Hoooooola Familia, amigos, conocidos, y todas las otras
personas que estan leyendo este correo!! Jajajaja Weeeelllll…. this week sure
was really long. And I am writing right now on Tuesday because last week was
the last week of the transfer and so today is P-day, instead of yesterday. And
I have a bit of news..... I’m staying! With Elder Smith! And the rest of the
District is all staying too!! We kind of knew that that was going to happen,
but we are all pretty happy about it because we are a pretty great District and
have a lot of fun together. But that’s kind of the biggest news. Our “4th
of July” was pretty blah, except I did wear my American tie!
Oh yeah!! I’d like to take this time to make a shout out to
my guy, Elder Robinson (my companion a year ago in Rafaela)! He is now a Zone
Leader in la Zona Santa Fe Oeste. You did it bro! He really deserves this
possition to be an example to the other missionaries in his Zone and to help
them through his experiences and knowledge. He and I are starting to be pretty
old in the mission, and he has a lot of great ways to help the younger
generation of missionaries learn and come to help even more people. Love you
bro!! (Even though he won’t ever read this...)
But anyways. This week was a really, really long week. It
was never seemed to end. And it was a pretty tough week. We didn’t have too
much luck finding new people to teach and the people that we are teaching
haven’t been progressing in the way that we hoped. But we are still working to
help them come closer to Christ and develop their testimonies. One of the
houses we passed by needed some help cleaning up the back of his house so we
offered to help. There is a picture with just one of the piles of garbage
we accumulated.
With Juan we are finishing up all of the Lessons. But, sadly
he wasn’t able to make it to church this week. We have brought him to church
the last two weeks and this week we wanted him to come on his own to make sure
he could do it. But, just the night before he was at a birthday party and didn’t
get to bed until pretty late. Not to mention that he didn’t have an alarm to
wake him up, much less someone in his house to help him get to church. So, he
was pretty sad and the other members were asking about him, but we aren’t
worried at all. We know how much he loves the church and the desire he has to
get baptized. So we are going to get him an alarm to help him wake up! But one
of the Elders in the district, Elder Urmston, is headed home in a few weeks and
donated a pair of his shoes to Juan, so now he has the whole getup! hahah And
he finally cut his hair!!! WooHoo!! Hahaha but he is a great kid and we are
trying to help him help his family to open themselves a little more to the
church. They have already promised to be there for Juan’s baptism. But we hope
to help them understand the decision that he is making and the sacred
importance of his baptism. Juan is already starting to be a bit of a member
missionary to some of his neighbors too!! This week there was an accident in
his neighborhood and on of Juan’s neighbors was shot three times. So the wife
of the man, who is still alive but in the hospital, was asking Juan a few
questions and Juan invited her to listen to a lesson with him. Sadly, everytime
that we passed by, she wasn’t home. But we will be trying more this week to get
with her and help her also. Juan is also helping us with a few references of
friends that were in the same kind of problems that he was that he is going to
talk to and invite them to here us too. Juan is such a good guy and has learned
a lot in the few weeks that we have known him. We are hoping to help him
prepare a little more this week and then have his baptismal interview this
Saturday. He is really excited to finally enter the waters of baptism and
receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost. Pray for him!!
Elder Smith and I are also still working with a few less
active members and families. We are finding more and more of them every week.
We are trying to help them feel more of the Spirit and help them understand
that they will have more blessings, including peace of mind, by returning to
the church and the Camino de Dios. Through encounters with less active and
inactive members, my testimony of Small and Simple things has grown even more.
It’s just as the scriptures say, "By small and simple things do great
things come to pass." The small and often seemingly insignificant things
that the Prophets and others are constantly reminding us to do are Daily
Scripture Study and Prayer, and you bet going to church on Sunday. They are small
things that we do everyday are what provide the spiritual protection and
guidance that we want and need everyday. So don’t forget to read and pray! It’s
important!!
Also, in our ward, there was a member lady that died about 2
weeks ago. Hilda Ramierez. From the little that I knew her, she was a really
great, energetic lady. She had a real testimony of the gospel and was always
working to share it with others. She wasn’t one to let others do the work. She
had raised 6 children, 5 of which served missions. She was real example to
everyone. And her passing away was a complete surprise to all of us. But on
Sunday, for fast and testimony meeting, a number of her children and
grandchildren stood to bear their testimonies of the Gospel, and you bet they
bore their testimonies of the Plan of Salvation and that families can be
together forever. It was a sweet meeting and the Spirit was strongly present.
And now as I look back on my time as a missionary, in my life experiences and
in everything that I have learned and grown to love through the Church of Jesus
Christ, I take note that I too have a testimony of the Plan of Salvation. And
as the family Ramierez shared in their testimonies, I too know that at times,
what God has planned for us might not make sense to us. But, I know that the
Plan of Salvation is real and that there is a very real, alive God that is also
our Father in Heaven. I know that He loves all of us, individually, personally,
and perfectly. I love the hope that the Plan of Salvation provides us as we are
passing through difficutlies that we all have a brighter future waiting for us.
I know that as the scripture says in
John 16:32-33, 32 Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now
come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me
alone: and yet I am not aalone, because the Father is with me. 33 These
things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have apeace. In the bworld ye shall have ctribulation: but be of good dcheer; I have eovercome the world.
Our lives are not going to be easy. But, we won’t ever be
left alone. I know that Jesus and God are here at our sides, along with our
family members and close friends who have already passed on to the other side
of the veil. I can feel them as I walk through the streets, looking for those
who have a real need for the Gospel. I know that the Plan of Salvation provides
eternal truths that we cannot find or create from any other source. And I share
these things with you all in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Thank you all for reading! Love you all and thank you for
always sending your love and support!
Chou
Elder Haley
The clean up after helping a family...
a funny sign
Gloves that an Elder in my district wears every day.
4th of July!
A miniature horse!
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