Another Letter Home 2-7-11

Hola Familia,

 This week was a really good week all the way until Sunday, haha. We had a lot of success in the week, but then on Sunday we past by for 7 different investigators and none could come and that was a little hard and put us down a little. But that just means we have to work that much harder next week to have more success. I know that this is the Lords work and that if we do all that we can that He will always, always provide the way for us to have success and complete His work. I was thinking about what you said to me mom about the Savior calling His apostles and that He asked them to follow Him. It was probably the most difficult time for them, but they had faith and followed Him right away. I know that we need to follow their examples and be ready to leave whatever we are doing to follow the Savior. I was also thinking about a video that the president showed to us on the atonement. In the video Elder eyring and Elder Holland talked and it really hit me hard. It said that at times us as missionaries are going to ask "Why isn't this easy?  Why aren't there just tons of people waiting to be baptized? Why are people mean to us? Why don't they accept our message?" And then Elder Holland says that in his thoughts it isn't easy because it was never easy for the Savior. Salvation isn't a cheap experience and the perfect missionary, the only perfect missionary that ever was here on earth, never had it easy for Him. So if we are going to do His work, we must go through just a little bit of the pain He went through. And he talks alot more about it but it hit me hard. Some times as we enter into this work, the work of the Lord, we expect it to be easy. But the Lord never had it easy and it isn't going to be easy for us but if we push through it and put our faith in the Lord, He will always help us through it and He will always give us success. But the success comes after the trail of our faith. I know that my Savior lives. I know He hears and answers my prayers and I know that the atonement is real. I know that we can apply it in our lives and change ourselves to become better people through the help of our Savior. I know that this work isn't easy, but that it is very hard at times, but the Lord always provides a way. I know for you all at home it is very hard at times to share the gospel but just remember that you are sharing something good, not something bad, so there is nothing to fear. If they except or not, you know that you have done your part. The Lord provides a way, we just have to find it. If we pray, He will put people in our path but before asking His help, we have to be ready to do our part. I know this church is true and that there is no other place that we can find true happiness. The only place is in this gospel, the gospel of our Savior Jesus Christ. I'm doing really good and my comp is learning little by little. I still feel that I talk most of the time but he is talking more and more daily. I love this work and I'm so, so grateful to be here serving the Lord. I got to see a miracle this week. We were down because we hadn't found any one new in all the week and we were thinking, like how are we going to find people and complete our goal that we have this week. But at the moment we thought that, a contact that we had done the last week came into our mind. We had past by other days but they weren't ever home. But since we both thought of this person at the same time we decided to check again. So we went and knocked on this door and the daughter of this lady that we had contacted answered. We asked if we could teach them and she said yes, so we went in and we were able to teach this family of 3 and the spirit was really strong and they accepted the message really well. I know that this doesn't seem like much but it strengthens my testimony of prayer and makes me know that this is the work of the Lord and He always makes it possible for us to do the things we have promised Him we will do. Goals here are very imoprtant because for every goal or number, that number converts into a person, a name and into another one of God's children that is able to recieve this gospel and this happiness, or at least have the opportunity to accept the message we bring to them. I'm so grateful to be here and to be able to see people change their lives for the better. Thank you so much all of you, for all you do for me. I truly have the greatest family in the world and I couldn't ask for a better one. Thank you for all of your prayers and please pray for me and my companion that we will be able to have success in this week! I love you all so much and just know that I'm good and safe! Love ya all!

 Love,

Elder Despain