Week #97

Hola Familia!

I´ve honestly had such a great week here in Bahía with Elder Kropelnicki and Elder Taylor. I served with Elder Kropelnicki about14 months ago in Mar del Plata and we only got to serve with each other for 3 weeks. It was an incredible 3 weeks and it was extremely sad when he had to leave in emergency transfers to Santa Rosa in order to fill in some holes in the mission. I truly enjoyed serving with him because we´re very alike, we work similarly, and we look alike. Everyone thinks we´re brothers haha (the only change would be the Russian last name Kropelnicki haha).

I´ve been thinking about my growth here on the mission, Looking back, I can definitely see a growth of maturity and understanding. But it came at a slow process. Much like the way that the Savior learned and grew Himself. The scriptures say that he was filled with the Spirit and he grew grace upon grace. I´m not saying that I´ve grown as much, nor as fast, as the Savior grew in His early years, but what I am saying is that we go through the same process as the Savior went through. We learn line upon line, precept upon precept until we gain a full knowledge of all things. Thinking of this eternal principle, I began to think of how I´ve been blessed like that through diligence in the mission field. I realized that I´ve grown strong roots in simple principles of the gospel by simply talking with the people and sharing my testimony to them. It´s the hardest part of the mission because contacting (or tracting) usually ends up as a failure, or is it? When I say failure, I mean that many people don´t want to listen to us or don´t accept the message that we teach. Many times they don´t share our beliefs and they find us annoying trying to teach them what we know to be true. What I´m saying today is that it has never ended up as a failure for me. Sometimes these people progress, sometimes they don´t, but I promise that the Lord has ALWAYS blessed me grace upon grace. Little by little, my testimony has been strengthened through contacts in the street that didn´t want ANYTHING to do with the Church. But I remember these moments because I learned many lessons. Let me share one that just happened yesterday with Elder Kropelnicki at about 6 o´clock at night:

We contacted a man named Nestor who started talking about the United States (because he realized that we were from the States). He started talking about Donald Trump and other worldly leaders and the corruption in the worlds. The power just doesn´t seem enough and they all want more. He started talking about the Catholic Pope Francisco and what he does. After he spoke a little bit longer, a thought came to my head to speak about a world leader that we can count on, even our prophet Thomas S. Monson. We testified to Nestor that there are GOOD leaders in this world that we can follow and know that we are doing what is right. I asked him if he knew that there was a prophet of God on the earth TODAY. He said, "No, who is it?" I said, "Thomas S. Monson" He said, " Who´s that?" In that moment we explained a little to him about Joseph Smith and how Thomas S. Monson is the living prophet today. We showed him a picture of him and he said, "Wow, you killed me with that one, I had no idea." Today we´re going to bring him a talk by our Prophet so that Nestor can learn a little more. As we were leaving his house, Nestor said, "I honestly had no idea, I´m interested to hear more about him."

Walking away from his house is when the Spirit taught me something. If many of the people in this world claim to be following the Savior and have desires to follow Him, then why don´t they know of the man on this earth that is most like Him? As much as I would love to, I can´t see the Savior right now. I´m not ready yet. The least I can do is follow the man on this earth that is most like Him- with all the priesthood keys to act in His name and with all of the Spiritual Gifts that the Savior possesses. We can look at, listen to, and follow Thomas S. Monson and know that he is guiding us right behind Jesus Christ because Thomas S. Monson is the closest man to Him on this earth. There´s one problem, the majority of this world DOESN´T KNOW WHO HE IS! They´ve never heard his name in their lives. How are they supposed to follow the Savior of the world then? I´m not sure. 

I know that Thomas S. Monson is a living prophet that guides us so that we can live in God´s presence again. I hope we can hear his words and follow him.

Thanks for all the love and support! Love you!

Love, Elder Bosco II

 This is the biggest empanada that I´ve seen in Argentina! So Good!

Mar del Plata!