Saturday, April 19, 2014

Hay un Profeta viviente!

April 7, 2014
Hello everyone!

Wow what a treat! General conference rocked! =) They set up a small
TV to watch the conference in English, so 6 other gringos and I all
enjoyed it in the same language and at the same time as the rest of
you. It was fun to think that during the intermediate hymns we were
all singing the same song at the same moment all across the world,
that was really fun and the 7 of us white guys belted those songs out!

One miracle that I was blessed to witness and FEEL this week happened
on Thursday. Earlier in the week one of our investigators named Paul
told us that he doesn´t feel ready to get baptized yet and kind of
seemed as though he was losing the desire. We were worried for him
because we know how much we all need this saving odrinance. When we
did our weekly planning on Thursday morning we focused a lot in him
and what he needed to hear and FEEL in order to get excited to be
baptized again. Thursday night we went to go and teach him and my
companion and I felt very strongly that he can still be baptized this
upcoming Saturday (the 12th) but we knew that the spirit had to be
present and had to really touch his heart in order for him to want to
keep that baptismal date. We were ALL taught by the spirit that
night. The spirit was tangably present in the room as we testified of
the importance of baptism and LISTENED to his concerns and doubts. In
the end all three of us had tears in our eyes because the experience
was so pure that we could not deny what we were feeling. Paul then
told us of a experience he had the really gave root to why he wanted
to even begin listening to us. Last New Years Eve he told us he felt
really lost in his life and without purpose. He said he felt he
needed to find God. He knelt in the dark and prayed that he would
find purpose in his life this new coming year. On the First of
January Elder Oliart and I were walking down a dusty dirt road and saw
a young man sitting on a log looking at the ground, I looked at my
companion and he looked at me, ¨Vamos!¨ We both felt prompted to
cantact him. I contacted him and it felt to us like just any other
contact, but little did we know we were the answer to the prayer he had
prayed the NIGHT BEFORE. Tears were streaming down his face as he told
us this story, and then said repeteadly, ¨I want to be baptized, I
need to be baptized.¨
My companion I felt so blessed to have had ¨our mouths filled¨ was we
humbly searched for the guidance from the Holy Ghost.

Now I would like to share a few quotes from Conference that I loved=)

¨Live the Gospel faithfully even if others around you don´t at all.¨
-Élder Holland

¨The best filter is a deep testimony of Jesus Christ...¨ -Sister Reeves

¨Courage, not compromise, brings the smile of God´s approval.¨ -President Monson

¨We find more joy in our lives when we serve the Lord first.¨ -Élder Scott

¨Through Obedience we find happiness and eternal life.¨ -Elder Hales

¨Gratitude surpasses dispair¨ -Elder Uctdorf

¨Prayer doesn´t change God, it changes me.¨-Sister Stevens

¨Some of the greatest intelligences are things that cannot be taught,
but things that can be learned.¨ -Elder Packer

¨Obedience is a choice between our own knowledge and power, and God's
wisdom and omnipotence¨ -Elder Perry

¨One should not roam through garbage!¨ -Brother Aiudakaisis

¨Our desires are who we become¨ -Brother Ridd

¨Having a smart phone doesn´t make you smart.¨ -Brother Ridd

¨The purpose of this conference is only going to work if we we are
willing to CHANGE¨ Brother Hallstrom

Conference was amazing! I know we are led by a living prophet, I know
the church is true, and I know that THIS is the MOMENT to shine!
These are our FOUR MINUTES! Act now and for all the eternities we
will look back on this life with smile and a heart of gratitude. The
gospel brings pure happiness, and isn´t a checklist of things to
complete, rather a way of life. I love this Gospel! =)
Love,
Élder Bender

1 comment:

  1. I love reading experiences of true and modern miracles that happen all the time. Thanks for sharing these with us! --Fer

    ReplyDelete