June 2, 2014 - Elder Ballard's visit to the mission

All,

Happy Day, I am so happy that y'all are well,

This week was a great week, as we are finally starting to see the blessings from E' Ballard's invitation to reach out to 20 people, minimum, per day. We were also incentivized by P. Wiedman stating "I promise you that if you do your 20 contacts for 2 weeks straight you will find more, teach more, and baptize more. You'll also find softer hearted people to teach.

It's true!!! We also contacted a street contact and he is itching to accept the Gospel, and after talking to him for 20 min, he was telling us all about his failing marriage, his dead kidney's and how he recently started attending an evangelical church, which he doesn't really like.

To wrap up, we visited a referral whom we have been trying to have a lesson with for 2 months, and we got in, and they are incredibly receptive, and were fascinated by the concept of a modern day prophet. 

They are all so soft hearted, it's such a nice change. Now we just need to get people to church, as we had 10 people commit to come to church, and 2 of the 10 actually came. so annoying. People don't like going to church. They're always busy., and say "god willing". Yet they never grasp that God wants them at church.
C'est la vie.

It's all a numbers game. the elect are out there we just need to find them and the more we find, the more we teach, the more the Lord will trust us with his elect..

What we do after that we find them was the theme of Elder Ballard's Training, It was the strongest feeling of the spirit that I have ever felt. 300 missionaries, 2 70's, 2 stake presidents, mission president, and his wife. So cool! The meeting was 2 hours, more or less. Elder Ballard spoke for an hour of it.

His training focused on the need to establish a spiritual connection with all who we teach so that they can recognize, via the light of Christ, that we are "true messengers of the Father." As until they ask, they'll never know. and the fact that they ask whether we are in fact true messengers shows that they have faith that the prayer will be answered.

We were also told the 7 main points of our message:

1) God is our father

2) Christ is his son

3) God has always called prophets to talk for him

4) God has called a prophet today

5) The Book of Mormon is evidence of point 4

6) therefore the priesthood is restored

7) therefore, you can be sealed with your family forever

​It's so simple, and yet people can never grasp it, as they are unwilling to change, and walk the path of repentance with the missionaries. That is the essence of our calling, to help people walk the path of repentance and change, that leads to baptism and their exaltation.​ That is one of the biggest failings of missionaries, we commit people to act, but we leave them to it. We don't do as the shepherd of the lost sheep and carry them to the fold. In order for us to get them in the fold, we need to know everyone in the barrio (ward), as unless we do, we can't pair our investigators with those who would best help them. It wouldn't be very good to have a chilango fellowship a person from Guadalajara.

Aside from that, LAE is picking up again without us there. So, we get to keep our 8 hours of proselyting time, and reap the benefits apart from going. We use this time to work with those investigators that are not getting enough of our attention because the work is going so well here. We are so busy.

To wrap up, here's a list of our investigators and their situations:

Gxxxxxxo- still getting married

Hazel Pxxxz- had first communion on Saturday, not really sure where to go from here

Ronald Cxxxxxxo- reading daily, can come to church w/o mom yeimy (Jamie)

Orlando Sxxxxxs- Reading on and off. ducking the topic of baptism. doesn't want to talk about it. Always has something important to do on Sunday and won't come to church

Bryce Sxxxxxs- reading daily

Karla Sxxxxxs- not reading at all

Pablo Oxxxxa- dropped

Yeimy Cxxxxxxo- Reading on and off, won't come to church

​Jasmine and Marlyn: dropped

Cxxxxx: Trying to contact, never in house

Cxxxxxo​: Taught L1, and they were really interested in prophets.

Pablo and Dianne Pxxxz: not really interested, prolly drop them soon.

Less Active/Recent Convert Update:

Jennifer Axxxxr: solid as a rock, and waiting to get a calling

Ronny: still waiting on him to come to the correct ward, he's "coming soon" still waiting 2 months later

Los Txxxxxi reactivating. Hermano has a calling, the rest aren't really there

Barrios-Mxxa: are coming back, as we prod them along.

Pxxxxxxxa: baptized vale and Oscar, they're active. as is brother Daniel. working on rest of family.

​Jason: having major psychological problems, pray for him. we cannot visit with him until he is stable again, on presidents orders.

Velasquez: working to baptize daughter, although they ain't been to church in years.

Oscar. Daniel, Stuart, and Vale

Elder Anderson, my ZL

Oscar and Vale on baptism day

Be well all!

C

Elder Wilson

And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.