Week #49

 Mar del Plata Centro Zone!

 an Asado for my Birthday!

 Saying bye to Pres. and Hna Parreño!

 Birthday Party!

 Birthday Party!

 My birthday lunch with Carlos Zapelli!

 My birthday lunch with Carlos Zapelli!

Elder Bosco,  Elder Yeates, Elder Howard, Elder Sisson (mi pension)

Hola Familia!

I had a great birthday! I´m extremely grateful to be in Caisamar because the members are incredible! Carlos, a recent convert, invited us over for an Asado. We ate empanadas, asado, potato salad, a huge chocolate cake... and when we were done and completely stuffed, he told us that he bought ice cream too if we wanted it. That was the first ( and the last) time that I will ever turn down ice cream in Argentina hahaha. It was a great day and I got to spend it with some of my best friends. 

Thank you for celebrating my birthday by going to the temple. That makes me happy to know that my family is worthy to enter into the house of the Lord and feel His Spirit and love. We had stake conference this weekend as well and we got to sing in the choir. Elder Cardús (Area 70) came and spoke to us. He talked about the importance of the Sabbath Day and how we need to elevate our lives and live each Sunday with more meaning. Sunday is not just renewing our covenants, but it´s a day every week where we can elevate our spiritual lives if we choose to. If you are reading this, I challenge you to read D&C 59 and study the Sabbath Day.

 I want to tell you all about a miracle that I was able to witness this week. There is a single woman in the ward with 3 kids and we´ve been working a lot with them. They are a great family and I love them a lot. We called them one day and she told me that one of her best friends was 5 months pregnant and the baby died in her stomach. She was struggling with the way her friend was handling it. A few days later, she was having some family problems and she called us up on the phone crying and asked if we could give her a blessing. Her and her kids were having a fight and with the stress of work and her friend, she was struggling a lot. We stopped what we were doing and went directly to her house. She humbly asked us to give her and two of her children blessings. I will never forget the experience that I had. I´ve been really focusing on Elder Eyring´s talk from the Priesthood Session and being prepared to say that words that Jesus would say if he were giving the blessing. I know now that the words of God left my mouth. After the children, I had the opportunity of giving her a blessing. I don´t remember much of what I said, but I do remember the feeling that was in their home afterwards. She got up from the chair crying and said that she had just witnessed a miracle. For the past 3 days, she was filled with anguish and dark feelings that wouldn´t leave. She said that the feeling left as she received the blessing. And then the Spirit warmed my heart as her two children and her gave each other a big family hug. The Spirit was very strong and it had cast away the Spirit of contention that had been there. Just an hour and a half before, the home was filled with the Spirit of contention and of hatred. But I relearned that when one acts in the name of Jesus Christ with power and authority, Satan cannot remain. The Priesthood has complete demand over Satan. I left that home feeling grateful for having been worthy to act in the name of Jesus Christ and having done what he would have done if he were here. The Priesthood had literally healed a family that night. I know that it was the power of God.

Thanks for all the birthday wishes and all the love! Congrats to those who have received their calls to join the Lord and His army!

Love Elder Bosco II