Week Fifty-Nine: December 5th, 2011

Dear Family,
Well We had a very good week. Well one of the miracles we had this week is we went to go teach a less active family with one of our ward missionaries Hno Valdivia (who had an accident over a year ago). Well the appointment fell through so we went to another less active family. They also weren't available and as we were walking back to Hno Valdivia's car there was a mother with her son in the street. The son is arround 30 years old but appeared to be handicap. Well Hno Valdivia recognized him from the hospital when he was there a year ago. Hno Valdivia was able to convince them to let us share something with them. It was incredible. We also had another miracle this week. Well we have an investigator who isn't really progressing really well and we've been thinking about leaving her for a time. Well the other day we had the idea to take one of our recent converts (Why we hadn't thought of that idea before I don't know). They seemed about the same age. Well We went over and it just so happens that they are friends from school. We have a Noche de Hogar (Family Home Evening) planned tonight. So that should be great. Well we have been working with our members really hard. Sharing Books of Mormon with them to share with others. There have even been a few who have asked for 2 haha. I have been studying a lot about faith from the Lectures on Faith. It is just amazing how excited I get just reading about it and learning about and trying to find new ways to show my faith and to exercise greater faith.

So the other day we went to a recently reactivated family. We recently heard from a different source that their son is going to be a father but is not married. We decided to go to talk about PMG and if they decided to say something about their son then we would talk about it but we weren't going to bring it up. Well We shared our lesson and at the end they did bring it up. The son wasn't there. I decided to share my experience. I shared about how hard it was but how I knew I was doing the right thing. I especially wanted to share how important my parents were to me as I had to go through the repentance process and how much he is going to need then. They were grateful and then the Mom did something very interesting. Now you need to understand I didn't share my experiences as if I was lecturing or just telling a story. I explained my feelings as if I was talking to my best friends trying to show more and more love. Well as I did that, the Mom turned to me and expressed that they too felt close to me as I felt to them. She explained that the first time we met she felt she knew me already. Then she explained that We were the reason they went back to church (I personally don't think so). President King keeps encouraging me to share my personal experiences. Just this week he said:
"Thanks for all you are doing to find new people to teach. Speak from your heart - tell them your personal story of why you are here - and you will get to their hearts.
You do have the most important message inthe world, that can bless their lives.
They too have to come to a knowledge of the truth.
Alma 23:6 And as sure as the Lord liveth, so sure as many as believed, or as many as were brought to the knowledge of the truth, through the preaching of Ammon and his brethren, according to the spirit of revelation and of prophecy, and the power of God working miracles in them—yea, I say unto you, as the Lord liveth, as many of the Lamanites as believed in their preaching, and were converted unto the Lord, never did fall away.
This truth is the doctrine of Christ and his plan for their salvation. The Most Important Thing.
Love,Pres. King
So Elder Sauceda received a package from someone in the states and a letter from someone in the states. He was very surprised and kept bugging me that I was in on it. Which I'm not. I don't know anyone from Colorado or Virginia. It wasn't from any of his past companion's families because I'm his second companion and his other comp was from Paraguay. The package had a bunch of presents with a letter. I told him he could open the letter but the presents have to wait. and the other letter he opened. They are from young women like junior in high school age. He is so confused because they are addressed to him. haha. My gut tells me that President King had something to do with it.

Well I got to go!

Love,
Elder Holton