Elder Brown, one of our assistants, went home this past
week. That was kind of a bummer. It has been awesome working in the offices and
getting to know him and go out on splits with him. He has taught me so much.
One of the few missionaries I know that I can say was the 4th missionary.
After that, elder Nilsson went home and sister Britsch went
home. We are going to miss them. Especially Elder Nilsson working in the
offices with us.
This change has been crazy with different people leaving on
different schedules because they extended their mission or had to start school
early, o lo que sea. It’s been a fun one though.
As Christmas gets closer, life gets more hectic. We have
calls basically everyday saying we need to go get mail, we have different
deadlines to get to before people close for the holidays, getting changes done
and figured out because buses don’t run when we needed them to run, working to
get missionaries from different countries so they arrive on time, etc. It’s a
lot but we are somehow getting it all done by putting in extra hours.
Something cool that happened this past week was my old ward
from Salto came down to Montevideo
to go to the temple so I got to see them! I feel like I have never missed
somewhere so much in my life. I love my area now but there is nothing like
seeing the people from your first area and remembering all the experiences that
you had with them. It was cool seeing all of the awesome people that we worked
with at the temple. And it was cool because I actually could talk to them now
jaja. I have been so blessed to be able to meet and build relationships with
the people down here in Uruguay.
There are some of my best friends now. Hermana Silvia even cooked me a cake!
jaja I got to see my best friend Thiago too. He drew me a picture and wrote me
a letter. I was soooooo happy to get to see all them again.
So yesterday was awesome. Elder Woods hit the streets hard.
It started off interesting because we were walking down this street and this
guy calls us over and starts asking us who he can talk to to sell the church
land to build a new chapel. It was an interesting contact to say the least but
we gave him an invitation to this activity we are having in the temple gardens
tonight and tomorrow night and he said he would go. We kept walking and about
15 minutes later we walked passed this older lady (later told us she was 93)
sitting on her front porch who looked so sad. We walk past and Elder woods
commented about it and it kinda hit me that we needed to go back and I said
"lets go talk to her. wanna do it?" he just goes ill follow you"
so I was like "LETS DO IT!!" we turned around and went back and
started talking to her about how beautiful the day was and everything. Then we
started talking about Christ and the meaning of the Christmas season and
everything and she went on to explain that she was catholic and wasn’t going to
change but we stayed and bore our testimonies of Jesus Christ and left her with
a smile. I was kinda bummed wondering why we had felt so strongly to go back
and talk to her if she was just going to reject us. Well I got my answer a few
seconds later. As we were walking past the next house, a man on a moto yelled
at us and called us over. He and his daughter took off their helmets and
introduced themselves. He said that he wanted us to go over to his house and
give his wife a blessing because she was sick. He told us that his wife had
told him that the next time he saw the mormon missionaries in the streets to
stop them and tell them to come over. So we set up a time to go by today and he
was really grateful and left. Then it hit me. We talked to her so that we would
be there when this guy passed on his moto. If we had kept going, we wouldn’t
have been there when the guy came through the intersection. Now we are going
over to exercise the priesthood and teach a family. The Lord really does
provide as we work with all diligence and follow the promptings of the Spirit.
It seems as though every time something like this happens I am always
overwhelmed with gratitude for being part of this great work. Then right after
that, we met a guy on the streets and made a contact and taught as we walked
about 8 blocks to his house. We went on after that to teach some menos activos
and finish up the day strong with some other lessons. I love the mission!!!
Tonight and tomorrow night we have a huge Christmas program in
Carrasco at the temple. It’s going to be great. We have the assignment of
giving tours and answering questions. It’s a big program of choirs and
Christmas videos. It’s going to be such an uplifting experience for all those
that go.
My spiritual thought today comes from Mosiah 2. The last
verse in the chapter, verse 41. It says:
41 Y además, quisiera que consideraseis el bendito y
feliz estado de aquellos que guardan los mandamientos de Dios. Porque he aquí,
ellos son bendecidos en todas las cosas, tanto temporales como espirituales; y si continúan fieles
hasta el fin, son recibidos en el cielo, para que así moren con Dios en un
estado de interminable felicidad. ¡Oh recordad, recordad que estas cosas son
verdaderas!, porque el Señor Dios lo ha declarado.
(41 And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on
the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For
behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if
they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby
they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember,
remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it.)
I testify, as King Benjamin did, that as we keep the
commandments that God has set forth for us, we will find this happiness. We
will live in this happiness. We will receive all of the blessings the our
Heavenly Father has prepared for us. This is my testimony that I leave you
with. I know that Christ lives. I know that He loves us and knows us perfectly.
I hope that we all can take time this Christmas season to think back on what He
really means to us. Pray and think about what influence He has had in our
lives. Do your best to REMEMBER this as we go throughout this season and into a
new year.
I love you all so much. Thank you for all you do.
Lets all try a little bit harder to be a little bit better
this week.
Have a very Merry Christmas!
Con Cariño,
Elder Staffieri
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