Dear Family,
Thank you for your continued prayers and faith on my behalf.
This has been a wonderful week. It has been tough since we haven't seen the
Castillo family since mutual on Tuesday but we have an appointment with them
tonight and we are bringing their fellowshippers. Please pray that it goes
well.
If y'all remember from the Mother's Day call, I talked about
Gerardo Matamoros. He is the one that was just barely baptized and then
received the Aaronic Priesthood the day of his confirmation. He is doing so
wonderful. On Friday we taught his daughter (who is also his next-door
neighbor) and walked out and saw him. He spoke with us for a few minutes and we
told him we were about to go visit a lady from Costa Rica. He thought that was
great. We went to the appointment and didn't have a man so we called him and he
came right away. He was so awesome in the lesson. He said the word that has become
my absolute favorite on my mission when said by recent converts or returning
less-actives. He said, "testifico". He bore his testimony so many
times in the lesson and just tried so hard to help la Hermana Ovy understand
how much the Gospel has blessed him and his family. It was a precious memory.
We left and went to a different lesson after which we went to teach Gerardo and
his wife Giselle about Family History. When we showed up they had the Gospel
Principles manual, the Book of Mormon, and the Bible all open and were in the
middle of trying to figure out what his duties were as a Priest. He had spent
the two hours in between the lesson with Ovy and the Family History lesson
studying the scriptures so that he could "respect his Priesthood". We
had much success with family history and are going to do baptisms this
Saturday. They are so excited. After we left their home, he spent two hours and
went through 500 records looking for an ancestor. Then at 9:30 that night
he called and said he had been studying trying to figure out what scriptures we
could share with Ovy the next day. He told us that he had found a chapter about
baptism in the Book of Mormon and asked if it would be good to share. He
literally spent his whole day either with the missionaries, studying the
scriptures, or doing Family History. The Gospel sure does change our hearts. He
has learned how to cast Satan out of his life and loves how he feels.
My favorite experience with his this week though came on
Saturday night. We taught Ovy with him Saturday afternoon and he gave her and
her daughter a ride to the activity. It was a Mother's Day activity and
the youth and men served and the mothers enjoyed themselves. Gerardo put
himself of collecting trash the whole night and at one point I went up to him
and told him the story that is in the Joseph Smith movie when Joseph is outside
beating the rug and the other man asks him why he (the prophet) is doing such a
homely task. I told Gerardo that it was so interesting that he had just
received the Priesthood of God and that according to the world he should be
above simple tasks and yet here he was pushing around a trashcan. He looked at
me and said, "You know what, before I had the Priesthood I never would
have done this". It was so interesting to me that he in such little time
has been able to in some way grasp the following verses from D&C 121:
36 That the rights of the priesthood
are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and that the powers of
heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the principles of
righteousness.
37 That they may
be conferred upon us, it is true; but when we undertake to cover our sins, or
to gratify our pride, our vain ambition, or to exercise control or dominion or
compulsion upon the souls of the children of men, in any degree of
unrighteousness, behold, the heavens withdraw themselves; the Spirit of the
Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the priesthood or the
authority of that man.
41 No
power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood,
only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love
unfeigned;
42 By
kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soul without
hypocrisy, and without guile—
43 Reproving
betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then showing
forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved, lest
he esteem thee to be his enemy;
45 Let
thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of
faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy
confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the
priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven.
46 The
Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion, and thy scepter an unchanging
scepter of righteousness and truth; and thy dominion shall be an everlasting
dominion, and without compulsory means it shall flow unto thee forever and
ever.
The ward loves him and is amazed at his
desire to serve. He also went to the Bishop's Storehouse on Thursday and plans
on doing that weekly and he brought some investigators to the baptismal service
last night. Talk about conversion. It has been such a blessing and joy to see
the change in him and to feel of his love for the Lord and the Gospel.
Ovy and her daughter Nia are new
investigators. They are friends with a lady in the English ward. Ovy is great.
She has never been baptized and didn't feel a need to. During the Restoration
lesson while talking about prophets, I felt to do something that I have never
done before. I quoted John 3:5 "Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say
unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter
into the kingdom of God" and then said that we have to be baptized by the
authority that prophets hold to enter into the kingdom of God. She said she
didn't believe that because there are so many people that die without ever even
hearing about Jesus Christ or having the chance to be baptized. We finished
teaching the Restoration and then taught baptisms for the dead. It clicked. She
then said, "Ok now I believe for the first time that I too need to be
baptized." She came to the activity, church, and the baptism last night
and loved all of them. Her daughter is best friends with Sandy Ortega and
Madison Matamoros (both recent converts in the area) and she thought it was the
best thing in the whole world. The interesting and miraculous part about teaching
Ovy about baptisms for the dead during the first lesson (something else I have
never done) is that since zone conference a few weeks ago we have been praying
that we can find those who have ancestors waiting and praying for them to
accept the Gospel and then do the work for them. Ovy was a very direct
answer to those prayers.
We have spent almost the whole week teaching
Family History and helping people prepare names to go to the temple. I have
been working on the Case line a little bit and had a big breakthrough this
week. One of the people that was put in was incorrect and when I put the
correct person in, the line continued on another 150 years rather than ending
as it previously had. It was pretty exciting and allowed me to find people to
take to the temple to do baptisms for.
This work is an absolute joy. I couldn't be
happier. I am so grateful that the Lord has allowed me to serve Him these two
years and come to know of His mercy and love and longsuffering towards me. My
mission has been for me. I know that the Lord lives. I love Him. I also love
reading the words of His chosen servants. This week as I read "The
Witness" by Elder Packer, the Spirit enveloped me. His testimony of the
Savior is so real, so personal, and so sure. I want to have that kind of
testimony of Jesus Christ and I will strive to live worthy to receive it.
I love you. The Gospel is true, what else
matters?
Love,
Elder Case
P.S. Sharon, Gerardo's daughter, is
progressing a lot and is super excited for her baptism on May 31st! Please keep
praying for her, especially that she can change her work schedule.
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