Noviembre 29, 2010

Hola Familia!
So this week was good!  This week we had a gira misional (literal translation = mission tour, but in English it is referred to as a mission conference).  That is when a member of the quorum of the 70 comes and talks to us and it only happens once a year!  On Saturday we got to hear from Elder Benjamin De Hoyos, his wife, our mission president, President Villarreal and his wife!  Before the conference started I was able to shake hands with Elder De Hoyos and talk to him for about a minute.  He asked where I was from and I told him and he said he and his wife were married in the Mesa temple, which I thought was cool.  It was really cool!  The meeting was so awesome and so spiritual!  I learned a lot of things I didn't know and got other things I did know refreshed!  He gave us ideas on how to have more success and ways to get more references and new people to teach!  He and his wife taught a lot about the Expiación or Atonement and it was really great.  I have been able to start studying a lot more about the atonement because it is something we can study our whole lives and never understand it completely.  I got to thinking as they were talking about a scripture I like to use when teaching about the atonement.  I really like to use these two scriptures 2 Nephi 26:24 and Mosiah 3:7!  I'm so grateful for the atonement and for the opportunity I have to use it daily in my life!  It is such a great gift and shows the true love of both our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ!  They also taught that we should be teaching about the atonement more in every lesson because if people come to understand about the atonement then they grow faith in Jesus Christ and feel of his love.  When we feel of the love of Christ it leads us to act on the faith we have.  For investigators that action is first, complete the compermise we leave them and second, to follow the example of their Savior Jesus Christ and be baptized in his name!   That is something that I learned that is helping me to teach better, to be able to teach more about the atonement in every lesson.  I would like to challenge all of you to study more about the atonement and I promise as you do you will feel the love of your Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ more in every day!  I also sewed for the first time in my mission so I thought you would be proud of me Mom, haha.  My sweater ripped and so I had to sew it up, haha.  It probably wouldn't meet your sewing standards but it worked, haha.  Please tell Grandpa Despain "Happy Birthday" for me and that I love him and wish him a happy birthday this week!  So my Thanksgiving, well there wasn't one, haha.  It was just another day here, haha.  I ended up just eating microwaved food because the hermana just left a note for us to eat whatever we could find because she wasn't home, haha.  But it's all good. I was still able to think of things I am grateful for!  And I am very grateful to have such a great family!!!  I couldn't ask for a better family!  Well, I'm doing good and staying safe!  Thank you for all your prayers for me!  We had 2 investigators go to church yesterday and that is so awesome because the whole time I have been in this area we haven't gotten one to go to church.  So to have two in one Sunday was really awesome!  I love this gospel and I know it is true!  I love this work and I know that it is the work of the Lord!  I am so grateful to be here and to be an instrument in the hands of my Father in Heaven.  Even in times when I am not having lots of success, I just remember this is His work and there is a reason I am here.  I keep pushing forward because I know that the Lord will provide a way for those things that need to be done!  I love you all very much.  Thank you for all you do for me!  I love you and I miss you all as well!  You are all in my prayers daily!  Love ya!
Love,
Elder Despain