"what is really the measure of success in the mission is commitment to the Lord's Work."

Heyyy there family!!

Wow great news on the sports front, if you are a Rangers fan that is... the story on McCann is just tragic, everyone knows you can't go from a Brave to a Yankee, come onnn! Cowboys are also looking great! Well, not that great but it works! 

I can't believe it is already Thanksgiving! This year flew by like nothing else and we are already almost in December! I wish everyone a great Thanksgiving, I can't wait to finally taste real pie next year haha. I think I said this last year but there is no such thing as Thanksgiving here, or anywhere in South America haha so everyone is just getting ready for Christmas early! There is already a ton of lights out! Holiday spirit!

Okay so there is a lot to write about this week...

First of all, our investigators are doing great. I believe I told you about Mabel last week, she has progressed a ton! She reads, prays, and comes to church every week now. She only had a few doubts because she didn't have a ton of friends in the Church and she felt a little strange in such a new place for her. As far as testimony goes, she is right where she needs to be. We had a great lesson with her this Friday where we had a brother from the Branch come with us to go over the interview questions and help her out with any last doubts before her baptism on Saturday. She answered every question with a resounding yes, and proved to herself that she is prepared to take this step. We were able to testify that the interview was not made up by us as missionaries, but is made up by the leaders of the Church and by the scriptures (D&C 20:37) to see who is qualfied for baptism and who isn't. We are looking to have a super spiritual baptismal service to help her and everyone who attends have a great experience.

Laura and Giovanny also came to church for the first time this week, and it was great because their daughter got to participate in the Primary program! They loved it and had a great experience their first Sunday at church. They seem to be progressing the only problem they have is time, they don't have a lot of it. We can only see them once a week, and they are still apprehensive about changing religion so fast, we have come to realize they don't have a firm testimony of the Book of Mormon yet, and if they come to obtain one everything will fall into place by itself. That is what we will focus on in our short time we have with them this week.

We also found a new progressor this week looking for inactive members with the branch list. This has always worked out well for me in my mission. In the families of members are always found great investigators, and an inactive to reactivate! Well we found a lady inactive named Yolanda and her son Juan David who is a nonmember. Well it was great because Juan David was really and I mean really receptive. We taught the Restoration and gave him a B.O.M. Great lesson. And he came to church! Looks like he will progress fast.

I am leaving out a ton but those are the key ones for this week... que pena.

I have been studying a lot this week humility and its importance in Missionary Work and in life itself. It must be an important topic because a huge message of the Book of Mormon is how pride got the best of an entire civilization and was the downfall in the end. Sometimes pride can be the downfall of missionaries as well. With the leadership system that is set up by the church in the missions it is easy for us to get caught up in who's gonna be the next ZL or Assistant, but what is really the measure of success in the mission is commitment to the Lord's Work. We are all "unprofitable servants" according to King Benjamin and can never become good enough as missionaries. Leadership is not found in the position, but in the leader. One great quote Code sent me one time says it best. "Greatness isn't in us, it is through us." Humility can be a great power as well. I think that is what Paul meant in this scripture, (2 Cor 12:9-10):

 9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. 

When we recognize our weaknesses and show our faith by working to overcome them, grace fills our life and we are given power beyond our means. However pride never recognizes its faults, and can never gain the faith to work to overcome them, complacency becomes laziness and leads to nothing but lack of progress. I also love a scripture I found in Acts!

"Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus."

Wow, that just speaks for itself the power that was received by 2 apostles of the Lord and humility that permitted them to be filled with such power and grace!

Let us all be humble and I promise we will be blessed! Well thanks for all the prayers for me and the mission. I am still loving it! I will keep loving it until the very end!

Till next week ya'll!

Elder Eliason