Fast Weeks, Spiritual Progress

 Hola mis amigos! I hope you're doing well. I just wanted to take a few moments to share with you how this last week has been treating me. Pretty good! But my goodness it was fast. I get to go on a lot of exchanges, which means that the weeks just fly by. This past week we were down in Westminster with Elders Starr and Hill. Their area isn't as Spanish-condensed as others, so it's always a grind. But we saw so many miracles that day. What I've found about missionary work is that it's 10% effort, 90% attitude. Regardless of whether it's personal study, knocking doors, teaching, or exchanges, attitude becomes the make or break. You can make literally anything fun and successful based on the attitude with which you approach the task. 

     I've made a goal to listen to every single conference talk ever given on missionary work before the year is over. As I've continued to do so, I've grown my understanding of the immense responsibility and joy that comes with bearing the name of the Lord and His church. And I stand with Elder Holland in saying that I hope it's never ever over for me. And it doesn't have to be. It doesn't have to be for you either. 

     We've seen a lot of new success in missionary work as we have begun to implement family home evenings. We take our friends who are learning about the church and the gospel of Jesus Christ and bring them into the spirit-filled homes of members. We sing, pray, play games, and then socialize. The members only offer their home and some refreshments. A small sacrifice! But the investigators walk away saying, "I want this feeling in my home. I want a home like that." And they build relationships.that make them want to stay. Now this doesn't happen every time, but we've seen more unity in families and in missionary-member relationships as these family home evenings have started rolling out. I want to invite each and every one of you to offer your home to the missionaries and their investigators for just one evening. I know you already have them in your homes to eat dinner but that is not missionary work. I'm sorry. As missionaries, we came on missions to help people come unto Christ and receive the fulness of the gospel, not to gain weight. [Which is pretty inevitable anyway haha]. So keep having those missionaries over, but please start doing family home evenings. Keep making that amazing food you always do for us, but make sure you share it with their investigators. I promise that as you do this, the people who the missionaries teach will feel the love of God in their lives. They will recognize the real applications of the gospel in family life and desire those same blessings in their own homes. And if your missionaries don't know how to do a family home evening, I will include an outline at the bottom. It will be titled "Noche de Hogar." It's the outline we have been using as spanish missionaries, so feel free to modify it to your own personal needs. And don't forget you're amazing! Plaque or no plaque we need you in this time-sensitive spiritual battle against the adversary. The 4th quarter is winding down and we need everyone in the game.