Rio Grande

Well my brothers and sisters it has been one interesting week, why because there was another special transfer only that I’m still here in Rio Grande and my companion left. We got the news today and my companion came just about an hour ago. His name is Elder Gedds and he is from Utah. It’s kind of funny as well because he has only two weeks left in the mission, and I am the senior companion. He also was companions with my trainer Elder Mendez. To give a summary of the week we began with the visit of Elder Bednard which was amazing. He only came and spoke with us and also took a photo with the entire mission. After the conference the week went by so fast. This week we taught our investigators and they are progressing little by little with the time that we Havel, but they are very close to the waters of baptism I know it. With my new companion I plan on working a lot with contacting and with referrals. With that I hope to be able to write you with the good news that we have more investigators the following week. Also I hope to be able to write to you about the amazing things that will happen in the next conference that we have on Friday with Elder Arnold of the Seventy.

My message that I have for you all this week is something that I was thinking about a lot this week. It comes from the conference that we had with Elder Bednard. Elder Bednard spoke with us about the being agents and not objects. An agent is something that acts for its own will and acts upon objects. And object is something that does not act or move it has a will but due to the limited power that it has it doesn’t have the power to act therefore only the ability to be acted upon. I thought about it a lot because really which one am I? Which one are you? The part that I learned through my experience this week was this, that as an agent I am acting by faith on objects and only in this manner can I truly receive blessings as well as a testimony of God and the things that he has done for me. As an object I can only ask, and ask for the blessings but sit around waiting to be acted upon rather than go and put forth and effort and demonstrate my desire to receive revelation, blessings, or help from God. I ask again, which one are you? I hope that if your an agent that you keep being one and continue in acting upon these objects so that you truly can be blessed, but if you’re an object don’t worry because you can repent and become the agent that you need to be as well desire to be that you can really draw on the powers of heaven. As an agent we live the gospel and in the words of Elder Bednard, "It is harder to not live the gospel tan it is to live the gospel". Therefore my invitation as I am doing the same is to begin being an agent and not the object waiting to be acted upon. I know that you will witness the power of God more if you do so and you will desire more to use your power to act for righteous causes. This I share with you all and do so in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.   

A Bajo el Sol (Under the Sun)

Okay Brothers and Sisters, well I’m very grateful that last week I was able to speak with my family and see there beautiful faces as well as know that they are doing their best. I apologize for not writing last week, but I was short on time and wasn’t able to. To give a rundown of the week. The Branch President here has asked that we help on finding those less active members through ropes. So basically we with a list of over 300 people looked for these people this week. We found a very few number. But we had an awesome experience with one, but that’s for later. We also had a few lessons with investigators, but at the end of the week we couldn’t find them in their houses or they didn’t have time. It was a difficult just a little bit this week with all the walking and the frustration of not finding people, but the reward came at the end of the week when we found a new family through this list and there are looking so promising to progress in the gospel. My companion and i are excited for this week because tomorrow we get to hear Elder Bednard speak with us and share a message of preaching the gospel.

Well the message is something short this week, but it is something that really is important in the lives of each and every one of us. Our agency. When I say this Word it is our ability to choose between the good things and bad things in our personal worlds. That which helps me permanently and that which helps me temporarily. This week in The Book of Mormon I was Reading the in book of Heleman when the prophet Samuel the Laminate is speaking and prophesying about the coming of Christ. I’m sorry I don’t remember which chapter, but in two verses he describes our agency and ability to choose perfectly. He basically says that we are the makers of what we want in life. Everlasting happiness with God at our side, or everlasting sadness and misery with the Devil at our side. It really made me think that it’s clear that every choice we make can bring us closer or farther away from God. I know from personal experience that when we use our agency in the way that God gave to us to come to know him and his son Jesus Christ that we really with have happiness and joy, but if we do the contrary that we really do suffer and life is full of temporary happiness. I know that God loves us and that we can show our love for him through our decisions and the desire of our heart to be with him, and he in return with show us his love and give us more of his blessing. I share this in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

I LOVE YOU ALL

God Be With You Till We Meet Again

Well Both Be Underneath the Same Moon

Elder Perfili

Mothers Day

NO letter this week just his face from our conversation!

Sacrifice

My beloved brothers and sisters I don’t have very much time so I’m going to be fast and going to be, well very candid. So this week was difficult because we had a lot of meetings, two in the District and a Confrere with President Villarreal about the coming of the apostle Elder David A. Bednar. So the work wasn’t as much, but we have kept our five baptismal dates and are working hard to keep them there so that they can be baptized. 

Well for the part that I love to express my feeling and the things that are personal to me in the mission. So this week was tough it was full of stress, frustrations, and lots of personal reflection. Our President spoke with us a lot on Sacrifice and the importance of this celestial law and that if we don’t follow it that we can’t hope to have a celestial glory. I thought long and hard about this and that I really need to begin sacrificing more, but I didn’t quite know how until today. Today our district leader came to our house and spoke with my companion one on one. In this time he expressed his concern and gave me the answer to my pray of what it is that i must do. He spoke with me personally on things that I must do, but the biggest theme was sacrifice. I learned that if I want to be more truly converted I must pray to my God and ask them for the help in the reliving of my burdens. It’s not possible for us to do everything we must and I mean MUST use there strength and abide by their wills. He said something that struck me, in Spanish the Book of Mormon doesn’t have a topical guide as large instead it is a dictionary with many references and a definition. In the Guide for the Study of the Scriptures it says that conversion is the act of changing and transforming our thoughts to accept and to do the will of God. For us as members and children of God to become truly converted we must and I mean must accept and do the will of God to receive this conversion and sacrifice that which is stopping us. I have a long way to go with this process as many of us do, but I do have a testimony that I know that as I look for the will of God and sacrifice that which he wants me to for him that I will be converted and therefore be able to more fully be the man and submit to his will I as need to. Of this I hope for and I know I will be able to tell you all soon.

In the name of Jesus Christ Amen. 

Another transfer on Ojo!!!

Well the work of the Lord continues and the weeks and days get better in the vineyard when you work your hardest. So to give a recap of the wee and the events. This week we had an awesome District Meeting that motivated my companion and me to work harder and harder. Also my companion thought that it would be a good idea to unofficially call me Senior Companion for the week. The week went very well though because we have 5 investigators with Baptismal Dates!!! This was the highlight as well as an investigator in the chapel on Sunday. Things really are getting better. Also transfers passed and I am still in Ojocaliente Zacatecas with Elder Cauich which is awesome because I feel as though I am at my best with him. Okay now a funny story. So the photo I sent home is of a member’s daughter she is only one year old and is really funny. I think she really like me because when her Mom corrects her she comes to me to cry sometimes and on Sunday called me Mom lol. The coolest part about this child though is that she is only a baby and can dance better than I can! We passed by the house one day this week and music was playing in the house and she was moving her hips and all perfectly. I was shocked I had no idea that Mexicans were born dancers! (Hahaha)

So again my favorite part of writing home the message. Well this week with all the success there has to be difficulties as well, and when difficulties come there not easy especially in the mission as well as in life. We do our absolute best sometimes and it doesn’t seem enough sometimes to us or to others, but we know that were doing our best. We all must endure to the end when we are here on this earth. Enduring to the end helps us grow as children of God and to gain experience as well. As we endure to the end and we never give up we gain the testimony that God is helping us along the entire way. I know that God loves us and that he needs us to endure so that we can all receive the greatest of all the gifts of God ye eternal life (D&C 14:7). Life never will be easy, but it’s when things seem worst that you mustn’t quit! My family sent me a quote from Joseph Fielding Smith that I have on my planner that helps me to keep this principle in mind it says, "The Lord is coming, I say, Tomorrow. Then let us be prepared." Are we prepared brother and sisters? Are we enduring everything well to the point that if the Savior himself came tomorrow that we would be ready? I know that by bearing patiently and boldly our afflictions and enduring to the end, NEVER QUITING, we will receive blessing in this life and the greatest of all gifts with God in the life to come. Of this I know in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. 

LOVE YOU ALL

Elder Perfili 

God Be With You Till We Meet Again 

Well Both Be Underneath The Same Moon 

The district

Finding new investigators

Well this week wasn’t as fabulous as I would have liked, but sometimes that happens. So this week was very fast and had its ups and downs. We had exchanges with the District Leader and they went well. His name is Elder Rodriguez and he is from Columbia. He trained my companion from the MTC. After exchanges we then had a tough time because were trying to increase the number of investigators we have and it half of them we didn’t find. The good news is though that the members have begun to work with us and they are great for lessons. Really the work of salvation doesn’t just stay alive with the missionaries, but the members as well. The absolute best part this week though was on Sunday. On Sunday my companion and I gave talks and in the middle of my talk our investigator Claudia came with all of her family!! We were so happy to see her and to be able to show her the branch and what church is like. Other than that though the main focus right now is working with Claudia for her baptismal date and finding new investigators, which means lots of contacting. Oh I almost forgot, so this morning my companion and I learned that in May Elder David A. Bednar will be coming to our mission!! How exciting right?!

Well here is my favorite part of writing you all at home the spiritual thought. Today i was reading in the book of Alma in chapter 46. In this chapter Captain Moroni creates the Standard of Liberty which declares, "In memory of our God, our Religion and Freedom, and our peace and our wives and our children". I love his desire to be obedient, but most importantly is when he calls on the people of Nephi to enter into a covenant with God to protect these freedoms and to remember God always. The part that I would like to highlight is when the men throw down there garments or clothing in a pile at his feet declaring to enter into this covenant. The men later say why they entered in and the promises they have made to God to keep them. After they talk of the blessing and the consequences for not completing with this covenant. When we make a covenant with God we are promising from that point and onward to be obedient to God and to always put him first. He then gives us blessing according to obedience. We must keep these covenants though to receive the full blessing and show our obedience. As a missionary my goal is to help people make covenants with God so that they can receive a fullness of blessings. How important it is though for those of us who have made covenants to keep them. Even more though how important is it for us to remember how sacred a promise we have made with God and that we can be truly blessed as we keep and guard our covenants with him. The blessing will come to us, but by making covenants with the Lord we show forth with a greater demonstration our willingness to be like our savior. I know that by making covenants with God we will be blessed and as we keep them we will feel closer to him as well. Therefore I invite all of you have made covenants to continue to guard them and remember the importance of them, and for those who haven’t to pray to God and ask him if it be right to enter into the first covenant of baptism and receive these blessing which his gospel has. Of this I testify in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.