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

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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.