OKay, so story time. We have an investigator that is really Really hard hearted. Weve been teaching him since I got here, but he wont quit smoking. He's had a blessing, and went from 20 a day down to 4, but has been smoking 4 a day for the past month. So this past Tuesday we had a lesson with him and we basically gave him an ultimatum. That lesson was ridiculous! The spirit was burning within me to the point where I testified to him with everything that I had. The fire in my heart let out its fury as I told him that he knows everything. Hes been taught everything. He knows what he has to do, but he refuses to quit smoking. He's letting this cigarette, this Lie of Satan, stand between him and his salvation, but not only his salvation, but the salvation of his entire family! His family will not be baptized without him. They refuse to, but he's too busy enjoying his sin to realize the consequences of his actions. I could feel the fire of testimony burn within me as I told him these and many other things, hoping and praying that he'd let these things sink into his heart, and as I bore my testimony with the power and authority that I have been praying for, the ground beneath my feet shook.
This past Tuesday, during our lesson with Gonzalo, during the most powerful part of the most powerful testimony I've ever shared, there was an earthquake, magnitude 7.6 in Mexico City. Needless to say, he´s quit completely, and his family is preparing to be baptized this coming Sunday.
Brenda Ramirez Lemos was baptized yesterday, March 25, 2012, and now, finally the Ramirez Family is complete. They have all been baptized, confirmed, and continue to strengthen their relationship with God each and every single day. This is the best part of my work. Completing families. Not only are the now together in Christ´s true church, but they are actively engaged in preparing themselves and keeping themselves worth so that exactly one year from now, they can be sealed together in the temple, and become a Family for time and all eternity.
They told me they were going to make sure that I came. :D
As far as the work goes, I wish you all could see the day to day miracles that take place. Like the brother of Jared, I´m beginning to see His finger touch the hearts of each and everyone of my investigators.
Theres a panaderia (bakery) close to our apartment where we go often to get pan (bread), and we´ve talked with the two women that work there (one in the morning, one in the evening) and got to know them a little bit, contacted them, and they accepted our invitation and wanted to know more. So we went over to the house of Felisa Santiago and began to teach her. Well at first it was just her, but then her sister (who's older) came around the corner and started asking us questions; then her sisters children, then her other sister, then her brother, and then her mother! By the end we had 14 people in the room that we were teaching, answering questions, asking our own, the whole nine yards. It was AMAZING!! And a Miracle because every single question that they asked could be answered within our lessons. "Where did we come from before this life, where are we going afterward, are there families in heaven? Why aren't there prophets in this time period as well as the olden days? Why dont any of the churches have 12 apostles like Christs original church?" This family is GOLD and the 8 that are old enough to be baptized are planning on doing so the 8th of April.
This is God´s work. I can see his hand in it, every step of the way, and I Know that he has, and continues to prepare people to accept His gospel, and take the steps that are necessary para llegar al Exaltación (to reach exaltation) . No solamente para llegar, pero también vivir con Dios, Jesucristo, y su familia para siempre en un estado de felicidad interminable. Este es lo que deseo para cada uno de mis investigadores. No solamente tomar un bautismo, pero esforzarse y seguir adelante para obtener las bendiciones mas altas en este vida, y la próxima. Con cada investigador, explico que bautismo no es el fin, pero sólo un paso para llegar al Exaltación, y necesita seguir guardando los mandamientos y seguir siendo fiel y digno para que pueda ser sellado con su familia para siempre en el templo de Dios. (Not only to reach it, but also to live with God and Jesus, and their families eternally in happiness. This is what I want for each of my investigators, not just to be baptized, but to work and continue onward to obtain the highest blessings in this life, and the next. With each investigator, I explain baptism is not the end, but only one step towards Exaltation, and one needs to continue to keep the commandments and being faithful and worthy to be sealed with their families for eternity in the temple of God.)
Porque, "...Soy un discípulo de Jesucristo, el hijo de Dios, y he sido llamado por Él para declarar su palabra entre los de su pueblo, a fin de que alcancen la vida eterna." 3 Nefi 5:13
(Because, "I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the son of God. I have been called of him to declare his word among his people, that they might have everlasting life." 3 Nephi 5:13
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