Jump Start!

Wow, 

this past week has been full of ups and downs, but the best thing is that now I am on my feet, I got cleared from the doctor to work normally, and we are on fire here in Felipe Carrillo!  Elder Chavez and I have been able to find several wonderful families to begin teaching this last week that look amazing, but the coolest thing is a youth named Daniel that showed up to church unexpectedly!

We already had the Ramos Family, Marcos, Paola, and Hermano Martinez all seated next to us but a brother from the back of the congregation with a handful of minutes to go before starting church he called us out back and we came to know Daniel who was talking with the missionaries a long time back but because of his work and a few other struggles of faith he was never baptized but he always loved the church and he applied all the principles were taught in the church like a sponge!  He is really prepared to receive the gospel, and I just felt so grateful that God is entrusting our ward with so much growth and progression!

It was a powerful sacrament meeting yesterday as well because we changed our Bishopric completely and two members from the Stake high Council are going to be the Bishop and his first Councilor!  They are really excited to help animate the ward, and the Ward is having a literal jumpstart with this change in leadership!  We are so excited and I am praying to be able to stay another change in Felipe Carrillo because it is such a wonderful blessing to get a new energy going and after being bedridden for a little bit of time from my ingrown toenails we are going to be on fire!

There are so many wonderful blessings and stories I wish I could share, but til next week I would just like to finish with a small spiritual thought!

As I was studying this past week I came across this scripture in section 88 of Doctrine and Covenants which states:

40 For intelligence cleaveth unto intelligence; wisdom receiveth wisdom; truth embraceth truth; virtue loveth virtue; light cleaveth unto light; mercy hath compassion on mercy and claimeth her own; justice continueth its course and claimeth its own; judgment goeth before the face of him who sitteth upon the throne and governeth and executeth all things.  

I would like to focus on the line that mercy hath compassion on mercy and claimeth her own.  In reflecting upon this line it became more clear to me the absolute necessity of demonstrating a loving kindness to all who are around me in the mission.  That as I strive to be more kind to others, that in the same manner, I will receive the blessings of greater kindness in the judgment day.  I had heard this thought expressed several times before, but reading this scripture it came with a great power into several ways that I can improve my kindness with my companion, with the investigators, members, and other missionaries.  Even though I was not inherently bad in my treatment of them, it just gave me greater motives to seek the light in others, build them up, and dedicate myself as an instrument of light in the hands of God.  We already have so many pessimistic voices in the world today and so my invitation is that we can try to be more merciful with those who have wronged us, more patient in our weakness, and more willing to leave the past in the past and step forward into the glorious promise of future days to come, for this I am constantly striving and praying!

I hope you have a wonderful week, and that you can always remember our Savior and His Great Atoning Sacrifice! 

Con Mucho Amor,

Elder Raven