Hey family! I apologize that I didn't get to write to you last week! We arrived
late to the Cyber last week and I only had enough time to write to Casey who
after a few months has written to me an awesome message.
I'm super glad to hear that you've all had an awesome 4th of July and that you've been able
to have fun experiences as a family through out the weeks! Do me a favor and
send my love to all our entended family members for me and shout out "salut"
from my part to them as well.
Check it out! I've got some crazy news to share with you! I might not have
had the pleasure of watching fireworks blazing magnificiantly through the
night sky; however, while my collègue and I were with an investigator whom we
brought with us to go to church for her first time to institute Saturday night, I received the phone
call from one of our assistants to the president. After working for seven months
in the same appartment in Adidogomé, I have been called to serve in a city not
too far from here called Kégé. While there, I will be training a missionary from
Samoa who does not speak French. I'm not sure if he is directly from Samoa or
not, for all I know he could have been born there and was later raised in the
US; however, it seems to be that I am about to open up a whole new chapter of
responsibilty and a lot of hard work.
I'm not scared of what's going to happen due to everything that I've
already been through; although, I am a bit nervous and a little anxious all at
the same time. I know I am not anything close to perfect, but I'm ready to take
on this sacred task that has been placed upon me and I'm willing to face the
challenges that are bound to come my way. Dispite my anxieties, I'm actually very
excited to have been presented with this wonderful opportunity that I've been
hoping to have one day to be able to take part in the start of a new generation
of missionaries as a trainer.
Prayers on my behalf will be very sincerelly and especially
appreciated!!!
Thank you so much for the prayers that you've made on behalf of our
investigators. I've sincerelly seen the difference in the progression of four of
them who we've been really concentrating ourselves on since I've asked you to
pray from them last week. Our friend Rodrigue who has struggled to get himself
to church because of his work, whom we teach, see, visit, talk to, eat and hang
out with, has started to become re-interested in the Gospel, especially when we
had introduced to him the temple, eternal marriage, baptism for the dead, along
with other blessings that come from going there. In fact, among these four
progressing investigators, there are two potential baptismal canidates named Sr.
Yeabli and Sr. Patience, to whom we have as well introduced to the temple.
Sr. Patience, I am completely certain, will be baptised while I'm gone. The
only thing that has stopping her is the permission of her mother, who has
declared that she is not in agreement with her daughter being baptised.
We only hope and pray that one day her mother's heart will soften enough to the
point that she will allow her daughter to be baptised. Even though Sr. Patience
is twenty-five years old, she is living with her mother at this time, and if Sr.
Patience were to leave her mother's church, she could be potentially kicked out
of her mother's home with no where to go and no means to take care of herself
nor her daughter, who, unfortunately, does not want to be baptised due to the
lack of interest and understanding, having also been persuaded by persecution.
At the end of it all, we are all free to choose whatever it is that we so desire
to do; however, we will patiently continue to persist diligently in doing
everything that we can to help her and all of our other investigators understand
and simply realise the blessings that are waiting for them in the temple.
Sr. Yeabli has become particularly interessted in the church since we
answered her truly significiant soul-searching questions by introducing to her
the Plan of Salvation along with the temple. I'm sorry, but based off of
everything that I've learned from the hundreds of churches found in Togo is that
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the one and only true church
on the earth. The Bible and The Book of Mormon correlate in such a manner that
it simply makes absolutely sense if not provide solid proof that this church is
nothing but absolutely true. I'm living the story of Joseph Smith every day.
Apostacy is real. However, the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ along with
the power and authority to act upon His holy name, I tell you, has been
restorated and is only found in the church that we are in this very day. The
evidence is real and is there to be found by those who sincerelly search for it.
Even then, proof can be fought by the cunningness of Satan by distoration,
misconception, antichristianisme along with many other things. However, if we so
desire to maintain the integrity and conviction of our testimonies, we must
follow the instructions given to us in Moroni 10:3-5 because it is through the
Spirit alone that we will be able to protect our testimonies from the Adversary
and his attemps to destroy them (D&C 10:5).
Well family, I pray that the Spirit of the Lord stay with you at all times and in all places that you may be protected from physical and spiritual harm. Have another wonderful week and take good care of each other!!!
P.S. -- Fr. Rodrigue and Sr. Patience were super sad when they found out
that I'm going to be transfered. I'm not going to lie, it really put a knife in
my heart to tell them that in a few days I'll be gone. It's really going to be
hard to leave them. My collègue and I taught them so much and spent so much time
with them these past three months. It's crazy just how fast the time has gone.
They've become very good friends of mine and I'll never forget them. Thankfully
I have their contact information so we'll be able to keep in contact throughout
the entirety of my mission along with after as well.
Parents, congratulations with your 20th anniversary! I sincerelly hope you
two had a wonderful time in celebrating such an awesome day.
Avec amour,
Elder Gonzales
No comments:
Post a Comment