Finding the Elect!

Hello my mother and father!

By all accounts it was a successful week. We found many people from El Salvador to teach this week! And C and her husband M came to church on Sunday. The Spirit was really strong in all three meetings this week, and they said they loved it, that the idea of this church is different from the others. I got to speak in sacrament about the Book of Mormon and it was a really gratifying experience to feel the Spirit testify through me to the congregation.

We had great lessons with C and her husband this week and she said some really meaningful things. She said "I feel like you all are angels sent from God to help and teach us." When she was praying with us to know if the Book of Mormon is true, she paused and said, "But, I already know that it is". Finally we found the elect! These people were searching for a church to join, love the Book of Mormon, and M really relates with the Prophet Joseph Smith. I do have a testimony that our Heavenly Father is preparing people to be taught and baptized. We just have to find them! Seriously though, if you could meet these people, see their humble background, and see their love for the Lord, you'd love them in a heartbeat.

We also almost had a miracle baptism this week! I don't even know where it came from...but suddenly J (the nine year old in a family we have reactivated) wants to get baptized! He had the interview and everything, but then at the last minute mom wanted to wait. It was exciting though to see that this family is accepting the gospel more and more. Before we showed up at the door mom and the kids never came to church, now they are there every Sunday! We have a lot of hope about what we can do for N and J down the road.

These weeks, and really on my entire mission, I have been learning a lot about what it means to actually have faith. God is all powerful and still works miracles. He can only work though, based on our faith! It is such a work of faith out here, we have to envision every new investigator, every lesson, every baptism, then go to work like it all depends on us. It is so powerful though, and we are working hard with Elder Killian to develop our own vision of what we can accomplish and believing that God will be there to help us.

De veras, es un placer poder servir al Cristo aqui mismo y ahora mismo. He visto un cambio en mis deseos recientemente, y ahora solo quiero hacer lo que Cristo quiere que haga. Y veo tambien que esta aumentando mi testimonio de la divinidad esta obra, Dios nos guia y nos cuida. Cristo es la cabeza de la iglesia. El libro de Mormon es verdadero. Les quiero muchisimo!

(It is truly a pleasure to serve Christ in here and now. My desires have changed and now I just want to do what Christ wants me to do. I also my testimony of the divinity of this work increasing. God leads us and cares for us. Christ is the head of this church. The Book of Mormon is true. I love you very much!)

Que vayan con Dios,

Elder Michael George Stewart