Monday, January 27, 2014

WE HAD A KID!

Welcome to Ipiales

Well hello all at home.

A million thanks for all the incredible emails. Seriously not going to lie a few of them made me a little teary eyed, however if my companion asks it was just some dust, ha-ha.

This week has been awesome. 

First off:
Daniel, who is 4 now, had is birthday party. He is Lucia’s kid. Lucia is 23 years old and lives with her sister-in-law and her 3 kids. And to top it off she is 8 months pregnant. 

Well that would be the second news:
Lucia popped Wednesday. Hahaha, 
WE HAD A KID! 
My companion and I brought them to the hospital and we are sure there was a ton of people who thought that we were all couples. Noemi, Lucia, my companion and I. 

SO…
WE HAD A BABY GIRL.
No complications at all. It was awesome. She has a beautiful new house as well to go back to.
Happy in their new house :)

This Thursday we had interviews with President Prince. It was super awesome to spend 15 minutes talking with him. We travel 2 hours to Pasto to talk with the President and his wife for 15 minutes each. But it was definitively worth it because it was super awesome. 
Ipiales Zone
Elder Aguilera & Elder Lyle
Lunch with the Zone & 
President & Sister Prince
Pizza!

My companion and I have started running everyday. Super awesome as well, maybe now we will stop getting fat with our pure diet of potatoes and rice, or probably not. Ha-ha

I got to see the coolest thing this Sunday. 
Jorge Vidal and his son Christian blessed the sacrament together and then Jorge gave an awesome talk on faith. It’s so amazing to see when someone’s life is completely turned around... 
Jorge just 2 months ago was drinking enough alcohol to kill a small child and was a chain smoker. Through the last 2 months he has quit smoking and is completely sober. Spends amazing quality time with his family and is worthy to bless the sacrament with his son every Sunday. 
There seriously is nothing better than this in the mission to see the huge changes that people make with just a few nudges. 
I love the gospel for that reason!

Well… 
TRANSFERS!!!!
So here is the news. 
Out of the 12 missionaries here in Ipiales 6 will leave. My companion and I are the only ones staying as companions here in Ipiales, SO PUMPED. And to top the whole thing off, my district grew immensely. I now have 8 missionaries in my district. They are giving me another district and taking out the district leaders from that area. Kind of worried, as 8 missionaries is a lot harder than 4, especially when the other missionaries I had originally were the Zone leaders. (Missionaries in charge of Ipiales).
Saying goodbye to the majority of the zone


So yeah, that is what’s going on here... Super busy... but super excited. 

Modern Day Prophets:
So I would like to talk to you just a little bit about a very interesting subject.
Modern Day Prophets. 

People think that prophets have to wear tunics, have huge beards and a staff to be a prophet. 
Why? I really don’t know why. 

The truth is a lot of people find it hard to believe that there are prophets and apostles in this day and age. That the prophet wears a suit along with his apostles. 
It’s simply hard to believe that there is a modern day prophet, however that works for any time. 

Lets take a look at ancient prophets. 
Noah:
How many people believed he was a prophet...
7 people

Elias:
How many people believed he was a prophet...
A handful

Samuel:
Even less

Why was it hard to believe that these great men were prophets in their day? 

Let’s see...
They wore the same clothes as those people in their day. 
They talked the same as them. 
They looked the same as them, they weren’t encircled with power walking down the street shining like a light bulb. 
They were just normal people called by God to lead.

Jesus Christ talked about this, permit me to change one word to help with the understanding. 

St. Luke 4:24 
24. And he said, Verily I say unto you. No prophet is accepted in his own “time”.

Jesus Christ wasn’t accepted either in his own time. They couldn’t believe that a normal person, the son of a carpenter was the Son of God. Their Messiah. They didn’t believe in Christ. 
But how do we know that there would be more prophets and apostles after the originals? 

St. Luke 11:49
49. Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles…

That is what Jesus Christ said. That he would send more prophets and apostles, but where are the prophets and the apostles?
In the Church of Jesus Christ. The same Church that he established when he was here helping people. Restored completely. 
We need prophets
 In the Old Testament it talks about prophets and says something very interesting. 

Amos 3:7
7. Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.

It says here that God will do nothing but reveal his secrets to his prophets. 
That he would do nothing. 
God will do nothing....? 
No, he is always here with us. 
So there must always be a prophet, or God will not do anything with his children that he so dearly loves here on the Earth. 

I love you all 
I testify of a living and actual prophet of God here on the Earth. 
That he has called 12 Apostles and that we will not cease to have this power on the Earth until the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

I love you all so much 
I hope you have a great week 
In the name of Jesus Christ
Amen 

Challenge: 
Listen to one talk by a modern day prophet. LDS.org


Elder Rawly Lyle

A few more pictures:
My Neighborhood
My house ya'll
Gettin Stupid Loose
We have FUN!

Monday, January 20, 2014

When we are blown off track

So these last few weeks have been super busy, however, ever since the carnivals ended nothing crazy has exactly happened. I have had some amazing lessons with amazing people. 

My favorite memory from the last few weeks would be from yesterday, Sunday. 

Yesterday I blessed the sacrament with Jorge Vidal. Someone I had the great opportunity to teach and help him along in his conversion and the conversion of his family. He received the priesthood last Sunday and blessed the sacrament, white shirt and all. It was amazing. 

Also I had my first baptismal interview. A little girl, 8 years old, named Alizon. She is awesome and is helping her family understand why they need the gospel in their lives. It’s an amazing experience to be the one to determine if someone is ready or not for baptism. 

Also these last two weeks I helped 2 kids fill out their paperwork to go on a mission. So awesome. 

Now this letter will be a little different as it will be a lot heavier in terms of doctrine. But I feel like it is adequate to both my own needs and those to whom read this letter. 

This week I’m going to talk about trials of our faith. 
“How do you remain steadfast and immovable during a trial of your faith?”

Let me tell you:

The Gospel does not ensure a life without trials:
It ensures a life where we can endure trials. 

Elder Hafin, an authority of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints stated:

“So if you have problems in your life, don’t assume there is something wrong with you. Struggling with those problems is at the very core of life’s purpose. As we draw close to God, he will show us our weaknesses and through them make us wiser, stronger. If you’re seeing more of your weaknesses, that just might mean you are moving nearer to God, not further away”

Let me tell you a story, it’s found in the book of Ether:

There once was a man, he is commonly known as the Brother of Jared. 
The Brother of Jared was commanded to make boats and to put them in the sea to travel to the Promised Land, him and his people. 
The brother of Jared lived in the time of the Tower of
Babel and really had no idea how to make huge cross Atlantic boats, so they simply made spherical like boats with holes and stoppers to let in air and stop up the water when the boat was upside down. 
Here is a part of this story that I find very interesting, its right after they got in the boats and set off. 

“And it came to pass that the Lord caused that there should be a furious wind blow upon the face of the waters...and thus they were tossed upon the waves...and it came to pass that they were many times buried in the depths of the Sea...caused by the fierceness of the wind.” 

Why, if they were doing exactly what they needed to be doing, would the Lord send something like this. The people probably felt incredibly scared, probably had motion sickness, and maybe at times felt completely helpless. 
Well there is a scripture afterword’s that I think gives the answer. 

“And it came to pass that the wind did never cease to blow towards the promised land while they were upon the waters; and thus they were driven forth before the wind.”

At times in our lives we feel as if the wind is blowing furiously, that we are being tossed upon the waves, or maybe even “Buried in the depths of the Sea”. 
We don’t understand why things like this would happen to us, especially if we are just people. We follow the commandments. We try to always do our part well, so why would God permit something so horrifying like this to happen in our lives. 
The truth is found simply in the last part of the story. We are simply being driven before the wind towards where we need to go. We don’t understand always exactly where it is we need to go, we don’t understand the purpose, however we just don’t understand at this time. There is a great plan; God always lets these things happen in our lives for a purpose. 

We will have trials, however, simply keep going, with the knowledge that 
“the wind will never cease to blow towards the promise land”

An ancient prophet, named Nephi went through some very hard trials. He wrote something very interesting and around the time he had just lost his father, and his own brothers were planning to kill him and he probably felt very inadequate with his recent calling as a prophet. He wrote:

“I am encompassed about, because of the temptations and sins which do so easily beset me. And when I desire to rejoice, my heart groaneth because of my sins”

He felt trapped, his weaknesses and vulnerabilities are plainly in view. In a bleak desperate moment, his trial does not confine him, but his faith defines him:

“Nevertheless, I know in whom I have trusted. My God hath been my support; He hath led me through mine afflictions in the wilderness; and he hath preserved me upon the water of the great deep.”

I love you all. 

Remember in whom you have trusted. If you have placed your trust in the right place, yes you will have trials, but they will drive us to where we need to go. 

We do have a great destiny in front of us. 
Are we willing to accept it? 
Are we willing to accept all that the Lord sends are way or permit to happen in our lives? 
If we move forward with this faith undeterred, with an eye on who we can become, we will find strength. 

Christ died for us all. 

He suffered not only for our sins but for our trials as well. 

When you feel as if you can no longer find your way. 
Find you knees. 
Humble Prayer. 

It was through prayer that the Savior atoned for all of our sufferings, and it is through prayer we will find strength. 


I love you all 
I hope you all have an incredible week. 

Know you are in my prayers

Elder Lyle

Friday, January 10, 2014

To My Dad...

Good Morning Family and Friends

Although I am far away from you today, the truth is, spiritually I do not feel the distance. I feel close to you all and have been greatly comforted by your prayers and your words of encouragement. I know you share my deep feelings of loss, love and hope. And I’d like to speak to you for a few moments about each of these feelings.

Loss: On the 4th of January 2014, this world lost a great man. I'm not going to lie. It’s hard to believe that he is truly gone—that he hasn't simply left on a business trip to Alaska or Idaho. And yet, from another perspective, the truth is that he has embarked on a trip, a journey—one that will prove much longer than usual, and, from my point of view, one that began much too soon.
For you see, I'm going to miss my Dad. I’m going to miss him a lot. I’m going to miss the way he would crack up laughing whenever he watched E-trade baby commercials or his favorite movie, Madagascar. I'm going to miss the sense of safety I always felt when he was near. His family always knew he would do anything to protect them. I remember the times he felt I was being treated unfairly at school and he was ready to go there to give one of my teachers a few choice words. We literally had to hold him back! My Dad was always there for me . . . and I know he always will be.

Love: Every memory I have of my dad makes me feel so loved. I have many fond memories of the two of us together. Among my favorites would have to be our late-night conversations in the car that we started right before I left for my mission. We would pull into the driveway, turn off the car, and just talk—the two of us. My Dad always seemed to have the answer to every question or problem.
I love my Dad so much!
Every time I think of him I can't help feeling happy and loved. Just the thought of him makes me want to be a better person. He always told me I would do big things in life. I know that I have no choice but to continue on my present path. He taught me to be the best at whatever I do, and with his passing, my desire to make him proud has grown. He was always pushing my sister and me to our limits, academically and athletically. He knew exactly what to say to make us want to improve. Although I'm currently not writing papers or competing on a race course, I'm in the process of improving myself as a person. I know what my Dad would want for me—and for that reason I have found myself walking in the footsteps of Jesus Christ in the grand attempt to be more like Him and to find the Christ-like attributes in me—in short, to be a better person.

Hope: I have a firm testimony that although I had originally thought I would be separated from my father for two years only, the time has been extended just a little. My testimony concerns Eternal Families. This life is simply a time of trials of our faith, and once we finish we return to our families. I won't lie, I do feel a heavy weight on my heart, but it is not because of my father’s actual passing. Rather it is because I, personally, won't get to see him for a little bit longer. However, the thought that I will never see him again has not once entered my mind. I know without a sliver of a doubt that he is with me. I teach people every day about The Plan of Salvation, a plan that we agreed to before we came to this life. Once we die our spirit and our body separate, and our spirit waits for the second coming of Jesus Christ and Judgment. The most interesting fact is that the world we live on is the actual place the spirits wait. They have complete knowledge of what happened in their lives. For that reason I know my father is with me every day. I know I will walk with an additional companion every day. Most missionaries only have one companion. I will always have two.

Now, a few of you may be wondering why I am not the one giving these words here today. I can tell you all it was not an easy decision. My decision weighed three factors: my family, my father, and God. I know that remaining on my mission is best for my family. My father taught me whatever I start I must finish—he taught me perseverance, and that I must not be a quitter. And I asked God. In James 1:5 we read: "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.¨ I have seen the importance of this promise we have from God here on my mission. I asked, and received an answer based on Galatians 5:22 ¨But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith."

 I came here for two years of service. I have made a promise and will not break this promise with my God and with my father. I have not felt the responsibility or the blessings of this calling ease one bit with the passing of my father. But I have felt the strong and compassionate arms of our loving Savior supporting me and carrying me as I continue with my labors in His all-important work, bringing souls unto Him, Who is the only source of lasting happiness, even our Savior, Jesus Christ.

I love you all.
I want you to know that you are all in my prayers.
I know my father is here with us.

I am Rawly Lyle,
and I carry my father's name with pride.

I leave things with great love and confidence in the name of Jesus Christ.
Amen.