Selfless Service

March 10, 2014

Hello Everyone!  (=

I had a funny experience not long ago when I was getting my hair cut.  There is a lady that lives in our Ward that cuts hair in the city, and she asked if she could take a sample of my hair to use as a model for when she dyes the hair of her clients.  Everyone here wants to have blonde hair and blue eyes, and so now when she makes hair dyes she matches it with my hair sample.... haha REAL LIVE BLONDE HAIR!  That's hard to find in Santa Cruz!  (;

As you know this week we were locked in the house for three days due to Carnival.  I made the most of my time and read all of ¨Our Heritage¨ and lots of Preach my Gospel and the Scriptures!  It was nice to just soak up the word for three days!  Also I made no bake cookies!  They turned out SUPER GOOD!  Thanks Mom for the Recipe!  I shared them with the family that makes our lunch and they all loved them!  Haha so I shared the recipe with them too.  

Yesterday was Stake Conference, and it was extra cool because we listened to a satellite broadcast from Salt Lake that was broadcasted to all 27 stakes in Bolivia.  We listened to Elder Pino from the 70, the second counselor from the General Relief Society Presidency, and also Elder Russell M. Nelson from the Quorum of the 12!  It was sooo amazing.  When Elder Nelson gave an Apostolic blessing on all the members in Bolivia the Spirit was SO strong, and I just felt so grateful for the organization in the Church.  Many times I have felt like we are out here in the middle of nowhere trying to run a ward!  But it was cool to feel the power of that blessing and know that the leaders of the church really are aware of us and know EXACTLY what the people here need to hear.

I want to share a miracle story. We contacted the Coro Family more than a month ago, but every time we have passed by they haven´t had time to talk with us. They make Salteñas in their home for their work, so they work long hours and are always busy in the home. This week we went by for the first time in a little while and they told us they were really busy making Salteñas. I INSISTED that we helped them peel potatoes for a half hour. Finally they let us in and we peeled potatoes for about 40 minutes and then the Father invited us to wash our hands and share a message with the family. It was a miracle because before they never gave us the time of day to talk, as we followed the guidance given in chapter 9 of PMG we were able to get in the door, serve as Christ did, and then teach a lesson with this awesome family! In the end of the lesson the Spirit was so strong, and the Father was in tears as he knelt to give the closing prayer. He told us that he needs God in his life, and invited us to come back again. Through Service we got in the door, through the Spirit we got to their hearts. The converting power of the Spirit is real! 

I am so grateful for this time I have to serve my Savior.  I feel so blessed to be able to labor in the Lord's vineyard and to see the many miracles that he works in my life and the lives of those I am blessed to serve.

I love you all!

Élder Bender

During one of the days of Carnival we got permission to go next door to the house of our pensionista and learned to make donuts and empenadas!  They were SOOO yummy!

                                     
                                                              Donuts and Empenadas!

                         A super crazy fruit our pensionista gave us.  I forgot what it's called, but super yummy!

               
              I made no-bake cookies and shared them with our pensionista and her family, they loved them!