Its wonderful how God works in such different ways to touch our hearts so that we understand his will

Well I am not pregnant any more. My baby boy was born. His name is Elder Cruz named after the famous Tom Cruz. okay just a joke. He is from Peru. He is very short. Its nice, I feel a lot taller.

Well a lot more stress was just put on my shoulders. This week has been really hard because I feel that everything depends on me. I have felt so weak this week. I have been meditating about if its even possible to complete the level that God has set for me. I feel that the potential is so high and that I can't hit it. But through my studies this week the Spirit has counseled me and I have understood the purpose of this high level. First, God is the level. If I want to be like him I have to come closer and strive to be like him. Also in Doctrine and Covenants 121 it says that all of these experiences of hard times is for my benefit and learning. click here for the link to the scripture referenced  A very close friend that is a member in the ward here told me that I can do it that I need not lose my faith and trust in God. Its wonderful how God works in such different ways to touch our hearts so that we understand his will. Since then the scripture 1 Nephi 3:7 has ran through my mind over and over.

7 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.

God has sent me here, commanded me to complete. He has a way for me to complete with everything. Still its tough, but manageable.

Well this week on the subject of the work in my sector. Not a lot of people progressing. Its hard but this is the game changer week. This week is CONFERENCE. So pumped. We are focusing so much this week to get people to go to church and listen to the prophet. There is a quote from President Ezra Taft Benson about the prophets that came out in the Liahona this month that I just love much. So powerful. Its says that a prophet living is more important that a dead prophet. Poderoso (powerful)

I invite you guys to have a wonderful and spiritual conference. Something that I have learned is that its so much better to get in your white shirt and tie and go to the stake center to watch the conference. You guys will get a lot out of it I ppppromise. There are so many distractions in the house, in the chapel its a lot easier to feel the Spirit.

Well guys I am doing good. I love being a missionary. I just have to soak it up while it lasts because the time is counting down super fast.

I love you mom

Elder Luke

I love the temple

Well my companion ya se fue (and he went - he was transferred to another area). He left. gone. And right now I am waiting with another missionary from my zone for my new companion. He comes Wednesday. Yesterday all night I was cleaning the house because I knew that I wasn't going to have time to do so this week. Right now I am in another sector. But I will be serving with the new missionary in the sector with the hill, better hills, same house, same ward. But there were so many changes in the zone, my third companion in the mission. Elder Cordoa. Do you guys remember him? He is now my zone leader. How weird is that? He is so awesome. We are going to work so hard. I am exited to work with him again.  With all the changes I will have a new district and new Elders. 

Today mom I was able to buy my shoes. I got some good shoes that will last. They are nice and comfortable, not exactly what I was looking for but I am satisfied. I was tempted mom to spend more money to buy two pairs of shoes but I am getting a lot better at resisting temptations (A missionary blessings). I only bought one. I also paid less than I had told you guys. They aren't waterproof like I wanted but they are good for walking and they are my style. 

 

This week was very interesting. We started out first with working on Monday. We started out awesome. Committing people to the church and very spiritual lessons. We found awesome people. Everything was good. By Thursday we had committed 5 people to go to church and that is a good amount of people for a sector. But everything just went down hill. Nothing went the way we wanted. Yet again we had nobody in the church. People listening to us and the next moment they hate us or just don't want to listen to us. My companion says that the success comes with the new missionary. Well I hope its true. But we are going to work very hard. 

 

Also we went o the temple. How beautiful. I love the temple. We got to see the temple movie. It was awesome. I loved it. I learned so much. Other than that I found out how the temple is a character of the true church. In Exodus 40 it explains the temple and how its the same then that we do now. Click here for a link to the scripture reference

I learned a lot about how got loves us. I learned how important the savior is and his atoning sacrifice. I learned about how this life is to repent and how we should be repenting always. I always thought something. If Christ always invited us to come unto him, why in some scriptures does he tell the sinners to apart from him. I understand, its like when we did something bad and dad sent us to our room to calm down and change. Its the same thing. When we sin he sends us to time out. We can't be in his presence until we repent  and calm down and come unto him. That's when we return to him. I love it. Repentance sounds like something bad, but its also wonderful. So important that we repent, change the things we are doing wrong. 

 

I love the temple because I feel comfortable. The clothes, the feelings. I feel home. I don't refer as home as in Boise, but I refer to our heavenly home. I feel when I get there that I belong there. Its absolutely wonderful.

We got to see another video that has produced the church, gracias a que el vive, because He lives. I just feel the spirit so strong. 

 

I want you to know that I have a tesimonio that Christ does live and that this is His church.

Well. I don't have nothing else to say. I have written a lot.

I love you.

Have a wonderful week.

Elder Luke

 

 

Going to be a trainer!

Well. first off this week was very tiring and it is still very tiring. First I didn't buy the shoes because when I got there they didn't have the shoe in my size and they didn't have any other shoe that fits my needs. So I was planning on going to a mall near by today but due to the fact that this week we have a conference and we are going to visit the temple I  don't have P day. Only time to write you guys and  buy groceries. So I will have to wait until the next Monday to do so. But even then I don't know. Because. Well I will tell you the good news. On Friday in the morning the assistant called me and told me that I had to be in the office of the mission at 11. Got there on time but nobody told me why. I got into the interview with Presidente and he told me........ that I will ....... be training. OHHH yea. This next Monday my companion is going to be transferred and I will be receiving my "son" in the mission on Wednesday. Therefore I know not if I will be able to buy the shoes this next week due to the changes in the mission. But we will see. But thank you for sending me money.

This week we have been working a lot with people that live down this very steep hill. Up and down and up and down all week climbing hills. We have found some really nice people but aren't progressing at all. It is tough. I feel that we have not been focusing on our goals and go back to the old way of doing things. I feel that we are working hard but we didn't focus on planning everything out good, for that we didn't bring anybody to church. Wow is that a bad experience. To me when I don't bring anybody to church it is like all that week was thrown away. I feel that maybe I didn't do the best I could have with the Lords time. But now this is a week of improvement.
 

This week I had a lot of understanding of the Plan of Salvation and its funny that you guys are reading that in PMG (Preach My Gospel). The Plan of Salvation brings everything into vision to me. I understand the importance of obeying and preparing. 

This week I can be truly honest that maybe I haven't been as humble and patient. But its something I need to work on because I will be companions with a missionary who wont know like I know. With that I have to be humble and patient. This week I have thought a few times what would Christ expect of me in this situation. That has helped me a lot.
 

This Sunday was very spiritual. They talked a lot about Christ and the Atonement. I love in D and C 19: 16-18 really brings it all in perspective and helps me to keep going everyday. Its powerful.

16 For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent;

 17 But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I;

 18 Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit—and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink—

Have a wonderful week. Know that I am good. Life is good. Everything is good. GOOD. like the movie Bruce All Mighty... GOOOD!

I love you mom

Elder Luke 

p.s. Baptism. Fotos, Spiritual

 

 

Thank you for letting me be a missionary

Well I really enjoyed your email. I am so glad that everthing is well back home. The birthday party sounded super fun (His brother celebrated his 10th birthday with an extreme Nerf Gun party). Its also so funny that dad showed up to the airport in spandex (We met at the airport to say good bye to our friend Elder Smith.  He did ride his bike to the airport it wasn't just a spandex Saturday outfit). Typical dad.

 

Well I am pretty excited for my hug when I get home. (See previous blog post.) It will be a very big and long hug. But I end my mission in 9 months. Close enough to get excited, but far enough away to keep pushing along.

 

This week for me was pretty cool. It was good. The zone leaders changed my district.  Now I am working with differet elders. I went this week to work with them in their sector. Wow Its a sector with a lot of dirt. Worst part was the house where they live was awful. Dirt everywhere. Rats in the house. It was awful. That night I was there I got sick. I woke up with a fever and a sore throat. I went two days with that fever and sore throat. It was awful. But this lady that I am teaching hooked me up with some honey that helped. (Honey is very expensive in Ecuador.  A small bottle is $15.  Good thing Brian's dad doesn't have to pay that much for his honey.) Now I am a lot better.

 

Well in this exchange with my district, I was addicted to playing with a laser all day. It was so cool to play with the dogs and cats with the laser. I was like a little kid. Well this week we have been working with this lady. All of her kids are members and she has listened to missionaries for a long time until we came and killed all of her problems and put the gospel in her life. She is going to be baptized this week. So the next lunes (Monday) I will have a bunch of photos. Plus I am starting to use my gopro more. Its fun.

 

This lady is so loving and has had some problems in the past. But she loves her kids so much and they love her so much. Its like a normal family. I love it. They mean a lot to me. I really love that family. She passed her baptismal interview and is ready to go this week. Bum, bum bum, another bites the dust/baptismal font. bum bum bum another ones down and another was down and another was bites the dust/ baptismal font. haha

 

Also in the morning on Saturday, we went to an appointment, but he wasnt there, so we found a service opportunity where I was able to chop down a huge tree with a machete. Powerful huh. I got a few videos on my gopro.

 

Well I am doing well. Life is good. Okay maybe I am a little tired, but everything is good. 

 

I just want to thank you mom, for your sacrafice. Thank you for letting me be a missionary, 

I love you.

Mom your "hug" will be oh so special, and will come soon.

Elder Luke  

 

The Hug

Elder Luke doesn't come home for another eight months, but from way before he even left we have been talking about the "HUG".  It's that great experience at the airport with the return missionary and his mom hugging at the airport.  Our first example was from Elder Johnson coming home from Arizona.  What a great Hug!

Well, our friend Elder Smith left the Boise Mission on Saturday and got his "HUG."  His mom was nice enough to send us the picture.  It shows so much emotion even though you can't see their faces.  You can tell that he came running down the stairs dropped his suitcase and gave his mom a hug.  Two years is a long time especially as they are growing into such wonderful men, while on their missions.  That "HUG" sums it all up. Oh can't wait.

We are being blessed with so many miracles

I am glad that everything went well this week with the party of Elder Smith. I know he loved and enjoyed it.  We will miss him so dearly but its not like he is dying.  I imagine he will visit a lot. Especially I hope he comes to visit Idaho in the end of November. Wow is time fast. We have to just take advantage of it. 

This week we had a baptism. It was awesome. A lot of things needed to be done to bring it to pass but at the end we got it done. It was nice. Its a lot enjoyable to baptize than to just walk all day. The best part is that my first week here we had a baptism of Carlos Villegas. He is a very close friend, he was able to baptize his cousin the same time his mom was baptized. We have been having a lot of success. I love it. It is so much rewarding.

About my district, well we aren't perfect and we have some problems but we are killing the boards with baptisms and rescuing people. Its awesome. We are being blessed with so many miracles. Its very awesome. 

The only things that sucks about being DL (district leader) is not having anytime. I was finally able to write in my journal the other day. Finally  There is just no time. I really want to write Elder Smith a letter but I am just broke with time. 

Well, life is good. The work is good, its ready and we have to participate in it. This working is marvelous.

Elder Luke