Running Away to Uruguay

December 29, 2014




I never thought being a leader and having an area would make me loose so much sleep worrying about the other missionaries and investigators, but it does. I guess it´s a good thing though, because it means I really do love all of them. When I got to Skype with my family I asked my brother how I could help them and he told me that they have to be obedient, because when we aren't obedient we become unmotivated. Obedience is everything in the mission field. When we are obedient we feel the Holy Ghost in our lives that animates us to progress and do our best. When we are disobedient we don´t feel the Holy Ghost as strong in our lives and we become disseminated because we started to live in spiritual darkness. The Holy Ghost adds light to our lives and in all that we do. This happened a lot in the scriptures. In Alma the Nephites sent 2000 young men to fight against the Lamanites. Even though they were only young men it says that ´´Yea, and they did obey and observe to perform every word of command with exactness; yea, and even according to their faith it was done unto them;´´ Alma 57:21. They were young men that obeyed with exactness and they truly did have the protection of the Holy Ghost with them, because ´´ there had not one soul of them fallen to the earth; yea, and they had fought as if with the strength of God.´´ Alma 56:56. As obedient servants of the Lord, they fought with animo (with vigor). They did something that could only be done with the help of the Lord, because they were obedient. Although when we are not obedient we cannot expect the Lord to help us. The Lord says ´´ And he that repents not, from him shall be taken even the light which he has received; for my Spirit shall not always strive with man, saith the Lord of Hosts.´´ Section 1:3. Even though the Nephites were obedient, they later became more and more disobedient and when they began to fight against the Lamanites again in Mormon chapter 5 they weren't as successful. ´´ For behold, the Spirit of the Lord hath already ceased to strive with their fathers; and they are without Christ and God in the world; and they are driven about as chaff before the wind. 17 They were once a delight some people, and they had Christ for their shepherd; yea, they were led even by God the Father.´´ Mormon 5:16-17 We must have the Holy Ghost, this spiritual light, in our lives to help us battle spiritual challenges that we face every day. We must be obedient. The other day we went to look for a 12 year old recent convert named E to teach him. He is NEVER in his house, but as we walked passed his grandma’s house the idea came to my head to ask her where he was before going to his house. We entered his grandma’s house and she was excited to see us. She told us that her daughter who is a Mormon was visiting and wanted to introduce her to us. We started to talk a little bit to the daughter and she ended up telling us that they were Mormons, but they are inactive in the church now. We asked if we could sit down with her and her husband and share a message. We started off by talking about Christmas and Christ birth. We ended up asking the father what Christ birth meant for him. He said that it meant that Christ came to teach the gospel and so that was important for him. It was a good answer, but I was looking for him to say much more about Christ purpose on earth, so we opened up to 3 Nephi 27:13-14 that not only says that Christ came to teach the gospel, but to do his fathers will too and suffer for us. We explained the love that Heavenly Father has for us to send his son so we can repent. After that, a miracle happened. The father opened up and explained to us that he was once a bishop, went to the temple, and had always been a member of the church. Even though he had always been a member he had made mistakes and felt like he couldn't repent. He didn't even feel worthy to pray to his Heavenly Father. I felt his pain to live in this place of spiritual darkness. He had really been suffering for 5 years because of disobedience, but after sharing a strong spiritual message of Christ, the Atonement, and Heavenly Fathers love for him, I could see him see the light he had been missing all these years. In the end of the lesson, he knelt down in prayer for the first time in a very long time. We must have this light of the Holy Ghost in our lives to protect us from spiritual darkness. The only way to gain and retain this light is through obedience. I am so grateful for this light that tells me silly things like ´´ Go to E's grandma’s house to look for him, not at E's house.´´ It was truly the spirit that guided us to this family. I have a testimony of the Holy Ghost and it´s power in our lives. I know that it is through Christ Atonement that allows us to repent and gain this light in our lives. I know that I have a loving Heavenly Father who looks to guide us through the Holy Ghost and that he gives us commandments, because he loves us. Love, Hermana Baca