and he told us that the other day, his daughter who lives around the corner (who we had no idea that lives there, cuz she´s not on our lists or anything!) saw us walking down the street and decided she wants to go back to church! How awesome is that?! She just saw us and she wants to go back to church now! Then he told us that she has 3 kids who aren´t baptized yet! So as we were eating one of the kids came in and we shared a scripture and asked him if he wanted to be baptized and he said yes, so we went and talked to his mom and told her that we would be going to church with them on sunday. So on sunday we met the ohther 2 kids, one is 8, 10, and 13. They all are preparing to get baptized this sunday. Along with the 2 investigators who will be getting married this friday and baptized on sunday! This is going to be an amazing week! 5 baptisms on sunday! It´s also stake conference but they are doing it with all of argentina chile and uruguay through (i dont know how to write this in english) Satelite?? Maybe... anyway... The other great thing... There is an incredible family here, they are called the Alarcon family. The mom is a convert of the church and they aren´t sealed in the church. The dad was a little bit inactive and about a year ago the mom got diagnosed with cancer. that kind of hurt the dad a lot and he became even more inactive, but since ive been here he has started to go to church a little more and they have the goal of going to the temple to be sealed before she passes away. They have been going to church very frequently now and he has been set apart as a priest and this past sunday he baptized his daughter and it was possibly the most spiritual baptism I have ever seen in my life. It was just such an awesome setting and so many members from the ward were there to support. I really hope I am in buenos aires and get to go see them get sealed when it happens. It´s been a great week and Its just going to keep getting better and ill have lots of pictures on next monday! I also wanted to tell you guys some things that our president told us when he came down here. He told us that we need to teach all the members the importance of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I think it´s important that I teach you all too! So what many don´t know is that the gospel of Jesus Christ consists of 5 steps. Everything starts of with faith, then faith leads us to repentance, and then baptism, receiving the gift of the holy ghost, and enduring to the end. We don´t get baptized and receive the holy ghost and its set, we have to endure to the end. Everyone. That´s why its so important to read the scriptures and pray every single day. Those are commandments of God. He has commanded us to read and pray every single day. That is the easiest way to endure to the end too, as we do those 2 things and go to church every sunday our faith is continually strengthened and we grow to a greater understanding of the gospel and the plans that Heavenly Father has for us. Here we teach it as the OLA, which means wave, but also O Oracion(prayer) L lectura (reading) and A Asistencia (church attendance) As we focus ourselves in those 3 things the things of the gospel will make more sense to us and we will be able to progress easier in our lives and receive the numerous blessings that our Heavenly father has prepared for us. I know that it really works like that, I have seen it in many families here in my mission and I think it is best that everyone that reads this does it as well so they can better prepare to live as eternal families and receive the blessings they need. Heavenly Father has all othe blessings prepared for us, He just has to wait for us to do what he asks to send them to us! I know this is true and I hope all of you will give your best strength to read and pray every day! The OLA!!!! I love you all so much, Heavenly Father lives and loves every one of us. He made a plan for us so we can all live together for eternity and thats the best gift we can receive! I love you all so much! Have a great week! Enjoy the last week of break! Les mando saludos del fin del mundo a todos!!! Love, Elder Johnson