On Sunday, we saw an awesome miracle. We are working with a lot of investigators now, and our goal as a companionship was to be able to bring 10 to Sacrament meeting this week! So we had dedicated ourselves to committing people to church really well in the week. On Sunday morning, we passed by a few people and members to make sure that all would go according to plan and all seemed good. Lastly, we passed by Roger Mendoza to go with him to church but he wasn't home. They said he had already gone to church, so we just headed to church, and he was there with his wife that we hadn't even met yet. Then others came with members, and 2 more, and 1 more and 2 more. Until we had 9 investigators in church! It was great because we didn't even do much. The members did it all. We coordinated well and the members came through. So that was a pretty cool experience!
We had the privilege on Monday to have Elder Craig C. Christensen come share his thoughts with us. The new focus or "culture" of missionaries is "teach repentance and baptize converts." So he came to share a little more on that subject. He shared the importance that people understand the importance of repentance before baptism AND after baptism. The main reason people fall away from the church is because they fall, and don't know how to get back up! They did it in the past but don't know that it applies still. That they can repent again. Then they feel the weight of the sin and get disanimated. The idea of retention is that people can retain a revision of their sins. That is what we should look for, as it says in Mosiah 4:26 I think. That we teach the gospel for the sake that they may RETAIN a revision of their sins! Great little talk.
I got to visit Matagalpa this week, and it is so beautiful there! On the bus ride up, the driver only had like 3 songs on his memory stick, so he blasted the same 3 songs for the entire trip and it was really annoying. One song was about bananas.....I was about to go crazy! But Matagalpa is a pretty big city built in the middle of some mountains. It reminds me of San Francisco a bit because all the streets are up and down and the hoses all built directly side by side. That is the zone of Elder Jacobsen and Elder Ferrin. We all came back to our area and worked there. I got to work with Elder Jacobsen. We had a good time together and it reminded me of how awesome it would be to be comps with him! We have tried hinting it to president to put us to together, but the closest we got is that we could be companions in the plane ride home when we finish. But it was a good day with Elder Jacobsen.
Out and about in Matagalpa!
At the bus stop in Matagalpa.
The bus ride to Matagalpa. This woman brought her little kitten on the bus with her.
Apparently in the old secretary house that I lived in way back when, when they disoccupied it in November, the owner didn't have a chance to come and get the keys until just now. And apparently in that time people broke in and stole some things like a toilet and other weird things. And now she wants the missionaries to pay for it. So she came to the office and had a little talk with President and Sister Collado. Let's just say it didn't end yesterday. It is still going.
But this week was really good. I studied a lot in Alma 36 this week when Alma is telling his son about his conversion. Such a powerful story! He explains so clearly how he felt in his sins. He makes it so easy to relate when we think of the guilt we have when we sin. And through much faith he confessed his sins to the Lord and received forgiveness. But what I love the most was his explanation of how he felt when he was forgiven:
18 Now, as my mind caught hold upon this thought, I cried within my heart: O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness, and am encircled about by the everlasting chains of death.
19 And now, behold, when I thought this, I could remember my pains no more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more.
20 And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain!
21 Yea, I say unto you, my son, that there could be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains. Yea, and again I say unto you, my son, that on the other hand, there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy.
The secret to feeling joy is repentance. Those who are 'good' need repentance just as much as those who are 'bad'. And it is thanks to our Savior Jesus Christ that we can do this and feel this.
Love you,
Elder Moser
Other pics this week...
Don't be such a horse!
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