Strength to My Testimony

     The work consumes my time and efforts. Sometimes if I focus on it too much time will go by really slow and I will feel like the mission will never end but when I just forget it and get to work the time goes by faster. So I think it's just better if I forget it and get to work. This last transfer meeting my trainer went home. it was sad to see him go. he was probably my greatest friend here in the mission. almost like an older brother. It was sad to think that we might not see each other for many years.
     This week we have two baptisms, maybe three. but I just want to write a little about two of them. One is named Jon Julian. This man is separated from his wife and children because his wife wanted to do different things and didn't want to live with him anymore. These last couple years have been hard for him dealing with family and financial problems. We found him one day contacting. Without even calling him he came out of his house and asked if we had called his name. we said no. and he knew it must have been a sign from god so he listened to us. We gave him a pamphlet of the restoration and a couple days later he came to us and said he knew that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and that he was visited by angels. He said he received a testimony of it through a voice that told him it was true. ever since then he has been reading the Book of Mormon. I have seen him change his life so much. He is ready to be baptized this Saturday.
     The other one is named Karla. She is the mother of the woman we baptized a few weeks ago. She started out with many doubts and many concerns but with a willingness to learn. We gave her a copy of the Book of Mormon and ever since then has been reading it every day. She reads our assignments and she started from the beginning of the book and she is almost to 2 Nephi I believe! She also expressed a profound sense of happiness and light that has filled her life. and she says she feels a certain filling in her soul. she says she once was empty and she feels like the Lord has directed her to the truth. something she has been looking for her whole life. I know that the Lord little by little softened her heart. until she was humble enough to receive the gospel light and truth and apply it to her life.
     I know the Lord led me to these people and that I was made an instrument in his hands to help these people receive the Holy Ghost in their hearts. I love this work and know with a surety of heart and soul that it is the truth. My spirit rejects the notion of it not being the true and everlasting gospel. I cannot deny it. I have seen too many miracles, too many witnesses. This is my testimony. May it stand forevermore before the world.

The Lord Will Lead His Servants

     I don't know why I would feel so down but things are going fairly well in our area! We have four potentials for this month and a couple for next month. It seems that when we are doing our best that Satan always tries to make us feel inadequate. But God is good and directs us in every moment.

Yesterday, as we were talking to one of our investigators named Karla, she expressed her feelings of great love and happiness that she feels as she has learned the gospel and the plan of salvation. Her testimony has grown so profoundly in the last couple weeks! I know the Lord has been guiding us the whole time. 

     

     I remembered that when i had transfers and was transferred and reopening this area that me and my companion, then Elder Hughes, we shared a prayer concerning the direction we should start working. I remember receiving a distinct impression that we need to work in this one specific part of our area. I expressed this feeling to my companion and we made the necessary plans. For these past weeks I have always had this lasting impression and I didn't know why until yesterday. God had guided us to where these people were. He had prepared them for many years until this precise moment when we found them and taught them the gospel. I know now God directed us there. 

     

     I know this is His work. I am so happy to be a part of it and to really see how it affects peoples lives. sometimes when i feel down or selfishness I forget the true blessings of the Gospel and the spirit it brings. When i see these people come unto Christ and see the joy and tears in their eyes for the miracles and great mercy that God has blessed them with through their obedience is a feeling and experience that is inexpresable. I have come to know that the scripture is true- "And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father! And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!"
I know this is Gods work. I know the worth of souls is great in the sight of God. Why then should I doubt or be afraid?

The Work of God

     We had multizone conferences these last 2 days and have been really busy taking care of all the logistics. Elder Ochoa came to our mission to do a mission tour and to see how everything is going here in the Nicaragua south mission. I got a chance to sit in on one of the conferences and listen to what he had to tell us. He talked about faith. how we need to have faith in missionary work. One thing that really struck me was the importance in using faith to find those who have been chosen to receive the gospel at this time. We need to actively pray and seek the guidance of the Holy Ghost so that we can be led to the "chosen".

     Lately, the work has been struggling a little in my area and I know I need to start finding those chosen souls. He also showed me how we have great power and authority given by Jesus Christ himself. and we shouldn't have fear to do things that we know we can do through the power and authority. Living worthy of the guidance of the spirit is another thing and something I have a lot of trouble with. trying to be exactly obedient and trying to always keep my thoughts pure. I have found that as I focus my mind on the gospel and on the work that there is more power and authority in my speech and in my actions. 

     This next week we have the baptism of a lady named Anielka. She was a past investigator that received the missionary lessons one year ago but didn't get baptized for some reason, so, we have been teaching her for a couple weeks now and she is ready to be baptized. A lot of our investigators dropped this week including some families we had taught. I don't know what happened with them. we had one teaching and they were really awesome people they just couldn't come to church on Sunday. so we dropped them and I hope someday they will be more ready to receive the gospel and live by its laws. last Sunday, we didn't have anyone of our investigators come to church, I felt down and very depressed afterward. I prayed to my heavenly father with tears in my eyes and a heavy heart, why he had let me down, why couldn't I have the success I needed to have. 

     After pouring my angry and deceived heart to him, I heard a voice, a voice as clear as my own. the voice told me that this was not my work. This was not the work of Elder Lim, this was His work. He told me that as I felt sad, He felt even more sad. He chastened me for my prideful actions and thoughts. I am but a mere instrument in his hands through which He can work. My Heavenly Father knows me, He directs me and guides me, and knows what needs to be done. So, as I was trusting and confiding in my own strength, I became weak and the Lord did not pour out his blessings upon me. But, at the same time, I felt a great calm fall upon my mind and my heart. even though I felt like a failure of a missionary, I know that I am serving my God, and no one else. 

     He is the great master and teacher. This experience changed my heart. I didn't explain even the half of it because the feelings and words He spoke to me I cannot write, but, just know that the Lord knows, we will do His will because we love him. Seek not to do your own will, but to do the will of him that sent you. I believe we all have some kind of calling at every point in our lives. we must find that calling, that sentence, and give all glory to the Father, who has sent us.

The Lord with Us

Weak Things Made Strong

     The work progresses well here. I have been struggling lately understanding the "why" for why don't people want to go to church or progress in the gospel. I was talking with one of the assistants one night and he was just talking about random things and he brought up what he felt was the key to baptizing. what he expressed was exactly what I had been praying for, and the answer that I needed. He told me that the way to baptize is through the heart. gaining the trust and confidence of the person. He said as soon as you get a person to tell you all of their problems is when you know that they trust you and they are willing to accept your help and guidance. that has been something a little difficult for me to do on my own mission. I'm not sure if it was something you had to learn as well. As I have been in the process of changing and growing, I have seen more weakness in myself than ever before like it says in Ether 12:27-
"And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble, and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them."
     The Lord shows me weakness that I might know my strengths and therefore, make weak things become strong unto me. This principle leads me straight into the heart of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Faith, Repentance, Baptism, Repeat. This process leads us to perfection and self-dignity. I know that as I work and strive to become a better teacher, as I come to know the people I teach, who they are, their hopes and dreams, I know that I will overcome my weakness and learn something that will help me through my entire life.
     Strive to have the spirit in your life. listen closely to the feelings and impressions you have. He will guide you through all things. Come to know better the life and works of Jesus Christ. If you have never read the New testament through completely I exhort you to read and meditate on the life, example, and teachings of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I know as you do he will lift and inspire you to newer levels of growth and development. May the Lord always be with you.

The Way to Eternal Life

I cannot express in words the amount of love and joy that fills my heart in these moments. The Lord in His great mercy has seen fit to extend His loving hands and pronounce more blessings upon us. I hope you feel the same way. Recognize the Lords hand in your life and you will never doubt that He is there and mindful of you. Yesterday, the spirit was strong with me. I could feel His power within me, working to guide me in my daily labors. We taught some really good lessons and I know that the people we taught felt the spirit strongly as I did. We ended up placing 6 baptismal dates.

I know that through faith, all is possible. The Lord gives us trials to show our faith and devotion. On one occasion a lawyer came to Jesus as He was preaching and asked him how he could inherit eternal life. We see the answer in Luke 10:25-28 

"And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live."

What does it mean to love our god with all our heart, soul, and strength? The answer lies in John 14:15,21

"If ye love me, keep my commandments. He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them,he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him."

The way to eternal life is through keeping and sanctifying of the holy commandments. God not only desires but expects our obedience. As we obey, we gain christlike attributes, we perfect ourselves by obeying the will of the Lord as Moroni explains- Moroni 10:32

"Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God."

I know God loves us. I know that eternal life is possible through the merits and mercy of Him who is mighty to save. We promise our best and He promises us the rest. I know that we can be perfected, shaped, and sculpted as long as we are pliable and humble. Don´t forget to trust in Him. As we put full trust in Him, we will feel peace and calm within the storms of our lives.

He Knows Our Needs

     The Lord and His mercies never seem to cease. As I have come to know the Lord and His will through my service as a missionary, I have seen countless miracles in my life. Both great and small. I contemplate the week and my experiences. It seems that as a missionary when I teach, i not only teach, but the Holy Spirit teach me in the process. I recently taught a man who struggles with many worldly issues, principal among them being financial. This man expressed doubts and concerns about the mercy and grace of God, believing but without applying. We know that faith is based upon not only the belief but the action, through action we demonstrate our belief unto the gaining of light and knowledge. This man had fallen so far from the concept of faith that he began to think that simply asking God for what he wanted was too much, that God did not have patience for complaints doubts and wants. One of my favorite scriptures that apply to this concept is found in Matthew 6:31-33:
"Therefore, take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."
     The Lord knows of our needs, therefore, do not worry about the things of this world, for the Lord God will bless all those who seek after His righteousness first. I know that this man will find peace and joy in this life after he seeks first God and His Kingdom.
     This week has been a very interesting. My companion Elder Hughes is a very good missionary and works very hard. I like the way he focuses on following the spirit. I feel I have gotten into too much of a routine with my teaching. It feels good to not only see people as numbers but really focus and take to heart the spiritual welfare of these people. As I come to draw power from and rely on the spirit, I find a new wealth of knowledge and spiritual blessings. Truly I could not be able to work the way I do and teach the way I do without the guidance and fortification of the Holy Spirit. One day this week I came home just completely worn out from all the spiritual work of the day and said, "man, if i didn't have the spirit with me right now, I would be dead tired." I know that God is real and keeps His promises. Yesterday, as we taught a man who was struggling financially, I felt the impression to share Dad´s story, how through the gospel he was able to overcome all and become a prosperous man with innumerable blessings. I began to ponder in the reality of the Lord and His almighty goodness, that, because of Him and the faithfulness of our father, we are here, given the grand opportunity to share the gospel with the world, changing lives and becoming who we need to become.
     May every righteous blessings be found upon you as you seek after Him. I know miracles are real and will occur so long as we show our faith through action.