Dear Everyone,
Not a ton happened this week,
but the good news is we are going to be having a baptism this week! Vilma is
super excited for baptism this upcoming week, her daughter is a bit iffy since
we have not been able to teach her as consistently as we have Vilma. Her court
stuff is getting resolved so she is a lot less stressed out and ready to jump
in the water. So our focus right now is turning a bit to Clarissa to help her
reach the date of the 25th of May.
Something pretty cool that happened
on Sunday was that Jose, the one who got baptized a few weeks ago, got the
priesthood! It's been awesome seeing him change so quickly. We can just see it
in his face that he is someone completely different. He first came to church
wearing an old sweater and some jeans and church shoes. This past week, he came
in with some nice slacks and a nice button up shirt we gave him and that he
took to the dry cleaners. He was pretty excited to get the priesthood too. But
he was pretty tired and said I had contaminated him with his sleepiness haha.
(There were sometimes I went over and it would be hot and I would almost fall
asleep).
We also had zone conference this
past week, which was great. Crazy to think that was our last zone conference
with President Becerra. He is going to be having a farewell mission conference
type of thing next month, and that will be the last time we see him and his
wife. So for now, I am just trying to learn as much as I can from him before he
leaves. Hopefully I get to go to the next MLC since we are having transfers
this weekend, who knows what will happen.
Here are some ideas/thoughts that
President sent us earlier today about the atonement that I wanted to share:
Dear Elders and Sisters:
This morning I woke up with the
desire to understand the Atonement and Repentance in greater measure. Here are
a few quotes that I came across that might be of benefit to you as you continue
to work for the salvation of souls.
"Adam and Eve learned
constantly from their often harsh experience. They knew how a troubled family
feels. Think of Cain and Abel. Yet because of the Atonement, they could learn
from their experience without being condemned by it."
"We need grace both to
overcome sinful weeds and to grow divine flowers. We can do neither one fully
by ourselves. But grace is not cheap. It is very expensive, even very dear. How
much does this grace cost? . . . If we desire “all that [the] Father hath,” God
asks all that we have."
"Our all by itself is still
only almost enough—until it is finished by the all of Him who is the “finisher
of our faith.” At that point, our imperfect but consecrated almost is
enough."
"If I have any entitlement to
the blessings of God, it has long since been settled in the court of small
claims by His generous bestowals over a lifetime."
"The more I learn and
experience, the more unselfish, stunning, and encompassing [Christ’s] Atonement
becomes!"
"Jesus has already borne our
griefs and sicknesses (see Alma 7:11–12). He knows them firsthand; thus His
empathy is earned. . . . No wonder, of all the things for which we might praise
Jesus when He comes again in majesty and power, we will praise Him for His
“loving kindness” and His “goodness.”
"The divine gift of repentance
is the key to happiness here and hereafter."
"Pretending there is no sin
does not lessen its burden and pain. Suffering for sin does not by itself
change anything for the better. Only repentance leads to the sunlit uplands of
a better life. And, of course, only through repentance do we gain access to the
atoning grace of Jesus Christ and salvation."
"This earth is not our home.
We are away at school, trying to master the lessons of “the great plan of
happiness” so we can return home and know what it means to be there. Over and
over the Lord tells us why the plan is worth our sacrifice—and His. Eve called
it “the joy of our redemption.” Jacob called it “that happiness which is
prepared for the saints.” Of necessity, the plan is full of thorns and
tears—His and ours. But because He and we are so totally in this together, our
being “at one” with Him in overcoming all opposition will itself bring us
“incomprehensible joy.”
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