Well here we go again...

INTERVIEWS

They continue, but I love it. The best part of the interviews is when you start to see the missionaries put into practice the things we are teaching them. Everyone is super excited about the B.E.E. and everyone wants a shirt like Elder Gomez and I, hahaha.

This week we went to a part of Cali and then off to Pasto and Ipiales. MAN it is FREEZING there in Pasto and Ipiales. I am definitely accustomed to my Cali.

The interviews went great. We went to Ipiales and did the interviews there, it was super awesome. When I was in Ipiales I found out that some of my converts two weeks ago went to the temple and were sealed for time and all eternity. I honestly couldn’t believe it. 

It made me think of their story:

I met Luz and Jose when I had recently got to Ipiales in November of 2013. Luz is a haircutter and we had gone to get our hair cut. We told her that we were going to pass by another day and teach her, but she didn’t look very interested so we didn’t go back. About 3 months later in the final part of January I told my companion that we were going to meet someone. We went to the house of Luz and Jose. They received us, but very tentatively. Luz said that she was born a Catholic and Catholic she was going to die. We told her that we were not there to do anything else but increase her faith in Christ. We started to teach them about the Plan of Salvation and the infinite love that our Heavenly Father has for us and that He restored His gospel. They read the Book of Mormon and watched the Testaments. They agreed to go to a fireside with us where President Prince gave a talk. Afterward I brought them to meet the President of the mission and they talked for a little bit, President Prince asked them to go to church with us that coming Sunday and they agreed. 

The following Sunday they went to church, and it just happened to be fast and testimony meeting. Jose felt so excited that he too wanted to stand up and give his testimony about the love of God. 

They were progressing in the gospel, that is when Luz told us that she didn’t believe in anything we had said. We couldn’t believe it. They were doing so good, we started to ask her why and she finally said, "It’s because I don’t believe in the resurrection, everything you have taught me so far I believe but the fact that you believe in the resurrection lets me know that you are wrong." I then asked her, if you know for yourself that the resurrection will happen one day, will you follow the example of Jesus Christ by being baptized by someone who holds the authority of God to do so? 

She told me yes, that if she could only know if the resurrection was true she would believe in Jesus Christ’s ministry to this continent and its translation through Joseph Smith. 

That is when I asked her for her own bible.

I opened up to 1 Corinthians 15:12-14

12. "Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? 

13. But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: 

14. And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is all so vain."

When she read this scripture she was furious. She stood up and told us to get out of her house. 

I didn’t know what to do at that moment, so my companion and I left the house silently. This was Sunday afternoon, and that night we found out that both of us would be leaving the area. 

As I packed up my things in the house I left a note on the door for the new missionaries to go and visit Luz and Jose along with the address. 

The later part of the story I learned months afterwards. 

The 2 new missionaries got to the area and found my note, not knowing anybody else they went to visit Luz and Jose. They knocked on the door and heard screaming. Luz and Jose came running out knowing that it was the missionaries. As they opened up the door they saw that it was two new missionaries, they handed them a card that I had left in the house for them. She asked them “Where is Elder Lyle and Elder Aguilera cause I have news for them”. They told Luz and Jose that we weren’t there, and she told the other missionaries "Well when you see them, tell them that my husband and I are getting baptized this Saturday." 

When we had left the house that day they were moved by the spirit and read all of the passages of the scriptures we had read and started to pray. After that they said that there was no doubt that they had received an answer from God. 

They continued to progress and 2 weeks ago they went to the Guayaquil Temple in Ecuador and were sealed one to another.

It is incredible to see how the spirit can touch the lives of people. 

I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints is true:

Do you?

How can you know?

Easy. Ask God in a prayer.

He will show you the truth.

That is our great invitation to the world, that everyone asks God if we have the truth or not.

Don’t trust the words of others.

There are three people that we can truly trust.

That is God, our Eternal Father, 

His Son and our Redeemer Jesus Christ, 

and the Holy Ghost. 

I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Learn About it. 

Talk to you next week
Elder Lyle

www.mormon.org