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