Elder EJones: Weekly Wonders

I cannot write today because my hands are freezing cold!! haha. I did buy coat this morning so hopefully that treats me well.

This week, like you know, was full of lots of stuff. A lot of helping people and a lot of finding people so that they can come unto Christ. One thing that my comp and I have talked a lot about this week is the need that we have to promise blessings to those that we are teaching, If we don't, they won't have a reason to change and to follow Christ. But if they know the blessings that there are, and we are able to share our experiences with them, they will want to come unto Christ and be perfected in Him.

This week I read the talk from President Dallin H. Oaks from April 2019 General Conference. He said, "We must repent of all of our sins---all of our actions or inactions contrary to the commandments of God. No one is exempt."

In reality, we all have sins. We sin daily. But we have the need to repent daily and call upon the Lord to help us to overcome the temptations that easily beset us. I love how he said, actions and inactions. Too many times we look at sin as the things that we do wrong. But not only that, it is the things that we are not doing that are good. It's just as bad to be doing something contrary to the will and commandments of God as it is to not do the things that are the will and commandments of God.

We all know what our weaknesses are. Satan does, and the Lord does. And that is the difference. Who do we want to win in that battle. Satan to use our weaknesses against us, or the Lord to use our strengths for us? We have the decision to change. I love how The Book of Mormon talks about the need that we have to repent. That even the people who lived before Christ, looked forward to His coming in gratitude, for the remission of their sins that He would take upon them. And later that after He came, they looked to him in gratitude for the sins and pains He took upon himself.

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This week was full of little miracles and wonders that the Lord placed in our lives. First off this week, I had an intercambio (exchanges) and while we were contacting, we found a 19 year old who is the friend of a member of another branch. So we went with him to his house and started teaching him. He has progressed really well. This week we were able to teach him 3 times and he accepted the invitation to follow Jesus Christ and to get baptized. Then he showed up to church this week by himself!!

The next miracle of the week is that we are teaching La Familia Velasquez and they are progressing well. But this week we couldn't find them we passed their home about a million times and they weren't there. So we were kinda upset and discouraged that they didn't what to talk to us anymore. Then, on Sunday after we had been at church for 10 minutes, they showed up!! Up to that point, we had to always pick them up for them to come to church, but on Sunday, they told us that they wanted to come! We are working with them to get baptized next week. too.

So pray for Family Velasquez, Alex and Michelle, that they can reach their goal, follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized!!

President Nelson taught, "True repentance is not an event. It is a never-ending privilege. It is fundamental to progression and having peace of mind, comfort, and joy."

I know that he is called of God and we must hearken to his words. The Lord loves us enough to help us, even if that is helping us to repent and change, it may be hard, but it is always worth it. He loves us!!