Elder David Maynard: The Mission is Awesome

HOLA!

I think I just blinked, and this week passed by. Crazy. It was such a full week. Lots of food, many spiritual moments, and lots of things learned. Here we go...

First off, an awesome spiritual lesson that Presidente Pèrez taught us. It comes from 1 Samuel 15. Read the chapter and this will make more sense. But Obedience is better than Sacrifices. As missionaries we sacrifice lots of things. Time, family, school etc. We sacrifice all these things for the Lord. And God can be pleased with these sacrifices, but if we are not obedient then the sacrifices don`t mean very much. The only things that God requires from us is our heart and our obedience. So let`s all think of things we can do to be more obedient to the Lord. And God has a great promise for those that are obedient. Mosiah 2: 22-24.

This week I was translating for President Pèrez to the new missionaries, and I had a realization of how blessed that I have been in the mission. I remember when I got here and I just couldn`t understand a single thing that anyone said to me. I was a goat in the middle of the ocean, just completely helpless. But now I can kind of talk, and kind of understand what is going on. God is so good and so awesome. I love a quote that I read a while ago that says something like ``God can make us into something so much greater than whatever we could possibly make of ourselves.`` Without God we are nothing, but with God we can be everything.

In the mission you learn a lot about having accountability to leaders. It is a good lesson to learn in life. It is something that helps you to be more effective and work harder. We have been focusing a lot on accountability here and Elder Pearson and I were studying a bit on it this week. Like all things we should look to the Savior for our example. I love how Christ was accountable to the Father in all things that he did. Even up until the final moments of His life when He was on the cross and He told God ``It is finished.`` Realizing this made us pretty excited this week.

As for the investigators we are having a bit of progress. Marcelo seems to have a brighter look on his face and he tells us that he prays every day. We invited him to be baptized and he wasn`t sure, so we kneeled down to pray. As he prayed to God, asking Him if he should continue in his path and be baptized and receive the Holy Spirit, I had so much peace. It was an awesome prayer. I just thanked him and I trust that God will answer his prayer as He has answered mine. Marcelo at the last minute couldn`t come to church but we will be working with him. And every day we experience miracles and lots of potential and hope for the future. We taught a lady this week who gave us mate cocido and she accepted a baptism date. We will teach her again on Wednesday and we will see if she is the real deal.

Well I love each and every single one of you! I hope you all have a great week! I will surely enjoy mine :)

Love,

Elder Maynard