The Manual of Our Lives

     I hope this week was a great week! I hope everyone looked for new ways to do some service! This week we had a baptism! Her name is Daisy, she is the girlfriend of another investigator we have and started to going to church with him. After the first time she liked it and wanted to get baptised as well so we set up a date and she went to church more and was baptised! she was actually supposed to get married as well but her boyfriend is battling with alcoholism and so he got drunk that day and she didnt want to get married. So we are still working with the boyfriend so that he can be baptised as well. Pictures will be sent shortly.
     This week i would like to touch a little on scripture study. Why is it important to study the scriptures? Gaining knowledge of the scriptures and the gospel is vital to our eternal progression. Life is like a school class. Our teacher is Jesus Christ, he shows us the correct way we can pass the class with a good grade and pass the final test. The scriptures are like the books and manuals that must be read in order to gain more knowledge and understanding concerning the doctrines of life. if we first, listen to the teacher and only listen, we may gain a broad understanding of the subject, and learn of what we generally need to learn to pass, we may do well on the final test, but we may have those moments when we just cant remember what the teacher had taught. When we read the manual as well as listen attentively to the teacher we gain a deeper understanding of what it means to learn the doctrine and how it is applied. we can see beyond just the teaching and see the exact why and how of the situation, we can see through the very eyes of our Grand Creator.
     As i study the scriptures i gain a greater understanding of the gospel principles. i also gain the knowledge i need to be able to better teach people the gospel and make them understand. My freinds, we have been so blessed to be in this day and age where so much of the Words of Life have been made available to us that we couldnt even know them all in this life time. imagine, less than 200 years ago all we had was one volume of sacred scripture. you could read that more than once in a lifetime. i hope you can appreciate the scriptures more and learn to make scripture study an essencial part of your life. i know it will bless you profoundly.

Changes - A New Way to Serve

     So things have changed a little bit these last few weeks. We had transfers and now i am serving in the mission office as a secretary in charge of the mission convert retention program. Along with my new calling and assignment i have a lot more opportunities to do service. Now much of my work isnt about serving my investigators alone but as well the missionaries here in this mission. I am now in an area called San Judas with Elder Weyand, who happens to be from Tri-Cities, WA. I also get to work closely with my old MTC companion, Elder Thomas, who as well is serving here in the mission offices.
     These last few weeks have seen many changes in schedule, proselyting, diet, and work. Its strange to be thinking about numbers and spreadsheets one minute and then getting into the gospel and teaching people the other. it definately has been a different experience but I feel this is where i need to be. As for my spiritual message, i would like to talk about service. I like to think that service and charity are tied together. As we act in favor of another person we bring not only goodness and blessings to others but to our ownselves.
     When i think of service i always look to the Savior as my example. even though he was greater than us all he still descended below us all to pay for our sins and mistakes. before his atonement and death he washed the feet of His Apostles and said that those of us who are greatest should be servants. As we search for opportunities to serve the pure love of Christ will descend upon you and you will become sons and daughters of God. (Moroni 7) I know that the blessings of service are real, and you can make a difference in someones life everyday if we act in humility and charity.

Multi-Mission Conference

     This week we had a multimission conference with Elder Steven E. Snow, Church Historian. He talked about how we should keep good records of our lives and what we do, because we never know how the spiritual experiences we have today will impact our lives in the future. Also, he talked about the life changing experience of being on a mission how, even though it can be hard and exhausting, we can find joy and life changing experiences them. This has definatly rang true in my own mission. it is definately not easy but it is definately worth the effort.
     Learning to love different people and doing hard things every day can be challenging. but i have seen in my own life that as i have given my heart and soul to the mission that the Lord blesses me with the success and miracles i need. I invite you to give your whole heart to the Lord. In this he will bless you with happiness and joy beyond compare. I pray for your success and happiness every day. that you always strive to do the will of the father and not your own. pray for ways to become more in tune with His will and set your heart to doing what the Lord has indicated must be done. As you pray in faith, you will find the Lords hand in all things, and you will know that He is God.
     I know that the Lord has given each and every one of us a unique and individual life. i know that we must trust in Him if we are to have success. I know that the Lords work is His work. I know that every one of us can be instruments in His hands to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.

Continue On

     This week i hope to find you all in good hopes and cheerful hearts. These past few weeks have proven to be a great time of trial and probation. As we pass through trials of faith in our lives, and times when just "hoping" isnt enough; i pray that you will CONTINUE ON. The Lord desires that we become perfect in him. but the metal does not become purified until passed through the refiners fire. We as humans and children of God, need to be purified to obtain the Celestial Kingdom. But we should not forget the principle of Grace in our lives as well.
     As we push forward and CONTINUE ON, we show our faith in God, we show that even though we cant see the light at the end of the tunnel, we know the Lord will eventually illuminate our paths. Endure well, and dont stray from the course which the Lord has plotted. We know where we should be going and what we should be doing, so CONTINUE ON! Before we came to this Earth, we knew it wouldnt be easy, we knew it would hurt sometimes, we knew we would fail from time to time, but we knew that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we would be saved NONETHELESS.
     Be worthy of His grace and saving power. CONTINUE ON. I promise that you will feel hope, peace, and assurance in your hearts, as i have felt it many a time. I know you will all make it through. I love you and hope you all have a great week.
Siga Adelante!

The Consecration of One's Life

Dearest Friends and Family,
     I hope to find you this week in good spirits. This week we had our Multi-Zone Conference with President and Sister Russell. President Russell talked about the 3 kinds of missionaries. The "Social", the "Honorable", and the "Consecrated". As he shared this message I found that there were many things that i did that took me away from being a consecrated missionary to being just an honorable one. As I came to the realization of my weaknesses and my bad habits, i made goals to overcome and sanctify my mission. Today I wish to apply a little bit of what i learned to your life.
     "Consecration"- to dedicate or sanctify, to reach beyond righteousness. The Law of consecration is when men and women dedicate voluntarily their time, talents, skills, and goods for the edification or building of the Kingdom of God. I want to ask a question, How many of you NOW live the Law of Consecration? Now, many of you might think, "But isnt that a law that we will live much later in life, like the millenium?" Teachnically yes, but as servants and disciples of Jesus Christ we dont want just mediocrity, we want to be the BEST. Being just "Honorable" is good. But being "Consecrated" is of the Kingdom of Heaven.
     The scripture says to serve with all of our "heart, might, mind, and strength" but how many of us only serve with our might and strength but not with our heart nor mind? The Lord expects much of us, in fact, "all that we are". As we give all that we are to the Lord we give him everything. you might think, "But thats too much" or "I dont have that kind of time". The Lord grants unto us sacred promises when we give all that we are. As we first seek the kingdom of God and its justice, all these things are added unto us. For blessed is that state of those who keep the commandments for they are blessed in all things both spiritually and temporally.
     I pray that you will consecrate your life unto the Lord. Make His will, Your will. I promise that if you do this the Lord will not only bless you with a good life, but a life that will make you like Him, but everyone around you for generations. I love you all and pray for you always. May you find greater peace and happiness in life as you dedicate it to Him.

Spiritual Strength

     Family and friends, i just want to express my gratitude for the many prayers on my behalf. i feel the power of your love in every step i take. This week we were privileged to hear from our Prophets and Apostles who live in our day. I hope you listened with real intent and that you gained the fortitude to continue on in Faith and Strength.
     I was not able to see very many sessions of the general conference, but i just want to express my love for the conference. although i was could not understand much of what was said as it was in spanish and i sat in the very back of a chapel filled to the brim with people. i loved the spirit that was felt there. At the close of the Sunday morning session, the song "The Spirit of God" was sung. As i listened i was overcome by the feeling of love and peace and began to cry.
     I know that what i felt was the Spirit of God and that he loves me. Heavenly Father knew that maybe i did not need to hear the conference to feel His love but to just be there and to feel His presence was what i needed.
     I know that the Lord answers each and every one of our prayers. Be patient and the Lord will give us what we need and more to keep pressing forward. I hope that you will find continual meaning in Gods Word. And continual strength throught the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

Idania

This week we had a Baptism! The girls name is Idania. She is daughter of a less active member. At first she was shy with us but she actually loves jokes and riddles and we spent lots of time riddling one another jaja. but she does better than me because the riddles in spanish are a little different than the ones in english. I just want to thank you all for your prayers and your support here in the mission. I love you all and hope you have an awesome week!

Help From on High

     What an excellent week we had full of hard work and miracles!
This week i got a new companion. His name is Elder Gomez, from Guatemala. He is a cool guy, and super humble. i think we will have a great transfer here in Diriomo. This week was filled with challenges but also miracles. I know that the Lord knows and loves every single one of us individually and personally. Every week here in the mission, we spend the whole week exciting our investigators to go to church on sunday. but ALWAYS something weird happens and you see one by one your investigators fall in their commitment to the church.
     This week we did just that and when sunday came NOBODY was home. neither was the couple who we were going to baptize this next week. well if they didnt go to church i didnt have my baptisms the next week. so I started to panic and get upset. But i knew in this kind of moment i needed the Lords help. I needed a miracle. So i prayed and i prayed with all my heart that the Lord would have mercy upon me and my companion that our Investigators would somehow showup.
     As i finished my prayer i felt a little bit of peace within my heart, just enough to get my head straight and go see if my other possibility for baptism was ready to go to church. We went to look for her and we found her ready to go. That helped a little bit with the stress. i then had a decision to make, just leave and go to the church (which was far away and we had to catch the bus the church had rented) or, go back to the house of my possibilities and wait for them. i had a strong impression to go back even though we would miss the bus. As we returned, we found that the couple had just arrived and were getting ready to go to the church.
     As i sat down about ready to cry from relief of so much stress, i immediately offered a prayer of thanksgiving to my God. I knew in that moment it was only through his power and mercy that they had returned to their house to go to the church. I know that the Lord watches over us and blesses His children who are obedient to His commandments. Seek His help in all things and NEVER forget to show immediate gratitude for the blessings we receive. I hope and pray everytime i write to you that you learn and apply something from my experiences in your own life. I love you all and hope you have a great week!

Overcome the Adversary

      What a week it has been! i hope everyone had a great week! This week i spent in a trio with another companionship that i serve with in the same district. it was really challenging but i found that sometimes my companions wont be so awesome and im going to have to learn to be more patient. And lucky enough, i get a new companion this wednesday so hopefully we can get this ball rollin and baptize some people. I also have this one family who are progressing really well and have gone to church 2 times already! They are so hilarious and have a little baby boy named Moses. I hope and pray they will make their goal for baptism this 26th of September!
     I heard recently and i cant remember from where that the best way to gain a testimony and to become converted to the gospel is through the bearing and sharing of ones testimony. I know that as we hold strong to our beliefs and be loud about it that we will be able to draw closer to the savior and farther from the adversary and his temptations. Dont let the people around you take advantage of you. Be quick to shun evil and all unrighteousness in all its forms. Be examples of true believers of Jesus Christ and not those hypocrites who draw near with their lips but their hearts are far from Him. I know that this is the restored Church of Jesus Christ in these last days. I am so grateful for the opportunity every day to proclaim its truthfulness and to testify of the divinity of Him who is mighty to save. Be bold. Hold nothing back and always remember to stand up for Him no matter how bad the persecutions may seem. I pray that all of you find joy in serving the Lord and being His disciple.

Hazel

     What a wonderful week we had! I hope everyone had a great week! This last saturday we had a baptism. Her name is Hazel. She is a young woman of 15 years and she is so great! as they say in nicaragua "Pilas". This week i found myself having to work hard in my area, since my companion cannot walk, i worked a lot with the Zone Leaders. But as i worked to manage my area, i learned many things.
     This week i was thinking, how is it that we change? from a character we have been our whole lives to someone more, someone BETTER. As i reflected upon this aspect of life, changing onself more christ like, i found that its not easy. We need to act and not be acted upon. we cant wait for situations to change us. we have to change the situations that we face. The Lord expects much of us and he requires many times that we change, as we are humble and prayerful, we can accept the Lords will and let him mold us into a BETTER person. Many times the changes are not easy and we have to go through a refiners fire. Just remember that the Lord sees all and that whoever he wants you to be is better than who you are now. I am grateful for your love and support. Remember to be prayerful and obedient to all the Will of the Lord. I love each and every one of you.

Visit from Elder Russell M. Nelson

     Wow what a week! i hope everyone had a great week! This week we had the privilege of having Elder Russell M. Nelson here in Nicaragua. We had both the missions in Nicaragua under the same roof and it was pretty awesome. I loved hearing from the voice of a servant of the Lord. i truly feel like he is a Prophet. I love hearing their testimonies and how much they love the Lord. Many times we think the Lord will bless us in huge ways, with the heavens opening up and angels singing from on high. but i know that the Lord does not work in this way. 

     I know that many times when we are in dire need he gives us exactly what we NEED. and not exactly what we WANT. I have a firm testimony and trust in the Lord and His wisdom. Remember always that His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. So trust in Him and know that even if we dont see blessings right away does not mean that hes not blessing us. it just means that he is trying our patience and our faithfulness. I love you all and am grateful for the many prayers that have been said on my behalf, i really can feel the love you have for me. May the Lord bless you all and guide you in the paths of righteousness.

Danitza

     This last week i was laid up with my companion for half the week because he has a hurt knee right now. apparently we work too hard (said the doctor) and we need to walk less (HA!). But we did have a baptism this last weekend! Her name is Danitza. She is pretty much a single mom who is very poor and has a little stand where she sells chips and candies for children and other things. i was really humbled as i got to know her and teach her and promise her the blessings of the gospel as well. One sunday, we came by her house to bring her to the church at first she said she couldnt come because she just had too many problems in her life, as she explained her story and what was going on she began to cry. in this moment i felt a great love and compassion for her and testified of the divinity of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and the power of His Infinite Atonement. 

     I know that when the Lord promises us blessings when we obey that he keeps his promises and blesses us with more that we need. Just as we read in Mosiah 2:22-23. also we can find his promises in verse 40 of the same chapter. After this day i have seen that the lord has blessed her. now her little store is doing a lot better and has more product. i know that as she continues to keep the commandments that she will prosper, and she will be blessed not just temporally but spiritually as well. Read the scriptures, seek what the lord requires of us and what he wants to bless us with. As we search with real intent and sincerity, the lord will guide us to Life Eternal. I hope and pray you will all stay faithful and believe in Christ. Everyone have a great week! I love you all!

Guided By the Holy Ghost

     I hope everyone is well and that you all had a wonderful week. This last week was a little interesting. My companion had to do a lot of interviews so i was left in the area with a priest from the branch i serve in right now which was really fun. one day we decided that we didnt want to pay for a taxi so we walked to our next appointment 2 kilometers away. i said it would take us 40 minutes to get there and my comp said it would take 30. so we walked and walked and walked and made it in 30 minutes time. just so you know how big my area is and our only mode of transportation, our feet.
     This week i found myself in many situations where i needed the spirit of the Lord with me. Had I not had the Spirit, i would not have been able to teach as effectively as i did. Many times we find ourselves wondering how we can obtain the spirit in our lives or how we know he is guiding us. many times i ask myself the same question. but i always remember a talk that i heard once by Elder Bednar, that if we are obedient and follow the commandments the best we can, we are worthy of the direction of the spirit.
     I testify that if we do all we can to be obedient we will be found worthy of the direction of the Holy Ghost and the happiness that comes with his presence. Study the scriptures, pray daily, and go to church. without these 3 essential parts of our lives we can in no way find spiritual guidance. If we seek, we shall find. Obedience and diligence brings happiness, no matter how difficult it is or no matter the trial. Keep fighting for whats right and seek the spirits direction in your lives. I love you all and hope you have a great week!

Transferred to Diriomo

     This week i had transfers. i am still in the same Zone but i moved to a different area called Diriomo. My companion is Elder Hernandez, from Guatemala. Hes a good missionary who spent a lot of his mission as Zone Leader but now he is just District leader here. This week was a little bit crazy with having transfers and all but we did see miracles this week at church. The past few weeks the missionaries here havent been able to complete the norm of having 6 investigators at the church. only 4 or 5. but for some reason we saw 6 come this week and we didnt even have the half of our investigators come to the church this week. my companion was very surprised. another miracle was that a couple of young women who did not want to go to church the past few weeks came this week. i think part of it was that the night before we visited them and decided to talk about the importance of the Sabbath Day. as we talked about the importance, the young women started to understand why it was necessary to go to chuch every sunday and partake of the sacrament.
     I know that if we really help the people we are teaching or the people who are investigating the church understand the importance of the sabbath day and its observance, you will see miracles happen with the people who are trying to find the truth and you are trying to bring to church. I pray for all of you. that through your obedience the Lord will continually bless you.

Seven Times Seventy

    I hope everyone had a good week! This week i just want to share an experience and the lesson that i learned or that can be learned from this experience. As we were working hard this last sunday morning to bring our investigators to the church, we went to look for one of our most positive investigators, as we arrived to his house, he was sitting out front waiting for us (as he thought we only came to share a message) as we sat down and talked with him, he told us that he couldnt make it to church because he was going to leave soon. but in the same moment he started talking about one of his problems that he was going through. turns out he was really angry at someone for what they did to him and because of this he felt he needed more time and that he couldnt come to church with us. As my companion began to explain that going to church was the best thing to do, i felt the strong impression to talk about forgiveness with him. As i talked with him about forgiveness, and shared Matthew 18, where the Lord teaches that we must forgive "even seven times seventy". As we talked, he began to share more about his situation and his resentment and growing hatred toward this person who had cheated him.
      As i talked with him i felt the impression to take him to the church and offer a prayer. when we arrived at the church and offered the prayer, we saw that his whole demeanor had changed, his heart had softened and his faith and trust in the Lord had been strengthened. I know now that through his faith and his willingness to forgive himself and the other person, his testimony and love for the Lord Jesus Christ grew. There are two lessons we can learn from this esperience, first, is the miracle of forgiveness. As we root out the spirit of contention from our breasts we can feel the peace and tranquility that comes with allowing the Holy Ghost to dwell and become part of our hearts. I can testify of the wonder of forgiveness and that through finding forgiveness we can also find peace and love. When we have peace and love in our hearts the Lord can guide us through our difficulties and challenges.
       Lesson two, that only in the Lords house can we find a safe refuge from the distractions, temptations, and evil spirits of Satan and the World. As human beings, we are subject to and prey to the whims of the world, we are spiritually sick. when we become sick physically, where do we go? to the hospital! As well, our spiritual selves need the nourishment, care, and medicine, that we can only find inside the Lords house. Always obey the sabbath, for this day was made for us. As the scripture says "the sabbath was made for man and not man for the sabbath." I hope and pray that you will always have the desire to change and become better and more perfected in Christ. I hope that my messages strengthen and uplift your spirits and testimonies. As a servant of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, I testify His power and divinity. In His name, Amen. Have a great week!

The Bigger Picture

     I hope that everyone had a wonderful week! This week was a little crazy but i got through it alright. As we go through our lives we find ourselves in many different types of situations. always we are thinking that maybe if my situation changes then things will be better and i wont have any more problems. but once things change we just find that the problems have changed also. The lord always has admonished us to have patience and longsuffering.
     But how can we have such patience and how can patience in trial help us to grow? I seem to remember a certain story in which there was an old farmer who had a tree growing in the front of his house. this tree was a good tree with bright green leaves, strong roots and beautiful branches. but one day the old farmer decided to cut some branches off the tree, leaving the tree almost bare. well the tree didnt like that so much and complained that the old farmer had destroyed his beautiful branches and perfectly formed limbs. but as time passed the little tree saw that because the old farmer and his wisdom had cut him down, that he now had the opportunity to grow even bigger, with even stronger branches and firmer roots.
     Many times i think, "why am I here?what is my purpose? why have i been so reduced? why am i suffering so much?" But, i know that the Lord in all his wisdom and mercy has prepared a plan for me personally and through my faithfulness, my patience, and my long suffering, the lord will bless me with the path i need to walk to reach my potential, both as a missionary and as a disciple of Jesus Christ. Trust in the Lord and His Wisdom, for our thoughts are not His thoughts. I pray for you all each and every day. In all your sufferings and in all your trials, Have faith, and dont give up!
Have a great week!
Amor,
Elder Alejandro Lim
PS - Elder Lim said that he is starting to sounds like the Nicaraguans when he speaks. Aj always love to imitate people, he can pretty much speak like the people from India too.

The Divinity in Everyone

     I hope everyone had a great week! I had a pretty busy week working hard in the service of our Lord! This week as i was reading my emails, something that somebody wrote me got me to thinking. How can we empathize with people? Many times we walk down the street and think, "I wonder how their life is?" or "why do they act like that?" Before my mission, i thought and acted on my own, many times i took into account only my own feelings and my own sufferings. but when i came out into the mission i found that much of what i do here is putting myself into other peoples shoes, learning who they are, what they do, and why they act the way they do. I found that many times i didnt like a person simply because they did something that annoyed me or maybe it was just something i heard from another person that made me dislike them without knowing them.
     I found that when i thought like that that many times i felt hatred and spite for these people that i hardly knew. In the long run it made me very unhappy. But i was thinking this last week on this and why i didnt like these people. i found that many times my reasons were invalid and didnt make very much sense, so i decided to leave all those things behind and see them in a different light. As i changed my point of view and decided to love them and get to know them, my heart began to open up and i found that these people werent so bad, that, like me, they suffer and feel pain and worry, and guilt and despair.
     As we follow the example of our savior Jesus Christ and love everyone, no matter who they are or what they have done, we feel a greater capacity to love them and we feel happier. i know and testify of the principle of service. As we serve others we gain and feel the pure love of Christ. in this way we can feel just a small amount of the reason that Christ suffered and died for us and why God sent His Only Begotten Son to the Earth. I pray that as you learn to empathize with people and to love your neighbor, that you will feel the true happiness and joy that is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
I hope that everyone has a great week!
Love,
Elder Alejandro Lim

Fruits of the Labor

Querido Amigos,
     Hello my friends! I hope everyone had a great week this week! My week was pretty normal but i just wanted to share something really cool that i found out this week! This week one of my converts from my first area, Jacqueline Cruz, told me that this last week she went to the temple! She did baptisms for her ancestors and she says she felt so happy to be in the Lords house and to be able to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. This last saturday her son of 9 years was baptized (The guy with the glasses in the photo isnt me).
     My heart is filled with gratitude to the Lord my God for his loving kindess toward me that i was able to be a part of this young families life and to be able to bring them the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. As a missionary, many times i have felt that my efforts are wasted or that nobody wants to listen to me. but i always remember that my efforts have eternal signficance. That even though my fruits seem small that sometimes they lead to greater outcomes. With Jacqueline, i feel the overwhelming love of my heavenly father and the knowledge that someday my efforts will be made manifest to me. already i see fruits greater than i could have ever imagined, that through me, i was able to bring the gospel to more than just one person, but generations of people.
     Always remember to share the gospel. open your mouth and be bold. you never know who will accept and you never know whos life will be changed because of you. I hold true and testify of the promise that our lord gives us in the doctrine and covenants that if we should bring save one soul unto him, how great shall be your joy in the kingdom of my father.
I hope everyone has a great and fruitful week!
Amor,
Elder Alejandro Lim

Note: We found out later that Jacqueline took out her endowment.

Magnify Your Calling

Querido Amigos,
Just a short spiritual message to share this week.
    As i was talking with my companion this week he mentioned something that i would like to share with you all. All of us as children of our Heavenly Father, have trust in Him. all of us trust that heavenly father will bless us when we do what is right and will help us when we are in need. but i have a different question for you, how much does Heavenly Father trust in you?
     As His children we all have a duty to Him. whether it be as a missionary, or as parents. we all have a calling on this earth that needs to be magnified. So what are we doing to have the trust of God? to say that God can trust me with anything and i will complete to the best of my ability the task which has been given me. As disciples of Jesus Christ, at some point in our lives we will have an opportunity to help save some alma, to strengthen and uplift, to guide and to love. These are times when the Lord has given us His trust, to carry out His will and administer to His children. let us not be lazy or mediocre in our duty to our Heavenly Father. For when we are in the service of our fellow beings we are in the service of God. And God trusts His servants who do His will with all diligence and all obedience. I pray that none of you will slacken your strength in your duties to God. I pray that you will always magnify the callings in which you have been entrusted. 

I love you all! Stay Safe!

Elder Alejandro Lim

Suffer the Children

Hola Amigos!
     Como estan todos? todo bien? haha this week was a pretty normal week. we had transfers but i didn't get transferred this time. This week i would like to talk a little bit to the adults.
     What kind of example do you set for your children? this week we talked to a woman who didn't want to let her child get baptized because he was too young and he would just eventually leave the church like his brother did. but i asked her, what are you doing to set an example for your children? of course she got offended and thought i was saying that she was a bad mother.

But what kind of example are you giving to your children? as children we learn everything from our parents. through them we learn everything about life and how to interact with the world. i talked also with a less active father who didn't want to go to church because he didn't feel worthy too or something like that, but i asked him what kind of example he was setting for his children. he responded that it was a pretty bad one. i remember through my entire childhood my parents always went to church, save for sickness and sometimes vacation we didn't go, but we always went no matter what. because my parents made church a priority in our family i have never felt the need or desire to leave the church. as mothers and father, the Lord has blessed you with a great responsibility of raising his sons and daughters. What are we doing to help the sons and daughters of our heavenly father return to our heavenly home and live with him? As parents it is essential that our children grow up with the light and the gospel in their lives.
     I bear testimony that when we put God in first place and everything else below that the Lord will bless you and your family. As you show your children the way through your example, you will be an instrument in the Lords hands in bringing to pass the salvation of many. I hope you all have a great week! I love you all!
Elder Alejandro Lim

Francesca's Miracle

Queridos Amigos Míos,

This week i wont be sharing a spiritual message but ill be sharing a personal experience that i had this week.

This las week was hard, i got a little sick for a couple of days and couldnt leave to my area to work so it wasnt the best week. We have this investigator whos name is Francesca, she is 14 years old and has been investigating the church for a few weeks now. She was a contact we had who accepted the gospel right away after she had a near death experience a couple days before meeting us. the only problem we had with her is that her mother didnt want her to join our church for multiple reasons and her family was very against her joining. so in my prayers every night i prayed that her mother would soften her heart and let her be baptized. This last friday, the mother came to us and told us that her daughter couldnt continue investigating the church because the family issues. At this moment we felt very sad because this young girl really had a testimony of the Restored Gospel. So we decided that yeah she was done with us. The following day we were in a baptism for the Sisters and in walked Francesca and her mother in tow! We were so surprised! Later the mother told us that she had escaped from the house so that she could go to the baptism. The first miracle! That night i prayed super hard that somehow the mothers heart would be softened. The follwing day was sunday, and we decided Francesca will come if she wants to. 20 minutes after the meeting started, in walked francesca and her mother! but her mother didnt want to go into the chapel for some reason. later the zone leaders walked in and asked about Francesca and the mother, we told them the situation and they went and talked to the mother. 10 minutes later the mother was crying and saying that she knew it was true and she knew it was where her daughter wanted to be and we put a baptismal date with her too for the 27th! soon enough, she was signing the baptismal record for her daughter to be baptized this week! afterward, me and my companion just stood there like "What just happened?" A miracle indeed!

In this same moment i knew that God had blessed us profoundly. I know that he heard our prayers. I know that he had preparde Francesca and her mother to receive the Gospel at this time. How great is my gratitude for God and His Infinite Mercy! That even when His children dont deserve such blessings, He gives it to them! 

My dear friends, I am so grateful for the love and support that i have felt here in the mission and i pray that you will continue to pray for me daily. I love you all and i hope this week is great!

Faith Without Works is Dead

 Mis Queridos Amigos,
     If you read last weeks email, i had transfers last week and i was a little distraught, but today i am feeling better. Thank you for all the prayers!
     Today i would like to talk a little bit about Faith. Faith is something universal, everyone has faith, everyone believes in some kind of higher power and that all are subject to this higher power. Today we know that there is a God and that He exists. The majority of us have never seen Him before face to face like Moses or Joseph Smith but through reading the Holy Scriptures, The Bible, and The Book of Mormon, we know that He exists and that He is real. With real power and real love for His children. But if we have Faith in God and in His Son Jesus Christ. and we know that it is through him

we have received a remission of our sins, what are we doing then, as debtors to our lord and savior Jesus Christ to show that we are worthy to retain the remission of our sins? We can read in James 3:17 that faith without works is dead. Everyone has faith, but we cannot be saved or receive a remission of our sins on faith alone. As a representative of the Lord Jesus Christ, i have received a witness of Him and the power of His Atonement, therefore, i am worthy of the punishment that comes with the knowledge of the laws of God. But through my faith and through my works which is Repentence, i am able to cast off my natural man and become one with the Infinite Atonement of Jesus Christ. Christ has paid the price, yes, but in order to be freed from our enemies, sin and death, we need to follow the contract the savior has given us through the atonement,which is, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Faith, Repentence, Baptism, and the Holy Ghost. But before we make the sacred covenant of baptism we need to show to our Lord that we are willing to act on our faith and do the things that He has commanded us. When we do the things He has commanded us, through Him, and with Him, we recieve a remission of our sins and therefore we become worthy to enter into the kingdom of God.
     I exhort you, to not only have Faith, but ACT. Jesus Christ teaches us to not only be hearers of the word, but to be doers of the word as well. those who not only hear, but do, receive a greater knowledge of the Eternal Gospel that which they should do to become a part of the Kingdom of God. This week, I invite you to not only hear, but DO. We as Members of the Church of Jesus Christ are not finished when we enter into the waters of baptism or when we go to the temple, for on this road to perfection, there are no rest stops, there are no short cuts. To those who much has been given, much is required. I leave these things with you and testify of them in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, Amen. I hope everyone has a great week! I love you all! 

Challenges Along the Way

Queridos Amigos Mios,
     This week was a week of challenges. first of all, our family that was progressing really well almost fell becuase they were having relationship issues but through talking to them we were able to convince them that this path is the path that leads to greater happiness. the second challenge is that we could only bring 2 investigators to church this week. and last but not least, today at 3 in the afternoon, me and my companion had emergency transfers and now i am in Masaya. i am not sure what area yet because i just got here but it seems nice. Pray for me that i will have the strength to overcome this challenge. I hope everyone is well and that they have a great week! I love you all!

Daily Change through #Repentance

Queridos amigos míos!
     Another week has come and gone and the work of the Lord goes on unfailingly! How I am grateful to be here in the mission with these people! They truly are a people ready for the Gospel Truths! This week I would like to touch on a topic that is very important and an essential part of our lives as members of the Church of Jesus Christ.
     Remember that repentance is continual. every week as part of this process of repentance we take the sacrament. but what does taking the sacrament really mean? and why is it so divinely important every week that we take the Sacred emblems of the flesh and blood of Christ? Here in Nicaragua many people go to church, but many people dont know the real importance of going to church and partaking of this sacred ordinance. As members of the Church we know the importance and the role the sacrament play in the process of our repentence. When we are baptized we make a sacred covenant to remember the Savior Jesus Christ, take upon us His Divine Name, and Keep all His commandments. in return we receive the divine guidance of the Holy Ghost. The key part of this covenant is keeping the commandments. we know that Sin is working contrary to the laws that God has established among His children and that obedience to these laws bring joy and happiness beyond anything found in this world. Every week we make decisions, whether they be good or bad, but every week we have the great opportunity being cleansed of our sins once again and keep pushing onward as Gods chosen people. we know that through this process, we will be worthy to recieve the fulness of the blessings of God. I exhort you to remember this sacred covenants and all the other covenants you have made and stay faithful and worthy of the blessings that The Lord has to offer.
     I know of the certainty of these things and as a representative of Jesus Christ, I bear witness of the Divinity and Power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. May you find true happiness in the Paths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Amor,
Elder Alejandro Lim

My Transfer to La Brogoña

Hola Amigos!
     This week i had transfers! i am now in an area called La Brogoña, which i am also reopening. its like really rural and really fun to explore. My companion is Elder Chacon, from El Salvador. he is really quiet and humble and is a great teacher.
     One thing i have really noticed this week is that when the Lord gives us challenges, he gives us the tools to overcome and complete the work that He has given you. as i have been given this difficult assignment to reopen an area, I have found that the Lord has blessed me with better language skills and a better capacity to complete the work and to work hard. before, in my old area i felt like i wasnt growing anymore, but i was comfortable because we were baptizing and i knew the people and the area. but i am even more happy to be able to experience new things and new challenges. Always remember that the Lord has a plan for each and every one of us and that He will always guide into the paths that will help you to grow the most, whether they be easy or difficult. This life is meant for us to grow and to learn and to experience. Trust in the Lord and the paths that he leads you into, for He will always be with you and provide you with the tools and skills necessary to complete the work He needs to be done. Be grateful that He trusts you with all that you have and move forward in Faith.
     Also, we had a baptism in our new area, which was cool. i dont know him that well but his name is Luis. his wife was baptized last month and he made the decision to join his wife in the covenant of baptism as well to complete his family. May he stay upon the Paths the Lord has set for Him and guide his family into the Celestial Kingdom.

The Gift of A Mother

Hola Mis Amigos!

Happy Mothers Day to all the precious and beautiful mothers in the world!

I would just like to take this moment to cherish all the wonderful Daughters of Our Heavenly Father who have chosen to take on the great burden of motherhood. I know that raising children is hard and can sometimes be discouraging especially after all you do they decide to make the wrong decisions, but I know that all your work and effort is great in the eyes of God. Take this responsibility with great care for God has entrusted you with His most precious children. I know that if you give your heart to the Lord and seek his guidance in all things He will pour out His blessings upon you.

I also want to thank my own mother especially for guiding me into the person I am today, and always pushing me to always put Heavenly Father and Love for His Children first in my life. I know that I was given my mother for a reason and i pray to God for gratitude everyday to have the greatest mother in the world.

May everyone remember the gift of Motherhood this next week.

Stay Faithful and may the Lord bless you

.

Have Patience, The Lord Knows All

Hola Amigos y Familia!

WOW! What week! This week was truly one of the greatest in my life! This week we baptized these two children, Caroline and Jeiner. I am so grateful for these two baptisms specifically because i met these two kids my second day out in the mission field. We taught them and we taught them and we continually tried to baptize them for 4 months, but they didnt want to be baptized. They even talked to both Assistants to the President, 3 different Zone Leaders, and Me and Elder Perez. for 4 months this went on. eventually the mother and the other brother were baptized but these 2 kids didnt want to be baptized for nothing. But thanks to my companion Elder Guillen, who is a miracle worker with children, and the Mercy of God, this last Saturday both were baptized and confirmed members of the church! Que Tuanis enserio! My heart is filled with gratitude for my Father in Heaven, who tried and tested me through these 4 months. I know that there is always a plan and purpose to everything, and i am grateful that Heavenly Father saw fit to bless me with these baptisms.

Remember always that The Lord knows all and His wisdom is greater than ours. Have patience and know that your prayers will be answered, whether it be immediately or in one year, God in His infinite mercy will bless you with the things you need in the best time that you can receive them.

I love this work, i love this people, i love my Heavenly Father and my Savior Jesus Christ, i love being a missionary and i wouldnt change it for anything.
Stay strong and Pray Always for the Lord shall be with you in all things. These things i testify in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Bringing Families Together Forever

Hola Mis Amigos!

This week was super great! So for 3 months we have been teaching this woman who has two kids and was living with a man. so this last week we finally convinced her to get married so that she can be baptized! we had the wedding and friday and it was sooo awesome! i love seeing families come together in their desire to obey the commandments of God. then saturday we had the baptism! this is why i love this work! this will be my second family that i have helped bring together this month! oh how the Lord is pouring out His blessings upon us! i only hope to remain worthy of His love and mercy.

Thats all the excitement for this week! May the Lord continue to bless you as you obey His commandments and learn to Love your brethren. May you have a great week filled with the blessings of living the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I love you all!

Gema & Josue

Sorry i havent written the past few weeks but i havent had much time to write but today i do! These past couple weeks we had 2 baptisms! the first is Gema, she was a reference of a member of the ward who just married her. we taught her and she was super ready for baptism and i see a temple marriage in the future! the other we had last saturday. His name is Josue, he had been going to church with his grandma for some time now and when we started meeting with him we found that he had a great testimony in the gospel and the church. this young man i believe will be a great missionary and disciple of Christ someday!

I have a testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and i love helping others build their testimony in Him. Seeing people enter into the waters of baptism and making their fist covenant with God is the greatest joy i have ever experienced in my life!

I love you all and wish you all a great week!

Easter in Nicaragua

This week we know is the week when we celebrate the Sacrifice and the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. I sacrifice a part of your life, dont let it go in vain. Seek repentence and if you are not baptized, Baptism. I am so grateful for the opportunity i have to share this message with everyone here in nicaragua, this message of hope and happiness. Remember to remind everyone of this great opportunity because that is what Christ wants us to do. Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God. so share this message and challenge everyone to come unto Him. And make those changes in your life that you need to in order to be raised up to life eternal. 
would like to add my testimony to the divinity of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. That His Atonement was real. That because of Him we can not only be cleansed of all our guilt, pain, and sorrows, but because He lives we can live again also. That we have the opportunity of returning to the presence of our Heavenly Father. Make this

Have a great week! I love you all!

Be Valiant in Your Love For Others

Be Valiant in your love for others

Queridos Amigos Míos!

Como están? This week was an interestin week but i want to talk about something of great importance in this life. Loving others.

I know there are lots of reasons for you not love others and not to perform service. i know before my mission i didnt do anything for anyone, in reality, i was not happy. In serving this mission i have had to leave my family and my country for the sole purpose of learning to love others. I have found true joy in this work. it has been such a pleasure to watch these people come closer to Christ and find truth in their lives. I know in our busy lives it is HARD to find the time to think about anyone other than ourselves. But i promise you there is time. There are ways that you can give yourselves to others. i know that when we learn to think about others we will find the true Joy and Happiness that Christ speaks of. Be valiant in loving others. becuase really there is nothing material after this life. We will be judged on how we treated others, for every soul is great in the eyes of God, and everyone is children of God. 

I love the message of this gospel and the invitations that we receive to repent. Repentance can be a process of Joy and Happiness if we make it an active part of our lives. I have a testimony of this principle and i inite you to gain a testimony of it yourselves.

Have a great week everyone! I love you all and miss you! Stay true to the faith always and may the Lord guide and bless your lives.

Overcoming Adversity

Mis Queridos Amigos!

This week has been a much less crazy week than last week. But this week i want to talk more about obedience in adversity. 

A lot of times you hear about people who lose faith whenever something bad happens or they go through a hard time. This is not the purpose of trial. The purpose of trial is to become and overcome. Here in the mission, i have a really hard time being bold and talking to everyone. its so easy for me to just not talk and drift through the mission. but this is not why i am here. I am here to overcome and become the person that Heavenly Father knows i can be. Remember that this life is but a small moment compared to the eternity of life that we inevitably face. We either learn now and live, or we remain and perish. 

No matter how hard it is. remember that these trials are but a small moment and that if you suffer them in righteousness you shall be saved in the Kingdom of Heaven. 

I testify of these things and bear my witness of these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

The Miracles Never Cease

Mis Queridos Amigos,

I feel like i write too much about the many miracles and mercy that i receive here in the mission but honestly i could not have any success without Heavenly Fathers help. This week was a rollercoaster of emotions but through the Mercy of God we had 2 baptisms! I am so grateful that despite our weaknesses and infirmities, if we put in the work Heavenly Father always makes up for the rest. I had to have so much faith this week that Heavenly Father would bless us with these baptisms.

This is Gladys and Lester Ortiz. We first contacted them my second day in the mission and have been teaching them ever since. I wrote about them last week i think and through much hardship and trial and prayer they finally entered the waters of baptism on February 28. What a miracle this is! This is proof that there is a God and that He really does care about every single one of His children.

Scripture Power - Especially the Book of Mormon

Mis Queridos Amigos!

Another week has gone by and Gods power has been once again made manifest in my life. The miracle we had this week was with one hermana who we have been working with for almost 2 months. we were so close to dropping her as an investigator because she didnt want to go to church. well we had one final talk with her last week and we gave her one more chance. we commited her to read 2 Nephi 31 in the Book of Mormon. a few days later we returned and she had not read it so we did what good missionaries do and we read the chapter with her. after we read the chapter we felt the spirit so strongly and she finally saw the importance of baptism and she commited to being baptized this next saturday along with her 3 children as well. and she even came to church this last sunday! I can already see the spirit growing within her. The power of the scriptures are real. especially the Book of Mormon. I know without a doubt that the Book of Mormon is true scripture and that anyone that reads it will find the Fountain of Everlasting Life that is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. if you dont or have not read the Book of Mormon. I exhort you with all my heart to come and drink. Find the well of everlasting happiness and joy that is the Gospel, that is Christ. For only through the redeeming power of the Atonement can we find our purpose.

Thank You all for your prayers and love on my behalf. i appreciate the comments i received and the experiences you have shared. May the Lord bless you all this next week.

Amor, Elder Alejandro Lim

He Opens the Door

Mis queridos amigos,

This week has been awesome like always when you are the Lords servant! This week i have seen miracles happen. when we hear the word miracles a lot of us think about people being healed of fatal diseases or people being raised from the dead. yes these are miracles but most of the time the miracles of God are so much simpler and more realistic. this week we started teaching a man who has had problems with drinking. one day we found him sober so we took the opportunity to teach him and invite him to church. fast forward to sunday, he comes to church with us which was so exciting! fast forward to that night, we talk to him and he tells us that the day before some people had offered him an opportunity to go and find some work, and here work is really hard to find. but he told them that he had promised us he would go to church on sunday. so he lost an opportunity to find more work. but then comes the miracle. he sadi after church a member came up to him and started talking to him and they walked home together and that the member had offered him work.

Remember always that the Lord loves to bless His children. We are blessed when we do what He says. Of this i bear personal witness to.

Amor, Elder Alejandro Lim

PS. I love to hear your responses and maybe some personal stories that you would like to share with me. Thank You All! May God bless you always.

Alejandro.lim@myldsmail.net

Tender Mercies

How great is the mercy of our God? Many times i feel down and frustrated but there are always those little tender mercies that make this work worth it. Yesterday we had church and of course if you don't have like 5 people at church people aren't happy with you. So me and my trainer worked super hard this week to commit people to church. we ended up committing like 15 people to church. Sunday rolled around and we went around and we ended up having nobody as we walked to the church building. sacrament meeting started and i was feeling really down and frustrated. and then in walks these 3 children we had committed during the week, my heart lifted to the roof. then in walked in an investigator who we had been trying for weeks to get to church but hadn't until then! i was so happy. my message is that Heavenly Father is aware of each one of us and he always blesses us according to our works and desires. i know Heavenly Father is mindful of me and my area and he takes great pleasure in showing His love for His children. Remember always your purpose and potential. do everything you can to shape our lives according to that plan. there is no greater happiness, in this is my testimony. Have a great week everyone! My heart goes out to all of you and i am grateful for all your prayers and support. May you always be worthy of the tender mercies of God.

Power of the Fast

Today i want to talk a little bit about the power of the Fast. to those of you who don't believe in fasting or the very real power of our Heavenly Father, i just want to share a brief experience that i had about fasting this week. This week i had my first fasting experience in Nicaragua. Man it was HARD, especially when you get really thirsty really quick. this week i fasted to be able to understand this language and to be able to just be able to speak a little bit more. the affects of my faith and wanting to be able to communicate with the people more than i wanted to drink or eat was almost immediate. almost minutes after i terminated my fast i could notice the difference. i could understand just a little better what people were saying and when i talked to people i could speak more without thinking. Brothers and Sisters, the power of God is REAL. Our loving Heavenly Father always blesses those who have the faith and capacity to do the things he asks of us. in this experience i received a lot more than what i had hoped for. i know heavenly father loves each and every one of us, and by acting on our faith we can change and BECOME.

This is Abraham, We found him trying to find someone else. his mother is inactive but she gave us the permission to be baptized right away since he had already seen the missionaries and gone to church. all we needed was an interview and he was ready to enter the covenant of baptism. He wants to be a missionary someday too! smile emoticon