3 years already?
11 years ago
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
3 bautismos!
Well another fantastic week has come and gone here in Luja"s! It was such a joy to see three people be baptized and take their first step in the right path back to the presence of God. Luis and Cristina are married and have one son that is four. Andrea is 14 and is the sister of Luis. They were so happy at their baptisms. After Luis was baptized he bore his testimony at the baptisimal service about the things he had been experiencing. He first started off by saying he never thought two and a half weeks ago he would end up at church being baptized. He talked about the first time we entered into his house he felt something different, and in the half an hour that we were there everything changed. He said for the first time in his 30 years he really felt what real peace was. He said the Gospel brought to him a tranquility that he could not deny. He said that he loved his wife more, didn't get angry as often, and just hungered for more. Luis bore testimony of the change that ocurred in him always saying to ask his wife about it. He talked about his love for the Savior and his gratitude for those who helped him get there. It was a touching experience that I will never forget. It is just one of the million testimonies of the work that two americans with broken spanish could bring about such a drastic change in the lives of a family. Obviosuly it had nothing to do with us, but the fact that we had the Spirit with us and the Spirit testified to the truth of the things we were saying. (Moroni 10:3-5) The Spirit is what does the "convincing" or "converting" not us. We ask them to ask God alone and in private of the things that we teach. We ask them to ponder and search diligently and then do ask James directs, ask of God.(James 1:5) That peace and that surety of conviction only comes through Christ and the Holy Spirit. " Peace I leave with you, my bpeace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you." (John 14:27) The answers are usually quite but sure. We know what we need to do we just have to be humble enough to do it. I love this work!!
This week we had a little taste of america too. There is a family in the ward next to us that are from the states up in Spokane Washington. They have lived here for the last 11 years and are just great! We were able to eat with them and have the first american meal I have had in a long time:) She brought a crock pot down and we had biscuits and everything!!! Oh it was so good :) They are such great people too I love them a lot. Their names are Lynn and Linda Hunt. He works in the mining business down here.
Well we are very excited for another great week this week and 3 to 4 more baptisms. It is so amazing to see the Spirit work among God's children. I am so happy and grateful to be where I am and doing what I am doing. I could not be happier. This is true joy :) I love you all and thanks for the prayers and support! Keep it up!
Sincerely,
Elder Brian Passantino
This week we had a little taste of america too. There is a family in the ward next to us that are from the states up in Spokane Washington. They have lived here for the last 11 years and are just great! We were able to eat with them and have the first american meal I have had in a long time:) She brought a crock pot down and we had biscuits and everything!!! Oh it was so good :) They are such great people too I love them a lot. Their names are Lynn and Linda Hunt. He works in the mining business down here.
Well we are very excited for another great week this week and 3 to 4 more baptisms. It is so amazing to see the Spirit work among God's children. I am so happy and grateful to be where I am and doing what I am doing. I could not be happier. This is true joy :) I love you all and thanks for the prayers and support! Keep it up!
Sincerely,
Elder Brian Passantino
Monday, August 22, 2011
¿Cómo andan?
Dear Family and Friends,
Well transfer week has come and gone and I am staying with Elder Allen again which I am really excited about! I have never met anyone(besides my parents) that works so hard and drives me to be a better person. The zone changed a lot and we received all Latin Missionaries which is great! We have Elders and Sisters from Chile, Columbia, El Salvador, Panama, Honduras, Uruguay, Argentina, and the States! Pretty diverse zone wouldn´t you say? It really is a testimony that we can put people from all sorts of countries in one area with one purpose; to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Church and the Gospel are universal in inviting all men to come unto Christ and try to emulate his life through our actions.
We have seen a plethora of blessings last transfer and this one. So many people have changed and are accepting the Gospel in their lives it is incredible. Elder Allen and I alone should be baptizing 7 people this transfer!!! They are seven of the most amazing people I have ever met. They are so close to the SPirit and want to gain a closer relationship with the Savior. We are teaching one man who noticed an immediate change from the time we came to his house. He talks over and over again about the peace he feels around us and when he is induldged in the Gospel. He has received so many answers to his prayers as well it is truly a miracle. When he went to church this weekend he said he received the answers to the two questions he had. That morning he said he woke up thinking about his little 4 year old son and how he was going to to teach him to be a good and noble man. In church we talked about raising children and when to talk to the to them about important topics. Then he had a question about the final Judgement and it just so happened that that was the subject of the next class. He was filled with the Spirit. He bore testimony to us of the truthfulness of the things he heard and felt. He will be getting baptized this weekend along with his wife and sister. This family was so prepared. The Lord puts people in our path who are yearning for the truth in a world of confusion. All they have to do is search and pray to the Father with all energy of heart to receive the answer.
Another lady we are teaching was having some difficulties, so my companion and I felt impressed to not visit her for a few days and see how things turned out. When we went back a week later she told us of her experience of her pondering and meditating about the things we had taught and said. She told us how she felt the absolute need to be baptized and that the Spirit was telling her that was all that was missing. Another miracle. I have never in my life seen how much God works in the lives of his children. All who truly seek Him will find Him. And they come unto Him through the waters of baptism by those who have the authority to administer that ordinance. Study does not bring that authority, nor does a knowledge of the Bible, but it comes as it was given to Aaron (Heb 5:4) by the laying on of hands through Priesthood power. There is power in the Priesthood. It is necessary for salvation. God´s kingdom has always had order and it always will for God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. I know thats true. I miss and love you all!!! Have a great week!!!
Sincerely,
Elder Passantino
Well transfer week has come and gone and I am staying with Elder Allen again which I am really excited about! I have never met anyone(besides my parents) that works so hard and drives me to be a better person. The zone changed a lot and we received all Latin Missionaries which is great! We have Elders and Sisters from Chile, Columbia, El Salvador, Panama, Honduras, Uruguay, Argentina, and the States! Pretty diverse zone wouldn´t you say? It really is a testimony that we can put people from all sorts of countries in one area with one purpose; to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Church and the Gospel are universal in inviting all men to come unto Christ and try to emulate his life through our actions.
We have seen a plethora of blessings last transfer and this one. So many people have changed and are accepting the Gospel in their lives it is incredible. Elder Allen and I alone should be baptizing 7 people this transfer!!! They are seven of the most amazing people I have ever met. They are so close to the SPirit and want to gain a closer relationship with the Savior. We are teaching one man who noticed an immediate change from the time we came to his house. He talks over and over again about the peace he feels around us and when he is induldged in the Gospel. He has received so many answers to his prayers as well it is truly a miracle. When he went to church this weekend he said he received the answers to the two questions he had. That morning he said he woke up thinking about his little 4 year old son and how he was going to to teach him to be a good and noble man. In church we talked about raising children and when to talk to the to them about important topics. Then he had a question about the final Judgement and it just so happened that that was the subject of the next class. He was filled with the Spirit. He bore testimony to us of the truthfulness of the things he heard and felt. He will be getting baptized this weekend along with his wife and sister. This family was so prepared. The Lord puts people in our path who are yearning for the truth in a world of confusion. All they have to do is search and pray to the Father with all energy of heart to receive the answer.
Another lady we are teaching was having some difficulties, so my companion and I felt impressed to not visit her for a few days and see how things turned out. When we went back a week later she told us of her experience of her pondering and meditating about the things we had taught and said. She told us how she felt the absolute need to be baptized and that the Spirit was telling her that was all that was missing. Another miracle. I have never in my life seen how much God works in the lives of his children. All who truly seek Him will find Him. And they come unto Him through the waters of baptism by those who have the authority to administer that ordinance. Study does not bring that authority, nor does a knowledge of the Bible, but it comes as it was given to Aaron (Heb 5:4) by the laying on of hands through Priesthood power. There is power in the Priesthood. It is necessary for salvation. God´s kingdom has always had order and it always will for God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. I know thats true. I miss and love you all!!! Have a great week!!!
Sincerely,
Elder Passantino
Monday, August 15, 2011
Hola from Mendoza!
Well another phenominal week has come and gone and we have been seeing so many miracles. We had some crazy things happen this week that gave us a little scare but it is incredible how the Lord watches over us.
Last week while we were walking down a street we had an impression to knock on the door of a less active member of the church. Her son came out and told us to pass by on Saturday morning. We wrote down the name of the son and forgot about it. As we were planning for Saturday morning we just couldn´t remember who this name was. We made our plans and everything and were ready and as we kneeled down to pray before we went out in the morning, we remembered who the family was so we changed plans to swing by the house first thing. When we went by, the son came out and said to come back later. We were there for only a couple seconds and then started to go to our other appointment. As were walking towards where we needed to go we heard an alarm going off in a store(even though we hear that a lot) and saw a man getting on his bike and leaving the store. I got a bad feeling about him but kept walking with my companion. As we walked by the store I looked in and saw a woman tied up hands and feet with a cord. She was yelling for help. We went in there to help (after we freaked out a little bit) and my comp took his pen out and cut the cords off. We then called the police and everything got worked out. I guess it was the second time he had robbed her in five months and this time he hit her and he had a pistol. It was really scarey but we were grateful that nothing worse than that happened. As we thought about it a little more we realized that if we wouldn´t have gone by the family then we would have been walking by when the whole thing was happening and that could have been bad. Who knows what would have happened but we have a testimony that God watches over us and give us spiritual promptings when we need them!
Another crazy thing as that this family we passed by really needed some help and we were able to help the family(later on that day) come closer to Christ and get through some hard times. Three members of the family have made the decision to be baptized the 3rd of September!! How cool is that huh?? They really are amazing! We also found another young married couple that is just incredible! They are so prepared and willing to ask God about the things we teach. They prayed to God and received an answer through the Holy Ghost that these things are true. They are so prepared for the truth in their lives. It is incredible that the work we do is just to help get the message of the truth out there, the rest is up to them and God :) It makes the work so much simpler. We dont have to do any convincing or anything like that, only share the truth, with our testimony and have them ask God. I cannot describe the miracles that we have been seeing and the joy that I am experiencing. I dont ever want it to end! There is no greater satisfaction than sharing the Gospel plan, with Jesus Christ at the center, and watching the change that comes to their lives :) Argentina is amazing and the mission is better now than it ever has been! We still are getting Anti american stuff every now and then from the people here but we just laugh about it haha. Well I am grateful for your love and support :) Know that I am doing great and I am praying for you all!
Sincerely,
Elder Passantino
Last week while we were walking down a street we had an impression to knock on the door of a less active member of the church. Her son came out and told us to pass by on Saturday morning. We wrote down the name of the son and forgot about it. As we were planning for Saturday morning we just couldn´t remember who this name was. We made our plans and everything and were ready and as we kneeled down to pray before we went out in the morning, we remembered who the family was so we changed plans to swing by the house first thing. When we went by, the son came out and said to come back later. We were there for only a couple seconds and then started to go to our other appointment. As were walking towards where we needed to go we heard an alarm going off in a store(even though we hear that a lot) and saw a man getting on his bike and leaving the store. I got a bad feeling about him but kept walking with my companion. As we walked by the store I looked in and saw a woman tied up hands and feet with a cord. She was yelling for help. We went in there to help (after we freaked out a little bit) and my comp took his pen out and cut the cords off. We then called the police and everything got worked out. I guess it was the second time he had robbed her in five months and this time he hit her and he had a pistol. It was really scarey but we were grateful that nothing worse than that happened. As we thought about it a little more we realized that if we wouldn´t have gone by the family then we would have been walking by when the whole thing was happening and that could have been bad. Who knows what would have happened but we have a testimony that God watches over us and give us spiritual promptings when we need them!
Another crazy thing as that this family we passed by really needed some help and we were able to help the family(later on that day) come closer to Christ and get through some hard times. Three members of the family have made the decision to be baptized the 3rd of September!! How cool is that huh?? They really are amazing! We also found another young married couple that is just incredible! They are so prepared and willing to ask God about the things we teach. They prayed to God and received an answer through the Holy Ghost that these things are true. They are so prepared for the truth in their lives. It is incredible that the work we do is just to help get the message of the truth out there, the rest is up to them and God :) It makes the work so much simpler. We dont have to do any convincing or anything like that, only share the truth, with our testimony and have them ask God. I cannot describe the miracles that we have been seeing and the joy that I am experiencing. I dont ever want it to end! There is no greater satisfaction than sharing the Gospel plan, with Jesus Christ at the center, and watching the change that comes to their lives :) Argentina is amazing and the mission is better now than it ever has been! We still are getting Anti american stuff every now and then from the people here but we just laugh about it haha. Well I am grateful for your love and support :) Know that I am doing great and I am praying for you all!
Sincerely,
Elder Passantino
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
It's Snowing!
Dear Family and Friends,
Hola from the snow capped mendoza! Well there really isnt much snow here in the city, but the mountains are now officially covered in snow. While everyone is burning up there in the States we are freezing down here in Argentina. Its been fun though :9 Its funny because the people here react so much to how the weather is. Its different though because less than half of the people have cars so I guess I'll give them a break. We had a phenominal leadership training this last Tuesday with all the Zone Leaders and with President. It was really great to get to know his vision a little bit more and to feel of the Spirit that he brings. He talked a lot about Leaders in the scriptures and especially about Captain Moroni and the power that he had through his faith in Christ. We also talked about the importance of prayer and how we need to communicate with the Lord not simply recite the same things over and over. I have made it a goal of mine to pray with greater faith and take the Lords promise seriously when he says, "And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive" Matthew 21:22. I am truly convinced that God grants to us our desires if they aligned with his will. He wants us to suceed and anything righteous that we truly desire to have and posess, especially if it will benefit our fellow men, he will grant it us. I have gained such a strong testimony of that and the power of our desires. Everytime that my companion and I have truly wanted something righteous, prayed with a sincere heart, and done everything within out power to acheive it we have seen miracles. If you were all with me you would all know what I mean. Some of these experiences that we have are so special I dont think I could really give it justice in an email. Just know that I know these things are true and everyone can have a personal experience of this joy that I am experiencing. This is truly a miracle. I love the Lord and know he lives. I love all of you and thank you all for your love and support.
Sincerely,
Elder Passantino
Hola from the snow capped mendoza! Well there really isnt much snow here in the city, but the mountains are now officially covered in snow. While everyone is burning up there in the States we are freezing down here in Argentina. Its been fun though :9 Its funny because the people here react so much to how the weather is. Its different though because less than half of the people have cars so I guess I'll give them a break. We had a phenominal leadership training this last Tuesday with all the Zone Leaders and with President. It was really great to get to know his vision a little bit more and to feel of the Spirit that he brings. He talked a lot about Leaders in the scriptures and especially about Captain Moroni and the power that he had through his faith in Christ. We also talked about the importance of prayer and how we need to communicate with the Lord not simply recite the same things over and over. I have made it a goal of mine to pray with greater faith and take the Lords promise seriously when he says, "And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive" Matthew 21:22. I am truly convinced that God grants to us our desires if they aligned with his will. He wants us to suceed and anything righteous that we truly desire to have and posess, especially if it will benefit our fellow men, he will grant it us. I have gained such a strong testimony of that and the power of our desires. Everytime that my companion and I have truly wanted something righteous, prayed with a sincere heart, and done everything within out power to acheive it we have seen miracles. If you were all with me you would all know what I mean. Some of these experiences that we have are so special I dont think I could really give it justice in an email. Just know that I know these things are true and everyone can have a personal experience of this joy that I am experiencing. This is truly a miracle. I love the Lord and know he lives. I love all of you and thank you all for your love and support.
Sincerely,
Elder Passantino
Great Baptism!
Well its been a great week! Danilo was baptized this weekend and is just so happy! His journey to baptism was a hard one but he knew that it was what God wanted! His baptismal service was great as well. A miracle happened there. As we were changing rooms from the chapel/cultural hall to go and watch the baptism I saw some people walking around in the hall about to walk out, and so I started talking to them. They were members from a different area and saw that the chapel was open so they wanted to check it out. I asked them if they wanted to stay and they said they would like to. The crazy thing is that this man turned out to be an old childhood friend of Danilo and they hadn´t seen each other in 10 years. It was amazing. They were both so happy :) The whole service was so full of the Spirit! I gained a testimony about something that President Packer said that is quoted in Preach My Gospel, something to the affect that teaching of true doctrine changes behavior faster than a study of behavior changes behavior. I was so happy for him. It was also my first time confirming someone:) I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father to help him in his work!
Well Im not feeling too great right I have the flu :(, but I am so happy at the work we are doing and so grateful for the opportunity to be a missionary. There is nothing better than sharing the joy that I have with others and seeing the fruits of the labors. I love you all and am grateful for your prayers and support!
Sincerely,
Elder Passantino
Well Im not feeling too great right I have the flu :(, but I am so happy at the work we are doing and so grateful for the opportunity to be a missionary. There is nothing better than sharing the joy that I have with others and seeing the fruits of the labors. I love you all and am grateful for your prayers and support!
Sincerely,
Elder Passantino
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