40 Day Fast

I would have to say that this was the most fantastically normal week! Haha nothing too crazy happenning, just constant good things every day. I´m still having lots of fun with my beloved son Elder Starkey and we´ve been seeing quite a bit of success lately. The little girl that finally received permission from her father,afterall, wasn´t baptized but only because it would be better to wait and get baptized along with the whole family in the following weeks. On Thursday, we did divisions with the zone leaders and Elder Starkey did an awesome job of managing the area solo while I was in Embarcacion with a great Elder Robins, the typical Orem-ite, blond hair, blue eyes, straight teeth, and 11 brothers and sisters. Haha to be honest, the division really made a huge impact on my week. Thanks to my awesome past companion Elder Blake, I took the time to really search the strengths of this missionary so that after the exchanges I could let him know how awesome he really is. I learned so much about just being jolly all the time. The people seemed to open right up to this guy because he was just ridiculously happy all the time. Haha maybe we all get caught in the trap of thinking that the world is getting sadder and sadder while the people get less and less in-touch with reality. Maybe we all lose focus of what´s really important in life. Maybe we aren´t happy because we´ve been exposed to ¨the real world¨. Well I´ll tell you what I´ve learned this week: that stuff ain´t nothin but a thang! We can be happy if we want to be happy! But most importantly: real happiness comes from a correct understanding of how the Gospel blesses human kind. For that reason, I´ve started a 40 day fast to help myself gain a stronger testimony of the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. Just like Jesus, I will be attempting a 40 day fast without food or water.... Hahaha psych! It´s just a period of time in which I fast to start and end this activity. During the next 40 days I will pray night and day, asking for help and giving an account of my previously set goals to the Lord so that I can really become a better person. Honestly, it really isn´t that hard to do but I am sure that the results will be unforgettable. I recommend that all of you think of the weaknesses that God has blessed you with and remember the words of Moroni (Ether 12:27). Join me on the light side of the force and begin your own 40 day fast....today! Fast and prayer has great power and is the principle of faith. I know it, I live it, I love it!

Elder Philpot

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD! You´re the best dad out of all the dad´s that I´ve ever met. Including the USA and Argentina. Haha

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Milagros y Pochoclo

I think that this week has been one of the greatest weeks that I have ever had in the mission and I owe it to an awesome comp, blessings pouring from heaven, and love for my sheep here in Pichanal. Not only have I come to respect many of the members of Pichanal (in spite of the many things that I often hear of them). One of the two biggest miracles that I would like to share today started last Sunday night. For about 2 months, we have been teaching a sister named Amancia and she is one of the best investigators that I´ve been able to teach in the sense that she always is willing to do what God expects of her. She was even willing (desirous even) to pay tithing before being baptized! Well, yesterday, we got to experience her baptism... She didn´t want many invited so only a few family members were present. Elder Starkey, mi hijo, all dressed in white, next to Amancia, with a few dear family members, made me think of how happy I am to be here in Argentina. There was actually a set-back with the baptismal.... pool, but we were able to fix it and shortly after she was baptized. I wish that everyone could see the smile on her face after leaving the freezing cold waters of baptism. Since Argentines don´t smile, I couldnt capture it on photo. Haha

Later on this week, we did our weekly planning and tried thinking of the possibility of baptism next week. We actually thought of a young girl who was about to be baptized about 2 months ago when my last companion, Elder Sandberg and I were together. Turned out that the father was very opposed to the baptism and refused to give permission or even speak with us about the subject. Well, months passed and the other week, he stopped us in the street (drunk of course) and mumbled that he wanted to change and that we should pass by the house. Well, we passed by a few days later and nobody was there. As we arrived home, the sister of this man (a member of the church) was in front of the pension and told us that his wife, Rosana, had contracted Hanta Virus, a dangerous virus from rats and that he, Walter, wanted us to give her a blessing. A few days later, we travelled to Oran and gave her a blessing. Miraculously, she left the intensive part of the hospital and is on her way to full recovery. The father has now accepted baptism and suggested that his daughter, Rocio, be baptized this week. Crazy! We prayed specifically for a miracle, that God would help Rocio be baptized this Saturday. Walter told us that he would like her to be baptized on Saturday. Never has a blessing or miracle been so specifically given in my life. Miracle are real! Prayer and fasting has more power than we can imagine. I know it, I live it, I love it!

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Life-Changing

I would have to say that this week has been one of the most hectic weeks that I´ve had so far but definitely one of the most memorable. It all started on Monday... Since my companion is slightly less than legal here in Argentina, he was called to go to Salta (mission home) to do some fun papers and lots of waiting while I got to hang with Elder Fuga. I was supposed to stay in Ledesma which is Elder Fuga´s area but since he just got there from another area (transfers), we bought a couple of tickets to Pichanal and stayed here in my home away from home. During the 2 day wait for our companions, we visited multiple investigators. One of which, whose name is Maria, made a huge impact in my week. She recently lost a son to suicide and has felt alone, with hundreds of questions, angry, not only with herself but with God as well, and weak emotionally. At the end of a powerful lesson about the Restoration, we invited her to pray, but she refused. I asked her why and she responded,¨I was mad with God for so long that now he must be mad with me.¨ Sometimes we all fall in the trap of thinking that we are unworthy of God´s help, or even talking with Him. But there`s a story in the Bible that perfectly explains how God feels in situations like these. The Prodigal Son is a parable taught by Jesus Christ to demonstrate His response. Basically, a very well-off man loses a son to the riches and the pleasures of the world, who takes his share of money and takes off. I would encourage you all to listen to the General Conference talk by Elder Nielson, who explains more fully the parable. But, after failing financially, and losing all pride, the son decides to return to his father to ask forgiveness and to be allowed to work as a servant. The father does not even think of the loss of money, or the insults that were probably shouted as the son left, or the time of suffering that he had suffered in wait, or even the damage caused by his son on his family... Rather, he accepts the son gladly, puts a coat upon him, shoes on his feet, and prepares a feast. I described this parable to Maria and she understood that God angers not with her, but awaits her with open arms. In tears, she accepted to say the prayer before we left. It was so sincere. The Spirit was present. And I knew that God was happy that she was finally coming back.

Just yesterday, we witnessed a great miracle as well. Amancia, an investigator now for a long time, wouldn´t accept baptism because she didn´t feel ready, but we are so sure that she´s been ready for a while now! We invited her to pray and search for an answer concerning baptism. After about 15 minutes on our knees, she said that she didn´t feel her answer. I didn´t know why now! The Spirit was so strong! Then, all of a sudden, a member who was with us told her that God wanted her to know him more. Before he even finished the sentence, she started crying into her hands. I knew that she had realized that God was speaking through us so that she could come closer to Him. She will be baptized this Friday. I don´t even have time to explain the other miracles that were witnessed this week but I don´t have any doubts that God is hurrying His work. I have strengthened my testimony beyond compare. And I have come closer to my Heavenly Father. Miracles exist. God prepares us to see them every day. I know it, I live it, I love it!

Elder Philpot

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He is Risen

What a week, no? I think that this was the first time in all my life that I´ve come to really appreciate this time of year. First of all, for the first time in my time in Argentina, the people actually observed the Sabbath day, there was hardly anyone in the street! I was pumped! Haha but it actually made it pretty hard to talk with people since there weren´t any. Unlike Christmas, there were no bombs nor fireworks being set off. There was no normal bustle and hustle as usual (although it was still quite loud anyways). There weren´t any changos in the street selling substances less than legal. But best of all, there weren´t quite as many homeless people hanging around in the street. I think to myself, that must mean that they are in some place where they belong. Who knows, maybe a family member´s house, maybe they grouped together in a big old group, or maybe they all found a little quiet hiding place to avoid the worldly noise. Easter sunday in Argentina is more like Christmas in the US. And well, Christmas here is hardly peaceful. 

Let us all think of our homes and our families and our quiet places. Let us all think of the love that we feel as members of loving families. Let us think of the joy that we´ve all had in this life. It´s a wonderful life, isn´t it!!!! Adam fell that men might be, and men are that they might have joy!

Now... think of those times when nothing seemed to go right. Or when nothing made sense. Times when family was far away and you were all alone to make a decision, times when it was hard to get up in the morning and hard to get back into bed only to start all over again. Think of the unfair life that ¨God gave us¨ and the bad things that happen to good people. It all seems hopeless.

Why is life such a roller-coaster? I´ve asked myself multiple times why it´s so hard for people who want to do what´s right. I´ve come to the conclusion that even when we know the answer, it´s hard to accept, even so, we don´t accept it at times. We suffer because it´s necessary to grow... But why wouldn´t God give us just a little less suffering? I get the point so why is the suffering so great?

I don´t have an answer for the additional questions but I do know one thing. That one Man does know why. He knows you. He understands you. Even though it seems as though nothing seems to go right or that nothing makes sense. He is there. He is there when your family is far away and you have to make a decision. He makes sense when nothing else seems to do the same. He makes it easy to get up in the morning and easy to get back into bed after a long day full of pains in the neck, pains in the back, and pains in the soul.

Jesus Christ suffered for each one of us individually in the Garden of Gethsemane. And he will come forth suffering pains and afflictions of every kind that he may know how to succor his brothers and sisters (scripture in the Book of Mormon). After bleeding from every pore and suffering a pain a million times stronger than anything that you could ever feel, He submitted himself to death at the hands of sinners and hypocrites to fulfill the will of the Father and complete His divine mission. Yesterday, we celebrated the life, the suffering, the death, and the highest source of hope on the face of the earth. Christ has risen. He lives. And He will always have His merciful arm extended toward you. I know it, I live it, I love it!

Elder Philpot

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