also here at the churches they have pianos, they have fair attendance here in our building, there are a few buildings in concepci´on the city we are in, just something funny, we sang families can be together for ever in priesthood a week ago, it was almost all monotone, they didnt know how to sing it, the guy leading got mad and was asking the president later to get released as the elders quorum president, of course the president didnt release him ha , that is just how a few of the people here are they are almost like red necks but they are not, they are just Paraguayans. the nice thing about the people here is they all are really nice, pretty much everyone, i dont think i have met someone mean yet. lunes just means monday it goes Domingo then lunes, domingo is Sunday. the mail here takes around a month for me to get
i like your pictures they all speak thousands of words, when you learn a language you learn a word speaks a thousand pictures jk but seriously, i feel like i am learning good, it is little by little, that is how we learn i think if people knew that they wouldn't waste time trying to get an immediate solution. God Lives. This is His work.
love ya
Elder Seffker
As we met with the Alexander family this week all I can say is that they are so amazing! They are some of the best people I've ever known. We met with them twice this past week and they are really making progress. They seem to enjoy church too. They read a chapter of the Book of Mormon together as a family every night. The other day brother Alexander asked us a question about a quote that Joseph Smith said and we didn't know which one he was referring to and later that night he texted us that it was on pg. 82 of the book, "teachings of the presidents of the church: Joseph Smith." He studies a lot and really has a clear understanding of things.
We also met a really prepared guy named tony this week. We found out about him through a text. (we get a text from the office whenever church headquarters has info for someone that had gone on Mormon.org or something like that). When we went and visited Tony he told us how he was actually wanting a Bible so he could give it to one of his friends who was needing one. he told us how he had totally changed his life around recently (quitting drinking, quitting smoking, changing his group of friends, coming back to church and reading the bible). He said for the past 4 years or so he had wondered why there had been so many different beliefs and churches in Christianity. He loved the teachings about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. We're excited to start teaching him. When we gave him the Book of Mormon he told us he'll finish it in 2 or 3 weeks. at the time we met with him we were with a member from the ward named brother Anderson. He's great! We went with him and tried a person we had helped in moving a piece of furniture into his apartment. He ended up being a less-active member of the church. When we tried him the other day he took a while to come to the door after we knocked but when he opened it he said, I'm so glad y'all are here." He explained to us the situation he was in and he said that his son (who he was staying with temporarily) stole his phone, glasses, and a bunch of other stuff and ran off with it. he said he was on drugs the night before and seemed like he was up to something. The guy said he was left with nothing and no way to contact anyone and he didn't know the area or anything because he wasn't permanently living there. He's a little older so it was really rough for him. He said he felt stranded and knew no way to contact anyone so he tried googling "send help." He was resorting to anything. He said this added up with everything else going on was enough to make this the deepest pit he's ever been in in his life. He kneeled down and prayed and asked God for help. Soon after was when we knocked on the door. We were able to help him a bit, the member with us gave him a way to contact him (he lived across the street from the guy luckily). The thing that helped him most was the message we shared with him though. The word of God really does heal "the wounded soul" (Jacob 2:8). When we were talking to him and bearing testimony to him at one point he stopped me and said, "you're speaking to me right now, I can feel it. Keep going." It was really different. I think he was feeling the Spirit really strong. It's true like Nephi said that, "when a man speaketh by the power of the Holy Ghost the power of the Holy Ghost carrieth it unto the hearts of the children of men" (2 Nephi 33:1).
On thursday it rained really hard and the streets got a bit flooded. I'll send some pictures. We were really blessed to be teaching most of the time during it. It was a great day. That same day we had a really cool experience towards the end of the night. We were really anxious all day because we had lined up an appointment with a girl named Anaya arouond 8 or so and since she is a single women we need another man with us if we are to teach her (one of the missionary rules is to always have another male 18 or older in the house so it's not just the missionaries and a women for safety and respect). Anyway, we had called and texted so many members and everyone seemed to be busy on that day. No one was available. We tried doing our best and really trusting in God and when we got to her apartment about 5 minutes before we had an idea to call a less-active man who happened to live in the same complex. We called him up and he didn't answer. We prayed and asked God what to do. We had thought maybe we could just ask this guy named David who lived at the complex--he's not a member, just a guy we've taught before. We asked God to help us and told Him we'd try asking David. We went up to David's door and before we could knock he opened it up and seemed ready to come with us. He was a little startled we were standing there. I forgot why he said he even came out at that time but we explained the situation to him and asked if he'd be willing to come with us to teach her. He said, "yes, can I bring my son?" He brought his young son with him and we went and taught a really spiritual lesson to Anaya and her kids. After the lesson David bore testimony to her of the truth of the things we taught. It was amazing. We haven't met with him that many times. He really felt the Spirit too. He's such a nice guy. It was a great miracle that we were able to teach Anaya and David was able to be there too! (two birds with one stone). God is really efficient. It's cool to see how when we try our best then He comes in and has us accomplish more than we could have by ourselves. "...it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do" (2 Nephi 25:23).
We had another amazing miracle. (there are so many miracles in missionary work. Elder Theis and I were talking about how you here stories like these and think that they are rare. they aren't! Miracles happen all the time! And I don't have time to even say them all. I am only mentioning a hundredth of them if that! "And who shall say that Jesus Christ did not do many mighty miracles? And there were many mighty miracles wrought by the hands of the apostles. And if there were miracles wrought then, why has God ceased to be a God of miracles and yet be an unchangeable Being? And behold, I say unto you he changeth not; if so he would cease to be God; and he ceaseth not to be God, and is a God of miracles" (Mormon 9:18-19).)--anyway, on to the next miracle...
We got a referral from the sister missionaries of a family with a mom named Lakshmi. They're an indian family and the mom wants her sons to come to church each week. She is really excited about the church and they are an awesome family!
another miracle--we had an appointment fall through the other day and we tried their neighbors (whom we helped move the other week). Their names are Erica and Dennis. We had a great lesson teaching them about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. A day or two later we were in the area and had just stopped by Virginia (the women that was baptized last month)--she is having some rough health problems and we had stopped by and given her a Priesthood blessing and it was so powerful. She is going to heal--anyway, after we walked out of that feeling really great and really feeling the Spirit we got a text from Erica saying, "OMG it's so much information. I feel like Gods throwing me emotional curve balls, I prayed an God gave me convictions that brought me to tears... I need the book!!!" We walked straight over to her apartment and gave her a Book of Mormon (we had only previously given her a pamphlet). We were equally--if not more--excited after hearing her personal experience as to what happened that made her send the text.
ahhhh. I'm outta time... I love y'all!! oh and sarah's baptism was really good!! I love this work the church is so true!
Elder Russell
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