USA tied Argentina in Soccer this week!

Dear Family and Friends,

Well well here we go from good old Rawson, San Juan! This week has been full of great lessons and learning experiences which I will always cherish :) My companion, although different as he is, has a powerful testimony of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ and is never ashamed to share it. This week we gave a Family home evening at the chapel and we talked about Pride and Charity. The search for Charity is hard at times but when we humble ourselves and try to love all despite everything, we take on the greatest attribute of Christ! The thing that gets in our way of loving others sometimes is our own pride and selfish desires, but because of the atonement of Christ we can overcome that. It was a good lesson because it was just what I needed to hear. Many times when we are assigned to give a talk, or speak and teach upon a Gospel principal, we learn the exact thing we needed to change. As I continue on with my mission, I am trying to be more humble and trying to love others, despite our differences. It has really been challenging at times surprisingly, but God always helps us if we allow him. Thats the miracle :) I am sorry for all the times I have been selfish or prideful in my life. I realize more and more how unworthy and how imperfect I am, and how much I really have to rely on the Atonement. Really I am sorry to all my friends and family who have seen me show the pride that I had. I am trying to be more humble I promise. Just keep praying for me :)

We have had some interesting lessons this week. We taught two people named Macarena and Martina and they said something interesting. They said 创have you Elders ever had that feeling that you knew people from the past, or that you had had this conversation before?创 They also said 创for instance right now sitting around this table feels like that.创 This was while we were talking about the plan of Salvation and the Resurrection. They asked if we believed in Reincarnation, to which I responded no, we believe in the Resurrection (or the reuniting of our Spirits, with a perfect resurrected body, just like Christ. 创the firstfruits of them that slept) The reason they thought that they thought Reincarnation was a real doctrine was because of that feeling that had had, which I mentioned earlier. Luckily the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ restores the true doctrine of this feeling. We lived before this life in a Premortal state as Spirits. God and Jesus Christ were there and God presented his Plan of Salvation, so that we could be brought to this earth, be tested, overcome, and come back to live with him and his Son(eternally with our families). Christ, the Firstborn, the Eldest Spirit SOn of God, who the Scriptures say of that time was, like unto God, said here am I, send me (to be the Savior of the world, because this plan provided that we would have agency to choose, and because of our mortality would at some points in our lives, choose contrary to the law of god, aka sin.) Christ is literally the Propitiation and the only perfect one. His Father in the Flesh is God our Eternal Father and his Mother in the flesh is Mary. He made the Plan of Salvation function and brought all of its terms into existence. He suffered for our sins, infermities, trials and everything so that if we accepted Him and followed his Gospel( Faith, Repentence, Baptism, by one who has authority, and by immersion, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands, and enduring to the end.) we would return to that Glorious Father who gave us life. That is where that feeling comes from. The Spirit touches our soul and 创brings all things to our remembrance创 John 14:26 at times and we feel as if this is familiar, or we have heard this before. The Gospel is so true :) And I know it through the manifestations of the Spirit!!! I thank God for the gift of his Son Jesus Christ who is the God of Abraham Issac and Jacob!!!

Sorry that was a little confusing but its so true and simple when understood correctly it is a beautiful thing! It is a challenging thing being a missionary at times, but we receive a witness of our faith, after the trial of it. As I have put my faith and beliefs on the line, the Spirit has been with me confirming to my eternal soul that what I am saying and boldly declaring is true. The incredible thing is that no one has to believe me :) They just have to earnestly ask God if what we are saying is true and he will tell them Yes or No. There is not a middle ground on this. I love helping people, loving people, and having incredible learning experiences that will change my life for the better, forever. I know what I have to do, and I love it. I hope everyone knows that my prayers go out to you all everynight and morning. The work is just what the word implies, work, but it continues. I love you all! Hang in there and find out who you are! A literal child of God!

Sincerely,
Elder Passantino