I'm sure that this letter doesn't really matter to you guys since all you probably want is to see me in person, but I've got to write it because last week was the most miracle-filled week of my entire mission!
I endured to the end, and I think that the Lord wanted to help me know that, like those who marched in Zions Camp, He accepted my sacrifice. Every day of the week, as we prayed and searched for revelation in ALL of our activities, we found new people to teach. EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK! That never happens, and I'm pretty sure that it's the only time that it's happened in my mission. The best part of it all though is that we found REAL people, not just people who want to learn about the Gospel without commitment.
Tuesday night, at 8, we had a cita, and a vianda to pick up at 9, so even though the night was bitter cold and windy, we were going to be okay. Then, the person wasn't home, and the vianda was canceled and, yep, we were left to knock doors for an hour and a half to finish the day. However, Elder Bragg of the Seventy promised us that if we talked with 17 to 20 people in the day, one would listen. We had around 14 contacts and decided to pray to know what we should do. Elder Valenzuela felt that we should pass by one of the people we had contacted the other day, and as we walked to her house, I felt that we needed to knock doors until we got there. So we started knocking until we got to 16 contacts, without success. We knocked the next door, and from the window, I saw contact number 17 coming to answer. She let us in! Her name's Teresa, and she ended up telling us that she wants to have a closer relationship with Jesus Christ. We returned Friday night with a member, and on Sunday, the member brought her to church! It was a miracle! We sat her down next to the Branch President's wife, and they got along great. When we visited her after church that night, she said "Well, I guess I'm gonna have to stop believing in los santos" We taught her that her new santo can be El Santo de Israel. I have a feeling that she'll make it all the way.
On Wednesday, we found Oscar, who has cancer, We had a great lesson with him. However, when we returned on Friday night with a member, he expressed that he wants to keep reading the Book of Mormon, but would not like to continue the visits. I was a bit disappointed, but at least he was polite about it. I've been praying that one day, as he reads the Book of Mormon and remembers the good experience that he had with us, that he'll search for the church.
On Thursday, we had another grand miracle. The other elders in my district asked that everyone could get together to knock doors in their area to help them find new people. It's a huge sacrifice for us to go, because it takes 45 minutes to get to their area and 45 to return, but to show support, we went. I said a prayer beforehand, asking God that for our sacrifice to help our fellow missionaries, that He would bless the rest of the day so that we too could have success. I contacted with our Lider Misional, and it didn't go very well. Nobody wanted anything, so I started to pray in my heart. I tried to feel the Spirit telling me what I should ask for, and I felt that instead of asking that someone let us into their home, that I should ask for God to put someone in our path. The hour to return arrived, and we started heading to the meeting place. I talked with everyone that crossed our path, without much success. Just before turning the corner where the other missionaries were, I saw a woman standing close to the wall. I began to contact her, and she told us that the Catholic Church had rejected her, she hadn't liked her first evangelico church, because she felt the man that baptized didn't have authority, and that she and her family were just looking for the "Pure Doctrine of Christ". My jaw dropped! I taught her a brief summary of the Restoration, and she readily set an appointment for Saturday, saying that she was going to tell her husband (and yes, that's husband, they're married!) that we were going to pass by, so they'd be waiting. But the biggest miracle was when she told me where she lived. Chacra 13!!!!!! THATS MY AREA! I was sooooo grateful that day!
On Friday, while we were planning, we had an appointment with someone new, but everyone kind of felt that he was going to stand us up. So, we decided to pray to see who could be the backup plan, and a random, unknown part-member family that I had seen in the directory came to mind. We put them down. The appointment ended up falling, so we went to the supposed house of the family. A man was outside, and when we asked him if the family lived in the house, he told us that they had moved. I'm almost sure that he was lying, and felt strongly that he was actually one of the members of the family. but we decided to continue. However, the Lord works in mysterious ways. If we feel we should visit someone, and they're not home, we always knock a couple doors close by to see if the Lord led us there for someone else. After knocking about 10 doors, on the last door that we were going to knock on the street, a young man with glasses opened the door. Elder Lees began to contact him, and after Lees finished, he said "Come on in, the girls told me you guys would come" "What?" I was thinking, when he whipped out a lesson 3 pamphlet and told us that the hermanas from centro had contacted him, and told him that they were going to send us to his home Friday at 5 o'clock. They hadn't told us anything, but GOD PROVIDED (especially since it was 5:15!) We taught a great lesson and offered to pick him up to take him to church on Sunday. He declined the offer, and told us that he would arrive by his own means, which is the Argentine way to say that he's not gonna go XD However, Sunday morning, as I was happily seated close to Teresa right before the start of Sacrament meeting, lo and behlod, in walks RAUL! That never happens! I was amazed at the power that the Lord has!
Saturday, we went to the cita with Cintia, the lady whom I had contacted in the other elders' area, and she was not only home, but had actually let her husband know, and on Saturday, we met Alberto. We taught a very good lesson, and they committed themselves to seraching the truth in the Book of Mormon. They didn't commit to coming to church, because theyve been disappointed by so many churches that they wanted to see the Book of Mormon first, but we have a return visit for next Saturday.
On Sunday, to make a long story short (since this mail is already huge), through prayer and revelation, we found Jonothan who, when asked if he could ask God anything, responded "If I end up liking this message that you guys are gonna bring me, I'd ask Him how I can bring it to my family in Buenos Aires."
I just want to give my testimony that I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the Lord's restored kingdom upon the earth. I love missionary work, and I'm going to start working on my Family History in order to bring the gospel to all my family as well. The mission strengthened my testimony in so many ways, and to thank the Lord for this great opportunity, I'm going to continue giving my all until I'm hugging my Mom in the airport, and even when I'm just a member, I'm going to be a member missionary.
Love y'all!
MOM! I love you!
See y'all soon.
Elder Jimenez
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