Monday, August 1, 2016

Have you ever seen the rain? (Letter from Aug 1, 2016)

This week there was some good rain storms. I don´t quote cheesy EFY music much, but really truly when we have the spirit with us ¨It´s like walking in sunlight when the whole world is covered in rainclouds.¨ And Buenos Aires is covered in rainclouds very very often! It´s a good thing that the rain gets into my boots, otherwise my feet would be dry!

I also did some reflection. I don´t need an ipad or anything like that. I just need a pair of gloves that are possible to keep on AND clap someone´s door! haha here we clap the doors, and it´s necessary to take my gloves off EVERY TIME.

Obviously there were many many miracles this week. During a particularly rainy day I did a division with Elder Wasson. We had some awesome plans in place for lots of success that day! But, as the bikes broke, and the rain set in the lessons also went away. It was rough, we weren´t able to teach anyone that day...until the end of the night. We had a ward movie night, and 7 investigators came! We watched a fantastic movie called ¨The Book of Mormon: How Rare a Possesion¨. I would highly recommend it. I was very happy to see them all there, obviously. But I was also very humbled and grateful after reading Éter 12:6, that no witness will come until AFTER a trial of my faith.

Marcos Paz is doing so good! It´s incredible to see the changes that the Spirit works in people´s hearts ¨line upon line, precept upon precept¨. But, it really is that simple. And sometimes that slow. I love the advice from Elder Bednar ¨May I suggest that many of us would commonly expect AN answer or A prompting from God in response to our ernest pleadings and questions. But the answers we get from God are small, incremental, and sometimes hard to recognize individually. It does not come all at once.¨I am glad for the companionship of the Holy Ghost. It is an unmistakeable gift. It is distinct, and powerful. People often wonder why there is so much bad in their lives. We visited a man who is less active yesterday, and he asked us all of those questions. We simply asked him what he thought we were gonna say, or what the solution we might bring up was. He said something like ¨I know, I know Elders. Say my prayers, go to church, read the book. My family doesn´t support me in those things, and I don´t see much difference when I do them.¨ We explained that those things are good, but the core is missing. At the root of EVERYTHING we do is repentance and a sincere love for the Lord. Why do we go to church, or read or anything else? Because we align our thoughts and desires to be more like the Lord´s, and not our own. Then, we will have the promised companionship of the Holy Ghost.

Quick story. Yesterday (in the rain) we visited a man named Ariel (investigator, his wife and son are members). His family wasn´t home, because they were apparently with the police, he had done something bad, and they all left. He was bawling histerically, really quite honestly like a toddler. He was so shattered. Long story short.....Elder Cobb did some clutch quick thinking, and we went outside, out of the smoke ridden house. We knelt in a field and offered a prayer. He was very calm after, and told us how he wants to be baptized.

I love the work! Keep on smiling everyone. It´s the only way to keep the Spirit in the hard times.

Elder Wilcox

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