Week of Awesomeness and Miracles

¡Hola familia y amigos amados!

Wow, what a week. My compañero, Elder Jetsel, and I stay busy working with investigators and menos activos.One big lesson that I´ve finally sarted to notice that faith, without works, surely is dead. A missionary can pray and pray and pray for a baptism, a Christ-like attribute, or whatever, but unless he is truly "anxiously engaged in a good cause, choosing many good things of his own free will," and not expecting for blessings to be handed to him on a silver platter, he´s never going to accomplish anything meaningful. I hope and pray (and now work :) that I will continue to apply this in every moment of my mission, my stewardship here in Argentina. The Lord deserves it of me, and so I´m going to do it.

So, for a miracle. It´s been almost 5 months since this area has had a bautismo, and we were super bothered about this. We were trying to learn what we could from that trial, and just continued working and praying. Then, Tuesday night we got a call from the bishop telling us he had just talked to one of our investigators (who hasn´t progressed since he was found 5 years ago), and that he wanted to be baptized! We immediately ran over to his house, and saw a significant change in his appearance and countenance from what the older missionaries tell me: shaven, shorter hair, and a real desire to change his life. The Lord works in mysterious ways and in His own time, and we are grateful for the opportunity to help His child make covenants to bring him to Christ. We continue teaching him, trying to prepare him for his baptism, which is set for the 29 de Noviembre!

Also, we had a 2-mission conference this Saturday. All of the missionaries from the Buenos Aires West and North missions met and listened to none other than D. Todd Christofferson of the 12. Wow. That is something I will never ever forget. You could feel the Spirit as he walked into the room (literally 2 feet from my comp and I!), and his talk was amazing. Then he opened the time for some questions. It was there that I really felt the Spirit teaching me the lesson I mentioned above. I know that we have modern day apostles and prophets. They have indeed been called of God to lead and guide His true church for the benefit of all of His children.

It´s been a great week, and "because I have been given much, I too must give." I´ve got a lot to learn still, and a lot of work to do. Thank you all soo so much for your prayers and examples for me. I love you all very much and hope you have a wonderful week.

Con amor,

Elder Blake