Week 85
Date
April 23, 2018
Area
Seventh Area - Newberg, OR
Companion
Elder Altamirano
Week 85
It’s official! I’m a spanish missionary again here in Newberg! Elder Altamirano and I have had an amazing, fantastic, hectic, busy week! Haha. It’s certainly a different experience opening an area! As we have started from zero understanding of our area, the investigators, and the branch, a lot of amazing miracles have occurred! We met a lady who the Elders before us had been teaching who (at the time) wasn’t ready to completely act on the things they had taught her. When we met with her, she expressed a lot of the things going on in her life right now, and how she really feels like there has to be something more. We had a great member of the branch with us, who was able to bear testimony of the importance of doing the basics of reading, praying, and coming to church, and of the importance of baptism! The Spirit was very strong, and our investigator is excited to continue to feel that spirit as she acts!
We have been busy getting to know the boundaries of our area, and visiting the different towns we cover. In total, we cover Newberg, Dundee, Dayton, and Lafayette! We’ve been making a lot of wrong turns, and got lost more than a couple times! 😁It’s been amazing to see that as we try to visit the names in our area book, that the Lord magnifies our efforts, and makes them enough. A lot of tender mercies have come our way, and it’s all attributed to prayer. I’ve learned how willing the Lord is to bless us when we ask Him for things, like President Nelson taught in the past General Conference. We have been guided and led to specific parts of our area throughout the day for specific people we have been able to talk with, and share the gospel with!
I also have a strong testimony of the gift of tongues. I’m not going to lie, my first reaction to coming to Newberg SP was panic. I didn’t know how I would do with the language, or where I was at. I know for a fact the Lord was helping me continue to learn Spanish over the last 9 months while in English work, so I would be ready for this transfer. Everything I ever knew about Spanish has come out, and I’m so much more comfortable with the language than the last time I was in a Spanish area. Church yesterday was so much fun in Spanish, and I loved getting to know all the members! They are all great people, and most of them are bilingual (don’t worry, we only spoke Spanish!) too! There is a huge attendance right now as well, so our goal is to make the branch a full on ward!
We met the Branch President this past week during our missionary coordination meeting, and the first thing he told us was that we were sent here as an answer to the branches prayers. He is a powerful man who is driven to help the people here grow closer to Jesus Christ. He wants us to be successful, and to have all the resources we need to be effective. We were able to get so many families in the branch from him he wanted us to work with. The branch really trusts the missionaries—there’s now us, plus a companionship of Hermanas—and he is anxious to see us succeed in bringing new converts into the church! I’m super excited to see what these next 5 weeks bring!!
Something I learned in personal study this week was just how prevalent Jesus Christ is in the scriptures! I know, silly thing, but it hit me one morning. In Mosiah 17 when Abinadi is speaking to King Noah’s court, he says in verses 14 and 15:
14 Therefore, if ye teach the law of Moses, also teach that it is a shadow of those things which are to come--
15 Teach them that redemption cometh through Christ the Lord, who is the very Eternal Father.
Everything weighs on Jesus Christ, and His mission here on earth. We are always pointed by Heavenly Father to Jesus Christ in everything we do, from baptism, to the sacrament, to the temple. Everything is a reminder that redemption comes only through Jesus Christ. We have the responsibility as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints to point people to Jesus Christ. I testify as we do so, He gives us power to do so, and fills our mouths in the exact moment we need it. He guides and directs us to those who will be receptive to our message.
I love you all! Have a great week!
Love,
Elder Kehl
We have been busy getting to know the boundaries of our area, and visiting the different towns we cover. In total, we cover Newberg, Dundee, Dayton, and Lafayette! We’ve been making a lot of wrong turns, and got lost more than a couple times! 😁It’s been amazing to see that as we try to visit the names in our area book, that the Lord magnifies our efforts, and makes them enough. A lot of tender mercies have come our way, and it’s all attributed to prayer. I’ve learned how willing the Lord is to bless us when we ask Him for things, like President Nelson taught in the past General Conference. We have been guided and led to specific parts of our area throughout the day for specific people we have been able to talk with, and share the gospel with!
I also have a strong testimony of the gift of tongues. I’m not going to lie, my first reaction to coming to Newberg SP was panic. I didn’t know how I would do with the language, or where I was at. I know for a fact the Lord was helping me continue to learn Spanish over the last 9 months while in English work, so I would be ready for this transfer. Everything I ever knew about Spanish has come out, and I’m so much more comfortable with the language than the last time I was in a Spanish area. Church yesterday was so much fun in Spanish, and I loved getting to know all the members! They are all great people, and most of them are bilingual (don’t worry, we only spoke Spanish!) too! There is a huge attendance right now as well, so our goal is to make the branch a full on ward!
We met the Branch President this past week during our missionary coordination meeting, and the first thing he told us was that we were sent here as an answer to the branches prayers. He is a powerful man who is driven to help the people here grow closer to Jesus Christ. He wants us to be successful, and to have all the resources we need to be effective. We were able to get so many families in the branch from him he wanted us to work with. The branch really trusts the missionaries—there’s now us, plus a companionship of Hermanas—and he is anxious to see us succeed in bringing new converts into the church! I’m super excited to see what these next 5 weeks bring!!
Something I learned in personal study this week was just how prevalent Jesus Christ is in the scriptures! I know, silly thing, but it hit me one morning. In Mosiah 17 when Abinadi is speaking to King Noah’s court, he says in verses 14 and 15:
14 Therefore, if ye teach the law of Moses, also teach that it is a shadow of those things which are to come--
15 Teach them that redemption cometh through Christ the Lord, who is the very Eternal Father.
Everything weighs on Jesus Christ, and His mission here on earth. We are always pointed by Heavenly Father to Jesus Christ in everything we do, from baptism, to the sacrament, to the temple. Everything is a reminder that redemption comes only through Jesus Christ. We have the responsibility as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints to point people to Jesus Christ. I testify as we do so, He gives us power to do so, and fills our mouths in the exact moment we need it. He guides and directs us to those who will be receptive to our message.
I love you all! Have a great week!
Love,
Elder Kehl
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