AWESOME WEEK

So this week was really awesome!

We started off with the missionaries in the south of Cali and we finished off with the missionaries in Buenaventura. 

The southern part of Cali has always been one of the "harder" parts of Cali you could say. And for a long time the missionaries have not had a lot of success finding people to teach there, the zone leaders especially. We knew that they were kind of discouraged so we went to surprise them Monday night and do divisions with them. We got there Monday night and we were standing in front of the door and we called them on the phone. One of the missionaries answered and I asked him how things were going and he told me that they were discouraged and upset because no one wants to listen to their message and that the only people that they had that were listening to the gospel decided it would be better to tell them just to not come back. 

That’s when Elder Gomez and I screamed

"YOU GUYS READY TO HAVE THE BEST DAY EVER TOMORROW!"

And we rang the doorbell. It was a super fun day and everyone finished the divisions with a lot more energy. 

I went with Elder Tolentino (from Peru). 

It is incredible to see how the Lord prepares the way for his children to hear his gospel. We made a goal to invite everyone to get baptized that we met and to contact someone in the street in between every appointment we had. 

Every single person that we invited to be baptized was able to feel the spirit and say yes. We found many new people that the Lord had prepared for us while we were out walking.

We are working on being BOLD here in the mission, and as we are bold people will be able to feel the spirit. 

As we were walking to one of our appointments I wanted to try and be just as bold as I could, so as we were crossing the street I saw a mom and her daughter and without even extending my hand I said "We want to visit and teach you!" and the mom kept on walking in the other direction as she said, "Well start walking!"… hahaha

I honestly didn’t quite know what to do, Elder Tolentino just had his mouth open and we both pivoted on our heels and started walking with them to their house. We started presenting ourselves on the way. We got to their house and taught them about the Book of Mormon.

After we taught them the mom asked us, "When can I go to church with you guys!?" then told us to write down her address so that we could come back and visit her. 

It was such an awesome moment to see how the Lord prepares his children and helps us to find each other in the precise moment.

I love being on errands for the Lord. It is one of the most amazing ways to live life. You can honestly feel how by just doing your best what the Lord wants you to do. You can be a tool by which He makes momentous things occur. 

Buenaventura was a lot of fun, it was weird going back to my last area and seeing everyone. 

We went and found a lot of people there in Buenaventura. Though I think the most incredible experience I had while I was in Buenaventura is that we went to teach Bryan’s Family.

Bryan will be one of the first missionaries to leave Buenaventura, he has already submitted his paperwork and everything.

(Bryan y Duvan are going on a mission)

Elder Campos and I were teaching him about 7 months ago because he didn’t want to come back to church and now he will be an awesome missionary. He is the only member of his family apart from his cousin. 

Last night we went to teach his mom and his sister. His sister wasn’t there but his mom was there. We started to teach his mom who had read the Book of Mormon earlier that day. We testified to her the power of the Book of Mormon and how it helps us repent and start a new life as we learn more about our Savior Jesus Christ. We invited her to be baptized and she said yes. Bryan was so excited and so thankful. I remember when I was serving in Buenaventura his family didn’t really even want to see us, let alone listen to us. 

However the Lord always goes about preparing the hearts of his children, and he has prepared Bryan’s mom’s heart just as he has prepared many of the hearts around us. 

We have to be BOLD

We are disciples of Jesus Christ, be BOLD. Speak as if from the voice of a trumpet. Let all the world know that we are disciples of Jesus Christ. That he is our Savior, and that every man and woman can learn more about him. 

Be Bold

We are Latter Day Saints

I love you all

Talk to you later

Elder Lyle