Cambios en todo lado

Sorry that I haven´t written in so long but I´ve been pretty busy doing work. Haha no, last week was a holiday and all the kids in town headed for the cyber shops and filled them up all day so we couldn´t write. Plus, the computer in the church wasn´t hooking up to the internet. Anyways, these past few weeks have been really crazy. We´ve seen so many big changes in the lives of a few of our investigators. To start it off, we had a baptismal service on friday of an little old man named Santos Diaz! It was awesome and the guy was smiling like a little kid, just like the phrase ¨We come into this world as babies and leave it as babies¨. But the story of this old man is a true testament that God has been preparing people to receive the gospel. Santos Diaz lost his wife about 20 to 30 years ago in an accident near his house, causing him to start drinking. He´d been known by many as ¨el viejito con vino¨ or the little old man with wine. My second night here in Pichanal, we were walking with a member who´s always with us and he said hi to ¨Hermano Diaz¨ when we walked past his house. Elder Sandberg and I were like,¨Miguel, who´s that guy, let´s stop by and teach him.¨ Well, we stopped by my second night and the man told us that he was having serious problems with his stomach that caused him to be in the bathroom for the greater part of the day. Miguel immediately shouted out,¨Elders, you can give him a Priesthood blessing.¨ Well, he accepted. Within a few days, he had improved greatly and to this day has not felt those problems seriously. After a month of teaching, Hermano Diaz was baptized. The week before his baptism, Miguel told us that Hermano Diaz was one of the town ¨borrachos¨ and that he got really sick on new years and was in the hospital for a few days. We stopped by his house two weeks later. 

To this day, Hermano Diaz has not touched alcohol and attends church every week, reads as much as he can with his limited vision, and still struggles with the correct manner of pray but is constantly trying harder and harder. There´s no doubt in my mind that God has been preparing his children for a very long time. The happiness of missionary work is unparalleled and I will never be able to forget the spirit that I´ve felt while bringing salvation to their doorstep. I know that Christ lives and is willing to forgive us of a life-time of mistakes. I know that this is the true gospel of Christ and that it was restored by the prophet Joseph Smith. 

Before I sign off, there´s a girl named Brenda that we´ve been teaching and has listened to the missionaries for 2 years, never having taken the decision to be baptized. Last night, after a family home evening, Brenda told us that she was going to be baptized and put the date by herself. The 7th of March at 7 PM we will see the long awaited baptism of Brenda. She´s changed temendously and I know that the Spirit is the catalyst of that change. 

Unluckily, and unfortunately, Elder Sandberg was sent to Jujuy and I´ve been called to train a brand newby. They shall now call me ¨papi¨. I will be having my first son tomorrow at around midday. 

The standard of truth has been erected; No unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the great Jehovah shall say the work is done. I know it, I live it, I love it!

Elder Philpot

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A Christ-Centered Life

I think the theme of this week would have to be that of our Lord and Savior. But before anything else... La familia Del Zotto was baptized on Saturday and confirmed yesterday!!! I think that being with this family has been one of the most spiritually uplifting and learning times that I´ve had so far in the mission. They decided that they wanted to be baptized in the morning so we got everything ready on Friday night so that we could all start on time. Well, overnight, the little swimming pool that we use for baptisms drained almost all the way and a few of the sisters from the ward got there before us and were yelling at a few of the men in the ward to start filling it faster. Haha we said a prayer and the pool filled in about half an hour, it was a miracle. Before the service, my companion and I sang a musical number, the theme was Christ and His earthly ministry. The song is called ¨I heard Him come¨ and we translated it into Castellano. The song brings the Spirit very strongly so when we all headed to the baptismal pool, nothing else really mattered. After seeing, the three get baptized I felt as though the angels were celebrating in heaven. And I believe that they were celebrating because they are going to be big factors in the building of Zion in these days. Raul, the dad of the family, is just a boss. Yesterday, his day of confirmation, he decided that he was going to give the Gospel Principle class. I was extremely surprised by the preparation and knowledge that he has of the lesson of the week, the Fall of Adam (which can be quite complex). Next week he has an interview to receive the Aaronic Priesthood. I gave him a white shirt and a tie after his baptism because it would take a while for him to have enough to buy them. Yesterday, he wore them both and now is on his way to being the next Branch President for sure. Haha

This week, I think I´ve been surprised by many things in my area and I´ve realized how very important it is to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ in 3 Nephi 14:24-27. Here Christ is speaking of the wise man and the foolish man. We can all remember the Primary song about the two houses and the ¨rains came tumbling down¨. The rain and storms are the hardships of life. Here in Argentina, the people have hardships that are more difficult than most problems of those that live in the United States, trust me. What I´ve noticed is that those who have built their lives upon Christ have had a much easier life and a much happier life. I strongly believe that the easiest way to go through life is, and always will be, the Lord´s way. I know that Christ is our Redeemer and our Mediator unto the Father. There is no highway, there is only the Lord´s way. I know it, I live it, I love it!

Elder Philpot

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Familias Eternas

This week was one of the greatest weeks that I´ve had so far in my mission and I think that it all has to do with my testimony of eternal families. This past week, we were eating with some members in our branch and some of their friends from out of town were also there. As usual, at the end of lunch, we share something with the family and it just so happened that the family´s friends were non-members. I´m actually not sure how but we ended up talking about temples and temple sealing. The man told me that he didn´t believe that the family would not be together after death and that there is evidence in the Bible (which there isn´t any such evidence against eternal families). He then made the bold move to say that his friends, the members with whom we eat, who are sealed in the temple, would not even know eachother in heaven. I was a little mad at first and I knew that I had to firmly reprimand him. I asked him if he thought that God wants us to be happy. He said of course. I replied,¨I will never be happy if I can´t live with my family after this life. I know that I will be with my family again in heaven. I know that families can become eternal.¨

If there´s one thing that I´m more sure of, it´s that families are the biggest part of God´s plan and that he will allow us to be with our families again if we are obedient. 

Just the week, Raul and Mirian Del Zotto (two investigators who will be baptized the next week with their son), were married. We had the opportunity to greet them outside of the tiny civil office where they were married. As we were throwing rice, Raul came up to me and gave me a big hug, and, with tears in his eyes, said,¨Thank you Philpot for all that you are doing for my family.¨ I think that was the happiest moment in my mission because I knew that the family was on it´s way to being eternal. The family is the most important part of God´s eternal plan. I know it, I live it, I love it!

Elder Philpot

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