"We had a week of miracles finding new investigators and also helping old investigators progress!"

 

Zona Ipiales without Elder Bello who went home this week

Captain AMERICA! or Capitan Gringo

In Pasto with the father and old partner from ´Tura! Elder Matos and Elder Aldunate

Saying goodbye to a great friend. Elder Bello from chile finishing the mision strong! Learned a ton from him.

Que más familia?? Bien no más?? chevere! 

Well that is just devastating news about the scorekeeper business. Seems like the Eliason Family business is coming to a tragic end. So many ball games scored, so many freezing nights, friendships with the umps, and so many old men reliving their glory days getting way too into slow pitch softball. It will be missed. That is also too bad about the Horns and Cowboys. Poor Mack Brown has got to be on the hot seat right now. And it looks like Andy Reid will always have our number...  CONGRATS to Gma and Gpa Eliason with the mission call! Sweet home Alabama awaits the greatest couple missionaries of all time! Can't wait to hear all about the adventures! 

Well it has been a great great week here in Ipiales. The Lord has been really merciful with us here after not being able to work too much these past weeks. We had a week of miracles finding new investigators and also helping old investigators progress! We set huge goals this week to find a huge number of people but from the members, and it gave great results. Instead of going in a home, sharing a message and asking for a referral, we looked for the need in every member to become an even better member of the church. For example, members that haven't been given the priesthood, that haven't been to the temple, that only come to church every once in awhile, etc. We let them know we care about them and we are here to serve them. Then they naturally have the desire to help us out introducing us to their friends and family. Way more effective and gratifying.

We had a miracle happen this week when we were walking to our next appointment. A señora stopped us on the street saying she knows who we are. Turns out she has a son that is a member and about 10 years ago was receiving the missionaries. To be honest this happens quite a bit, but never turns into anything. Well this time we felt good about it and passed by the house. We had a great lesson, prayed and then walked in a 16 year old boy whose name is Mario. We found out he had been to church before but the missionaries never went to his house to teach him. Long story short we taught him as well and he loved it. We sang "Grande eres Tú" (How Great Thou Art) at the end and he told us that we had gotten there in the perfect time in his life. So by just walking in the street we found 2 golden new investigators!

Also we received a referral from an ex-missionary in our branch, named Franklin. He presented us to a friend of his English class named Claudia! She lives in a little pueblito outside of Ipiales and receives us when she comes in for English class. Her story is also a miracle. Her big thing was she had a brother pass away and felt unsure about his whereabouts and bienestar (welfare). She had investigated other churches that varied in doctrine and wanted to know for sure what was up. We had one of the greatest lessons of my mission in the church on Wednesday about the Plan of Salvation. We spoke of the doctrine of the Pre earth life, and that the reason we are here is to go back. We spoke of our purpose here on Earth and what needs to be done while we are here. 

 

But what really hit home was the doctrine of the temples and work for the dead. Never once had I taught that doctrine in a 1st lesson, but when the Spirit leads the lesson we as missionaries just let it work as they tell us what they need to hear. We showed her a picture of the Salt Lake Temple and said she had a dream of being there.... woah. And after the lesson we showed her the baptismal font and right when she saw it she said she had also dreamt of being in all white there as well... woah. It was scary how prepared she was! Can't wait to see how she progresses! 

We are also still working with Gladis, who is having trouble still with the Law of Chastity. The father of her son still comes over sometimes and stays. We are trying to get them married but it is a little difficult because they are both already married to other people.

We now have about 5 investigators who are progressing. It is always the case that when the investigators read and pray about the Book of Mormon immediately after the 1st lesson, they without fail progress rapidly. I have come to have such great faith in the trial that presents the Book of Mormon. I am so grateful for its power and the truthfulness and purity of doctrine. 

This week we will lose 2 days of road tripping to Cali and back for the ZL Council, but we have another great week planned out to keep building on the success we have had! I should have a few more investigators to tell you about as well as we are going to focus on bringing them all to Church! 

Well that's it! Gotta write President! 

Elder Eliason