May 2, 2011

May 2, 2011
Well just to let you all know… a third of my mission has already gone by. WHAT?! A third already. NO WAY, it’s been eight months since I have left for the MTC. The MTC seemed like one month, I was with Elder Para for a week, Elder Brixey for a month, Elder Alfaro for two weeks and now that makes a total of almost three months right? No fair…
On Sunday when it’s our time to talk, I have talked to a member and you can call his house at 6:00 our time.
Well this week has been pretty average (no strange dreams of cancer or anything). The people that we have here are about the same as last week. As last week I was getting to know a new area, lots of new strange things to write about. This week… not so much.
One of the things that has really been trying is a guy named Angel. He is really attached to his Bible. The first thing we talked to him about a week ago was the Restoration. Since then we’ve had quite a few lessons on the Book of Mormon and trying to help him gain a testimony of it. That’s one of the things that we see that is really a problem. Lots of people in Mexico get baptized without a testimony. We are really pushing him and he’s reading… just not believing.
Another investigator is name Miguel. His wife is a member and has been a member for about seven years. He just keeps saying “más adelante” which means like later on. We have had a lot of talks about things that we should do now and not put of tomorrow (I think he’s about as stubborn as a 12 year old kid who doesn’t want to do his chores right now…. Yeah sorry bout that mom.) Anyway, his grandson came back from this mission and talked with him and when we came back for our next visit he said that he wanted to get baptized Friday. Fine with us =). Must have been some talk he had with his grandson.
Next is Kendra. Her grandma has been a member for a long time and fell away from the church from a bad experience (was baptized without a testimony). The grandma has since gotten a strong testimony and wants her daughter to be baptized with a testimony. Hence the missionaries. She really already knows everything, just a lot of verifying. Her friend Damarius sits in on the discussions and is way good at applying things. We were talking about the requisites on entering into the Celestial Kingdom and she was able to figure out what she needed to do still.
The other thing that happened is we found a guy named Fray and he is the new guy he is divorced and works hard to make sure his children have a good education and can get a good job. He took the lesson in really well and accepted the baptismal invitation. He asked when we could come back again. He is really low on faith saying things like, ¨I don’t know if there is a life after this, but from what I have heard…¨ I hope that he can gain his testimony. It would help so much in their family situation.
Also we tracked into a home that has a mom and a dad and two kids (15 and 12). They were Catholics but have since changed. They had never heard of the Mormons or what they believed. It was interesting to talk to someone who had never ever heard of us before. They said we could come back Tuesday and if we couldn’t make it Tuesday, Wednesday would be good too. Seems like there is a possibility there too.
This week we also gave a little bit of service. A recent convert has a little bit of land and that is what he works with. I went there and got to get my hands dirty for a second. It felt good to be out doing things like that again. Is it bad if I noticed his field has a lot of rocks in it and needs to be rock picked? Anyway, they are a way cool bunch and they got a five year old son who has about as much energy as I did when I was five.
So trying to help Angel out has helped me study why the Book of Mormon is necessary for us. And I have come to this conclusion.
1) The Book of Mormon is the most correct book as it has been translated once. Because it is so correct, it can correctly do its job as it testifies of Christ. We base our testimony of Christ in this book. Had it not been for this book, we would not be so strongly based in our Rock
2) The Book of Mormon is our base in doctrine. The way we do things the way we live our lives, the way the church is governed is based in this book. It contains the Plan of Redemption and what it takes to be cleansed of sin. It answers the questions of the soul, and gives council in times of trial
3) This Book is different because it is the evidence that The Church of Jesus Christ has been restored in these days. The Bible may be able to cover the other two but this is the test. If the Book of Mormon is true, than the church that I represent is the church of Christ. And one of the ways man can come closer to God more by this book than any other book is when a person gains a testimony of this book and its divinity. In this moment, they come closer to God by finding his church
I know the Book of Mormon is true. I know it is and if it were not so, I would not be able to testify now that it is. I would not be able to testify in a concrete house, wooden house, over the internet, or face to face with a young child. I base my authority as a missionary in this book. If this book is not true I do not have any ability, permission, or authority, to help others to come unto Christ, because I haven’t found him yet either. But because I have, I am able to enjoy this wonderful work and continue on in helping my brothers and sisters come to know who Christ is. This I bear this witness in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen
Just had to get that out there. Talk to ya next week
Love,
Elder Mackay