are you giving your all?

 

This week I was really humbled at church. I really felt like I just came ready to learn. Elder Valladares gave a talk about the final judgment. He had such power when he spoke and it shook everyone.  He talked about whatever excuses we had in this life to not complete the work, to not keep the commandments, and to not fulfill our callings will be forgotten and we will have to tell Jesus Christ face to face that the reason we didn't do what he said was because we didn't want to.  He taught that if we don't have a calling we're not helping in the kingdom and just being a bench-sitter in the church. We need to repent if that's the case.  I remember when I was a bench-sitter and I had a huge change in my heart and I remember beggin the elders quorum president to give me a calling, HOME TEACHER! yipeie! I loved it.

 

  So I'm starting to memorize the people's names here and get to know everyone. I love walking up to people at church and convincing them to stay for the classes!  So I'm having a few different problems and I feel alone alot.. I feel like God is educating me. It sounds all beautiful to hear that God gives us challenges to make us stronger but when you actually get the problems and challenges it's different. You don't think about being stronger, but it's true. You gotta get torn down to get built back up stronger.  So that's whaat I'm passing through.  

The "day after my birthday" BBQ

 

  So we have a new convert here. He had searched for the gospel all his life. He was a different religion for most of his life cause he wanted to preach in the street and he really has the gift of speaking.  So he bore his testimony in priesthood class yesterday. This guy has 3 weeks as a member and shook all of us when he shared.  He told us that all his life he wanted to be a part of the church of God. There is a scripture in the Bible, JOHN 10 that says that those who enter in the fold of God in any other way than the door, they are a thief.

He talked about how all his life he tried jumping the fence to get in, going over the side and all the other ways, not finding the door.  He said that now he was able to find the door, Jesus Christ, taking his name upon him and entering in through the door. We talked about the priesthood, and he's like "no one stayed healed when they put their hands on them in my other church."  He was so excited to get the priesthood that we got him an interview right after the meeting. We all just sat there and listened to him teach us with all the new fresh faith!

   

So we are finding a lot of families to work with, there are a lot of amazing people here to be prayed for.

 

OH! my interview with the President was SWWWEEET!! It was cool, we went into the stake presidents office and we knelt down and prayed and then he started asking me about the mission and how I was doing and asked if there was anything I needed help with. And then all of a sudden, he slides over his scriptures and asks me to share a scripture with him. I thought about it for about 2 seconds and I went to Lucas 21:1-4, it's my fave for this week.  About the poor widow, how she gave all that she had even if it was barely anything, and God was well pleased with her and the rich guy throws in a lot... but it was his extra, it didn't hurt at all to give it away. I had been teaching the members that we just need to give it all, in tithing, in our callings and just give it your all, to the point where it hurts a little and then a little more.  The president interrupted me and said, ¿are you giving it all? and I sat there and thought.......ha! He turned it on me!  I said yes and we made plans for me to be better. I loved the interview! Afterwards, I left with ma leader to do an interchange and we had the best day in his area! Everyone invited us in and we gave like 3 blessings that day. The president said we should offer the blessing to people to show the power of the priesthood and to bless the lives of the people here.  It was a gooood day!! 

 

--
Elder Goodell