Week 49 (Aug 28, 2012): God Expects us To be Examples

Dear family,

Its been a great week. We had our zone conference with Elder Zeballos
and it was incredible. He and his wife are from Chile.

I also just wanted to emphaze the importance of our silent and not so
silent examples to those around us. I can not tell you how many
people that I have started to teach and almost every single one of
them have had friends, family and neighboors who are members of the
church. It makes such a difference... almost 100% in their readiness
to listen to and share with the missionaries when they have seen that
those family and friends are happy and are good examples. On the
other hand, it is so sad to come to a home and the family or person
has had bad experiences with members of the church... OUR FATHER IN
HEAVEN EXPECTS US TO BE EXAMPLES IN ALL THINGS, AT ALL TIMES AND IN
ALL PLACES... that is the promise that we made with God when we were
baptized! As we keep our covenants, the Lord molds us and changes who
we are and through us and our faith, we will work miracles (2nefi24:27
or 27:24 cant remember!)m and give us the privalage of helping our
brothers and sisters come unto Christ and accept the Gospel because
they have seen and heard and know that we are different.

A quick story of how our small examples can change hearts and help
them be willing to hear the gospel:

There is a guy named Frederico who walks all day long with a basked of
"chipa" (a type of "bread" typico paraguayo... selling from house to
house. We, almost two months ago, when i first got here, stopped and
introduced ourselves to him and his wife, Jactcinta. They werent
excited to have us come by and teach them and they wouldnt tell us
their direction, so we never got to teach them, but we ALWAYS ran into
them durring the week and they have become our friends.

Well, they other day, we came to a home to talk to the lady that lived
there and from her backyard we could see a small little hut. Well,
come to find out Frederico and Jactcinta live there and when they came
out to greet us, Jacticinta told us that we could come by again that
week to teach them (this wednesday!!) and as we turned away to leave
and started walking away, she shouted, "wait! that card you gave us
with the direction of your church! I lost it and we have been wanting
to go to your church!".

When you hear people say things like this as a misisonary , you try
not to smile TOO big so that you dont worry or scare them! haha but I
was pretty happy.

I know that this gospel is true. I know that Christ suffered for each
and every one of us. He loves me and it makes me so happy to be able
to serve Him. I am one of millions... each and every one of us have
the opportunity to serve Him and be and instrument in His hands to
help our brothers and sisters hear the gospel and come unto Him. He
lives and loves us.

I love you all... Les amo cada uno de uds....I feel your prayers and
thank you for praying for our investigators also because I know it
will make a difference for them also.

amor,

su Hermana Jones