How´s it going(insert question mark cause I can´t find it on this weird hybrid of an english and spanish keyboard, haha)
I am going to keep this email kinda short, cause we don´t have a ton of time, but this past week has been absolutely crazy in terms of temperatures because we have had absolutely freezing temperatures and then been chilling in the 80 degree temperatures so la clima (climate) here can´t seem to make up its mind, haha!
It has been raining a ton here, and the street we live on was getting borderline flooded from the massive dumping going on, so I told my companion Elder Brown that it seems like they might have to change our area name to Atlantis Real, haha!
It has been raining a ton here, and the street we live on was getting borderline flooded from the massive dumping going on, so I told my companion Elder Brown that it seems like they might have to change our area name to Atlantis Real, haha!
Spiritual Thought:
Recently I received the Christmas package from my family which was absolutely wonderful, and I am so grateful for their wonderful support, and one thing that they gave me was a small artificial christmas tree with a 12 days of christmas gift wherein are 12 different ornaments each one with a different name of Christ and a small excerpt about the characteristics of the Savior. The one that really impacted me this week was reflected upon the title of Advocate. Personally, this is one of the most beautiful titles that He bears because an advocate is somone who defends someones rights, voice, and them as a person in a court case, and it seems absolutely beautiful to me that in a coming day, every one of us will be called to stand before the Judgement Bar of God, to be tried of who we have become in this life. (side note: I believe it is a beautiful principle that I believe that we will be judged based off of who we have become in this life, and not a massive list of the good and bad things which we have done) Anyway, in that day we will have our Savior, with nail-scarred hands pleading for our cause, standing in defense of our helpless souls against the demands of justice, and joyfully, lovingly, and proudly declaring before God our cause, if we have applied his atoning blood, we can joyfully receive the highest degree of celestial glory! This is a day that I yearn for, and this perspective is what gets me out of bed early in the mornings as a missionary, so that I can work to earn my salvation and strive to apply the blood of Christ to all those around me so that we can reap the wonderful blessings together! I testify of these eternal truths, and pray that each and everyone of us can come to trust in the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and make the changes necessary to find peace in that we can receive all that Heavenly Father has in store for us, if we but stay true to the small things, and serve our fellow men, love our families, pray, study the scriptures, and receive the guidance of the Spirit! Keep going forward, because you have legions of angels cheering you on, and pouring out their hearts and souls to help you, if you but accept it by meekly praying for the strength that is one reach through the veil! This is my testimony that I wish to share with you all, and hope that you have a wonderful Christmas season, loving and serving those who surround you!
Also, things have been really good down here, and I am going to give you a breakdown of some of the crazy wonderful things that have gone down! Don´t have a ton of time, but I will give the basics of the past three days because they have been super eventful!
Wondeful day, and I have attached photos below of this wonderful day! Being able to baptize him was great, and we did have to do it two times because his fingers didn´t quite go down below, but we got it right the second time, and the spirit was beautifully strong in the testimony that his wife, Anabelle, bore about the truthfulness of the gospel! Such a wonderful young family with the two kids Fabian and Victor are really sweet kids that can be phenomenal future missionaries after activating this family and hopefully getting them to the temple in a year!
Sunday: Primary Program
I realize that I might have confused some people two weeks back about the primary program, but we were practicing the past few weeks and we finally had it this week, and the spirit was beautifully strong, and I am so grateful to have been able to help so many sweet kids bear their testimonies through song and memorized words! The really wonderful thing is that they didn´t give the kids assigned topics, but they had each kid pray with their family and write up a specific topic together!
Also Elder Brown gave his final testimony and it eletrified the branch with the Spirit, and I just sat there and thought that I wish to become the kind of missionary who can honestly say that I served faithfully, lovingly, and with all of my heart, might, mind and strength, and leave the mission without any regrets!
Monday: CAMBIOS ARRIVE (CHANGES)
I am going to be training a new elder, as a district leader as well this next cambio, which has been extended to 7 weeks, so my trainee is going to have 13 weeks of training with me!
This is absolutely crazy, and I am really kind of nervous about how everything is going to go down, especially since I just barely finished my training! But I have faith that the Lord will strengthen me to be able to fulfill this assignment, and I have complete trust that if I am being obedient, trusting in the Spirit, and striving with all my heart to follow his will for me, then I will be a success, no matter what the outcome may be!
Love you all, and pray that you can find simple ways to rely upon our merciful Savior this season in which we can remember him!
-Elder Raven
Also there´s the burrito sabandero video that I promised to send that Elder Brown took on his camera during the ensayo (practise that we had at the casa de oracion (house of prayer-chapel that we have in the branch)
