No More Photos

No joke! Check out my Google Photos to find out!  I ran out of storage space and decided it would be best to get rid of 100% of everything. I took 34GB of photos these past 7 ½ months.

Hi friends!

I hope you all had a great week! I sure had an interesting one!

I don't want to spend too much time writing, but I'll mention a few notable things about this past week.

Notable things:

 - One day we contacted ~10 References. Now we have a few more people to teach. 

 - We painted more of the mural, its *almost finished.  I was also assigned to design and paint a parrot which was stressful for me (but I think it turned out well)

 - I'm still sick with a cough. It just isn't giving me a break, but I'm not being left in pain about it.

 - We are approaching a baptism, things are going pretty good but prayers for Kimberly López would be greatly appreciated 

 - We had a video call lesson and a text message lesson. Those were fun!

 - We deep cleaned the house to prepare for a very spiritual week were working towards

 - I learned a bit of Chinese - 你好

 - We painted the kitchen of a member (more painting!) 

 - I ran out of storage space, I had to delete some photos from my drive so I could recieve emails, and now that I'm in p-day I can clear my google photos

 - We've made progress in a mostly unexplored part of our area. 

Okay. I'm struggling to think of more things. I would now like to share a few people that I've met so you can meet them too.

Mathew and Thelma:

   Two new investigators of the church. They are very smart people and are a very cute couple. We've really only talked with Mathew, because his girlfriend is always working

Karen Arevalo:

   An active member in the church that always helps out with teaching lessons. She is a convert of about 30 years and very exotic. She loves to paint and her atmosphere really makes me more extroverted.

Brianna:

   The great-granddaughter of our pensionista. She has a ton of energy and will be baptized this year!  One of the APs met her and described her as 'the little demon. I wouldn't use those words ... but then again, she did scream at me at the top of her lungs that day...

Melissa Maldonado:

   A member that recently reactivated, she cooks very good food.  She used to cook food for the missionaries. Right now she is planning to go to the United States (legally 🎉). She owns a nail salon as well!

Kimberly López:

   A young women who has been investigating the church. She is fairly shy, but very loving. She's been having troubles in her family, but the gospel of Jesus Christ has been helping out in her life. She is now approaching baptism

My mom shared with me some of her favorite talks this week, and they were some of my favorites too!  Today I would like to share with you a few of my favorite talks!

Come What May, and Love It

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2008/10/come-what-may-and-love-it?lang=eng

Using the Supernal Gift of Prayer

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2007/04/using-the-supernal-gift-of-prayer?lang=eng

The Tender Mercies of the Lord

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2005/04/the-tender-mercies-of-the-lord?lang=eng

Pure Testimony

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2004/10/pure-testimony?lang=eng

The difficulties we have are a part of life. They are not fun, but they are an amazing way to grow, because this stretching teaches us new abilities and truths. Our capacities increase by suffering through and overcoming trials. I love the example of Alma the Younger when he shared with his son Helaman of the importance of trials: 

  3: "...I do know that whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions, and shall be lifted up at the last day."

  4: And I would not that ye think that I know of myself—not of the temporal but of the spiritual, not of the carnal mind but of God."

Alma was in a spiritual turmoil for his sins, but as he was suffering through his trial, he remembered his Savior Jesus Christ and went to Him for help. Alone he was not able to overcome his trial, but with God he found himself free and repentant. Through this trial, God taught him about himself, and grew his abilities. Alma the Younger became one of the greatest missionaries of Book of Mormon times.

I invite you all to go to God in prayer, to ask for help in your trials. Ask for the strength to overcome them. Elder Bednar taught in his first BYU speech in 2001 that: "As you and I come to understand and employ the enabling power of the Atonement in our personal lives, we will pray and seek for strength to change our circumstances rather than praying for our circumstances to be changed. We will become agents who “act” rather than objects that are “acted upon" ("In the strength of the Lord" - David A Bednar - https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/david-a-bednar/strength-lord/). Take control of your life, your conversion, and your choices and choose to put yourself in a position to overcome your trials. I do not recommend searching for trials in your life, but do search for growth, and I promise that you will find. God loves you, I love you. We are all rooting for you and will support you if you let us! In the name of Jesus Christ, amen. 

A final thought for you guys: The ex-president of Honduras was on trial in the US a few days ago. Look into him to figure out why he is the ex-president. 

- Élder Grant

PS: Next week Elder Giuffra will come to visit the mission. I'm super excited for a super spiritual week to report on next week.  Have a great week, and I recommend listening to his General Conference talk: A Faithful Search Rewarded (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2021/10/17giuffra?lang=eng)