High June

Hey :)
Me and my companion have had an ongoing joke/discussion about whether there are 5 or 7 continents.  Thoughts?

Last testimony meeting was wonderful, in which a recent convert named Hugo a large man giving a powerful testimony. He got baptized in November and quit drinking and smoking 50 cigarettes a day to do so.  He is now our "leader missional", a wonderful man who is truly converted. We also had one of the young women converts from a family of 5 women/girls that got baptized in February. The 20-year-old got up and bore a powerful testimony of the need to stand up for what you believe and thanked the branch and the misisonaries for their support and help.  A funny end was when the "partner" of a member sister (they've been together 12 years but he can't be baptized until he gets divorced) started clapping at the end of the testimony!  A couple of others joined in.  He`s attended before, but it's just his personality. And me and Elder Garza have had quite a few laughs over it :) 

This last week I finished listening to a set of recordings of my Bestamor and Bestafar done by a family friend and an aunt.  They were great in two ways.  My my Grandma died almost exactly 2 years ago and I found a lot of inspiration in reflecting back on their legacy. I also recently read through quite few stories of my ancestors from Norway, which were very touching. It made me commit to doing the same with my mother and father and surviving grandparents when I get home.

Thought:  We finally found out where Carlos and Jaqueline moved to so we`ve begun teaching them but there`s very little hope of them getting baptized soon (even though they really want to) because of the need to get married first (problems with the "chanta" system of marriages here.  The soonest would be September.

Spiritual story: Two sister missionaries were on their way home after a day of work.  They had to go down a dark and dangerous street.  It was unavoidable so they said a prayer and continued praying throughout the way.  It happens that someone was murdered at that exact location that night.  In an interview with the killer on why he didn`t attack the sisters he said that he saw 4 men dressed in white walking behind the sisters. The Lord`s protection is real.  And this Gospel and power is very real and almost tangible. 

Revelations: We`re just reminding people of what revelations are. Purification and santification of through the baptizm of fire is distinct from the Gift of the Spirit, though related.

From Hugh B. Brown: "Men do not believe in God because they have proved Him, rather they try endlessly to prove Him because they can`t help believing in Him. The importance of the restoration of the church is not that the organization is the same (because it really isn`t exactly).  It is that God is speaking to Men in the earth again."

From Harold B. Lee:  "If a father[or mother]`s love for [their] son is strong, and from their infancy he has taken them into his arms and let them feel the warmth of his affection, I believe that such comradeship will ripen with maturity and keep them near when a crisis in a boy`s life requires the steadying hand of a father who understands."

Mucho Cariño
Elder Parry Harrison