HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL FAR AND WIDE, every man, woman, and child, American, guayan, lo que sea. I hope you guys had an awesome thanksgiving this past week and remembered how blessed we all are. We don’t celebrate thanksgiving down here but we may have had an awesome dinner Thursday night cooked by Hermana Bingham. Probably one of the best meals I have ever eaten in my entire life. Sister Bingham made this like, ham laced with orange sauce (which reminded me of her orange rolls, so it was super good.) We had turkey, potatoes, standard vegetables (strange green uruguayan beans), yams, rolls, and the pies. We had a coconut pie, a pecan pie (which was AWESOME) and a oreo pie with huge cream on top. Everything she made us was like a step back into the states. We thank them profusely every single day. That woman works miracles in the kitchen. We were so blessed to have the opportunity to eat with them.

So besides that, this week has been really good. It has been a great learning and humbling experience. We have come to realize that a lot of the people we have been teaching haven’t really been progressing so we have been really focused on finding this week. We spent a lot more time in the street trying to find people. It’s a process but we are working hard. And we know that we will be blessed for our efforts as long as we are obedient and diligent. 

We have been working a lot with members. We had an awesome lesson yesterday with a less active. She came back to church last Sunday after we had gone by with a member the week before. We asked her how it went yesterday and she said that it had made all the difference in her week. She explained how she felt and how much peace had entered in her life (which is...wow...really something else). She expressed her desires to never miss another Sunday again. She wanted us to teach her boyfriend about the gospel so that he could one day be baptized and that they could be sealed in the temple. It was such a spiritual lesson. We taught her about the plan of salvation and about why were here on this earth. She came to understand why it was important yesterday. 

Sorry I don’t have much more to write about this past week. We have just been running around and working like crazy. 

So my spiritual thought this week comes from 2 Nefi 26. It says:

"23 Porque nosotros trabajamos diligentemente para escribir, a fine de persuadir a nuestros hijos, así como a nuestros hermanos, a creer en Cristo y a reconciliarse con Dios; pues sabemos que es por la gracia por la que nos salvamos, después de hacer cuanto podamos."

 (23 For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.)

Here we learn the Nephi had worked incredibly hard and diligently to keep this record. It was something really important for him and for his family. He wrote these things so that his children and brethren, his posterity, would one day come to the knowledge of their Savior. So that they could know how they can partake of His grace. My testimony has grown so much since I have left for my mission. I know that if we read the Book of Mormon, we will come to believe in Christ even more, our faith will grow. I know that someone will get closer to God reading this book than by reading any other. I know that it is true. I wish that everyone could know the same. So my challenge this week is that all of you could read the Book of Mormon every day. Start with this week. Take it as an experiment. I know you will feel the difference just as I have.    

I love you all so much. 

Lets all try a little bit harder to be a little bit better this week. 

Until next week, 

Elder Staffieri