Area: Santiago, Chile
Hey Fam,
This week was a great
week! Actually is was an awesome week! But first with you guys, it sounds like
you are all doing really well.
Spencer!!! Thats
AWESOME!!! In a week you are going to be started on your carpeta and at the end
of November you are going to be an ELDER!! Thats so cool! and like 2 months
after that you are going to go to the temple and be endowed. And I bet like 2
months after that you are going to be leaving to the mission! But there are
CRAZY things that are happening with the missionaries that are leaving now.
Because there is a huge flood of missionaries that are going out they have to
change things to better accomodate the missionaries (all the new ones won`t fit
in the MTC in Provo) So, I heard from Sister Essig, that instead of having the
normal time in the MTC that the new missionaries are only going to be there for
2 weeks. It doesn`t matter the language. And after they are going to leave to
thier missions and learn in the field. CRAZY RIGHT?? Also for that reason, our
Mission home is going to be changed. President Essig is going to have to move,
most likely to an appartment (I don`t understand exactly why...) But the new
missionaries will live with him in his house for a time when they first
come...loco! But basically what it means too is that I am probably going to be
training until the end of my mission. 65% of the mission has less than a year in
the mission. 45% has less than 6 months, so the mission is really really young.
And its going to be even younger here soon. But it will be interesting when you
go out! I bet you´ll go to Colombia. And great job on your talk, it sounds like
it was great! Good luck this Sunday too. You are going to have to share
different things now =) because people that heard the first one are going to the
second too haha.
But it was a great
week last week. We received lots of blessings last week (thanks Spencer for the
fast, it worked) We had lots of great lessons and the sector is in really good
shape. They are going to have two baptisms, pretty much for sure, in two weeks.
So Im sad that I won`t be there but its ok, its part of the mission. There are 7
people that have a baptismal date there. Elder Barnes is going to do well
there.
But the highlight of
the week was without a doubt the conference that we had with Elder Bednar! It
was without a doubt the best conference that I have ever been to. It was
incredible. He was there, President Hallstrom what there and Elder Ceballos was
there (Pres Hallstrom is in the presidency of the 70 and E Ceballos is a 70 in
the area presidency) and basically it was amazing. The entire thing was like a Q
and A session. What happened is that 2 weeks before coming Elder Bednar gave us
two talks to read and study. They talked about Learning By Faith and are
excelent. So he talked about those talks a little bit and then basically he
opened up the floor to a Q and A. He asked us questions and people could respond
and then he let us ask him any question that we wanted. The spirit was really
strong and I have no doubt that he is called of God. He is a prophet, seer and
revelator. And the best teacher I have ever seen=)
I loved it. The
principles and truths that he taught are really going to change my mission. He
explained that we must take action. We as children of God have our agency and we
must use that agency to act. We do not want to be acted upon. When we act we are
following the plan that God has set forth to be our own agents. When we are
acted upon or act upon others we are eleminating the element of agency and the
spirit cannot work within us. In essence that was the plan of Satan. He wanted
every person to be acted upon, that they really wouldn`t have to do anything for
themselves.
Because of this, in
the learning process, we must take action. The investigators must take action.
The responses to our prayers will come after we act. The scriptures say ask, and
ye shall receive, knock and it will be opened unto you. We must act first and
then the confirmation will come. The Lord says open your mouth and he will fill
it. The response is always proceded by an action. And so what he did was he
asked the group of missionaries what they observed from the talks that were
read. Then people began to respond and as people chose and vollunteered to
respond and share what it was that they observed, the spirit testified to
eternal truths to everyone in the room, individually. It was really amazing. It
was a process of asking and listening to the response, and then he would ask
follow up questions that allowed us to think and process what it was that was
happening, what we were seeing and learning and that is how the spirit was able
to testify to everyone in the room.
He allowed us to ask
him questions and there were various great questions that were asked. But not
everyone was able to ask their questions. Only like 10 people or so. But what
was amazing to see was that at the end of the Q and A he asked a question. He
said that he wanted everyone to raise their hands that in the conference
received an answer, from thier thoughts or feelings, to a question that they had
that was different from any of the questions that were specifically asked. I`m
not kidding, 95% of the people rose their hands. It was pretty amazing. He then
explained that that is because the Holy Ghost was the teacher, it is always (or
should be) the teacher. The Spirit testified to the people in the room of the
truth and because they were open in the learning process they were able to
recognize and receive answers to their questions. He said that what we just saw
was a miracle. It was a miracle just as significant and big as the parting of
the Red Sea. And I agree. How else could that many people get answers to
questions that weren`t mentioned or explained if it wasn`t by the spirit? It had
to be by him. It was really an amazing conference. I Loved it.
But right after the
conference we were walking out and we saw President Essig. He saw us and said
that he needed to talk to me. he pulled me aside and told me that I was going
to have changes of the sector and that I was going to go to a sector called
Principal in the zone of Conchalì and that I was going to be one of the Zone
Leaders. I asked him if he was serious. I wanted to make sure that he wasn`t
joking. He said that yes he was serious. Haha. So now i`m here in my new zone
and whats more is that I`m in a Trio! It is going to be awesome. My companions
are Elder Willowbee (sp?) and Elder McCombs. Elder Willowbee is still training
and Elder McCombs has a little more time in the mission than I do. It should be
a great change.
But thanks for
everything. I`ll send pictures next week. I don`t have my camera with me. But I
know that this church is true and that at the head of this church is Jesus
Christ. It is the only LIVING church. He lives. He speaks to us through his
servants the prophets and I was able to hear from one 3 days ago. And I am lucky
enough to be able to be an embassador for Him and spread the wonderful gospel
news, Spencer is soon to follow and then Cutler after. I am so blessed to be
here and I wouldn`t trade this time for anything. Love you all,
Elder Jaromy
Holland
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