It's A Wonderful Life!

The members just filled in our week on Sunday with lunches and dinners. We actually have to spread them out over two weeks to fit everyone in, and it is a wonderful problem to have. We aren´t having problems finding, just choosing whom to teach and when. We have two baptisms this weekend, and what I am sure is the progenetor of carnivore soup: locro. Locro has pig feet, bacon, beef, chicken, sausage, colored sausage, corn, cow stomach, and anything else the butcher has to sell, and if its made well its awesome. Every May 25th they eat it, and it´s a huge deal. The bishop is gonna cook three cauldrons full of it, and we are going to practice singing with the youth, learn how to recycle plastic bottles and fellowship all of the investigators that we can. Church attendance is great. We had a solid number of people in church, and have been visiting the investigators with members to say hi and show them that we love them. We gave a talk in church and told the members the hard truth that every week that we don´t invite someone to church we are not fully preaching the gospel, even if we throw in hints and hidden motives in our conversations. The full blown invitation is always a requirement for secure, open progress, and shows real love for our beloved friends and family. This last week I feel like I solidified my belief in the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon, with an experience that may seem insignificant at a glance, but really impacted my life. I began in 1 Nephi. "I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents" and so forth simply rang so true and similar to my life that I couldn´t help but to say out loud, "this book is so true." Later, I read in Alma 26 and 29, where the sons of Mosiah testify of their beliefs and the importance of God´s work of saving mankind from eternal damnation. I finished with Mosiah 28:3, which always gets me, and the chain was very powerful in its witness that we must share this gospel. Noemi is getting baptized, and Alexa too. Noemi just makes me happy when I see her with her husband as they together prepare to go to the temple and be sealed a her after her baptism. The Lord did all of her teaching, and I feel priviledged to have seen the great time of her baptism. Alexa was going to be baptized yesterday, but she got really, really sick, so we will do it this weekend instead. Please pray for her and her family. Her mom needs to get work off, and has in her head that if she doesn´t get it off we will just keep postponing it until she can, which we can´t really do. Please pray for her! I love the work, life, my companion, the members and everyone that I meet. Most of all, I love my Savior, because He first loved me. This is the Lord´s church, and all who live it´s precepts will know by the holy power of God Almighty that it is thus. In Christ, Elder Lindsey

On Fire!!!

Agustín got baptized and confirmed. All of his friends came to the baptism, and 3 other investigators that we were already teaching. There is a great power in invitation. We are very happy to work together as a companionship, and I have loved my time with Elder García. He truly loves everyone on a sincere level, and has a great relationship with all the members and investigators that I have seen. The potency of sincerity. Gotta love it. We have a bunch of youth wanting to help the family get back on their spiritual feet, and they wish to share the gospel with their friends. This makes us happy. It´s not a choice, it forces us to be happy. Kind of like the Savior´s love. There is no way out. Claudia and her family (investigators three blocks from the chapel) are just on fire. We gave them a gospel principles book in church, and stopped by to pick up the clothes that they had washed for us on the way to drop off our suits (and the lunch that a member brought for us in a tupperware container) in the pension, and lo and behold, they had already delved into the great words of the book and asked us a few more questions. Baptism is all the talk in their household, and they take it very seriously. This, too forces us to be happy. It´s very difficult to resist. Helena is still pushing back by not wanting to pray with us, but we have kept passing by and we watched the testaments last night with her son in law. Goodness, I love this work. A family asked us for 10 pesos to help them out for a day. They told us that they could pay us back tomorrow, but we can´t do that and be obedient. We told them that the Lord would bless them more if we refused to be disobedient, and what do you know. 10 minutes later, their 2 year old finds 50 pesos on the ground. Gotta be obedient, for it also forces us to be happy if we do it with our heart in the right place, which means without looking for the honors of the world. My companion probably goes this next week to another area, and I will miss him dearly. His help is great, and I love him as a brother. Not quite as much as David or Heather, but getting there. I´ll update as time goes on. Thanks for the messages, they really help. In Christ, Elder Lindsey

What a General Conferenc!!!

Elena went to conference. Her daughter is a recent convert, and Elena is soaking it in. She was very curious about this whole thing, and I pray that she recognized the strong spirit that I felt as I sat on the same bench for the last session of conference. What a conference for us! Others are listening and preparing themselves for baptism, too. All of it is through the members. All of it. Every last person. All of it. We´ll talk about that later on. Our bishop is very excited to work with us. It had been a while since the missionaries had brought a Progress Record to him, and he was all over it. The members here are great, and we are working especially hard to get those baptismal trees going. The converts are sharing with their families, the returning members are studying and relearning everything to be able to teach their beloved friends alongside us, and we are trying to work 100% through the members. Its slower, but as Trevor... ahem... Elder Pierce said, it is much more effective. I love my companion. He is great, and his English is improving drastically as we read the Book Of Mormon together. He is very humble, and really loves everyone. This is the life! Conference was incredible. President Eyring talked about it in the Priesthood session, as well as President Monson. Eyring said that when he was a ward missionary they didn´t knock doors (better said than not contacting people) and that they had a bunch of success. Someone also said that the members should fill in the schedules of the missionaries with people to teach, which also goes in compliance with talks by Elder Bednar, Elder Perry and Elder Ballard in the past few years. Elder Bednar says that the members shouldn´t even pray that the missionaries find people to teach, for it is their part as full time searchers, while the Elders are full time teachers. You guessed it. There were 8 talks about missionary work, which means that that is one of the weakest points in the church right now. 8 talks! What can you do to find people to teach? How much do you love your neighbor? Enough to risk a little embarrassment should they vehemently shout in your face for having invited them to church or to listen to the missionaries (WORST CASE)? Enough to pray, fast and study to know how to teach, how to share, how to love and why we do these things? Do you desire that your neighbors have eternal life with their families, or would you rather leave them in the dark forever by not ever bringing it up, or procrastinating bringing it up. Talking about your testimony of Christ is how you can show sincere love and caring for others, as well as for Christ. ¡Vamonos! Sorry that there isn´t time for more, but tune in next time for the next adventure of... Doo doo doo dooooo! Elder Lindsey and Elder Garcia En Cristo, Elder Lindsey

I don't think we are in Kansas anymore!

There are some places in the mission that I don´t think that I will be able to bring my family to visit when all is said and done. We live smack in the middle of two Red Zones, and basically try to avoid being near the pension until its time to go inside. Our first lesson together was to three youths smoking marijuana. They were rather respectful, and I hope that we have been able to incite at least a small change in their lives. I love the people here, but this will be an off limits Zone for a family of gringos walking around with cameras and credit cards to get around... The Bishop here is very oriented towards getting out and doing some good. When we ask him what we can do for his family, he tells us to organize a family home evening with the new converts in the neighborhood. It just makes my day to talk to him. My companion is really great. Elder Garcia has a great gift to be able to really relate to the people and tell them how the gospel has changed his life for the better. Gotta love him. This Easter was spent very quietly. I was able to meet some really, really good people in our ward that truly love the Lord and His children. In spite of all the crazy things that I may tell about the things that go on here, I feel very comfortable and protected by the Spirit, the neighbors and the members. Even our contacts warn us about the dangerous areas and how to avoid them without losing too much time. Feeling this love towards us from our fellow man makes me think about how the Savior loves us. He warns us of the Spiritual dangers that we have and wishes that we can stay as far away from them as is possible to be able to live with Him some day. We have some people lined up to be baptized if we keep working really hard. None of them are more than 20 years old, and its a great time to be a youth in the Ward José Ignaci Díaz! I love you all, and love this work! Elder Lindsey

Happy Easter

I got moved again! Elder Bethers and I were sad to see it happen, but it had to be done to get the work moving even faster. He is going to train this transfer, and I am now back in Córdoba Capiiiiital as a senior companion. It was a long journey, and quite and adventure. First of all, we got to the terminal in Río Cuarto to take the bus, and nobody else was there. We prayed for guidance and a member from our ward magically walked right in front of us two minutes later and we learned that the others had gone without even calling us to tell us that the bus was going earlier than what they had told us. So, we bought tickets for the next bus and travelled for two hours before I had to go to the bathroom. I prayed again, and we stopped in five minutes for a bathroom break and met up with other Elders heading for the terminal in Córdoba. We started off again, and as we arrived the bus broke down 100 feet from the terminal, so we had to walk. Then I saw a ton of people that I knew, including many old friends, companions, people from my group, and Elders who had been in my previous areas, so we talked for a while before heading out to my new area. My area is called José Ignacio Díaz, and my companion, Elder García, is an Argentine from Chubut. I am super excited to get to know him and to get to work! They tell me that its a ghetto in my area, so they baptize like crazy here. We currently don´t have a phone due to residential "friendliness", or familiarity if you´d like to call it that, by way of an unauthorized request that we live the law of consecration by donating our cellphone to the cause of a potential investigator that we have yet to find again. Ï am very safe in my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and thank Him for the opportunity to show my faith and love the people here. Saying goodbye this last time was the hardest of all of my areas by far. I couldn´t visit everyone, but those whom I couldn´t visit will receive letters promptly. I will be dedicating an hour every P-Day to write my converts and beloved members as a rule to complete with what it says in the White Handbook about keeping up our communication. Since it´s free, there is no excuse other than selfish laziness. Anyhow, I may or may not have cried once or twice or more while I visited the families that I came to love so much over these past four.. were they years or months? I can´t remember. I am happy. The members fed us like crazy, and even the investigators were really sad to see me go. I know that because of the Plan of Salvation that each and every one of us will meet again at Jesus feet, as the song says. My trainer finishes his mission this wednesday, which is crazy, and my brother in the mission, Elder Zaracho, is already training with only nine months in the mission. He will go far in life, that is for sure. I am just rearing to go and work my tail off here, giving it my all and leaving behind no regrets. Oh boy, am I pumped! This work makes me exuberantly joyful and I love the Savior´s gentleness and strength. Keep up the good work, everyone! Elder Lindsey

You are a valiant son of Heavenly Father

WOW. Tons to write this week. The first thing I wish to tell is that we had a hardcore Bible bash a few days ago while in another area on divisions, and it really surprised me how reading the Bible alone closes off the hearts of those who listen to our message. After a while, I called it quits with fighting against the Spirit and decided to just open up and read the Book of Mormon. I have been devising a grand scripture chain for those who are more inclined to really study hard what we leave them, and it includes many scriptures that allow us to know which things come from God and how we can be sure of it. The atmosphere completely changed when I began to flip through those precious pages and the good brother realized that to know what we teach he will have to read the Book. I put my arm on his shoulder as we left, and apologized for not having gotten to know him better and promised that the next time that I come that I would learn about his life and help him in whatever way that I can. I felt much better after that, and that night marked a great change in the way that I view the work. I have begun to really try and enjoy my time with the people here. Working often comes in the form of a good laugh and a sincere and genuine interest in the lives of the people. As we spent fifteen minutes getting to know our Golden Family, la familia Godoy, their friends showed up and we said a prayer with them and left to show that we really don´t want to just impose ourselves in their lives. As we left, the brother expressed real intent in learning the gospel, and in a few hours we should be helping him and his family to understand exactly how the gospel will flip their lives around for the better. They are just great. Please pray for them. The Bishop is ready to just haul away at the task of reactivating and retaining the good members that we already have. Some of the recent converts are slipping away, and we need all of the visits to be done. Each member should be visited personally in their home at least twice a month (Fast offerings and Home teaching) and the sisters should have an extra visit from the visiting teachers. As we put these principles in to action the ward will flourish as righteous units are wont to do. Oh, and Elder Bethers is Hannah Siebach´s cousin, for those of you who might know Hannah. We learned that yesterday while eating lunch with the Elder´s Quorum President and his wife, and it really blew my mind. Now Elder Bethers and I have a lot to really talk about in those moments where even with all of the planning and organizing that we have to do there is extra talking time in the streets. And then there is Sergio. What a great man. He has been coming to church four the past four weeks and technically lives in another area. In short, he is Guillermo´s wife´s mother´s boyfriend, and he is reading the Book of Mormon and recognizing the Spirit on a regular basis. He also wants us to go places with him on P-Days, but today we had other things to do. If I stay for another transfer we should go and have a good ole time helping Sergio to feel the love that we have for him as we extend a commitment to get married and baptized here in the near future. I Love This Work. The Savior is real, and He loves us. You are loved. Don´t give up. He will help you with YOUR personal trials and troubles as you learn to turn your will to the will of the Father. Oh, how great the joy that comes from being the instrument of happiness for others! In Christ, Elder Lindsey 2 Nephi 2, 9, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 33 Alma 5 Alma 32 Moroni 7 Moroni 10 3 Nephi 11, 12, 15, 27 Ephesians 3, 4 Hebreos 1, 7, 11 I Corinthians 12 2 Peter 2 2 Corinthians 2 These helps us to understand a ton about why our message is true, and really how important it is to have the revelation from God to lead us along the way so we don´t get lost! The Savior is the chief cornerstone of this church, and the head of all things we preach. Everything else is only an appendage to that part of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Wonderful!

We have been having some miracles as we strive to do our part to share the gospel. For instance, ten minutes ago a family that we had talked to in the plaza nos contactó para decirnos que nos debían una charla, y quisieron saber cuando podíamos nosotros. It filled my soul with great joy to know that they are ready to listen for the first time, and we are going to do everything that we can to get them baptized as soon as possible. We also have a double FHE planned tonight with our converso reciente Guillermo. He wants to come with us to visit Carmen y Nestor and then have an FHE in his house with his nonmember families. I agree with what Trevor wrote me that its amazing how we can go much time without baptizing and then baptize three, four, five in a row and the members hardly even notice. That is something that I will need to repent of when I go back home. Gotta know who is getting saved these days. Guillermo knows what´s up, and he has this funny way of listening and then randomly asking a question that has little to do with the conversation. Before his baptism it all had to do with the USA, but now it all has to do with the work. How is Luiz? When are we gonna stop by? When is the next baptism? Who is listening to y´all? How did the church get started and moved out to Utah? I love Guillermo very much. He is one of my heroes. Roque didn´t make it to church this Sunday, nor could we find him all week this week, but we finally decided to leave a note and pass by in a time that he is most likely there. We still have a ton of hope for him. Please pray for him and Luiz as they make their decisions in this life to learn more about the gospel and as they see that they really are blessed greatly for the change. Ah, Luiz. Luiz Luiz Luiz. Lucky for him that his Heavenly Father loves him so much and provides him with a good man like Guillermo for his brother in law and an even better man as his Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ. The Stake President here is on the ball. He talked to all of the missionaries here to have them really get on top of the work and push it to the limits. He says that if the Mission President isn´t here all the time to help us out, he is, and is more than willing to give the work a great big shove and to get it rolling. We told him about our plans to contact like locos here in Centro, and he loves the idea. He gave us some great suggestions concerning whom to contact to get the show on the road and different things that have worked in the past. I am pumped to do this thing in Christ´s name!! I love each and every one of you, because you too are learning much about the Atonement and how it works in our daily life. Keep going! He loves you, He paid the price already, and all that we have to do is give our love and devotion in return. He sends us the Spirit to save us from ourselves, and prayer is incredible. Do your best, and then don´t worry. Be happy in His love. In Christ, Elder Lindsey