Last Week of Mission

Dear Family and Friends, Well this will be my last official week... I can´t believe how fast two years have come and gone. I remember the first day being so excited and then that night being a little daunted at how long two years seemed. But they surely have. Its hard to explain the emotions that I have right now. I am so excited to see my family and friends again and at the same time am so sad that I have to leave Argentina and the people I have come to love so much. It´s a miracle how much one changes while in the service of the Lord. This last week I was in a touristic city called San Rafael with and Elder from the United States (Elder Tingey) and another Elder from Argentina (Elder Falcon) We worked really hard and saw a lot of miracles. God really is preparing the hearts of the people to listen to the message of the Restoration of His Gospel. They just needed that little but of faith so we relied on God and saw the mircles. On Sunday I was able to return to my one of my favorite areas and see some of the amazing people I was able to help along the way like the Zarandon Family, The Gilabert Family, Lidia Ester, Danilo Gonzalez and was able to eat lunch with the Montenegro family. It was such a happy day. There is no greater satisfaction than seeing people that you were personally able to bless strong in the Gospel and relying on Christ. This week I will go back to San Luis to help some Elders there. I will work with all my heart might mind and strength until the end. Two women that I was teaching in San Luis both were baptized this weekend. It was so amazing to hear that and the changes they have made in their lives. I love the Gospel. I know its true. I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer and that He is God´s only begotten Son. I know that the gospel has been restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith. I know the Book of Mormon is the Word of God. I will write my last email next week for everyone but until then have a great and happy week! Love Elder Passantino

D & C 18:15-16

Dear Family and Friends, I had a very special day last Tuesday as I said goodbye to the people I came to know over the past six weeks in the province of San Luis. Tuesday was my last day there and I wanted to say goodbye to as many people as I possibly could before I left. One of our investigators, a young woman named Marsela who had sort of disappeared the week before was one of the people I really wanted to say goodbye too. We literally hadn't seen her in over a week. That afternoon after I had packed some I said a pray with my companion that she would be in the house and that I could say goodbye to her. We got to the house around 8 at night and all the lights were off. I was pretty bummed but we decided to knock and to our surprise she came out the down and let us inside. She had read 1 Nephi and was intrigued by the Book of Mormon. She had read all the pamphlets we had given her and even did all the scripture studies on the back. She is such a happy and optimistic person. She has had a tough life as well. She has a three year old daughter and is pregnant again. When her spouse found out that she was pregnant again he left her. The reason we hadnt been able to find her the last week is because she had been in and out of the hospital because of problems with her pregnancy and at the same time is working. She is such an example to me. When I told her that I was leaving the next day she just broke down in tears and thanked me so much for what I had done for her. It was a very powerful experience for me. She had a really hard time with me leaving. I was able to leave her with a new Bible and with my testimony. It was so hard to leave because I loved her so much and was so happy that she had accepted the Gospel in her life. As my companion and I were about 2 blocks from the house I heard a little shout from her girl Abril, ''Passantino, Passantino''. They called me back and met up to us about a block from there house. Marsela was still in tears and then said, ''with all the love in my heart I give you this (a little fish stuffed animal) which represents the likelihood of us finding each other. Its hard for one fish to find another fish in the sea but God has let us to find each other. Thank you so much for what you do.'' It was such an act of genuine love and care. She doesn't have much, in fact very little but she gave the best she could and it means so much to me. I choked up a little and finally understood the scripture, '' 15 And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one asoul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father! 16 And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the akingdom of my Father, how great will be your bjoy if you should bring many csouls unto me! That scripture finally made sense after all this time in the mission. That moment is why I was supposed to be in San Luis. Even though we didnt have a lot of success that experience changed my life forever and made me realize that she was the reason I was there for those short six weeks. She will be baptized next weekend. Other than that I have enjoyed my time traveling. We went to some places with some amazing views of the mountains. I was able to work with an ELder from Peru, Bolivia and Argentina and an American whose parents are from EL Salvador. This week we are going to San Rafael about three and a half hours from here so that should be cool. ALright everyone have an incredible week. I love you all! Love, Elder Passantino

Letter we received from Brian's Mission Pres Today! Made me cry!

Misión Argentina Mendoza Cabildo Abierto 161 5501 Godoy Cruz Mendoza-Argentina Tel. (0261)-424-3197 July 19, 2012 Dear Brother and Sister Passantino, It is a pleasure and a blessing to have your son here in the Argentina Mendoza Mission. He is an outstanding missionary and is an example to all. I now will have the opportunity to work with Elder Passantino each day as he has been called as a Traveling Assistant to the President. Your son will come to know every single missionary in the Argentina Mendoza Mission. He will direct many of the mission activities and training. In addition to his own missionary proselytizing activities, he will direct and lead the zone leaders in our mission. Elder Passantino has a wonderful spirit. Those who serve as Travelers should be examples in all areas and he has exhibited the ability to do that. We are grateful to you for him and for the excellent example you have set for him. Sincerely, President Sergio E. Avila

Packing my Bags

Dear Family and Friends, Well its been fun being here in San Luis for the last six weeks but I have just been transfered for my last three weeks. President assigned me to be a traveling assistant so that will be a cool opportunity to travel around the mission and help some of the Elders that need it. Im excited to do that. My companion will be ELder Reininger from California. We had a good but tough week here in San Luis. President and his family came to have a Zone Conference and I was able to give one of my last testimonies in that type of setting. He talked a lot about obedience and how the small and simple things make the biggest difference. Lately lots of the people we have been teaching have sort of disappeared becuase of work or they randomly moved and a number of other reasons. I hope one day to see the fruits of my short labor here in San Luis. The people are so great and I love them so much. There are so many good people trying to live righteous lives in the world. I am constantly inspired at those who make changes in their lives and do their best to follow the Savior. I think as I have progressed in my mission I have learned to give people a fair chance and not be so judgemental. As I look at my own self I see my own imperfections and become more tolerant and understanding of others. Its easier to love people now and to forgive forget and move on. This week my companion and I had a little argument over something very insignificant. Its amazing sometimes as normal people we let little things bother us so much. My companion and I then evaluated the situation and realized how dumb we had both acted and we willing to forgive the other and move on as if it had never happened. It was a tough day and we were just frustrated and a little stressed out over some things that were going on. Later that night we were able to visit this sweet lady who had just passed through a difficult seperation with her husband that left herself and her son shocked. It was so hard for them to deal with. We went and were able to lay our hands upon her head and give her a Priesthood blessing of comfort. It was just what she needed. It gave her strength and showed her that God was mindful of her. Her faith is what got her through. (Helaman 5:12) I think I said in my last email that my companion ELder Sierra spoke a little about Ether 2 in his talk but I would like to share something from it that I learned. The Lord asks the Brother of Jared, “Therefore what will ye that I should prepare for you that ye may have light when ye are swallowed up in the depths of the sea?” Obviosuly you have to read it in context to understand but we should ask oursleves the same question. What should we ask the Lord for that he may prepare us when we are in our own “Depths of the sea” . I know that he can prepare us for the difficulties that will surely come in this life if we simply just ask. That short little visit with her showed us God “ compassion and that we can each be God” instruments in bringing forth his work. He loves that lady so much and I know how much he loves each and everyone of us. I pray that everyone has an excellent week! love Elder Passantino

Elder Yao and I in front of chapel near where we live!

Elder Passantino and Elder Sierra

Happy 4th and 9th for Argentina

Dear Family and Friends, Happy Argentine Independence Day! haha Yea its the 9th here in Argentina so thats cool, besides the fact that everything closes down today. Its been a pretty crazy week here. My companion and I both gave talks in Church yesterday. I spoke about the phrase thats repeated in the scriptures ´´retain the remission of your sins´´ and how we do that and how the Savior cleanses us according to our diligence in following him or as John says, ´(1 John 1:7)´´But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin. My companion spoke on the exchange between the Lord and the Brother of Jared and likened it to ourselves. (Ether 2:18, 23-25) The sister missionaries as wel spoke and then we all sang COme Thou Fount in Spanish for the congregation! It was a really great Sacrament Meeting. Lots of crazy things are happening with our investigators. I have learned some important lessons lately. We have been teaching this amazing person while at the same time she was living with her boyfriend.(not a good thing) Things werent going good at all in their relationship and so she decided to leave She left with all her stuff before he could get home a couple nights ago. It was a very hard decision for her to take but she knew she was doing it for the right reasons and for the best. But sadly, when we met with her in the chapel two days later she found out tha tshe was pregnant with her boyfriends child. Now she has to live the consequences of such a poor decision. She was absolutely devestated and pleaded for help. It was so sad to see. We comforted her and promised her that it would be alright. She has decided to raise the baby by herself so we hope that works out. That is why God gives us commandments because he knows the consequences and the feelings that will come. What I feel is a great mistake by many people is that they preach more the message of ´´how can get out of this situation the easy way?´´ Rather than ´´what can I do to avoid a situation like this all together?´´ Many in the modern world teach easy redemption which warrants and accepts whatever action becuause ´´I´m already saved because I accepted Christ so it doesn´t matter what I do because his love will save me in the end or in the words of Nephi, ´´ 7 Yea, and there shall be many which shall say: aEat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die; and it shall be well with us. 8 And there shall also be many which shall say: aEat, drink, and bebmerry; nevertheless, fear God—he will cjustify in committing a little dsin; yea, elie a little, take the advantage of one because of his words, dig a fpit for thy neighbor; there is gno harm in this; and do all these things, for tomorrow we die; and if it so be that we are guilty, God will beat us with a few stripes, and at last we shall be saved in the kingdom of God. 9 Yea, and there shall be many which shall teach after this manner, afalse and vain and bfoolish cdoctrines, and shall be puffed up in their hearts, and shall seek deep to hide their counsels from the Lord; and their works shall be in the dark. When justification for sin is based on an easy repentance process after committing the sin, God is mocked and as Paul says, (Hebrews 10:26)´´ For if we asin bwilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins.´´ and justice takes its place. The atonement of Jesus Christ is infinite and his grace is sufficent for the truly penent. It is a miracle what he did and we could never ever ever save ourselves for by our righteous actions. Christ is the only one who saves and can cleanse of all sin after we follow Him with our heart which entails the steps of His Gospel. I am so grateful to believe in a loving Christ who is so merciful and will freely forgive. His grace is what saves us. I hope everyone has a fantastic week! Love Elder Passantino

Hi family and friends!

Dear Family and Friends, It was a good birthday week. Some of the Elders and Sister missionaries threw a little surprise party for me so that was nice :) My comp told me there was a ´´meeting´´ that night in the church and they got me good. haha. We were able to go to Mendoza this week and have a leadership consel again. A seventy came, Elder Resek. It was a great experience. It was one of the few times that I have seen President Avila cry so much. You could really feel the love that he had for us. There were about 12 of the elders there that will be leaving in August and he had a hard time sharing to us Jacob 5:71-72 And the Lord of the vineyard said unto them: Go to, and labor in the vineyard, with your might. For behold, this is the last time that I shall nourish my vineyard; for the end is nigh at hand, and the season speedily cometh; and if ye labor with your might with me ye shall have joy in the fruit which I shall lay up unto myself against the time which will soon come. And it came to pass that the servants did go and labor with their mights; and the Lord of the vineyard labored also with them; and they did obey the commandments of the Lord of the vineyard in all things. It was a special moment to hear that and to recommit myself to endure to the end and work until my last day. It seems like the days just go faster now and that there is a short time left to cherish as a full time missionary. Luckily there are so many amazing people here. We are teaching some awesome people. There is one person named Marsela who bought a dress to come to church adaquately this week. It was so cool to see her do that. She will be getting baptized soon. I have had a renewed faith in the Book of Mormon and a renewed testimony of it. I just think its impossible for someone to read it with real intent and ask God if its true and to not receive an answer of its truthfulness. That book has changed my life and I have no doubt of its divine origin and message. ´´...It came fourth as Joseph said it came fourth and was given to bring happiness and hope to the travail of the latter days.´´ (Jeffrey R. Holland, Safety for the Soul) I have seen firsthand how it brings hope and happiness. Logically to me(although I speak with my own bias) it makes sense that a God filled with infinite love and compassion for his children would provide another rock foundation where his children could be sure of the truth. God is aware of the multitude of churches, organizations and beliefs that profess Him and his infinite goodness and grace about Him and His Son and has done the best He could to make himself personable to us. He made himself known from the beginning to our first parents Adam and Eve and gave them counsel and direction, commandments, hope and a correct idea of what kind of being he was. The whole reason we have the Bible is because he revealed himself to man and commanded them to write what they saw, heard, felt and what he told them to write. He wants us to know who He is so He reveals himself to special people called prophets(Amos 3:7,Numbers 12:6,8) I think one of the things that makes him sadest is some of the concepts people have of Him. It usually is a great ´´something bigger´´ but defining him is almost impossible. Thats why He sent His Son to show us exactly who He was, for Christ was the ´´brightness of his glory and the express image of his person.´´(Hebrews 1:3) He gave us the scriptures so that we would know who he is and still there is so much confusion and so many different religions. He brought fourth the Book of Mormon to show us who He really is and to end the discussion about it. In his love he brought it forth so there wouldnt be need for any more confusion. I will be forever grateful to Him for bringing to light the Book of MOrmon and all that it entails. I love you all and wish everyone a great week! Love Elder Passantino

Thanks for the Birthday Wishes!

Dear Family and Friends, This week has been awesome! We continue to find amazing people who are looking for the truth in their lives. The other week we had our interview with the mission President. While my companion and I were having an interview a man mistakingly walked in the chapel and found us there. He was actually looking for a place to help him find employement. We were able to talk to him a while with President Avila. He really needed a lot of help in his life. We set up another time to visit with him and realized that he has had a pretty hard time in his life. He had recently gotten out of jail after being acused on false charges, and he also lost his first baby girl two months after her birth. He is looking for work and was sort of a wreck. We were able to give him a lot of comfort and we are going to continue to work with him to help him and his family out. We used the scriptures to give him that comfort. I have always found strength in the words of the Savior when he says, ´´ Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father aknoweth that ye have need of all these things. aBut bseek ye first the ckingdom of God, and hisdrighteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Matthew 6:31-33. I know that if he decides to follow Christ without looking back he will find the strength and the hope he needs to continue onward and forward. I want to thank everyone for their awesome birthday wishes. I feel so blessed to have family and friends like you guys! I couldn´t be happier. There is no greater thing I could be doing for my birthday. I love you all so very much and miss you guys and can´t wait to see you all here pretty soon! Love Elder Passantino

Elder Passantino, Elder Ostler and Elder Moon

Family Home Evening

Helping the Hermanas

New Area

Well its been amazing already here in San Luis! Its a new province and its way beautiful. Its really like a mini San Francisco its way cool. My companion Elder Sierra is one of my best friends and we get along so well. He is from Bogota, Columbia which is the capital. We live with an Elder named Elder Moon and then another Elder who is from China. He is convert from Buddeism. He ´s 23 years old and I respect him so much. He got baptized about 17 months ago and has such a strong testimony. He still cant speak Spanish too well but he tries so hard and studies like no other. He moved to Buenos Aires when he was 18 from China and met the missionaries through a friend when he was 21. He never practiced Spanish while he lived here so he never learned it before. There was no one in Argentina who could teach him the Gospel in Chinese so after a few months they were able to get someone who could translate. He said simply, I read and prayed to God and felt so strongly that is was true. He was baptized despite zero support from his family. His family later moved to South Africa. His family wan´nt happy with the decision he took to go on a mission either because he had to choose between paying to go live with his family in SOuth Africa or going on a mission and he choose to go on a mission. He is a man among men. He is an example to everyone and although he can´t speak very well his testimony is heard in the corridors of the heart. We have been a trio for the past two days and he gave a powerful testimony to a very inteligent person yesterday and left them shocked. This man was very intelligent and had studied a lot of stuff against the church on the internet without finding out the truth from the church. He began to say a million things against the Book of Mormon, which to me was pretty comical. After we had responded everything Elder Yao said, ´´I have a question for you, what do we eat in China?´´ The man then said well um rice and I heard that you eat dogs and cats. Elder Yao then went on to say, ´´Exactly, because 100 people out of 1,400,000,000 people have eaten dog or cat in China means that everyone eats dog and cat and thats nowhere near the truth. If you want to know what we eat in China ask me.´´ He then explained that it was the same with the Book of Mormon and that if you want to know it its true you have to read it and ask God. The man was left without words and even though it was broken spanish he understood perfectly what he said. Two scriptures came to my mind as he spoke , ´´ But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; (1 Corinthians 1:27) and And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: 5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. (1 Corinthians 2:4-5). He later bore his testimony to the truth of what he knows to be true. And so do I. I hope everyone has a great week!

San Luis-maybe last area!

Dear Family and Friends, Well it looks like I got transfered to my last area. I am going to San Luis which is another province in Mendoza. I have been in the other two provinces but have never got to go to San Luis so I am really excited about that! My new companion is Elder Sierra who is columbian as well. We lived together when I was in San Juan(Chimbas) and we became really good friends so it will be awesome! All in all I am looking forward to it and was ready. We recently found a family who will be getting baptized in a two weeks so that was so exciting! The Mom of the family is Etel and she was so ready. We helped her quit smoking and quit drinking and she has received such a strong witness of the truthfulness of what we teach. We gave her 3 Nephi 11 to read and then to pray and to ask God if it was true. She said as she read she was overcome with the desire to repent and to come unto Christ. She has been to many other churches and has always enjoyed them but said she has never had that burning urge to repent as she had when she read that chapter. 3 Nephi chapter 11 is when the Savior makes his visit to the Americas among the people called the Nephites. In verse 23 He says, ´´Verily I say unto you, that whoso repenteth of his sins through your words, and desireth to be baptized in my name, on this wise shall ye baptize them. SHe was touched by that and said that she prayed harder and more sincerely than she had ever prayed, asking forgiveness for her sins as well as asking for a witness from the Holy Ghost of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. As she did so she felt full of peace and felt a sure confirmation that is was true, that she had been forgiven and that she should be baptized. Im so excited for her and the other people that we are teaching here they are so special to me and I love them so much! I know God lives and He is so loving that he is willing to answer our prayers. Have a great week everyone! Love Elder Passantino

Talking to my Family

Sorry but Mom got behind! This is what he wrote the day after Mother's Day and I realized I never posted it and I don't know how to put it in it's proper place! Thanks for all who read and follow Brian! It's hard to believe we will be going to get him in 2 months! Dear family and friends, Yesterday I had the wonderful opportunity to talk to my family. I truly love them so much and take some much comfort in the fact to know that we will live together forever. It was great talking to them. As my mission continue to wind down I am thinking about some of the things I have learned and why they are important. One of the most important things I have learned is to seek the Lord´s approval rather than try to seek the approval of those around you or those above you. As humans we are really think a lot about what others think about us and we begin to become what others tell us we are, but I think a much more noble quest is to seek the approval of our Heavenly Father and see if our lives are in accordance with His. There is no true happiness or satisfaction until we feel truly at peace with ourselves, and we always feel content and at peace with ourselves when we feel the divine approval of a loving Father in Heaven. We do that by following his commandaments and seeking to repent, change, progress, uplift ourselves and others, and try to reach our full potential. I have learned how important it is to stop sometimes and think about where we are and if the Lord is pleased with that. We do that by asking and making the necessary tweaks and changes in our life to be where He wants us to be. That is the key to a happy life. I´m grateful to be helping od´s children here in Argentina and continue to do so up until my departure. It has been the greatest blessing of my life and the one that has brought more satisfaction and joy than any other decision. Have a great week everyone :) Love Elder Passantino

Hey Guys, Well we got back at about one in the morning from Mendoza today so I´m pretty tired. It was a fun time being with President and the mission leaders. Our mission President is really a man of God and has so much wisdom. It has been one of one of the greatest opportunites of my life to listen to him and President Lindahl when he was here and receive such wise and useful counsel. Some of my favorite Elders are leaving next week. Elder Allen, who was my companion for 2 transfers in Lujan de Cuyo is leaving. He was one of my greatest examples and I always looked up to him and wanted to be like him. When we were companions it was like going out to work with your best friend. We had a lot of success and saw a lot of miracles. My time with him changed my mission forever. Its sad when some ELders leave because its like losing some of your best friends and brothers. We get really close in the mission. Earlier last week we had a miracle. We had been teaching a lady named Blanca and her son named Brian. Brian just had such a strong desire to be baptized it was awesome, but suddenly about 3 and a half weeks ago they moved away. It was a bummer because we couldn´t find them and we thought we would never have the chance again. Until thjis last week. They moved back into the same house they were living in before and we were able to have the baptismal service of Brian this saturday and then his confirmation on Sunday! He was so happy and I was excited when he asked me to perform the ordinance. His mother, Blanca, is coming along well. Its tough sometimes because some of these people we teach have made devastating mistakes in their lives and they have such a hard time dealing with life. The incredible thing is that the only really thing that can help these people is the true gospel of Jesus Christ. There is nothing that is out of the infinite reach of the Savior´s atoning love. There is no pain, grief, regret, or sickness that he cannot heal. I love something that the Savior says prior to His visit to the Americas. He says "...will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you?" 3 Nephi 9:13 He really is the only one that can give us that relief that we all need and yearn for. There is no other way. I testify that He lives. As a missionary for His Church I declare that with all the solemnity of my heart and I am one of His witnesses. I hope that everyone may have that same conviction and asurety that I do. There is no greater joy than sharing the truth I humbly bear. I invite everyone to read the Book of Mormon and to pray and to ask God of its truthfulness. Those who follow such a course will find the only real healing and will come to know the living Christ. They will know that He is guiding His servants today as He did anciently and they will come to know the meaning that He is the same yesterday, today and forever. Have a fantastic week I love you all! Love Elder Passantino

Dear Family and Friends, We were privelged to baptize a girl named Julieta this week. She is a really awesome person with a pure heart. Her family has had a pretty hard life and all of her brothers and sisters are from different dads. They just moved into a really humble house that used to be an old train station stop. The life and quality of it here is completely different than the Stats. It was a great baptismal service and I was grateful to be able to perform the baptism. I have come to know how much God loves everyone. We asked her to pray to God and ask Him if what she was about to do was right and if the Church was true. She said she kneeled down and prayed and felt a comforting peace of assurance. I am absolutely convinced that all who ask God with a sincere heart will always receive an answer to the truthfulness of what we teach. I really hope you all are in good spirits and are doing your best to live good and wholesome lives. I am grateful for the people in my life who give me those powerful examples. Have a fantastic week! Love Elder Passantino

Dear Family and Friends, Well its been a great experience having Elder Rios as my companion. Being with him has also made me realize how grateful I am to live in the United States and for the most part always feel safe. Elder Rios spent much of his life in the Jungle in Columbia. His family was forced out of their home and property by gorilla war fighters. They then had to go live in the streets. When he was nine years old he had to carry messages from family to family across the jungle warning them of the coming gorilla fighters and ´´recruiting an opposition.´´ They lived with a lot of fear it still continues today. He told of experiences with the ´´Black hand´´ which are civilian police officers who go around and kill all of the gang members and criminals or anyone supiscious out in the street past 1 am. Its a completely different enviroment than from what I grew up in. He went off to live by himself at the age of 14 years old and entered into college at the age of 15. He wanted to get out of the bad enviroment so he worked really hard and finished high school by 14 and then has been studing geology for the past three years. He is a living example of how people that grow up in difficult circumstances can make it and dont make excuses for their circumstances but trusts in God and goes to work. It makes him a very successful and hard working person and I really respect him for it. He´s a great person and a fantastic missionary. I want to throw a shoutout to my brother who is turning 17 this coming week and to tell him how much I love him and look up to him. He is everything I want to be and didn´t make the mistakes that I did. He is my hero and I couldn´t ask for a better brother. I hope you all have a super week! Love ELder Brian Passantino

New Companion and Baptism!

Dear Family and Friends, Well this week has had its twists and turns but has brought a lot of new and exciting things. I was informed last night that Elder Treadway, my companion, will be transferred to another area and Elder Rios will be my new companion. Elder Rios is from Columbia and is a fantastic missionary. He is like a really Macho guy and really knowledgeable about the Gospel. He´s also a really good teacher and I am way excited to learn and become better by being with him. I have gotten along with all the Columbians so far from my mission and some of my best friends are from Columbia so I am way happy! It was a great six weeks with Elder Treadway so that was awesome! He's a great guy. We had a wonderful baptism this weekend! Her name is Aldana and she is 14 years old. She was so excited to be baptized and just expressed how much she really got to know God by being with us for such a little time. She said she always knew God existed but until I heard the ´´Plan of Salvation´´ I didn't realize why he really loved us so much or what the big deal was. It was a special baptismal service. Lately as missionaries we have been faced with a lot of opposition. Many anti mormon writings have surfaced recently from ´´friends´´ of people we are teaching. They come and give them ´´literature´´ to help them ´´really´´ know ´´who the mormons are.´´ As comical as the antimormon things are it saddens my soul to think that people could write so many blatent lies about a group or organization that they know nothing about. In essence they are breaking one of the ten commandments, by ´´bearing false witness´´ and giving false testimonies to deceive their own followers. It is a little childish and unchristian to print anything filled with lies, half-truths, false concepts, and misleading statements. I am proud to be a member of the Church where while in Church we learn about the doctrine of the Church and don´t falsely misrepresent another church or belief system. If it really is the truth there is no need to talk bad or falsify things about the ´´opposition´´ because the truth will stand independent. I would advise everyone if they want to know what a Evangelical believes to talk to an Evangelical, what a Catholic believes by talking to a Catholic, or a Muslim, Jew, Atheist etc. We don't attack, we teach. We don't force, we invite. We don't need to spend our time talking about the other churches or groups for two principle reasons. 1) We are not their authorized representatives so what we say is an outsiders opinion and not always a factual belief or statement, and 2) We are confident enough in our message and the witness that God will give to the sincere seeker of truth that we don't have to speak badly of other churches or groups to ´´scare people away from them.´´ I invite everyone that has curiosity to ask people about their beliefs and convictions and trust that they can explain them. We need to be more understanding of beliefs and not be so afraid, because who knows it might be true. I am grateful for Jesus Christ as the master teacher and example. He lived what he taught and invited people to follow him. As a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints I invite everyone to come and see what Christ is doing even now in His restored Church and to follow His example of life and love. I love you all have a great week! :) Love Elder Passantino

Great Week!

Hey Fam and Friends,

Well its been a great week as I always report! We had a zone conference this week where we were able to hear from President Avila and listen to his counsel for our zone. I am grateful for such inspired leadership that we have in the mission. Elder Treadway(My companion) and I were able to talk a little on how gaining Christlike attributes help us to teach with the Spirit and like Christ did. We had a little miracle this week too. This 14 year old girl that we have been teaching named Aldana decided to get baptized! That was totally a miracle and we had very little if nothing to do with it :)Im happy and excited about the rest of the mission and my future. Sometimes we don´t always have lunch we eat in our apartment and listen to talks or something as we prepare our food and eat our meal. We listened to something off the Mormon Channel on a show called Everything Creative (or something like that)and they were interviewing Alex Boye who is a famous LDS artist from England. He talked about the creative process and about how God is such a huge part of that. It was incredible for me and I think that everyone who reads this would benifit to listen to it and be inspired by it. Another day we listened to his part on WHY I BELIEVE which is also on the Mormon Channel. I would strongly encourage all of you to listen them both and hear the things he says. I am sure that you can get it for free on itunes so do it. Anyways have a great week I love you all! :)

Sincerely,
Elder Passantino