Email & Pictures - May 12, 2012

This week was great! We traveled quite a bit, we weren't in our sector much, but we did get the 2 baptisms. That was such a blessing. There were a lot of friends, the room was PACKED. Almost more people than the sacrament meeting (65ish people in the service). The bummer is all of the friends that came to see the baptism took off early AND live out of our sector haha, but we are doing some followup. There are two pictures, one of Ayda and Sandra and the other one of Sandra after her baptism. What miracles those two baptisms were. As for the rest of the week, we traveled a lot, had a few conferences, it was fun.  This next coming week Elder Waddell of the Seventy is coming. He is doing a mission tour and so we should have quite a bit of time with him this week, I am really excited!

 I'm going to talk to you all tomorrow, and I have a really cool experience to share tomorrow, so I'll hold it in now. But for the eavesdroppers who read my emails but DON'T get to talk to me tomorrow, I'll share something I liked a lot from my personal study this week. There is a difference between faith and hope and I truly enjoy it. As we learn in Moroni, Faith is a principle of Power, Action, being able to do. Faith is not waiting or hoping that all turns out well. Faith is the constant, optimistic, diligent action to change our life circumstances. We must act, not be acted upon. The brother of Jared exercised such faith as he worked to find stones from which he could make light to help make his people's journey a bit easier. We must be constant, optimistic, and diligent in all righteousness to change our life circumstances. Hope on the other hand, is the surety of peace we find AFTER we have done all that we could. Hope is knowing we gave it all, and though our circumstances haven't changed, we did what we could and will receive a reward from On High. Hope is the assurity that Nephi testified about in 2 Nephi 25:23. We are here to act, not to be acted upon. We are here to have joy, not watch others have joy. They go hand in hand. Let us act after what is right, with perfect brightness of hope in our Savior Jesus Christ. Those who act, with Christ as our example, can taste sweet joy. There will be no regret, there will be no sadness, yet there will be progress and there will be confidence. I am convinced that that is what is spoken of in D&C 121:46 (?) then shall our confidence wax strong in the presence of God.

 Les amo a todos, Cristo es Mi Redentor y es el Suyo. El ha puesto Su ejemplo y amorosamente pide que le sigamos, nada más. La jornada tiene un fin, sabemos lo que es y cómo alcanzarlo. Hagámoslo. Testifio que Dios nos ama, Él es observante de todo lo que hacemos y nos elogia por Su Espíritu Santo cuando hacemos el bien. Sigamos adelante, no hay mejor causa. En el nombre de Jesucristo, Amén.

 Elder McGinn