The Forces of Nature Tried to Bring Us Down!

Nov. 8, 2010

Hola Familia y Queridos,

This past week has flown by but we have encountered various trials that really made me appreciate being persistent in the missionary work. The sun pounded down on us SO HARD for the WHOLE week and we were thoroughly burned through and through. I tried to protect myself as best as possible but my WHITE SKIN (thanks a lot mom, haha!) only held up for a couple days. It is ok, I got more tan than burned so I am happy about that, but it was a missionary tan (only the face, neck and forearms) Hahaha! I love being a missionary. I shared my testimony yesterday in Sacrament meeting on the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the importance of it in our life here on earth. We taught a Buddhist named Mauricio these past two weeks and it has been a blessing to explain and express the importance the Savior in our life and the plan that God has for us to someone who has never believed in Him or understood fully who he is. I was able to focus even more on the simplicity of Christ's suffering in Getsemane, death on the cross, and resurrection. It just all fits in perfectly to the Plan of Salvation and is fully based of FAITH that it will have power to bless us. That was the main doubt of Mauricio, he felt that the plan was too perfect and not fully realistic, but I bore my testimony that GOD IS PEFECT and will not make mistakes. We will be blessed for having faith and believing without seeing that we can be forgiven, cleansed and exalted by Christ. We are virtually lost and don't have much of a purpose if there is no Christ.
I also bore my testimony on the importance of member-missionary work. We have an event called "Domingo de Blanco" (White Sunday) coming up on November 21 in the Stake Center. Elder Urra and I planned it. It will be a baptismal service that will take place in the Stake Center for the baptisms of all people in every ward planned for this day. So instead of being baptized in their separate wards, they will all be baptized together in white (14 people so far). It has motivated the missionaries to work together as a zone and with the members of their wards to prepare these people for their special baptism day. The members need to have a larger part in the conversion of someone or this Child of God will fall away.
I also learned a little better about the mindeset that we should have during the sacrament. What are we doing when the Sacrament is being blessed and passed? Are we reading, writing something, or actually pondering on the Atonement of Christ and our baptismal covenant? The last option should always be our action.
I love this thought!

I have a testimony that there aren't coincidences in life. The Lord guides us to HIs chosen ones! We had a FHE planned for Saturday night but the families who we invited weren't at their houses when we got there. Disappointed and a little saddened (because these people are supposedly going to be baptized on the 21st and still need help) we didn't know what to do. SO we started knocking a couple doors around the corner. The first people we talked to were a young married couple who were playing with their dogs in their patio. After a few minutes, we found out that they had talked to Elders about 4 months ago (right before I got to the area) and that now the wife (Evelyn) was 3 months pregnant. The husband (Eduardo) didn't believe much in God before but after the MIRACLE of their pregnancy, he believes but has trouble with having faith. We taught a bit of the Plan of Salvation and they are very interested in learning about the Gospel and the church. We never would have found them had the other families been in their houses for the FHE. The are no coincidences, only miracles!

I thank you all for you love and support. I am reading all of your emails and fully aware of what happens in your lives. Sorry for not responding to you personally, but I type slow and the time doesn't permit me. I will pray A TON for Rachel's recovery and Mom's and Dad's well-being.

Con todo mi AMOR,
Elder Josh Boaz