HOLA familia!
This week was pretty normal so far as Colombia goes. Teach, and contact and contact and teach. We teach the restoration more than anything else so it´s good that i love that lesson. It´s such a great lesson to show the pattern of prophets and that God loves us enough to restore His gospel through another prophet. I especially love introducing the BoM and promising them that if they read it and pray with faith in Christ they can know por medio El Espiritu Santo the BoM is the word of God. I really like using Mormon 9:21,25 to show these people that all they have to do is use the faith they already have and they can revieve a confirmation of the words of Christ. I like the part in those scriptres where it says ¨this promise is unto all, even unto the ends of the earth¨ because i tell them how i got my answer about the BoM far far away in that land of gringos but that they can get their answer here in little Puerto Colombia because God loves all of His children. It´s a great lesson and it gives you new appreciation for and faith in our prophet. I pray for President Monson everynight because it´s got to be a little overwhelming knowing that every missionary in the world testifies of you alot of times a day. Hmmm... something different this week. It was the branch Christmas party this week so that was entertaining. The primary put together some dancing and singing and that was really great. The best part for me was seeing 3 little girls (who are sisters) sing primary songs about baptism when their family has only been baptised for 4 weeks it was awesome.
Yesterday was kinda a bummer because it seems like the angel of the Lord mysteriously afflicted all the youngest children in Puerto so alot of our intesvtigators didnt come to church because of their ¨sickly¨children (ok in two of the families the kids were a little sick but the other three i heard the kids playing with the dogs behind the house). I guess this week we´ll be re-teaching the sabbath day and how to keep it holy and saturday night i go around and paint the door posts with iguana blood (i saw my first BIG one, 4 feet, this week it was cool and really fast). It just made me sad because they are missing out on blessings that the Lord wants to give them. Sometimes i feel like a blessing vendor because thats what we teach all the time, follow the commandments and you´ll get blessings. The best part about teaching all these people is realizing all the things you´re teaching and all the blessings you´re promising also apply to you and that if you follow your own lesson you´ll recieve blessings just the same as everyone else. this is the way that i most often cry repentance. Teach a commandment and then commit them to follow it, and then promise them the blessings and love of the Lord if they do. it really is a blessing not to worry about anything except for what the Lord wants you to worry about for two years. So thanks family (especially mom and dad) for this oppurtunity to devote myself totally to the Lord for two years. Thanks for your prayers and support.
Have a Merry Christmas and i´ll talk to you soon!
Elder Larson