Fighting the Battle in San Blas - April 10, 2017

Hello Everyone, Well this week was a huge battle against the adversary. It has been so sad to see the traditions here having to do with Easter and this coming week. Yet, it has strengthened us and helped us to become better and be better people and instruments of the Lord. So this week we started out really strong, finding a ton of new investigators and really teaching and trying to minister to them. But as the week went on the whole town here became focused 100 percent on the traditions that they have of celebrating the dead each Friday leading up to Easter. This week literally everyone gathered to the cemetary to celebrate the dead and to put flowers on the graves. But along with that everyone brings speakers, music, food, and games and they do all of that around the graves of their family members. So on Thursday everyone was down at the cemetary and there wasnt anyone to teach. On Friday the parties didnt stop, they simply moved them out into the streets and everyone continued to drink and dance. Yet we found a few pèople that had the desire to listen to us. It was hard work but all throughout this week the story of Alma and the sons of Mosiah has been on my mind. When it was Thursday night we were out of plans because everyone had left, but then Elder Clark recieved inspiration and said "Well if we go knock on doors we will find everyone that is against the partying and drinking and they will be more ready to listen to us" And it was true, we got as far away as we could from the party and the first door that we knocked on was a guy named Ollie. He is 25 years old and is a doctor that just graduated. Anyways he asked us, "Why are we here, all I see is people that work hard just to go have a good time" so we began teaching him the restored truths of the Plan of Salvation, why he was here and where he is going. It was a great lesson with him. On Wednesday we found a girl named Gisela, we were out on the outer edges of San Blas and we knocked on this sweet grass hut. She came out and we asked her if she had peace in her life. She said no and that she needed it. We shared with her the truths of the Atonement and how they could help her to have a better hope for a better world. On Friday when we went back, her Dad was drunk and ran us off their property, we could see that is was hard for Gisela, even though it was a little scary we went back the next morning to find that she had read the whole pamphlet because of the fear that she had had the night before. We assured that it was fine to continue to talk to her and we continue to teach her too about the Plan of Salvation. The last experience is with Juan. We were at Margaritas house on Saturday night and we began to prepare Juan for his baptism by teaching him the Word of Wisdom. About halfway through the lesson Margaritas husband came in drunk and out of his mind. He began shouting at everyone and it was so sad to see. We ended up not being able to finish the lesson but it was a perfect example of why we have commandments from God. They are for our happiness and protection, so that we can truly feel his love. Like I said before, this week one scripture has been flowing through my mind over and over seeing what the situation is like here and being so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father. It is Alma 13:12 12 Now they, after being sanctified by the Holy Ghost, having their garments made white, being pure and spotless before God, could not look upon sin save it were with abhorrence; and there were many, exceedingly great many, who were made pure and entered into the rest of the Lord their God. Now, this week I am so grateful for the opportunity that we have to celebrate Easter, with a greater knowledge and love of why we are doing so. I am so thankful for Jesus Christ, who lives and loves us, and through him we can be made pure again. Through him we are able to recieve the perfect love of God.