The Grace of God's Plan

 Elder South here. I am so excited to finally be writing to you all! 

These last two weeks, I have been filled with love and support from everyone around me. I am in awe of the wisdom and love the Savior offers us. It's been a busy start to my mission but since this is my first email, here's the rundown:

In October, I was called by the Prophet to teach the Gospel and serve the people of the El Salvador, San Salvador East mission. I began preparing and learning Spanish. Two weeks ago on Sunday, Jan 24, I was set apart as a Missionary by the authority of Jesus Christ. 

I spent the next week and a half in Zoom meetings with some of the greatest missionaries I have ever met. I got to know my companions, Elder Norton and Elder Quezada, who are so faithful and such a blessing to be spending this time with.

Now I am at the Missionary Training Center in Mexico City and I have never been happier.

Our district has gotten along great so far and the Sisters are so kind! The Spirit is with us every day as we put in the effort to "Obtain [His] word" so that soon we might "declare [His] word" (DC 11: 21) and fulfill our missionary purpose.

Something that has really stuck out to me was the magnitude of the Savior's atonement. Every week when we take the Sacrement we symbolically partake of His body and drink of His blood; "shed for many for the remission of sins" (Matthew 26: 27). 

I studied these verses about the Sacrament in Spanish this week and the Spirit testified its truth to me. "Porque esto es mi sangre del nuevo convenio, que por muchos es derramada para remisión de los pecados".

Yesterday we had the opportunity to listen to President Oaks' BYU address and it was AMAZING! Even though it was given on a college campus, the words are applicable to everyone. I'll link it in here and I invite each of you to sacrifice 20 minutes of your day to listen to it. I promise it will bless your life. Hearing the words of the Lord through the mouth of our living Prophet is not an opportunity to be missed.


My knowledge has grown in doctrine and in the Spanish language as I have humbled myself before my eternal Savior; believing in his power, asking for his guidance, putting forth the effort to grow and expand my capacity for righteousness, and living worthy of His spirit's companionship.

"Look upon the Son of God with faith... [that ye] might live, even unto that life which is eternal" (Helaman 8:15).

I love you all and am so grateful for your support. For you are the great and righteous army sent to the Earth in the last days. Christ is our redeemer, and as he grew, "grace by grace," so shall we.
Yo sé que esta es la verdad. En el nombre de Jesucristo, Amén.
































Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Jesus is the Way

Image
  Phew. Today's the first p-day I can really catch my breath, so I'd love to share a little more about the mission life. Things are going just great out here. Despite the insane heat, I am loving it. First, a couple of highlights: - I bought a guitar! And I am now teaching Nicole how to play Andaré con Cristo ( I Will Walk With Jesus ) - I had two exchanges this week -Everyone celebrates Holy Week here, and so everyone was gone at the beach and nobody was in the streets - Only a high of 40C (104F) this week   - General Conference was amazing. What would you give to hear the words of a living prophet? Anyways, a little about the work: Some things are as I expected: Wake up, study, work, sleep. If that is not what a mission is advertised to you, I apologize. That is what it is. Sure, the work changes day by day, with zone conference and exchanges breaking up the standard weeks, but we work. And I love it. Or rather, I love the idea of loving the work and am patiently working t...
Read more

Endure Diligently to the End

Image
  "Do not run faster or labor more than you have strength...but be diligent unto the end" (D&C 10:4). This week, I learned the importance of endurance. Consider a runner: a sprint versus a marathon demands different actions. Both require intense exertion, but an effective sprinter must reach a higher speed. At the same time, a marathon runner maintains a constant speed, breath, and heart rate for a longer period of time. The slower speed of the marathon runner does not imply a lack of effort. Rather, purposeful pacing reflects the forethought and planning that is required to finish the race. It is not in the gospel of the Lord to sprint until our legs give out. But we are commanded to endure to the end. This cannot be done without planning ahead. As a missionary, it is just not possible to read our scriptures all day, run to every appointment, and write down every good thought that comes to our minds. But instead we set goals, make plans, and WORK to carry out those plans...
Read more

Learn the Language and Use What You Know

Image
My first full week is over, and we are living in El Salvador. The heat still kills at a high about 100 degrees every day. But we are seeing miracles every day. I don't have a ton of time to write, but everything is great. Because Elder Wallace and I are new to this area, it has been an adventure learning the geography and meeting all the people. The ward here is so strong. Today we got up at 3:00 am and drove to the beach! Watching the sunrise over the ocean made me really appreciate the beauty of this country. Playing soccer on the sand with the waves crashing at our feet was such a tender mercy. Language learning has been an incredible theme this week for me. Here are three languages I would like to expound on. First, is Spanish. We have had lesson after lesson with members, friends, and new contacts; it has been so fun practicing my Spanish. Although I am nowhere near fluent, I am learning new concepts daily. It is so important that we continue in our efforts to learn our missio...
Read more