August 20, 2018 – Week 99!

WHAT. Week 99!

To start off, this Sunday was a Sunday of finding! We were able to find 8 new investigators that day, which was awesome! The best part is that many of them committed to attending church next Sunday, and also to going to an activity in the ward that we'll be having on Wednesday. We are really working hard so that our investigators can progress. We didn't have any from our attendance goal actually come to church, which made us sad, but we've made plans to have more of a frequent contact with those who have plans to attend, and especially those who have accepted a baptismal date, so that they can progress and know that we are really thinking of them! It's like with our friends. If we talk to our friends once every 5 years, it's a bit hard to form a good friend-like relationship with them. But if we are talking to them constantly, getting to know them, and getting to know what their needs really are, we will be forming a good friend-like relationship so that they can trust us. This is something I've realized, and even if we've had a bit of fear to pass by investigators each and every day, we know now that it will help them feel the spirit even more!

This week I was pretty sick for a couple days, but thanks to our mission president who's a doctor, I was able to get a type of home remedy of Gatorade for a day without eating annything else, and it really helped! The Lord truly blessed me, and I saw that. One day I was so weak after being sick to my stomache that I could walk, but standing up for a long time tired me. After a day of doing what president said, and as I was able to keep focusing on others and not worrying about myself, I was able to feel better and now I've been working as if the whole thing never happened! It was a pretty crazy change, and I know that God's power helped me become healed.

I was also able to work with Elder Lepe this week in intercambios. He recently got to the mission this transfer from CHILE. Los Andes. It was cool working with him. His Chilean accent was still very strong, and it reminded me of my time training Elder Morales with his accent as well. He teaches very well for being new in the mission, and he also speaks almost perfect english. Many Elders from Chile I know have all spoken English very well! We were able to find a few new investigators, inclusing one named Ruben de Dios. Pretty cool name (Ruben of God). He's been passing through some difficulties, and was very accepting to our visit! We were able to teach the restoration, and he accepted the message as well! He'll have to get married to get baptized, but we'll keep inviting him to church with his family so that they can all feel the spirit together!

One other family we found on Sunday was the Otero family. They knew the missionaries a few years ago, but after transfers, the missionaries stopped visiting them. We jsut recently were able to visit them, and they are a great big family! Mom, Dad, and 4 kids (all under 8 years old). We invited them to the activity on Wednesday, and then to church this Sunday, and so it'll be great seeing them all go as a family! they are really nice, and even though their kids like to run around and play right as we get there and try to teach, it's still a great environment to feel the spirit! I know that this week as we teach and visit them, we will help them to accept a baptismal invitation. Families in the church are what we are looking for, because when a family can progress, they progress into the eternities together, which is just a beautiful thing to see! It's what every missionary hopes for.

We also found another set of brothers and sisters on Sunday that are going to go to the activity on Wednesday and then to church on Sunday. We asked them if they'd been baptized before, and none of them have been (which isn't something heard of much here)! So we invited them to be baptized, and they accepted! They really have a lot of potential to progress asa family in the church, and I can't wait to go back and visit them! The youngest is 8 years old and the oldest is 18, and their grandma was present during the lesson. It was pretty awesome! We've gotta plan well for our lessons this week so they can all be really spiritual and focused on the needs of our investigators.

Today we ate hamburgers for lunch... MMMMmmmmm. I had a hamburger with pineapple, and it was so good! I wish it had more pineapple though. Now that the weather's warming up and the sun's coming out during the day, I feel the need to eat fruits!!! I'll have to make some fruit juices or something. It's great when the sun comes out here because people are happier and it seems they are more receptive to the gospel haha! We'll take advantage of the weather to teach about the warmth and light that the gospel can bring into our lives!

I liked something that our mission president said this week in his letter.

". . .there are divine laws from God. These are His declarations of truth and are also

certain, constant, and unchanging. In the scripture noted above (D&C 130:20-21), God gives his

‘formula’ for receiving blessings. He declares that blessings (B) are given when there is obedience

(O) to His laws (L) [or in other words His commandments]. We could represent this spiritual

formula like this: B = O + L."

We can always search for these constant formulas from God and from His prophets in the scriptures, and as we do, we will find spiritual laws, which are unchanging, and will ALWAYS be completed as we comply with the formula. I trust taht God will keep revealing these formulas throughout the years to His prophet in these latter-days!

I know this is the true church of Jesus Christ! I know He lives and loves us. I know He wants us to live up to our full potential, and will help us do so as we follow His perfect example.

Have a great week!

Elder Bruner