Week 58 & 59

Ford did not write much last week.  He was able to say, "Hi, Mom, we heard from an Apostle this week, got to go!"

But this week is better: 

My Dear Fam.

So a lot has happened the past two weeks, I shall try to share everything that has happened.

So, the Tuesday before last Tuesday, we had a very special visit. Elder Anderson of the Quorum of the Twelve and a number of other general authorities would be coming to the Dominican Republic and the East mission was chosen to host them. The meeting was scheduled to be at nine, President told us to get their early. Our Zone, Almirante Campo, is about two hours from the capital, so we all woke up at four to get there two hours early.

We got there fairly early and my comp somehow claimed two seats at the front, we were very blessed. Eventually, everyone got seated and we commenced the wait for their arrival. It was all very professional, the sound system guys were running around, checking stuff, making sure everything was good to go and then the general Authorities arrived. In attendance were President Maynes, President of the Quorum of the Seventy, the whole area presidency of the Caribbean Area, President of the West mission, a lot of other people, and President and Sister Anderson.

It was a very unique experience, to watch an Apostle walk into the same room as me, he and his wife walked past us and took a seat. President Corbitt conducted the meeting, welcoming Elder Anderson, his wife, and the other visiting general authorities. Elder Anderson and the other Authorities wanted to shake our hands so, in organized groups, we all walked up and shook the hand of an apostle. Elder Eleuterio and I were there in the front so we watched as the first 300 or so missionaries passed by and Elder Anderson said hello, hola, how are you, one of the three to each of us. Afterward, we all sat down and the program proceeded. The area president first addressed us, he told us when we don’t know what to say, or what to talk about, talk of Jesus Christ. Then we were addressed by Presidente Maynes and his wife. President Maynes was awesome. He addressed us in Spanish and talked about the importance of opening our mouths. He told us a story from the beginning of his mission when he didn´t know too much Spanish. He told how he and his companion went contacting and just like with the story of President Uchtdorf, the very last door they found somebody, and President Maynes said the only thing in Spanish he knew, "Soy un misionero de la iglesia de Jesucristo de los santos de los ultimos dias. Y queremos compartir un mensaje sobre Jesucristo con usted." (I am a missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and we want to share a message about Christ with you.) The young man who answered received them and was later baptized.  Now, he is a strong leader in the church and has children who served missions. And it all started from Elder Maynes having the courage to open his mouth.

                After President Maynes, Sister Anderson bore her testimony and invited us to listen to the apostolic counsel of her husband. Elder Anderson then addressed us. He gave part of his message in Spanish, which he spoke pretty well considering he speaks French and Portuguese. He told us the languages get mixed up in his brain so we´d be getting a little of everything, Portuguese, French, Spanish and English. His message was simple and powerful. He talked about teaching repentance and baptizing converts. He taught us two things which are essential for true conversion. One is to feel the love of the Savior through the power of his atonement and the other is a love of the Book of Mormon. These two things are essential to a person becoming truly converted. He admonished us to put these two things in practice, in teaching, and in our own lives and left us his Apostolic blessing, that according to our desire, we would be blessed with a strong testimony of the Book of Mormon that would bless us throughout our lives. His message wasn´t what I expected but it was inspired and I felt that it was what we needed to hear.

I´m out of time, but really quick, this weekend we had a noche Blanca in our Branch, this month we´ve been preparing our investigators to be baptized on the 25^th and that afternoon we were blessed to have the baptism of two youth into the church. Here are pictures from the baptism!

I am thankful for this gospel. I know that we have a Prophet and Apostles who are called of God. I know that God is our loving father in Heaven. I am thankful for his gospel which helps us to change.  

I love you all,

Love Elder Call