The Truth Has Been Restored

¡Amigos!

It´s been a tough week, but we've seen many blessings. We taught Gregorio and Marilin, a very young couple searching for more truth in their lives. I feel that God led us to find them at just the right time. They don´t attend any church, but Gregorio has a strong testimony of service and that God exists. He is very dynamic as he uses his hands to express his love for God and desire to serve everyone. Marilin is much more reserved, but excited to learn more. They accepted a goal to be baptized when they come to know that the Book of Mormon is true. We are super excited for them!

We found several other families that accepted us warmly and are very likely to progress. One lady told us that when she was younger, she used to escape her mother to go to our church. Now she already has grandchildren and we are inviting her to come back and receive blessings for her whole family.

We also gave a personal tour of the chapel to one of the investigators, something I've never done before. It was a great experience for her to get to know the building and it will be more likely that she attends a church service soon.

Thinking about our purpose as missionaries, preach repentance and baptize converts, it becomes very clear that we as 18-26 year-olds can´t do this work with our words only. Elder Roberts and I very frequently invite investigators to find out for themselves by praying and asking God to know the truth of His message. The Book of Mormon is also convincing evidence of the restoration. Without the book, our message of latter-day prophets and restored truth has no foundation nor power. I love the Book of Mormon. As I read, I feel peace. It helps me see clearly what is true. Many times in my life, I have opened the book with a doubt and found an answer that has changed my life. 

I invite all of you to write your testimony in a copy of the Book of Mormon, mark your favorite scripture, and share it with a friend or acquaintance. As you share this invitation, your love and understanding for God and His truth will increase.

¡Que tenga una semana feliz!

Elder Cloward

El Evangelio de Jesucristo

¡Feliz lunes a todos!

We worked a lot on finding new people this week and teaching the new people from last week. We are teaching Cristian, who has already come to church twice, about faith and it´s really cool to see his faith grow and our understanding grow together as we teach. We are praying that he will find his answer about the Book of Mormon. He didn't come to church again this week.

Grido with Elder Roberts!

We taught the Muñoz family again and it went fantastic! They are really receptive and willing to learn more. When we taught them about the first vision of Joseph Smith, they were a little surprised, but they want to know that it is true. We read a lot in the Bible with them and gave them more parts to read in the Book of Mormon. They have really good questions!

There are a lot of little miracles going on besides these, like that one of the members has two grandchildren that want to get baptized, that a man tried to get his work scheduled changed to stop working on Sunday after we invited him to church and promised blessings. We were guided after a prayer in the street to a less active family that had never accepted us to pass by. My companion and I gave talks after just 10 minutes notice. I shared about the first principles and ordinances of the gospel and Elder Roberts taught about charity in a clear and understandable Spanish. An older couple of investigators, the parents of the branch president´s wife received a wheel chair that they had been waiting a long time to receive. The father stood up in the pews right before sacrament meeting started and thanked everyone for their help so that he could again make it to church with his new wheel chair. He was so happy! What incredible miracles they were!

But most of the miracles, I feel, happened inside of me this week. I really feel like I am being polished, just as President Eyring said in the Liahona of this month. It is such a difficult experience in the moment, but it is so much better afterward. The peace after repentance is priceless and real! Don´t put off repentance. Pray and ask for forgiveness with a resolve to correct mistakes and go forward. Don´t hold on to the past, but pray for strength to keep going. Jesus Christ already suffered for the mistakes you have made. As you live the gospel of trust in Him (faith), change to be more like Him (repentance), and take of the sacrament each week to remember Him, you will be clean and have the peace of conscience described in Mosiah 4:3. I Invite you all this week to prayerfully consider of something you want to improve and ask in prayer for help to change it. As you do, you will find greater peace and excitement to continue, just as I did this week. Isn't the gospel just great?

¡Que sigan felices!

Elder Cloward

My shoes are a bit old now.

Invite!

¡Hola todos!

This past Saturday, we had the branch's Capilla Abierta or "Open Chapel." These past weeks, we have been inviting people to attend and we were really exited to see so many people who said they would go. Then, just before the event started, it rained and no one that we invited came. That was a little sad, but everyone that did go felt something special.

Capilla Abierta!

Elder Roberts and I got to dress in white and explain baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost. He did a really good job explaining, even though he´s only been in Argentina for 4 weeks! Our part in the tour was very short and it was interesting to ponder the most important parts of baptism. I shared something like this:

"Welcome to the baptismal room! Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, who had authority from God to baptize. He was baptized going under the water and coming out of the water. We are baptized in the same way today. We are baptized to make a promise with God to keep His commandments and he washes us of our sins. Jesus taught, ´and no unclean thing can enter into his kingdom.´ When we are baptized, God opens the doors of the celestial kingdom so that we can live with Him again as we are obedient. After we are baptized, God promises us the gift of the Holy Ghost."

 The branch president's family and us.

From there, my companion explained the Holy Ghost. I am grateful for my baptism that gives me the chance to be clean of my mistakes every time I take the sacrament on Sunday. I find peace through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Our zone at the Capilla Abierta.

This week we found several new people to teach. At the very end of the day, we decided to go down a street we didn't know. After talking to several people who weren't interested, we reached the end of the street. At the very end, there was a light in the last house. We clapped the home and a young man came out. We asked him "may we enter and say a prayer with your family?" They turned out to be a large family very similar to mine. They have three older boys and two younger daughters. We shared the Book of Mormon with them and each of the boys read a verse of Moroni´s invitation in Moroni 10:3-5. They are going to read it together and ask God to know that it is true. They, the family Muñoz, are a great happy family!

I am happy to be a missionary! I know that this is God´s work and as I do His will, putting my trust in Him and acting (faith), that everything will be the best. I know that the Holy Ghost is God´s messenger and that by him, not us, the people learn. I invite each of you this week to seek and follow the inspiration of the Holy Ghost as to which of your friends you can invite to learn from the missionaries. If you don´t know the missionaries, get to know them! As you do, you will find more joy in your blessings from God and will help others to have those great blessings.

¡Que tenga una semana feliz!

Elder Cloward

That's a lot of trash!

Making empanadas.

Our new water heater! We don't have to shower with a bucket and a cup and heat water on the stove. Woohoo!

Without the Book of Mormon

¡Hola!

Elder Rossi and I got to the mission together.

We working a lot this week with several less active families to help them come back to church. We got to meet one man who haddn´t come to church in many years. The spirit testified very strongly to him about eternal families and without even inviting him, he told us that he wants to come back to church. It is so happy to me when the spirit teaches the people and they are ready to listen.

We have been teaching a young man named Cristian who has already come to church twice. He is learning a lot and has great questions. There aren´t very many young men his age in the church here, but we plan to teach him with a recent convert that is going to another branch. Please pray for him and that we will know how to help him.

Elder Roberts is a great companion. He is learning spanish really fast and is teaching more and more during the lessons. He often looks at me when he doesn´t remember a word and I smile at him urging him on. He has a powerful testimony and is really great at helping the people relate the doctrine to themselves. I am happy we can be a team.

Both Saenz Peňa zones on the way to the multi-zone conference.

I learned a lot about personal testimony this week. We had a multi-zone conference in which we were asked to share what we would lose if the Book of Mormon suddenly didn´t exist. It made me ponder my own testimony of the book. To me, it is the evidence that the priesthood was restored to the earth again. By this priesthood athority, my family is sealed together for now and after this life. We will be together forever! The Book of Mormon also teaches us where we go when we die. I know that my grandpa and great-grandma are still there and that that I will see them again. What great joy and confort that brings to me! It is important to remember our personal testimonies, not just the testimonies of others. This week, I shared mine! I invite each of you this week to answer this question for yourselves "What would I miss if the Book of Mormon didn´t exist?" The answer will help you find your personal testimonies. If you haven´t yet read the Book od Mormon, read it! It will bring your great peace and joy.

¡Que tenga una semana feliz!

Elder Cloward

Elder Ruatta, one of our zone leaders.

This is how we wash clothes here. It's the best pension I have seen yet to wash clothes. Normally the buckets are smaller.

We went and bought alpargatas today. They are traditional Argentine shoes.

There were many options.