Dear Beloved Family,
I love you so much!!! :D
I'm sorry that we're writing today instead of yesterday; my companion was in pain, and we had to return to the piso and not leave for the entire afternoon, again. My companion is getting his procedure tomorrow. He's suffering, and I hope that it ends, soon. I wish I could trade situations with him, so that he wouldn't have to struggle so much.
I'm doing fine, though. I really wish we could work more, but I know that the Lord is just giving me this opportunity to teach me and to help me grow. I got to go on an intercambio with my friend Élder Hachenberger on Saturday that made up for the whole week: we didn't waste ANY time, and we saw SO many miracles!! We taught literally dozens of people, from all over the world, gave two priesthood blessings, invited people to be baptized, and felt the Spirit all afternoon with people!!
One experience from this intercambio happened when we were heading to an eating visit with a member in these Élders' area. We got a call from the member telling us that the Sister Missionaries were also coming to the visit. In our mission only one set of missionaries should be in a visit at one time; it's a way for us to be effective by being in as many places as possible. Also, we aren't supposed to visit members who are outside of our area... Haha. Anyways, we had a little problem. My companion wondered if it would be okay to go to the visit with the Sisters. After a short discussion, we decided to be obedient, and we made calls to resolve the situation. We were not going to waste any time, and so we decided to sit on a bench by the Metro exit, on a street corner, and begin our language study before our next visit. I was praying to know what I should do for language study, and I began to run through options: vocabulary, or pronunciation, or reading the Book of Mormon out loud in Spanish, or the Liahona, or memorizing a hymn in Spanish...?... and then I felt the Spirit. My companion and I decided to pull out our hymnbooks and sing hymns right there on that street-corner bench. I had left my bag on the floor in front of me, and decided to leave my hat on it, facing up. We were having a blast, singing hymns of the Restoration as people walked by, when a man pushing his toddler in a toy-scooter drops a few euros in my hat!! We jumped up, ran up to the man, laughed some, and told him thanks but that we can't accept his money. I asked him if he had heard the song that we were singing ("Praise to the Man") before. When he said yes, we looked at him doubtfully, and asked if he was sure. "Yes, of course I have, I'm a member of the church." 8D We began talking with him, and we found out that he was from Chile (he looked Spanish to me), that he had been baptized 18 years ago when he was 17, and that he had been inactive ever since coming to Spain. He is married, and nobody in his family here is a member of the church. We walked with him, and he told us that just four days earlier his wife had had a stroke, and that she had just come home earlier that day. She was still in major pain, and their little family was struggling. We went up with him into their home, and found that a member who was in my ward in Sabadell (a town I served in a year ago) was in their house!!! They are friends, and we are friends, and the day we miraculously meet this Chilean family happened to be the same day that my friend from Sabadell had also felt prompted to pay them a visit!!!! We didn't want to take too much of their time (obviously, the lady was in pain and needed rest), but they wanted to know about priesthood blessings, and then they asked us for one. As we left, there was a feeling of peace in the home, and the tears in the lady's eyes and her smile told us that she was feeling the Holy Ghost.
Heavenly Father had us all in the right place at the right time. I know that when we are trying our very best to be obedient to the Gospel (or even mission rules that might not always make sense to some people), Heavenly Father will guide us, and work through us, to meet the needs of others.
Study and ponder the following counsel. How does it relate to your daily proselyting activities?
“Tell the brethren to be humble and faithful and be sure to keep the Spirit of the Lord, that it will lead them aright. Be careful and not turn away the still, small voice; it will teach them what to do and where to go; it will yield the fruits of the kingdom. Tell the brethren to keep their heart open to conviction, so that when the Holy Ghost comes to them their hearts will be ready to receive it. They can tell the Spirit of the Lord from all other spirits — it will whisper peace and joy to their souls; it will take malice, hatred, strife and all evil from their hearts, and their whole desire will be to do good” (quoted in Juvenile Instructor, 19 July 1873, 114).
The Prophet Joseph Smith gave this counsel to Brigham Young in a dream almost three years after Joseph Smith's death. If you were in Brigham Young's place and received this counsel, what would you do?
...
I love being a missionary!!! I invite you to consider how the Holy Ghost makes us feel.
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There was also a personal miracle that came in a quiet moment in the piso. While my companion slept, I was really feeling discouraged, and was beating myself up for things that are outside of my control. I realized that I wasn't feeling the Spirit, and caught hold of that prompting, and began to write down my feelings in my journal. It was a private prayer with Heavenly Father; and He answered me. My hand started to write His response to me, as if on its own, and I began to feel the discouragement be replaced by a warm, comforting feeling. He told me that He knows what I'm going through, and that He has a purpose in mind for me. He told me that He loves me, and that He's happy with me. I felt a thrill rush from my head to my toes, and I felt full of gratitude and joy. That saved my day, and when we were able to leave the piso even for an hour, I got to share my testimony with people and invite them to feel the same way by preparing to be baptized. I know that when we are living the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ, we can feel His influence in our day to day lives.
I live for those feelings, and I want to love, follow, and serve my Father and Savior so that I can feel their loving embrace, forever.
Everyone deserves to feel the love of Heavenly Father and our Savior, always. When members receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost by someone holding the proper authority, after having been baptized by the same, then they CAN feel it always!!! That's another reason why baptism, and living the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ, is so important!!
Here's another quote from
Preach My Gospel that I've been studying this week, that really explains well
why living the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ is such a joy:
Individuals and families begin to follow Christ as they exercise faith in Him and repent of their sins. They receive a remission of sins through baptism and by receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost from one who has authority from God to perform these ordinances. They then endure to the end, or, in other words, they continue throughout their lives in exercising faith in Jesus Christ, repenting, and renewing the covenants they have made. These are not just steps that they experience once in their lives; rather, when repeated throughout life these principles become an increasingly rewarding pattern of living. In fact, it is the only way of living that will bring peace of conscience and enable Heavenly Father’s children to return to live in His presence.
Would you like to feel the Holy Ghost more continuously in your life? Why don't you ask the missionaries? They can help you!
Please watch these videos. They explain how you can feel the Spirit more in your life.
If you are a member, will you please share these videos with someone that you know this week? Will you invite them to talk with the missionaries?
If you are not a member, will you ask the missionaries how you and your family, specifically, can feel the Spirit more often in your home?
I promise that as you make feeling the Spirit a higher priority in your life this week, you will feel happier, less-stressed, and you will be blessed in your work, school, and home. I know that this is true, because it happens to me, and to my friends here in Spain.
I know Heavenly Father is aware of your feelings, knows your name, and loves you more than you might imagine. He will make it apparent to you this week as you accept and act upon the invitations that I've felt prompted to give you. I know that this Gospel and Work are true!!!
I love you!!
Élder Zubeldia
