HEAVENLY HELP

This week was amazing. Heavenly Father has blessed me alot and He knows I am trying to do my best. Elder Lemon and I are doing great and pressing forward. Hopefully he doesn't get transferred this next Sunday because I am still a little lost with a hour and a half long area.
As a companionship we are focusing on using and keeping the Spirit more throughout the day. It has really worked and I am enjoyed the way the lessons are improving. Elder Lemon would talk alot and I would talk a little. We slowly turned our lessons around so we are now even. We read a talk by Elder Holland about using the God Head in our teaching and in every action.
On Friday we took a bus ride south...I think it was south. I promise I am an eagle scout. ha ha. Anyway, about ten minutes south and the appointment fell through. So we decided to go tracking. (Three, my friends, is a magic number.) We went up a steep hill and onto a dusty road. The spirit whispered to go right. So we did and we came to a house. We could hear the people talking and having lunch inside. Buenas Tardes! We yelled. Three times. Elder Lemon started to back up and go to the next house. I don't know why but I couldn't really move. Something told me to stay there. Ten seconds later a girl came out. I used the door approach I learned and that was a little different then what we had been using that day. I asked her how she was and that we are missionaries from La Iglesia de Jesucristo de los Santos de los Ultimos Dias and that we had a message about Jesus Christ and Eternal Families. She gave me the universal one moment sign and returned inside her home. Her sister came out and started putting up chairs. She invited us to sit down and gave us some water. We asked her name, Angelica. My brain said it sounded like Evangelio.(Which is gospel in Spanish) We started teaching. Asking questions about why she was talking with us. She wanted to know the truth and has been looking for more everyday. So we started in on the Restoration of the Gospel with a big part about families. When we were at the part about the Holy Ghost Elder Lemon was prompted to ask how and when she has felt the Holy Ghost in her life. She told us an amazing story about when her children miss behave she prays and the Holy Ghost guides her on what to do. It sounds like my mom! It was a very spiritual moment and we thanked her for sharing it with us. Toward the end of the lesson I challenged her if she would be baptized by someone holding the proper authority and she said yes...with alot of preparation of course. We then asked if we could leave with a prayer and if she would offer it. She then said, "If you teach me how and guide me along I will". So we did. I took the Libro de Mormon and turned to the back page and wrote the steps to the prayer while my companion explained it. She gave the best prayer I have heard on my mission. That Heavenly Father would take her into his hands and guide her to know the truth about these things and to help her read and think of our message and to feel the Holy Ghost more in her life. We set up an appointment to talk to her whole family the next day.
The next day we came over and the husband was prepared for us. He not only read the pamphlet but read all the introduction to the Book of Mormon. He had the same bible as us and then the Catholic bible. Which is different. It changes somethings and adds words. As we shared the message of the Restoration but shorter because he already knew it. And he had questions and scriptures for us...we did pretty good defending ourselves but it was not a bash. He wanted to come to an understanding.
This went on for about an hour and we had to go because it was getting late. They could not come to church because the husband (Oscar) had work but we set up another appointment. He also had watched a movie about the Book of Mormon against the Bible. We explained to him and read the introduction where it says that they go together. I am excited to see what happens Wednesday.
Angelica has prayed and knows that book of Mormon is true. She wants to know more of our teaching so we are preparing a special lesson for her family. They have a daughter who has 13 or 14 years and a baby boy.
When answering questions about priesthood authority and the conformation of the Holy Ghost it was easy because I had studied that morning and had found scriptures in the bible I didn't know about.
Personal study is very important because you never know when we are going to use it. Plus, look what came out of Joseph Smiths personal study of James 1:5.
When following the Spirit this week and praying for people to come to us with faith we had and will have success. Four people came up to us on the street and either told us they were looking for us or that they wanted to learn more about our religion.
We went over to the ward mission leaders house today to use the phone. We didn't actually use the phone....while my companion started talking to the mission leader I talked to his brother. The mother in the family (Hermana Gloria) works really hard and owns four buses. She has three sons that are all living at home. She is constantly trying to be a missionary and like to help us out. Well, this morning she was gone. Her son was cleaning of the counter. I started to sweep while we talked. I saw that the dishes where piled up and the stove had not been deeply cleaned in a long time. So I started taking the top off and washing it. Soon the three brothers and Elder Lemon joined in. It was a Kitchen make over. We didn't take before and after photos but it was quite the change. I had some ideas for organizing and they worked great. Hermana came in the door alittle to soon but started to help. When we put the stove back together the flames were bigger...or Hermana Glorias eyes...no both. We were happy to see a smile on her face. She then made us ham and cheese sandwiches which had a surprise in the middle. It was kind of hot. Her son made Cantalope drink. It was really good. Service feeds the heart and stomach. We don't get to do alot of service because no one wants us to help. We ask everywhere but everyone says no. Except Hermano Victor...but that is another story. (that is in Jordan's email)
Hermano Victor's story
We ate at Hermano Victors house one day last week. He was not home when we started to eat but when we were almost done his wife got up. (a little background info. His house is part of a hair cut parlor thing.) So his wife got up and opened the gate and here comes Hermano Victor riding in on his motercycle. He parks his bike in the middle of the floor. lol. This is the good part. He gives us Salud (which is shaking hands) and then teases me alittle calling me short white guy. I tell him to be cool or Tranquelo. He lifts up his under armor and I don't see anything. He lifted it up a second time and there was a gun in his pants. I think the look on my face was priceless because he went into the kitchen laughing. Turns out he is Special Forces or was...he now just trains and sometimes steps in when things get to messy.
It is funny because we have an electric piano at church and it has all the hymns on its memory so he sits there with a smile on his face and pretends like he is playing when he only presses a couple buttons. It is funny because they announce him as the piano player. He is quite a funny guy.
There are these drug gangs here. They are pretty huge. Anyway, two days ago in another area but in the same city. Two groups of gang/drug dealers got into a huge fight. Like guns and everything. The whole enchilada. The police showed up and tried to stop it but it just got worse. And all the sudden the Comer. (That is were we buy food) The Comer starts on fire and things start exploding. Kind of cool but not really because it is not a video game it is real life.

Life is great. We are enjoying the blessings we receive when we follow the Holy Ghost and are obedient. This companionship is getting better everyday. Nothing can stop us because we have the Lord on our side. Have an amazing Spring Break!

Elder Chadwick