Conference

Mama mía, You are definitely in tune with the spirit. One of the biggest things I pulled from conference is that I need to wait for the Lord´s timetable to guide things, and not mine. I also began my Christmas wishlist this very morning, so we are in luck! Some good ole thick black socks would be fantastic. The thin ones are simply shot, and many are completely unusable. Begin Post My dear mother wishes to hear about a few things in specific about Catamarca. The scenery here is incredible. Spring time here completely took me by surprise. The colors definitely reach the soft spot in my heart for God´s wonders. There are trees that completely fill themselves with soft pink, bright yellow and subtle lavender flowers that really make you think when you see it, wondering to yourself if it is real. Shocking reds, oranges and every color in between mix in with the blues and vibrant greens found in the leaves and grass. The architecture is another wonder, with many beautiful houses and stores amongst the humble abodes of the everyday people. My companion and I are getting along quite well. We have devoted ourselves to spend this next transfer simply being better in everything. Organization, cleanliness, contacting, lesson teaching, time and money spending and studying. We are really pumped to get out and do some good. David should be pretty ready to serve a mission by now if he isn´t already. I think we just had to get through my generation before we got to the good ones like him. I feel a great responsibility in having to train and teach these new 18 year olds which will soon come to our mission, seeing as I am the last generation of the "Old Ones" if you will. I almost have a year in the mission, and only have two bouts of conference that I can apply to the rest of the world whilst preaching as one having authority, and not as the scribes. This Conference marked a monumental moment in the world, and in my conversion as well. Apathy cannot be accepted. Get out and be a Christian this instant if you really love the Lord. Are your actions to help yourself or the Lord? I will be working on this as well, because it ain´t easy. It is, however, worth it. Thanks for thinking about me. I love you all very much! Elder Lindsey PS A quick note about the QWERTY keyboard that makes typing a pain. In Spanish, the B and V make the same sound halfway between the two in English. On the QWERTY board, they just happen to be right next to each other, which is almost as confusing as the M and N keys which also are adjacent.

Marta got baptized!!!!!!! There was a ton of opposition last minute and she wasn´t sure if she should go through with it. We told her to come to the service and to decide there, because two other people were getting baptized that day and most of the Zone would be there. Twenty minutes before, she shows up dressed in a white jumper ready to get in the water. We had two other investigators in the service as well that really loved it. One of them said that it felt like she herself had been baptized. Those which we ask that you pray for are Cecilia, Laura, Claudia and Pedro. The branch here is going through a really hard time right now. As of today, we lost a family of two due to their long-expected move to Buenos Aires and eventually the States. It has been a rough time for all, and much has been learned on the importance of the Saviors Atonement. The two of us in the Valle Viejo pension ended up rather short on money for this last month due to difficulties with reimbursements and bike problems, but we ate every day and made it out alive without losing weight. I cannot tell you how joyed I was to see that as of today they have upped our monthly income if you will by 25%. Hallelujah! And, as I was writing, some of my stuff which got stranded in another pension for almost a week magically arrived with my district leader and I will try to attach some pictures along with it all today. No promises. Speaking of hallelujahs and praises, we have organized a little choir of the Zone of Catamarca and some members for a multi-faith choir festival in the stake center this Friday. Please invite your friends, I am sure that it´ll be lovely. It´s on la Zurita in between Sarmiento and Maipú at sevenish or so. I´ll be playing the piano for our choir, but it´s only one song and its at the end, so you can leave if my playing gets too bad. The Scriptures tell us that if we are happy, we should praise the Lord with singing and praises. If you have ever wondered how to pray all day, remember that the song of the righteous is a prayer unto the Lord, and just go ahead and sing your way through the day. Goodness gracious, how I love and appreciate the generosity of the Lord in His tender mercies that he sends us constantly. Wilford Woodruff, in his teachings, tells a story in which he and his fellow missionaries were lost in the wilderness during a horrid southern thunderstorm at night, and how the Lord safely guided them to the path which they needed to take. He then continued onward through the tempest just glad that the Lord had helped him in the past, not minding the current evils around him. I like that attitude. No matter what happens right now, I can be happy because the Lord has shown me in the past that I can do it with His loving assistance. I feel my Savior´s love in all the world around me. I know that my Redeemer lives, and that I need Him every hour. Have you done any good in the world today? If yes, than what more can you do? Remember that it is the Lord´s work and glory to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. Is that your work and glory as well? Love one another, and preach the gospel to all that will hear. Our purpose in this life is to get baptized and have faith in the Savior in order to return to Him someday. Help those around you to understand that it is their purpose as well. Be good! Elder Lindsey

¡Ay caramba!

In light of today, there was a ton of opposition in getting to a computer to write ya'll. We tried for an hour in the morning, going to four different places, and because it is a holiday, everything in our area was shut down. Nothing this morning, and since we went as a zone to another pueblo even farther than where I live, we didn't get back in time to do it regularly. When we finally found one, the computer simply didn't want to work. Then, we waited an hour for a bus to take us out of our area to the ciber in which I currently sit to write you. I felt very strongly this was the right course of action, and we got permission to do this as well. I know that I can be better, and constantly am thinking about what I can do to get stronger spiritually. For some reason it is just really hard for me to concentrate on that side of life right now, even though I really am making a large effort. I feel like the Lord is really pushing me to see how much I can rely on the testimonies that I have received in the past. We helped the Branch President to finally decide on calling some men to callings in the ward, and now have a ward mission leader with an EQP on the way. I feel like the Lord is helping us, but that I really need to work harder myself to keep up with the whole get up. This week has been an adventure. We have someone who is willing and ready to be baptized this weekend, which is fantastic. Please pray for Marta. We are shooting for a zone of Zion this month, and I believe that on the technicality our area is one of the areas that needs to baptize, but we really just have to send in the paperwork for one that happened right as I got here. The Lord has some interesting things that he asks us to do. One of them, which we all can improve on, is the consecration of all that we have to help the growth of His kingdom. He doesn't require this because He needs to, rather, to give us an opportunity to give, be humble and submissive, and to in turn be blessed in ways that we never can predict. I invite all ya'll to ponder how well you have been consecrating the thing which is most difficult to devote, which is time. I feel like we truly need to put all of our time into helping the Lord in order to really have the influence of His Spirit with us at all times. Any time spent not helping someone else to come unto Christ or making preparations to do so is utterly wasted and will cost precious time that belongs to someone else at a future point in time. How we can improve in this aspect! I love the Ensign, and seeing as Conference is coming to centers near you soon, we should all be reading the words of the prophets to prepare ourselves for this special time of the year. God will give you personal thoughts on how to be happy if you get ready to listen to Him. I testify of that truth, for it happens to me every time. Knowing that God doesn't change, He will most assuredly do that for you as well. Be Good. Sorry if I don´t write as many events from the mission as I should, but I have to keep SOMETHING to share when I get back! Elder Lindsey

Changes!

Happy Birthday Elder Gilman!! My companion hit 21 today, and to help him out I decided to make pancakes. Normally he makes them, so I made them this morning. Too bad he ate cereal instead, but I am sure that he is enjoying his day, and will not stop trying to keep that going. It is a mountain surrounded paradise here in Valle Viejo. I am coming back here for sure at some point in my life. Winter doesn´t really exist in Catamarca. I´m pretty sure that yesterday we hit about 95 degrees or more, and having to wear a suit to church whilst riding a bike-- it a party in such conditions. If you wondered how my backside felt during this week due to three or four hours of biking a day, you are wrong, because it didn´t feel anything. At first the seat had no cushion on it left over from the previous owner, but there are very few things that duct tape and/or an old t-shirt can´t fix. I have pictures of it, don´t worry. Bikes really help to move the work along much faster. We can go about three or four miles in twenty minutes if we have to get there fast. Our branch is super small, we had about thirty people, and the room was stuffed to the rafters. We have this awesome new idea to work with the members this month, and I think it will be a good goal for wards back home as well. We want to have a branch of Zion. The goal for our mission is to be a mission of Zion, meaning that every companionship baptizes in the month. The application for the unit would be that every member helps us to teach a lesson at least once during the month. In larger units, and in Utah, that is slightly hard to push, but here it is completely reasonable and has potential to help us work better with the members. Some people this week were extraordinarily rude in not wanting to listen to us. Definitely the worst that I have had in my life. It just makes me sad that they are so close to receiving eternal life, but their pride gets in the way and prevents progress. The end of John 12 talks about the Savior´s attitude towards these people where he says that "he didn´t come to judge the world, rather to save it". If he isn´t going to judge those that don´t receive Him, how can we judge those that don´t receive two gringos riding bikes? Thanks to God, we had some miracle finds here, like a man whose brother in Buenos Aires is a bishop, the uncle and aunt of our newest convert, and a lady who felt the Spirit recognizably during a prayer and who is ready to soak in all we can throw at her. There are rarely street names here, and even less frequently numbers on the houses. We pretty much go by sight and how good our memories are. I feel a very strong responsibility to work my tail off to bring others to Christ. Being imperfect, that can present a seemingly impossible task, but I know that the Lord will guide our actions towards His pre-prepared children and the things that we need to do to help them. I love this work with all my soul. Be good, and take care of business Elder Lindsey

Listen to the Truth!!!

I got moved! My new area is called Valle Viejo (Ole Valley) in Catamarca. I left the pension at 10:30 last night and took a bus from Córdoba to here at midnight, arriving at six, getting to the Zone Leaders´ pension at sevenish, and getting to my pension at eightish. Córdoba is a very beautiful city, but I will have to be dead honest in saying that Catamarca blows it out of the water. The mountains are huge on both sides, and our two-man pension is bigger than my old four-man. I will leave this area with legs of steel due to our surely trusty and sturdy bikes which we will use on a daily basis. Apparently all of Catamarca is desert with the exception of where I happen to be working for the time being. It´s a super small branch, but if we can get ten more people to come to church for three months we´ll get a chapel up in this place. I am pumped for this new chance, but sad that I didn´t get to tell my companion Elder Martinez goodbye seeing as he was in Jesus Maria at the time on intercambios. My new companion is Elder Gilman from Boise. He seems awesome, and we get along pretty well from what I can tell. This last week was crazy. I had never felt so much pressure to baptize people in my life, and in the end, after much fasting, long prayers, and frantic antics of testifying to all possibilities, we weren´t able to baptize this last transfer. The Lord really tried our faith, and I learned that we have to understand that His thoughts are not our thoughts. Arenales is super set to baptize this upcoming month, though, and they should get quite a few people a shot at the Celestial Kingdom´s first requirement through baptism. One of our investigators came to church, and beforehand we went to his house to spur him on. In that event he told us of a crazy dream that was easily recognized as a sign from God that this church is true. His only doubt is that he feels that others might be true as well... They´ll take care of him and treat him well while I am gone. As I left last night, bidding a seemingly eternal farewell to so many families and individuals, my heartstrings got played quite a bit, and I will definitely keep those I knew in my prayers and heart. I got a package from the Hampels, and it has blessed the lives of many people through the goodness of Starbursts and Crystal Light. I am pleased to know that all are doing well, and loved getting Brayden´s graduation announcement at the end of August. Shoulda told me sooner, though pal. I might´ve made it. Upon thinking on home, I have realized that many of my dearest friends and beloved family are creeping up on their time to get out and serve missions of their own. I highly recommend it, and will always say that it is the right thing to do. Get it done as soon as possible, and you will never regret it. I personally have spent a ton of the Lord´s time working my tail off in the mission field, and still have had a blast. I know from this experience that all can have the same type of chance if they will just take the one little step of faith and get out here. I can always do better, but the Lord knows how to help us best, and makes room for our mistakes. He loves each and every one of us truly. Our Father in Heaven is an incredible planner. I should learn from His example and crack to it, and therefore I am taking this transfer to really learn how to plan and apply all that I can. Organize yourselves, He says, and we should all take it to heart. What do you think we are going to do when we are creating our own worlds if we cant keep the matierials of our own room straight? Let alone a universe in its entirety! To finish, the price of this ciber (public computer lounge) has really satisfied me, seeing as it is half the price of the one that I used to attend. Portensen mal. Digo portensen bien. (Act poorly. I mean, be good) Elder Lindsey

As the infamous Elder Martinez said this fateful Sunday as we desperately searched for our investigators, God tends to squeeze every last drop of faith out of us that we think we can handle, and then makes a new drop, squeezes that one, and splashes us in the face with it. Then, when all is seemingly lost, he gives us a great big dose of miracle and he lifts us up. None of our investigators looked like they were going to church this Sunday, which is huge, because this was our last Sunday before the final Saturday on which we can baptize. However, we stopped by our last hope that we had, Matías, and his brother Esteban was outside. Having already listened to us in the past, but never having come to church, he was prepared to be invited easily. We talked with him for a few minutes as we waited for his brother to tell us that he didn´t want to come, and we invited him to the final hour of church: Sacrament Meeting. He was indecisive at first, but we offered a little bit of logic and the Lord added a full measure of the Spirit, enough to convince him to at least come once. We told him that the Lord would help him in his studies, that he wouldn´t be the only one not wearing shirt and tie, that all of his doubts concerning the church would be answered and that he would feel something that he had never felt before if he would just take an hour of his time to go and sit in the chapel and worship the Lord Jesus Christ. He came on that stipulation, and he absolutely loved it, telling us that he will be there next week si o si (yes, or yes). Furthermore, Ezequiel, whose parents said that he can´t get baptized, was walking into the church when we showed up with Esteban., not wearing shirt and tie, and literally fulfilling the Lord´s promise "in every whit" as the scriptures say. I stand all amazed! Sadly, Valeria, Daniel, the Cabrera family, the Barrera family, Olga, nor Fabián attended, and I ask you to pray for all of them. They are all soooooo close, but need the Spirit in their lives to convert them. Your efforts in Spirit are heard by God Himself, and he can send not only messages, but power from on high, as Elder Packer said in a quote that my dear father sent me. We have had some of the greatest study times as a companionship here, and I still fully encourage all to study the scriptures and to meditate the message therein carefully, as Wilford Woodruff puts it, with the same spirit of revelation and prophecy with which they were written. The Bible Dictionary tells us that speculation on things that the Lord hasn´t revealed renders no spiritual gain, and I second that, having learned from personal experience. This guide to the scriptures is remarkably fantastic and helpful for understanding gospel principles and staying on the straight and narrow path through the careful use of the iron rod. I highly suggest the entries of Prayer, Repentance, Miracles, and Priests. The symbolism in and authorized insight to these topics contribute to one´s grip on life. Try it. The highlight of my week happened last night. An eight year old boy in our branch has discipline issues if you will, and is learning how to cope with life´s facts and difficulties. He can´t yet read, and seems to not want to know how. His parents discussed this with us last night, and he waltzed in right in the middle of the conversation, not really knowing all of what was being said. I remember always upon entering their house the miracle that happened the last time I was present to discuss the gospel with this child: the Lord blessed him with a special and individual promise that if he prayed that their house, contemporarily without power, would immediately receive such. He prayed, and God fulfilled His end of the bargain, as He is wont to do. Reminding him of that moment, I asked him to say a prayer to our Gracious Maker, requesting His help in his quest to read and write, and gave him a Book of Mormon on the promise that he would read it. He prayed for help, and I know that he will learn how to read. I feel happy inside for having made that small effort that has grand potential for this kid. The Lord is God and forgives us all. Don´t worry about your shortcomings, just think about how he can help you fix them. Please pray for us so that Elder Martinez can baptize someone this month, for his time to leave draws nigh. Thank you for your letters and love, they bless many lives. Stay true to the faith! Elder Lindsey

Clark!

This week was the best week of my mission yet. I testify that obedience to gospel principles and love for those around us cause miracles directly. Many of my wildest dreams came true this week, and I love my Savior and King. I have always dreamed of going to a foreign country and challenging a group of dudes on the street to a game of soccer to teach them a lesson afterwards. On Friday, after a few rough experiences, we didn´t know where to go, and stopped to say a prayer. We tend to keep our eyes open during the prayer to watch for people walking by or to lower our voices if someone is too close, and right in the middle of the prayer, four guys started waving us over to play. Never has a prayer been answered so quickly for me in my life. We played, we did very well, and we got in a good lesson afterward. Then, because every companionship in our zone baptized this last month, we got a special treat from President Salas to a pizza per companionship and three hours of soccer in a rented field. I scored on the Pres and got decently dirty, but the best part was just to have a break and some time to celebrate good times. This week we taught more lessons than I have ever done in my mission, and we had nine investigators in church. We had strived super hard to work diligently and obediently, as well as fasted to have an added measure of the spirit present in the lessons, and the Lord blessed us abundantly. He lives, he loves, and he gives us all He can in accordance to our actions. I really invite all to try out this principle, because it works, and it isn´t selfish to want blessings if those blessings are intended to help others. We should have a baptism coming up this weekend, but it all depends on what the spirit tells us and the Zone Leaders, because Ezequiel is definitely able and willing. He seems to have stopped using heavy drugs and smoking, which is incredible, considering we found him a week and a half ago. He has come to four activities thus far and accepted everything wholeheartedly. There is talk of opening a new area inside of our area, enough that we are searching for a pension in Monte Cristo and beginning to work more and more there as Arenales II. We had three lessons with members in two hours when we visited this Sunday, and it is my goal to help the Lord open that new place before they kick me out of here. Godspeed, all Elder Lindsey