That's a big ol' party. We saw a kind of party yesterday in the church. The second councilor in the Spanish Branch Presidency was overjoyed to see his daughter reactivate in the church and bring her husband and two daughters to the waters of baptism. Brother G's wife was even more thrilled and threw a puchanga after the baptismal service with some elaborate decorations, brisket, punch, and gifts for everyone who came. It had kind of a quincenera flavor to it. Well, that's what we get in a branch where the the vast majority of the members have been baptized within the last 5 years; a lot of people who don't know how it's supposed to be done, teaching new members how it shouldn't be done. Haha, and then there are 8 missionaries who try to quietly guide everyone back on the right track.
A first presidency announcement this week! Missionaries will be required to teach lesson 5 of PMG Chapter 3 before baptism and will take charge in the re-teaching of the 5 basic lessons again following baptism in the proceeding 3 months. I think this will greatly increase the success of retention in the church.
We are still working with the "C", "S", and "G" family and I feel like we spent the whole week out on the streets just meeting more people, asking them who they knew and searching for the elect. The Contreras family has been hard to get a hold of, which makes me feel uneasy. The "G" family is doing really good, Ella was hearing a lot of chismes (gossip) at work this week and she said upon reading the story of Nephi and his brothers she received some answers and some extra strength. It's tough to keep Tad and Emilio in Primary. They both have their own attention span problems, and being 11 and a half they're already at the age where they're not too excited about Primary activities. Not to mention they know 0 songs and 0 people, we sat in with them yesterday and took them out for water and bathroom breaks frequently so they'd stop having anxiety induced bursts of rage, haha. It really was pretty comical for everyone, aside from the terrified primary president, including for Tad and Emilio.
The not so slim nephew of John and Hermalda, Slim Shady, came to church again yesterday and we had a lesson with his mom Juana this past week in the "S" home. John and Hermalda were testifying boldly the whole time and after starting the lesson as a cold shell Juana really opened up and instead of just consenting to the baptism of her son, she's committed to start reading the Book of Mormon and to come to church.
Elder Olsen and I received transfer calls last night ... 1 more transfer in Eagle Pass!! That's going to put me here for 6 months. I never that I'd be here so long, but I love it. I'm living in my refiner's fire.
The Lord requires us to look at all of the weakness he has given us, and then to put our faith and trust in him so that we can overcome those weaknesses. It is a game changer when we realize the things we struggle with are given to us from God, and given to us for the purpose of humbling us so as to direct us toward his powerful and merciful hand. We cannot trust in the arm of man, not even our own arm, and as we submit as completely to his will as he submitted to the will of his father we will be able to achieve a faith in him that is sufficient for salvation. Our faith starts with a desire, it is impelled forward with an action and if what we put our faith in is from God it will reimburse us a blessing and turn our desire into a hope. That hope is nurtured diligently until we have a true belief in the Word of God. Still, that belief is not the kind of faith God expects of us. Until that belief has been tried and tested, or until we've been buffeted sufficiently by the darts of the adversary so that like a tree in the strong wind we become unshaken and immovable our faith is not perfect in Christ. Don't ask for trials, but accept them when they come, because God will not tempt you beyond that what ye are to bare. Moving forward with a steadfastness in Christ might as well just say faith.
We had our concluding conference, "Faith in Finding" with President Slaughter this week. I'm grateful for the inspiration given to our leaders.
I love you and I miss you,
Ever Salty,
Elder Tyler Meidell
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