Keep the Faith

This week was incredible! On Wednesday we had interviews with the mission president, along with a teaching evaluation. We taught the assistants, and we passed! 

On Friday we had a multi-zone conference, and it was awesome! We learned about how we can better study the scriptures, among other things, using a BYU Speech by Elder David A. Bednar, Living Water. 

We also found two couples that want to listen to us, and want to get married! So that's awesome! 

On Sunday, we had one couple and the wife of the other couple in sacrament meeting, and we also had some investigators that hadn't been before, and they participated perfectly! We are so excited! 

Sorry this email is so short, I promise to do better next time...

I love you all, and I pray for you every night! Keep the faith!

Service, Flooding, and Speaking in Church

Wow! Good luck with all that's going on! Our mission president shared that angels are messengers from God, so we are the angels! We also know that the people who have gone before us are helping us here, so basically we have mortal and immortal angels working side by side! Super cool!

For service, we have painted, and cleaned up trash. The way they paint here is very different. They sand off the old paint, and because the floor is usually cement, and it never rains, they use a water soluble paint, and don't cover or tape anything, and then they mop the floor afterwards. Pretty interesting!! On P-Day, we buy things we need, clean, study things that are interesting but not necessary, sleep, eat, sometimes watch a movie, and sometimes go somewhere. I've been able to go to Grau, which is like a street market that's massive. Other than that... I haven't been anywhere else.

My mission president is super cool! He knows a lot, and really loves us. He always wants to help us to be better! He told us that as a mission president, we are his converts. His goal is that each one of us become deeply and truly converted. We get to have interviews with him every transfer. We have one long interview with him, and next transfer, a short interview. So we are constantly in contact! We actually have long interviews this transfer, on Wednesday! I love the interviews, because we always learn a ton about where we need to improve and how we can be more consecrated missionaries!!

The flooding. Well, I'm not sure exactly how much you guys know, but I'm going to preface this with the fact that I'm absolutely fine and not affected in any way, except we lost water for a half hour in the morning. We work normal, and I feel completely safe. That being said, I've heard the the country is in a state of declared national emergency, and people are donating things to be sent to those in danger/homeless. The prices of some things are skyrocketing, because you can't get to the farms that produce limón for example. It's pretty crazy! I've heard lots of people say that it's the end of the world, that we need to repent soon, and stuff like that! But I'm safe!

This Sunday my companion and I gave talks, and they were very interesting! I talked about faith, and what I learned from this talk: http://www.lds.org/ensign/2007/09/seek-learning-by-faith.p1. It's really interesting to see how this talk applies to everything we read about faith in the scriptures! It's truly inspired! My companion talked about missionary work, and how it is a commandment. He talked about how when we receive blessings from the gospel, we naturally want to share them! So if we don't want to do missionary work, it's because we haven't really felt the blessings of the gospel. And, if we aren't receiving the blessings of the gospel, it's because of disobedience. Very interesting! He also shared a little of his story, and how his family was going through some rough times, and someone referred the missionaries to his house. It was in this critical moment that the missionaries came and changed their lives forever! It was super powerful, and in the end focused on the need to share the gospel through references to the missionaries!

I love you guys!!
-- Dallin

Death, Rebirth, and Technology

This week we are working super hard! My companion and I are finding so many people that are ready to listen to the gospel! One of our investigators wouldn't come to church unless she had a skirt, so we were trying to figure out what to do, and our pensionista gave us a skirt! She came to church and liked it! We were so grateful!!

I also had some interesting thoughts about death, which isn't as morbid as it sounds. Death really means separation, therefore spiritual death is separation from God, and physical death is separation of our bodies from our spirits. Therefore, birth is also death, because we are leaving the presence of God. So, really, death is just a state change, and there is no point in fearing it, because we are constantly changing! The same thing happens when we are baptized! Our natural man "dies" and we are re-born/resurrected in Christ, or as Christians!

I also decided I really like Moroni 8:8 as a scripture, because it really defines the role of the savior, and the scope of his sacrifice, as well as providing insight as to the scope of people who need baptism. Super interesting!

We are having a family home evening tonight about technology, and it's going to be very interesting, and I'm so grateful mom, that you taught me everything you did. We are using the video "things as they really are" and really applying it to the lives of those who attend. I'm super excited!

I love you all!

Dallin

Shaving Brush and a Miracle

Hi Everyone!

I got my shaving brush! I'm super happy now! I got to use it with the soap that Sister Christensen made, and it's super cool! Thanks so much! And also thank you for the notes and candy! Such a fun gift!

This week we found a miracle! At our baptism last week, we talked to the brother of the girl getting baptized, and he told us he probably could meet with us in the week, depending on his work schedule, which fell through. And then he came to church on Sunday! We met with him Sunday night, and he already prays every day, has come to church twice, and has a very strong testimony of prayer and the Holy Ghost! So we're super excited about that!

Also my companion shared with me some of his Spirulina... sold by DXN. If somebody could do an investigation on the product and the company, and send it to me, I would be very grateful. It's supposedly a nutrient supplement from seaweed, but I'm a little skeptical!

I am also learning a ton about the basic principles of the gospel! It's amazing how many things are in the scriptures! You can learn basically everything about the church from the scriptures! It's incredible!

I love you all, and I'm happy here, and loving life! Keep being amazing back home!