¿Como Les Van?

Dear Family and Friends :)

This week has been a really great week! It turns out that ELder Morinico and I are staying together here in Rodeo de la Cruz for one more transfer so I am really excited about that!! At first before we found out about the transfers I sort of wanted something new, but after I found out that we would be staying I felt the sweet confirmation from the Spirit that we still had more work to do together and more to learn from each other. From that time until now we have been feeling a greater measure of the Spirit and greater Unity in our teaching. Also we have had more open conversations and just grown a lot closer so that has been great! I love serving this mission for the Lord, he blesses you in so many ways because he just truly knows us better than ourselves. It is such a comforting knowledge to have, that we have a Father in Heaven looking out for us and leading us in the path he wants for us, if we will only listen to His voice and heed His Spirit. So I am so excited to be staying in this area and serving with ELder Morinico for this transfer. I feel so blessed!

This week I had an interesting experience while I was talking to a lady on the street. We had been talking for about ten minutes when she said that she recognized my name! She said she knew some Passantino´s that lived in a city called Maipu which is about twenty min from where we are right now! That was exciting to hear so I wrote down all I could remember about where she said they lived and hopefully I can visit it sometime in my mission. She didn't know the street names or anything, but hopefully I can find it sometime! It was just one of the tender mercies of the Lord to me and hopefully I will be able to find some family down here :)

So yesterday I gave another talk in church about Christmas and how that relates to us having to renew our faith and Jesus Christ. It was tough because we got the call we were speaking as we were going to sleep the night before, so I did my best to prepare during one of the first meetings in church (because sacrament meeting is last here) and I gave it. I´m not going to lie it was a little rough, but I made it through and was able to bear my testimony of the Divinity of Christ as our Lord God and Redeemer so I think that is the most important part!!! I am grateful for the Gift of the Holy Ghost to comfort me through stressful times like that and help me accomplish a daunting task.

We had the opportunity to watch the Christmas Devotional last night and I was so happy I could participate in that event. Even though it was all in Spanish I felt the power of the Spirit testify to my soul that Jesus is the Christ, the Only Begotten Son in the Flesh. There was a beautiful song that the choir sang in the middle that talked about something to the affect of what my gift was going to be for Christ. Well I was very touched by that simple declaration and like the Wise Men of old I want to give Christ a gift this Christmas. Well first and foremost it will be a worthy, stalwart mission where he will be the unwavering focus of my attention, but more importantly I will give him the gift of my life. A life in service in worship, love, and declaring the truths that he has written on my heart. It was just the strength I needed and woke me up even a little bit about what my duty to God is and how I can do better in His service. I also know these men, although imperfect and human, are called of God to be his apostles and prophet on the earth today, and their job is to testify of Christ and give Him all the glory. How grateful I am and blessed!

I think that the mission field is one of the greatest Spiritual learning areas in the world. ALthough I had studied the scriptures before and gained a testimony of the truth, the Spirit that I have had with me of late has given me actual wisdom from on high not just an intelletual knowledge. Wisdom is a gift of God and I am glad I received it in portions throughout my life on certain subjects and that I am receiving it even now through the unwavering focus on God our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ His Son!

Family, you are right skype is the best way to communicate with me, and I still don´t have the number but that will be coming probably next week so don't worry we will get that all worked out! I am so grateful for the greatest friends and family in the world :) You are all amazing! I am doing amazing and feeling better than ever in my life. One is never happier than in the service of God.

Love,
ELder Passantino

P.S: I love you all more than anything keep it up and know the Gospel is true!!!!