Elder Bednar

11-25-2013

Buenos Dias!

O my. Do I have news for all you. It is good to be writing you again, yes mom it does seem pretty short. Unfortunately, today we got like no time, because our p-day has been moved to Thanksgiving this week and were given just a couple minutes to send our email. BUT THERE’S SO MUCH TO TELL YOU! Tons of changes this last week, and tons of SWEET happenings, so I’ll try to start somewhere at the beginning jaja (yes dad that is a laugh, in Spanish land the 'h' is silent so texting or emailing ha-ha might as well be saying open wide 'a a'. jaja)

I did get the news last Monday right at the very end of email that I am staying. What a relief. My companion is also staying and I get to finish training him. Whew. The news is that the other two Spanish Elders BOTH got sent away! Elder Wagner got sent to go whitewash Everett, and Elder Wittmaak got sent to Bellingham. I wasn't too happy about them leaving and in their place were whitewashed in 3 Spanish Sisters! 2 of them strait out of the Mexico MTC... well the experienced Sister will definitely have her hands full with whitewash and double training, but I mean at least their cool. I think it will be really good for the branch too.

Other news from that, is that unfortunately this last week, we had to pass over to English 2 of our new investigators from last week, Sarah and Javier, because that’s where they will fit best when they join the church. but that’s ok. Elder Gressier and I actually have a goal this coming week to toss a bone to English Elders like that everyday. We decided to just work our tails off in the work in general, and not to hold ourselves to our area and proselyting abilities only. We’ll see how it goes.

Also Betty and Victor are still moving forward, even though unfortunately they didn't come to church like we had hoped, but Victor read a little bit of the Book of Mormon!!! So that’s way sick. We’re going to see them again real soon. We went back to see those guys that I had slid under their garage to talk to last Friday and one of them opened the door. He was like hey, what’s up, hold on one sec I’ll go open up the garage, meet me around front. Nothing. After like 20 minutes of waiting, nothing. Whelp. That’s the breaks I guess. Oh well. Mom also asked about Orlando and Lucy I think, you didn't know their names. BUT I was actually emailing Elder Marsden last week, and he was like ya, I’ve basically got no doubt that they’re going to get baptized, i’m heading back over there in a little bit to go to the temple with someone, so I’ll go see them too. I guess he still talks with them a lot. So they’re in good hands.

Ok. Now the moment you’ve all been waiting for. The absolute climax of the week. A stellar cap to finish it off. Are you ready?

This last Saturday I met Elder Bednar!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How sick is that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He came to our mission and talked to all of us! You want to know where my comp and I were assigned to sit out of the 250 of us there? Front row! Right in the center! Right in front of the pulpit! THATS WHATS UP! So basically he strait up told us most all of you will never have this opportunity again, to have a member of the 12 and 2 members of the 70 with you in the same room in this small of a group. You guys, I don't think you can quite comprehend the feeling in that chapel. I was just overcome by peace, joy, tranquility, understanding, straight intelligence blowing around like if we were sitting in the Celestial Kingdom, warm and fuzzy, crazy happy and joyful, and guess what? He didn't even give a talk. Now i’m sure you have a couple theories already in you head about what happened then. But his big thing that he stressed a lot, and that I came to a higher understanding of, was that we, people of this earth, are agents to act and not to be acted upon. To what did he do? he stood up there, and asked us about what we thought, learned, felt from his talks that he had given us to read as homework. Then he would say, now may I ask you a question? Sure. What made that stick out or how could you apply that? Then we would answer. We talked about being a pure conduit and not getting in the way for the spirit to touch peoples hearts, and how really we can’t make them believe anything anyway. Their hearts cannot be opened by anyone else but themselves, because they are agents to act for themselves. We opened up for questions for a little bit as well, and we gained lots of insights for our proselyting in specific here. The coolest part though, is that most of the time, I didn't even have to ask my question when I got one in that meeting. 10/10 times my question was answered as I sat there and listened to the spirit. It was absolutely amazing. I testify that prophets and apostles are real and that they live. I know it. I have seen it and I have heard it. However, I also know, that no matter how great their testimonies are, YOU must be the one to open your heart and to ask for yourself. I know that as you ask the Spirit will touch your hear, and I invite you all to do so regardless of how many times you previously have.

I love you all, and wish you the greatest week of all time.



Elder Phillips