May 23, 2016
A LONG TIME AGO (Oh my gosh
it was just a week since you last wrote. dude stop being so trunky!) IN A CRAPY ARGENTINE CYBER FAR FAR AWAY (If you´re not in Argentina)....
MISSIONARY WARS
CHAPTER IV:
A NEW HOPE
ELDER BURKE AND HIS NEWLY TRAINED MISSIONARY ARE FOUND IN THE AREA OF LAS
PALMAS WHERE IT SEEMS TO HAVE MANY OPORTUNITIES TO SHARE THE GOSPEL OF JESUS
CHRIST. THEY HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR THE PERFECT OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE SUCCESS IN
BRINGING OTHERS UNTO CHRIST, WHICH NORMALLY MEANS HAVING THEM MAKE BAPTISIMAL
COMMITMENTS. SO FAR IT SEEMS FOR THE TWO
MISSIONARIES THAT FINDING SOMEONE TO BAPTIZE HAS FAILED. THE AMOUNT OF WAITING FOR ESPIFANIO AND FRANSICA
IS WAINING ON THEIR PATIENCE AND MANY HAVE NOT BEEN DEDICATED TO KEEP THE SMALL
COMMITMENTS; SUCH AS READING THE BOOK OF MORMON OR COMING TO CHURCH. HOW FRUSTRATING RIGHT??
BUT THE TWO MISSIONARIES
HAVE FOUND A NEW HOPE IN AN OLD INVESTIGATOR WHO HAS BEEN TAUGHT BY MANY,
INCLUDING ELDER BURKE, IN HIS TIME TRAINING YOUNG MISSIONARIES IN LAS PÀLMAS.
LORENA THE MOTHER OF THREE HAS SEPARATED FROM HER REBELIOUS SPOUSE WHO WASN’T
VERY SUPPORTIVE OF HER TO GO TO CHURCH. THEY
HAVE SEPARATED FOR GOOD. IT SEEMS THAT
THERE MAY BE A CHANCE OF HAVING HER BE BAPTIZED IF SHE CAN OBEY ALL THE
COMMANDMENTS OF GOD. CAN THE
MISSIONARIES BRING HER TO THE LIGHT FROM THE DARK SIDE?
.............................................................
Yes it is
true... I enjoy writing these letters more than my mom does to read them. But as the super- duper awesome intro states…there
is a huge opportunity to see a lot of progression in Lorena. Hermana Sylvya is helping us with the relief society
to help her feel more welcome at church and Lorena stayed for two hours instead
of one this time! Progress is small, but
to me in seeing the big picture, this was big for her! So we are helping her quit smoking. It’s really awesome to have the spirit with
you when people doubt about the things that seem impossible for them to do. We comforted her with the assurance that if
she does her part she will be able to quit smoking and feel the spirit even
more.
After this
week we have been struggling to find people who are willing to commit, and what
happens, just as we pray for more people who are prepared, we get them. Heavenly Father is reliable and never fails
us. We are talking to some people who
are pretty cool like Dora (Jehovah’s Witness who had a member of her church be
baptized in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints before he died and
she is dying to see what he saw), Narcisa (a woman who has talked to the
missionaries in Buenos Aires before and wants to be baptized when she can be
married to her boyfriend who lives with her, shes waiting for the divorce papers
to go through) and more. It’s a great
time to be a teaching!
Over all I
feel like if there is anything that makes us progress it’s the opposition and
adversity in our lives. Think of it this
way, the more resistance you have, the more you have to push. God can’t tempt us outside of our capacity,
nor try us beyond our limits. As it says
in:
Mosiah
4:27 "...for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he
has strength. And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby
he might win the prize; therefore, all things must be done in order.
We should be
diligent in all times. If we find ourselves in what seems like the impossible,
God is waiting for us to realize that we can do all things by him. If we find ourselves with a really hard trial
that seems to go on forever we should rejoice because that means that our
Father who is in heaven sees us ready to grow and learn. The trees are made stronger when the wind
constantly tries to blow them down, our muscles become stronger after stressing
them to their limits, and the missionary always runs faster when he has a dog
chasing him down!
Doctrine and
Covenants 136:31
"My people
must be tried in all things, that they may be prepared to receive the glory
that I have for them, even the glory of Zion; and he that will not bear
chastisement is not worthy of my kingdom."
As I look at
all the obstacles that our investigators have, I only see it as the things that
will make them stronger. And as a
missionary, I am so happy to be there to tell them what they need to hear and
more than anything, shine my light so that they may see that God is real and
has all the power to save.
Keep going, keep pushing, don´t focus on
impossible,
you´re qualified, you´re worthy, and above all capable
If you don’t believe in me and don’t think me true,
All I can say is confide in God and He will strengthen
you.
Love you all
and I share these things in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, our Redeemer
and Savior, amen.
Love,
Elder Burke
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