3-7-16

Hola hola! 

So this week has been a good one. We found like 5 new investigators! (There wasn´t too many when I got here.) so we´re pretty excited! I attatched a picture, one them is named Sergio, and his wife is an inactive that is coming back! (Veronica) They are super cool, he accepted a baptismal invitation! But, they have to get married- and he actually has to get divorced from a marriage that he left like 13 years ago... That´s really common here! So we´re helping him with that. They are awesome- They came to church yesterday and blessed their baby. We were pretty excited about that!

Other than that, we as a zone have really been focusing on training the members in this stake. When Elder Bednar came, he talked a lot about what the church leaders here in Uruguay need to do to have more success in the work of salvation- Many leaders just don´t know their role. So it´s a slow process, but we are getting it done! The Bishop here got up yesterday in church and just told the members " Hermanos, There aren´t that many people with us today, or on any sunday. Let´s go out this week and get them! Members or non members!" So we´re stoked, the bishop is starting to catch the vision.

I´ve been thinking a lot about what Elder Bednar said when he came and trained us last week. He send us talks to prepare us and a quote that he said in one of the talks was this:
 "We properly pray for the safety and success of the full-time missionaries throughout the world. And a common element in many of our prayers is a request that the missionaries will be led to individuals and families who are prepared to receive the message of the Restoration. But ultimately it is my responsibility and your responsibility to find people for the missionaries to teach. Missionaries are full-time teachers; you and I are full-time finders. And you and I as lifelong missionaries should not be praying for the full-time missionaries to do our work!"

So in our training he gave another example of praying with faith. (Meaning showing the Lord what YOU are going to do, instead of sitting back and watching what he will do. He said.
" In the church, we have this culture of saying "please bless those that didn´t come to church that they will be able to be with us next week." How weak and pathetic is that? We are just sitting back and hoping that God will magically bring those people to church next Sunday. What we should say is "Heavenly Father, we regonize that for one reason or another, some people are here today in church. So, Father, after this meeting we are going to visit these people, find out if they are ok, and invite them to come the next sunday. Please bless us with the Spirit to invite and teach with power so that they can feel thy love and our love in order to feel the need to come to church next week." That is praying with faith- We show the lord what we are going to do about the problem we have seen."

So I´m really trying to show the Lord my faith in my prayers, instead of just praying 5 extra minutes harder and with "More faith". It´s working so far! 

I know this church is true. Jesus Christ really did come to the earth and restore and establish His true church. When He and His apostles died, that church really was lost of the face of the earth, and after centuries of being is the darkness, God again called a prophet seer and revelator to restore Priesthood power and keys, giving man once again the permission and baptize and seal on the earth, and in heaven. It is very real. We are in the final dispensation, and it´s our job to bring that knowlege to light. (D&C 123:13-17.)

I love you all! Have a good week!

Elder Carroll