Hey all

Dear Erybody

This week we got murdered by the numbers, but we aren't here to count
numbers, so we will live on!

Some of the cool and fun things that have happened recently here is we
had another super rad p day here with all the missionaries from all
the islands in preparation for zone conference here tomorrow.  We went
to Roque Nublo again which is like the highest point on the island.
The other funny thing that happened last week that was monumentally
memorable was our investigator randomly had all these roosters in the
middle of her apartment.  She told us they were pets of this kid that
she looks after.  It was all fun and games till she told us she killed
four of them already to eat, and then it got a little sad.  Other than
that, there is another Elder from Orange County here in the islands,
so it's been sweet talking to him about home a little bit.  His name
is Elder Brady and he's from Laguna Nigel if you know him.

One of the best moments from this week actually happened last Monday
night. We were having a family home evening with our bishop and our
investigator came with his wife. We took advantage of that opportunity
to teach a lesson to our investigator with a member present.  As we
walked up to the door, we were wondering what would be the best thing
to teach to them.  We planned the night before to teach Eternal
marriage along with temples, but as we walked up to the door, we
questioned our plan. We were about to go in there and teach the
restoration to his wife, because that's the first lesson, but we were
prompted to stick with Temple marriage and temples at the last minute.
So that's what we did.  As we went in there, we began to teach that
lesson.  As we began to bear our testimony about the temple and as the
bishop and his wife shared why they were grateful for temples, the
investigators wife began to cry.  We kinda kept sharing and teaching
for a little bit, and we asked her how she felt. She told us that her
mom had died three months ago. I know that she felt a lot of peace as
we shared with her that families could be together forever through
ordinances in the temple.  I know also that she was feeling love from
the other side of the the veil as well. It was a super powerful and
spiritual experience.  I'm so grateful that the spirit prompted us to
stick to our guns with that lesson, and that we were able to be the
instruments in the hands of the Lord to help her feel the spirit.

One more experience I wanted to add from this week.

So we have been having some pretty well, intense lessons with these
bible bashers from the Iglesia Evangelista where everything we try to
teach about the gospel seems to be wrong to them in accordance with
their interpretations of the bible.  This week they read me Hebrews
1:1, about how God talked to us through prophets in the old days, and
now he talks to us through his son.  To them, this means that God does
not call prophets now in our day.  Yup that's it, we are on our own
with the bible that's been translated tons of times to interpret the
words of Christ and go off that, despite the lack of doctrine.  But I
support the bible, and I prayed to know why this verse was necessary.
Well, the Lord answered my prayers in a manner pretty fuerte. We had
stake conference this weekend with Elder  Homer from the seventy. As he
talked, he focused his message on the Savior.  He shared an incredible
story about a man who recently was released from prison.  The story
tells of what happened on the mans train ride home. The man's family
didn't really write him any letters in prison, and he did not know if
he would be welcomed back after all he had done. Just before leaving
prison, he wrote his family and asked them to put a ribbon on a low
hanging Apple on an apple tree right next to the train station to give
him a sign that he would be welcome in the house again.  The story
goes that the man was incredibly nervous to look out the window at the
apple tree, and he asked the man next to him if he would look for him.
As the train rounded the corner and the apple tree came into view, the
petrified man turned his face away out of the fear of rejection, and
asked the man next to him if the sign was there, telling him he would
be welcomed home.  The man next to him replied that there was not just
one ribbon, but a ton of ribbons surrounding the apples on the apple
tree.  The former prisoner was relieved in a manner beyond description
to be welcomed home.

Although my recount isn't perfect, this story had a really powerful
impact on me, and answered my question.  This story compares a real
life situation to the grace that Jesus Christ has for us in always
welcoming us home no matter what we have done.  He always loves us,
and if we come unto him with desires to change our lives and be
different people, he will always welcome us.  I felt the spirit so
strong as this comparison was presented and realized something at that
moment.

We need prophets, and representatives in the church today because they
speak to us by testifying of Jesus Christ.  They are hear to
strengthen us, to guide us, and to help us know how to come unto
Christ in our lives.  As Jeffrey R Holland once said, the words of God
never cease. Every time that I listen to the words of the prophets and
apostles, I feel something, I feel a love that I've never felt before.
I feel the love that's behind the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I know
that the Lords servants today testify of Him and He is behind every
word that they say. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ
amen

Elder Baron