HAPPY SIX MONTHS TODAY!!!! its insane how fast it has gone by!! I feel
like i have been out for like a month. time is going by sooo fast. I
kinda wish it would slow down. I'm not ready to have six months in the
mission. i wish my time could start right now...but oh well.
So this past week, we received the new guidelines for the
mission. These are going to change the way we work as missionaries and the way
the work goes forth in our mission. We are so excited for them. On of the
biggest changes was that we are going to have 15 lessons with recent converts
and less actives. This is going to be super good because it will focus us in on
those who really need our help to stay strong in the gospel, not just enter
through the door and stop. We are going to be working a lot more with members
and we have different standards on what counts as lessons with member and
stuff. There are a lot more changes but I am pretty sure you don’t want to hear
about numbers and goals and stuff. BUT WE ARE SO EXCITED!!! We are going to
leave the church stronger than when we got here and not just put more names on
a ward list. We are actually going to go after those who have strayed to
strengthen the wards and stakes here in Uruguay. This is going to focus us
up and we are going to see miracles!
We have already received fruit for our efforts to go visit
less active families and new converts. Many of the people on our list have
moved away so it is a really good way to meet other families as well. On
example of this happened this past week. We were going through our plans of who
we were going to go visit and we came across a name and an address of a less
active member. We went over there and they had moved but the people in the
house invited us in to share our message with them. We now are teaching Elsa
Paz and Maria de los Angeles.
We probably never would have found them because their house was a little hard
to find back in an alley but we found them and now we are teaching this family
of a mother and daughter! How awesome is that???
We also found two brothers this past week that we are
teaching. We were just walking in the street we saw kids playing soccer so we
went and joined in for a few minutes and they started asking us all kinds of
questions and we all ended up sitting on the side of the road talking about the
restoration of the gospel. We are going back tonight and hopefully we can talk
to their whole family.
We also found a man and his wife this past week as we were
walking in-between lessons. He actually approached us and invited us over to
his house to talk to him. We set up an appointment and went over to his house
yesterday. It was a super humble home of two rooms with one light and a
flashlight. He was the kindest hearted person I have ever met. He insisted on
feeding us what food he had and insisted that we take a bag of potatoes as we
left. He even tried to give us his TV. We had a good lesson about the bible and
he has really strong beliefs. He is going to be a great member of the church
one day.
So probably the best moment of the week happened this past Wednesday. We had a lesson with our investigator Daniel.
Daniel is probably the most well prepared person we have ever taught. He has
been an investigator for a few months now and is progressing super well. He
reads and prays everyday and you can see how much these things mean to him. He
is super concerned about his family and being ready to make this decision to be
baptized. We have had some really spiritual lessons with him and he came to
sacrament meeting this past week when the new office couple went up to share
their testimonies. Little have I ever felt the Spirit so strong. I really
learned the power of "Yo se que..." (I know that...). They bore their
testimonies so simply but I cannot remember feeling the Spirit so strong during
a testimony in my life. I felt the Spirit so strong i could not deny it. I know
that Daniel felt it as well. He was sitting right next to us and he told us
before that he had to leave but after that he told us he wanted to stay. So
that brings us to Wednesday. We had a great lesson with
him about putting your faith in the Spirit and the blessings that come from
following the promptings of the Spirit: The Bingham’s, the new office couple,
shared their testimony of this as well and how it has blessed their family and
I know he felt it. Elder Bedke asked him "Daniel, will you put your faith
in Jesus Christ and follow the example that he has set for us, being baptized
by someone holding the proper authority of God?"
He accepted and has a date for the 28th of this month! We
could not have been more excited! We were on cloud nine for the next few days!
He is going to be such a good member of the church and I wouldn’t be surprised
if one day he is a stake president. He has that kind of faith and testimony!!!
This week has just been super awesome! One of the best weeks
of my mission! We have been working our hardest and have been blessed for doing
so. I LOVE THE MISSION!!
It really is the best two years.
I know that the church is true. I know that Joseph Smith was
a prophet of God. I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. I know
that as we strive to keep the commandments, we will be blessed with all that we
need. I know that prayers are answered. I know the priesthood is the power of
God to bring about the saving ordinances of the His children. I know that
families are eternal. This is all made through Christ. I know that He came to
this earth to atone for our sins so that if we would come unto Him, we would
not have to suffer as He did. I know of His love for each and every one of us.
I know these things to be true. I have been called by a prophet of God to serve
as a missionary, to bring this happiness and love I have experienced in my life
to my brothers and sisters in Uruguay.
There is no greater work.
I love you all so much and thank you for all you do for me.
I hope you know that you are all amazing. I would ask that we just try a little
bit harder to be a little bit better each and every day. I know that as we do
this, we will become closer to our Heavenly Father. Always keep the faith and a
smile on your face. Today is the day! Be the best you can be!!
Con cariño,
Elder Staffieri
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