Baptism

I hope that you all are loving life and working super hard as always. Things here in the Mission Mexico Puebla Sur are still going pretty swell. As you can probably see from the photos we have had a few meetings with a few familiar faces. I am extremely grateful for all the great friends that I have gotten to know here. I love joking around and seeing how old we are in the mission with Elder Slaugh and Elder Mills. It is also cool to see and talk to old companions and friends like Elder Clawson, Elder Smith, Elder Montez, Elder Ackerman, and Elder Mangum. The zone of Cholula is also being consistent as we work as a team to meet our goals. This last month we had 6 baptisms and we already have 2 baptisms for april (Super exciting).

I am really grateful that we had the oportunity this last week to baptize a 18 year old Raymundo. The conversion process of Raymundo has been very exciting because he was at first just invited by his friends to seminary, and then right after he was invited to a Family Home Evening where we were attending. He has gone to church consistently for about 6 weeks and has lots of support from the ward. The support of the ward was actually one of the miracles of the week!!!  So many members from our ward came to our baptism that we didnt have enough chairs to fit them all. I am also super happy and excited for Raymundo because their are two other converts named Cesar and Abram (that got baptized a year ago) that are preparing to go on missions. I hope that he can follow the great examples of Cesar and Abram by serving a mission later on as well. I am a little bit sad that my camera is not working to well so I cant send you all photos of his baptism but maybe next week.

The ward of Cocoyotla is such a cool area for me because of the people. One of our investigators named Aranza also wants to get baptized. She went from a street contact to avid investigator that has received all of the mission lessons and is currently treasuring up the Book of Mormon. Aranza also wants to wait to get baptized with her boyfriend, but maybe she will understand that she needs to be an example if you all could pray for her. This is her last trial before she accepts to be baptized on a certain day. Your prayers would be much apreciated! We are also working very hard with the Trifundio family. They went to Young womens camp and the ward is helping them to reactivate and to be baptized. They are also super close to the border of becoming a happy family after their baptism.

I really loved General Conference because my testimony got fortified in some different parts of the Gospel. I do not know if you all felt it, but it was amazing for me to receive a confirming witness of the prophet Russell M. Nelson during the solemn assembly. I actually was a little bit worried during the transmission in January that announced his ministry because I didnt feel the spirit. However I received my witness during this conference and I am excited to see the direction he gives this church. I also received a big testimony of how God gives us answers through general conference. I fasted to know the answers of a few GIANT questions that I have been having and within the first session I received answers to every question.

Here are some key teachings that I think are going to help me alot:

As long as we have the faith the size of a mustard seed we can remove mountains of doubt and fears.

Does God want to talk with me? YES

SERVICE is one of the best ways to receive the Spirit

To show our love to others (including God) we have to be willing to make sacrifices for them TURN OUTWARD NOT INWARD

We should MAGNIFY our calling no matter where we are called or what we are called to (Imagine God telling you your calling personally)

BE MEEK

Hope that you all have a great week and Keep on receiving divine Guidance from God!

Elder Thompson

General Conference

Hey Everyone!

Just wanted to send you all a quick email to let you know what may happen this next week. We are going to baptise Raimundo (the 18 year old, who was invited by his friends to seminary)  this next week. We are super excited and we are hopeful that all works well.

I loved this past general conference. I had the oportunity to fast and pray for the answers to some questions I had and almost all of them got answered in the first session of conference. I know that fasting and the revelation recieved by our prophets can bring us great treasures of wisdom and perspective. I also know that President Nelson is our prophet choosen by God, because I felt his spirit when we ordained him. Up until that point I had not recieved any confirmation that he was our prophet, but I know that he is called of God to lead us to build the kingdom of God.

Love you all and I hope that you have a great week!

Zone Conference on PDay

I am sorry that this email is a little late, but it is because Presidente Alcala changed our pday to today haha. This last week was super fun and motivating.

On Thursday we had interchanges with the asistentes. I went with Elder Clawson, who was my dad (my first companion that trained me and helped understand how to be a missionary), and we had a great time teaching investigators and catching up. I especially loved eating lunch with Elder Clawson Elder Torres and my companion Elder Urbina because they are all super consecrated Elders and we joked around a ton.

We are also trying to get the three inactive daughters, from the familia Trifundio baptised next week as well. Esmeralda, Alma, and Alondra are super good girls, but I think that the inactivity of their parents confuses them. I am super grateful for the example of my parents, who always put a good example for me in the Church. We are also trying to baptise 18 year old Raimundo, who loves the church. I think it would be awesome if he could be baptised and then serve a mission in a year.

I also wanted to share with you all this verse that I have loved from my personal study in the book of Mormon. I dont have any huge spiritual insights from the verse but I just love how everyone has the chance to come unto Christ.

2 Nephi 26:33 For none of these iniquities come of the Lord; for he doeth that which is good among the children of men; and he doeth nothing save it be plain unto the children of men; and he inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile.

Love you all Have a great week

Que Chula Cholula

Hey Everybody I have been doing great here in Cholula!! And I am going to get right into the people that we have the privilege of visiting because I don't have to much time.

We are still trying to help the Familia Trifundio to get back to Church. They are a family of 6 that stopped going to church a few years ago. We found them in the old registers of teaching and started visiting them a few weeks ago. They have three girls that are at the age of baptism and we are hoping to baptize them this Saturday. We have not been able to find them for about 2 weeks, but we have been praying and fasting alot for them. We hope that they can overcome their fear to come back so that they can be happy again.

We also got to know the friend of a member named Raimundo. One of his friends started inviting him to come to seminary and after Raimundo´s first time he has kept on going. His friend also gave him a Book of Mormon that he has started reading and he has lots of good questions. Raimundo loves coming to church and has accepted to be baptized, but we are still waiting to hear the specific date that he would like to be baptized on. It is really cool to see how during church all the members come and get to know him and helping him to realize that this is the true church.

We also contacted a young adult named Aranza and she is loving the lessons as well. We try to answer all her questions with the lessons like the Restauration and the Plan of Salvation. It was a cool experience to teach her about the life after this world to help her understand where her mom is. She has also accepted to be baptised and is going to tell us a specific date later on.

We have also been teaching a lot of immigrants here in Mexico. We have taught a woman from Italy named Giuliana, who loves the Book of Mormon because it explains Gods plan for us so simply. We also found a man from Korea named Yohan that has looked for a church that would be the same in every country. (apparently the part of Korea where he is from changes Christianity a lot with their strong culture).

It has been very cool to see how many prepared people God has put around us. We are working hard and hoping that these people will receive their answers from God that this is the one true church.

Love you all and hope that you have a great week!!

Raimundo

Hey Everybody I have been doing great here in Cholula!! And I am going to get right into the people that we have the priviledge of visiting because I dont have to much time.

We are still trying to help the Familia Trifundio to get back to Church. They are a family of 6 that stopped going to church a few years ago. We found them in the old registers of teaching and started visiting them a few weeks ago. They have three girls that are at the age of baptism and we are hoping to baptise them this Saturday. We have not been able to find them for about 2 weeks, but we have been praying and fasting alot for them. We hope that they can overcome their fear to come back so that they can be happy again.

We also got to know the friend of a member named Raimundo. One of his friends started inviting him to come to seminary and after Raimundo´s first time he has kept on going. His friend also gave him a Book of Mormon that he has started reading and he has lots of good questions. Raimundo loves coming to church and has accepted to be baptised, but we are still waiting to hear the specific date that he would like to be baptised on. It is really cool to see how during church all the members come and get to know him and helping him to realize that this is the true church.

We also contacted a young adult named Aranza and she is loving the lessons as well. We try to answer all her questions with the lessons like the Restauration and the Plan of Salvation. It was a cool experience to teach her about the life after this world to help her understand where her mom is. She has also accepted to be baptised and is going to tell us a specific date later on.

We have also been teaching alot of imigrants here in Mexico. We have taught a woman from Italy named Giuliana, who loves the Book of Mormon because it explains Gods plan for us so simply. We also found a man from Korea named Yohan that has looked for a church that would be the same in every country. (aparently fthe part of Korea where he is from changes Christianity alot with their strong culture).

It has been very cool to see how many prepared people God has put around us. We are working hard and hoping that these people will recieve their answers from God that this is the one true church.

Love you all and hope that you have a great week!!

Thats all Folks...sorry dont have time

Familia Trifundio

I hope that you all had a fantastic week! Everything is going very well here in Cholula. We are still working hard with the Familia Trifundio and a teenager named Edson. They both have baptismal dates for the 24 of March. The Familia Trifundio have gone to church 2 times and we just barely had our first Family Home Evening with other members. The dad is the only one that we need to convince so that Almadelia, Esmeralda, y Alondra can be baptised. Edson we are still trying to get to come to church, but he has a some great friends in the church to help him out.

I am super excited for this next change because I get to stay in Cocoyotla with Elder Urbina. We are hoping to help all the missionaries realize that they are in charge of the miracles that can happen in this change. Everyone is pretty excited and we have put some pretty high goals so we can all work hard. We are focusing on finding teaching and baptising families this change.

These past few weeks I have been thinking alot about how we are all in charge of what is going on our lives. We can decide if we are going to be happy or what type of life we are going to live. I especially liked this verse that I found in Mormon 9:27-28

27 O then despise not, and wonder not, but hearken unto the words of the Lord, and ask the Father in the name of Jesus for what things soever ye shall stand in need. Doubtnot, but be believing, and begin as in times of old, and come unto the Lord with all your heart, and work out your own salvation with fear and trembling before him.

28 Be wise in the days of your probation; strip yourselves of all uncleanness; ask not, that ye may consume it on your lusts, but ask with a firmness unshaken, that ye will yield to no temptation, but that ye will serve the true and living God.

We are in charge of working out our own salvation with the tools that God has given us here on the earth. The main tool being the atonement of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is amazing for me to think that what I choose is what will bring my destiny. I also really liked this qoute from Dieter F. Uchtdorf this General Conference

Perhaps you don’t consider yourself all that useful; perhaps you don’t consider yourself a blessing in somebody’s life. Often, when we look at ourselves, we see only our limitations and deficiencies. We might think we have to be “more” of something for God to use us—more intelligent, more wealthy, more charismatic, more talented, more spiritual. Blessings will come not so much because of your abilities but because of your choices. And the God of the universe will work within and through you, magnifying your humble efforts for His purposes.

The most successful people out there in the world are there for their decisions. They were working out their salvation and when what they planed didnt work out the made another choice to keep on working out their salvation. Right now alot of these people are intelligent, wealthy, charismatic, talented, and spiritual but they did not have that to begin with. They had their self dedication that led them to other qualities. You could say that dedication to make the things right is the keystone of all their atributes, and habits. I also really liked this poem that Elder Ackerman put on his agenda this last change. I think that my favorite scriptures apply to these thoughts as well.

Invictus

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BY WILLIAM ERNEST HENLEY

Out of the night that covers me,

      Black as the pit from pole to pole,

I thank whatever gods may be

      For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance

      I have not winced nor cried aloud.

Under the bludgeonings of chance

      My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears

      Looms but the Horror of the shade,

And yet the menace of the years

      Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,

      How charged with punishments the scroll,

I am the master of my fate,

      I am the captain of my soul.

13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but thisone thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

14 I ^apress toward the mark for the ^bprize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

15 Let us therefore, as many as be ^aperfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.

Anyways sorry for that big huge rant just wanted to let you all know what I have been studying and what I have been thinking about. Have a great week!!!