Ben's Mission to Nicaragua: The Big 20!

Well, what to say about this week. It was a pretty traditional one. I mean that is good and bad. Good because it is the work of the Lord, but bad because weird things and occurrences are what spice up life! :)

This week was a bit harder than most. We have several investigators that all of a sudden decided not to be available hardly ever in the same week. Some left out of town, others have sick family members, others have new jobs, others are in and out of the house all the time. But in the end, it does make it a little difficult. But there is always a bright side to everything.

One of our investigators right now is named Karen. She is the wife of a less active, and he (Angel) and his family are starting to come back to church. In their case, the major difficulty or reason for inactivation is really just lack of a desire, or quite possibly lack of testimony. We are really working with them on developing a stronger testimony in this time that they actually feel the desire to come back to church.

We went to teach Karen yesterday I think it was, and we had quite the interesting lesson. So earlier in the week we had taught about the restoration and how Joseph Smith was called to be a prophet and all. Well she really understood well, so as homework, we left a Book of Mormon with her and Angel, so that he could explain briefly what it was and they could read a little together. So they did!! Here is the scoop, when we were visiting, there was a lady there getting her hair done (Karen does hair). So we start talking with all of them and Yasenia, the other lady, asks a question out of no where of who is Nefi and what his calling was. So obviously she knew a little bit. After talking for a while about the Book of Mormon and Nefi, Karen said that it had also answered some questions that she had! So it was great! And Yasenia has actually been to church several times, read the D&C, and was reading through the Pearl of Great Price. She had also read some Liahonas, and knew so much doctrine. At one point she even asked about the Urim and Thumim... What kind of non member asks questions about the Urim and Thumim! hahah So we told her that she should really get baptized. She said that previously she hadn't gotten baptized because the missionaries pressured her a lot, but that now she thought about it and decided that she know that she needs to. So we talked with the missionaries in the area of where she lives. Anyway, that was a cool lesson.

I got to go on divisions with Elder Fairbourn this week! My old comp from back 9 months ago. We were talking about how it had just felt like a few weeks ago that we were together but really it was a while ago!! The time goes by so quickly! I also got to go on divisions with Elder Backus! He was in Puerto Cabezas with me, but now we have both been brought back to the Pacific. I really like doing divisions with all of these missionaries! I really like getting to know these guys even better!

I was reading in Mosiah this week and I really like something that I realized! In Mosiah 5, the story relates a people that were so repentant that they did not have the desire to do any more evil. And it made me think, I read through the exact words that these people heard from the mouth of King Benjamin. Did I experience the same change of heart that these people felt? It is an interesting question. And the point is that we can read the scriptures, and either gain a lot or gain nothing from it! We can only gain a lot if we have the spirit with us! So as we are reading in the scriptures, remember the importance of having the spirit to feel as the people of Zarahemla felt!
2 And they all cried with one voice, saying: Yea, we believe all the words which thou hast spoken unto us; and also, we know of their surety and truth, because of the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which has wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually. (Mosiah 5:2)

Elder Moser

Pics this week...