Week 59

Hey Guys!!!

So we were super excited to baptize a ton of people in September- not just us, but the whole zone- and very few people have decided to take that step.

There were so many moments where we would have a person ready to make that promise with God, and then all of a sudden they turn back to their sins or the things that were more comfortable than following Christ. That drives you insane. And then when the zone you're in charge of calls you almost all at the same time and says, "Hey, Juan Jose isn't gonna be baptized" or "Hey, Mirna isn't gonna be baptized" or "Hey, the Santos family isn't gonna be baptized" or "Hey, Maira isn't gonna be baptized" or "Hey, Aleida isn't gonna be baptized..."

(AAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHH I’m gonna go crazy if this keeps up)

I love it here, but there are moments when the work's just hard. When you just get frustrated at EVERY turn you take.

But that's all right. I was just emailing with Jodi a moment ago about how the situations that God puts us in are the best situations that we can be in for our own personal growth and progress, but the situations that we put ourselves in aren't always. 

Every day, we commit sin. God does not want us to sin, because sin is a direct impediment to our personal progress and growth. That is why he expects us to repent. But if we do not repent, it's like digging a hole around yourself. Sooner or later, you're gonna stop digging, look up and realize you can't get out on your own.

This is a situation that WE put ourselves in. They were not intended by God, but God lets them happen because He knows that by letting Jesus Christ pull us out of that hole, we will learn better how to repent, and that will make our progress on the path He has planned for us.

Sometimes, something outside of our control happens. You may get sick, someone may die in your family, or a close friend. A natural disaster may hit. You may lose your job. Who knows what will happen, but many times these situations happen to us and we react badly. We doubt the love and mercy of God because we can't understand the plan that He has for us. 

GOD IS IN CONTROL. Don't ever doubt that.

When something bad happens, it is because you are capable of overcoming that thing. God knows you and loves you. Heaven is cheering you on.  Tomorrow the Lord will work wonders among you (vease el discurso de Jeffrey R. Holland de Mayo 2016).

-- 

Elder Jeffrey Reed