A Lot is Happening at Home

Week #53

It's always wonderful to hear of new mission calls(Rose Bowler), graduations (Lauren, Jesse, Emily, Paige) scholarships, family baptisms, babies and everything else that happens. The Lord really does provide wonderful opportunities, especially to those who serve him.

This week, we baptized Josè Carlos. He's a very simple man and the only thing he talks about is how much he wants to change his life and how happy his family will be when they learn that he is "with the Bible in his hand." He has a little more than that in his hand, but that's a good start. 

Josè is a referral. Referrals baptize. Please, give referrals to the missionaries. They don't even need to be people you know very well. Yesterday, when we asked a family for a referral, they said "We need to talk about the Church first and have to know them well." This is false. I honestly believe that this is one of the devil's greatest false doctrines that he uses to block people from entering the Celestial Kingdom. 

If we had to talk about the Church before introducing people to the missionaries, the missionaries would never baptize and we wouldn't have the book of Acts or most of the great missionary stories from The Book of Mormon. 

The basic principle is this: "The Lord prepares his children. He already planted the seeds. The field is already white. He does the preparation and we (members and missionaries) are called to harvest."

The wonderful thing about harvest time is that you don't need to wait for each individual stalk of wheat to be ready and pluck it from the middle of the field. The field is harvested all at the same time. The scriptures do not speak of stalks. They speak of sheaves. 

We must thrust in our sickle with our might and reap the harvest the Lord already prepared. Many halfheartedly swing the sickle, others just walk through the fields with it and yet others are afraid to even touch it. 

Look back at the third paragraph of this e-mail. The false doctrine to which I referred does not serve just to impede our friends, family and other non-members. This quote is one of my favorites the we have in Preach My Gospel.

"We will attain our exaltation in the Celestial Kingdom only on the condition that we share with our Father’s other children the blessings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and observe the commandments that will enrich our lives here and hereafter.” - George Albert Smith

An evil spirit teaches a man not to pray and that same evil spirit teaches all men to fear preaching the Gospel. Whatever reason we have for not sharing the Gospel is an obstacle placed in our path by the very same who cast out of Heaven for open rebellion against the Almighty. We cannot serve God and Mammon. We cannot claim to be serving God while we do not build up His kingdom.

The Savior put it this way. "He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad." If we are not actively engaged in the work of the Lord, we are in direct opposition. There is no middle ground. There is no fence to sit upon. Think of No Man's Land. Filled with mines, barbed wire, the enemy firing and nowhere to hide. The Lord promises safety, but only if we are on His side. Only if we build up His kingdom.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the kingdom of God on the Earth. I know this and testify of it every day because it is true.

Now to answer my Mother's questions.

Yes, I'm eating well. I don't even think it's possible not too. Everybody always says "Eat more, Elder." No matter how many times you say that you are full, they always put more on your plate, or say you must not have liked the food, or they bring dessert. I'm eating fantastically.

Yes, they do have lots of meat. Espeto corrido is very common here. Lots of black beans and white rice too. I think I'll buy a pressure cooker when I come home.

Yes, I have lost enough weight that the CTR ring doesn't fit any more.

Here are some pictures.

Companion: Elder Cooper from Erda, Utah

                         Being baptized: José

          O tchê with the sportcoat and hat: Leóncio
             (Member that brought José to church)

                    Batizador: Sou eu (Baptizer: Me)

Until next week.

Elder Dickson