More Miracles

Dear Family and Friends,

First off I want to say congrats to my sister on her engagement! I couldn´t be more excited for her and her future husband! Well here in Argentina things continue to look up and promising. One of the people that we baptized a few weeks ago named Cristina, gave Elder Allen and I a letter expressing her gratutude and telling of some of the spiritual experiences she had that confirmed to her the truth of what we had taught her.. She told of a time where I gave a talk in Church about an experience Elder Hopkin and I had in San Juan. What I related in the experience(in San Jaun) was that there was an investigator named Fabricio who was awesome but for some reason kept putting off his baptism because of the fear of change. As missionaries we know that the confirmer of truth is God, not us, so we prayed about how we could help him receive an answer that he needed to be baptized from God rather than from us. As we all know our Heavenly Father answers us through the scriptures many times, so we decided to try something different. We went to Fabricio´s house and presented a plan. We decided to each say our own personal prayer(in our minds/hearts) and ask God for the direction that we needed in our lives. After that we were going to have Fabricio open the Book of Mormon to whatever page and read what it said for the answer from God. This we did. He opened to Mormon chapter 7. He received his answer through these words, ´´Therefore repent, and be baptized in the name of Jesus, and lay hold upon the agospel of Christ, which shall be set before you...¨

As I related this story in sacrament meeting it must have sparked something within her. The interesting thing was as I gave the talk I didn´t share the scripture reference of where he had opened to. As I gave the talk, she later says, that she felt as if she hadn´t received that witness and that she wanted an experience like that. She didn´t know for certain if the Book of Mormon was true, but she had faith and trusted in God. She said she had had a hard time reading it in the past, but that she remembered what we had taught her of the importance of praying to God and asking him the truth. So she did that. She said she poured out her soul to God asking Him if the Book of Mormon was true and really wanted to know. She wanted to know if Joseph Smith was a prophet of God as well. She then relates that after the prayer she remembered the talk I had given and the experience I had shared. She then took the Book of Mormon in her hands and opened it to MORMON 7! As she read the intro to the chapter which reads, ´´Mormon invites the Lamanites of the latter days to believe in Christ, accept his gospel, and be saved—All who believe the Bible will also believe the Book of Mormon,´´She says, ´´tears began to well up in my eyes as I felt a burning sensation in my bosom. I began to understand everything that I was reading and was filled with the greatest feelings I have ever had. She went on to say she read for 5 hours with this same powerful witness from the SPirit burning in her soul. She later bore her testimony of the truthfulness of the work and of the reality of the Savior. Little did she know that she opened up to exactly the same chapter that Fabricio had just three months earlier to receive an answer from God.
I know that the Restored Gospel is true, that God lives and loves us, that Jesus is the Christ, and that the Book of Mormon, another testament of Jesus Christ is the word of God along with the Bible and the witness of a living Church headed by Prophets and Apostles, Jesus Christ being the Cornerstone. I invite all to watch what real and living Prophets and Apostles have to say this weekend as we are edified by the living and vibrant word of God. God lives and still speaks through the mouths of his chosen servants. I love you all have a great week!

Sincerely,
Elder Passantino

Testimony of the Converts

Dear Family and Friends,

First off I wanted to start off by saying that the members and people that I associate with all pray specifically for my family and friends. I can´t tell you how many times I have been in a lesson, or in someones house, or in the church, when someone has offered a prayer on your behalf. So if you ever feel down or discouraged or lonely, know that the humble people of Argentina are thinking and praying for you even if they don´t yet know you.

I am beginnning to understand a little bit more of the power and work of my mission. As we live our life in service we begin to develop Christlike love and attributes. I am beginning to love people a lot more and gaining a greater appreciation for the fact that we are indeed all sons and daughters of a loving Father in Heaven. We all have infinite worth and potential. As I have worked preaching the Gospel, I have come to know see how pure are the hearts of those that seek for the truth. I have seen it time and time again where people have been praying for answers and then we come into the picture somehow. Just recently we began teaching a man named Igor and his family as he had been praying for greater light and illumination on the truth. He is a man who has attended many many mnay churches and has just been searching for the truth. So we do what we always do, we present the message and invite him to read and pray and ask of God. That he did. He received his answer. You see sometimes its so easy it is too difficult for some people to accept. In the Bible we learn this lesson in 1 Kings 5:1-14 and in the Book of Mormon we have a similar lesson reemphasized in 1 Nephi 17:41. The key to receiving revelation from God is humility and the patience and diligence to search it out and be receptive enough to receive the answer. Those who do not wish to receive this revelation from God never will because they do not want to have to change their convictions, beliefs, and ideas based on what God says not what they want or believe to be right. It takes a deep and powerful humilty to ask an answer from God when we think we already know what is right.

As further faith is excercised a stronger witness and conviction of the truth comes. For example, with this man Igor, he had already received an answer from God, but continued to act on his answer and received a further testimony of the truth. While he was walking down an old dirt road he say a book off to the side on a pile of dirt. He could tell it was a religious book and he was astonished when on the cover of the book he say a picture of Moroni burying the Gold Plates aka the Book of Mormon. It was an old Priesthod manual from the Church that contained answers to his questions and gave him a further witness of the veracity of the work. He found great comfort in the book and prayed to know if it was true. He received his answer. It was true and it was placed there for a reason. It still astonishes me that a random book would be on pile of dirt in the middle of an Argentine ghetto, where no members live, and that he would be the first person to come across it and be looking in the right direction to find it. Call it what you will but I know that God answers our prayers in small and simple ways we just have to have the faith to recognize them. I am thoroughly convinced that if we look back behind in the course of our lives we will be able to realize the hand of the Lord working in small and simple ways. He is preparing us for the time the truth comes into our lives. He is protecting us from bad situations and prompting us to follow him and avoid dangerous decisions and forbidden paths. I know he is a God of miracles and that he answers prayers.

I issue this challenge to all who are willing to answer the call. Read the Book of Mormon and pray to God with all energy of heart to know if it is scripture and to know if it is true. I know that He will answer you as he has answered millions who have faithfully searched. Be thou humble; and the Lord thy God shall lead thee by the hand, and give thee answer to thy prayers. (D&C 112:10)

The testimony of the people that I have taught and had the opportunity to see baptized is blazing evidence that God answers prayers, that Jesus is the Christ, and that They have restored Their Church through the way they always have, through a prophet of God(Amos 3:7) Today there is a Prophet of God, 12 apostles, and the Kingdom of God has been restored as a marvelous work and a wonder(Isiah 29:14). The converts that I have had the opportunity of teaching and helping on their journey our my ´´glory´´ and joy´´ just as they were for Paul the apostle (1 Thessalonians 2:19-20) I love this work and I testify that it is ture.

Sincerely,
Elder Passantino

Three Baptisms

Hola de Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina ,

It has been a great weekend with lots of exciting things happening. Daniel, Maximiliano, and Nicolas were all baptized! They were so excited to be baptized and to feel of the Spirit that was present there. They are three brothers that are 14,12, and 10 and are so awesome. I was so excited for them. They really were so happy and excited to be following the example of the Savior. It was a great experience.

This week we had two consejos(counsels) with the mission President. The first one was with many of the leaders in the mission and it was amazing. The Spirit was so strong there and I learned so many new things that I want to put in practice. It is sort a bummer though because the more I go in the mission the more I realize that there is so much to learn and so many areas to improve. Luckily God is with us every step of the way and when we want to do better he is there to make up the difference. That night after consejo we went to President´s house and ate Tacos! Oh yea it has been a while since I have had some food like that. It has been a really spiritually fulfilling week and I am loving it! Thanks for all the love and support!

Sincerely,
Elder Passantino