Loyalty

¨I dont do anything for fun, rather I have fun in everything I do¨ Dallin Oaks.   before the mission everyone and their dog asked me how i felt about leaving. my common response ¨¨I am so excited, its going to be so much fun!¨ I received the common laughs from it, oh yah ¨¨fun¨ missionary work.  they all kind of smiled at me with that oh you are so young and innocent and have no idea what you are getting yourself into. Well they are absolutely right I had no idea what I signed up for but those of you who dint think its fun are surely mistaken or you are not doing it right.  because its about the best thing ever.  when asked the common question äre you ready to leave?¨ I would then go onto explain that no, I wasn't. but I was planning on giving it my all, and that if I could just find one person to convert I would be content, just one, you all know that common scripture.

¨Labor all your days crying repentance unto this (argentine) people and bring save it be one soul unto me how great shall be your joy. .. but how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me.¨ 

well little did I know that the first soul came almost as a buy one get one free deal.  when I signed up for a mission, i signed up to become converted.  I think I got the discount, don't you?  my small testimony has been stretsched, twisted, pulled, cut, shaped, sclupted, strutchered, hammered, plasterd, polished and refined.  before what i knew was more of what i hoped to be true and now that I believe is who I am and what I do.  so therefore my joy is already full for that ONE SOUL.  heavenly father just put the that scripture in for kicks and giggles.    really to me its pretty much giving us a preview to the a mission filled with lots of joy because we already have the one and after our responsibility is to saving of the others. at this point I am more focused on holding onto that joy.  not just a sugar rush of joy and than a crash after to nothing but a steady constant joy.  we dont just give people a taste of heaven and than send them on their way.  we need to bring it he souls unto Him and keep them there, always looking for second helpings or more spiritual experience.  I can better apply my  thoughts to the talk by elder holland.  He goes on to explain what it would be like to be an apostle right after christ died and their thought process... it would be something like this...  maybe coming from the mouth of paul...

¨¨well breatheren, its been a glorious three years.  none of us could have ever imagined such a few short months ago and the miracles we have seen and the divinity we have enjoyed.  we have talked with, prayed with, and labored with the SON of God.  We have walked with hjim, wept with him and on that night of the horrible ending  no one wept more bitterly than I.  but it is ove, he has finished his work and he is risen.  he has worked out his salavation and ours.  so maybe you ask now ¨what are we to do.¨ I dont know more thant to tell you to return to your former life, rejoicing.  for me I intend to go fishing.¨¨  Elder holland than explains how the apostles would than leave to fish, and meanwhile the ressurect Christ would return, and visit them on the boat, but responding something like this ¨why are you here with the same nets, doing the same as before.  I called you not to be fishers but disciples.  I didn't just need you then but I need you now and forever.  I need you to save my lambs, preach my gospel and truly love me.  its not a feeble message or a fleeting task and its not just history, I am asking you to leave all this behind and teach and testify and labor and serve loyally forever.¨ 

This week we worked our hearts out with one particular inactive.  I dont remember if I have mentioned him to you before, I believe so, his name is Toni.  and he his devorced from his temple marriage. an ex missionary and ex president of the rama.  well he has a lot of doubt, and one thing led to the other and his testimony has gone right about into its shell.  We have so much faith in him.  I know that he can remember and feel what he did before.  We visted him and gave him the assignments of reading his missioanry journal everyday and some special talks.  Well he made some changes during the week, bought a new set of slacks, and for the first time in years, CAME TO CHURCH! with his son and two daughters that dont live here but with the mom.  I cant imagine the humility and courage he had to show to get up and make the decison. as I sat there in the renunion sacramental in walked some other less actives we are working with that havent been in soo long.  and to finish it off we had a progressing investigator who is increiddlbe join us.  The talks were just incredible and I ended up lettings some tears go down my cheak as I was overwhelmed with peace and love for these people who are putting in pratice the atonement better than I am. 

 The call we have for these less actives, non members and soon a certain ex missionary who will be left un mentioned is ¨the call is to come back, to stay true, to love God and to lend a hand.¨ for examplle when we baptize we change lives forever, but surely we are changed forever as well in the process.  I know that the work was not killed simply buy killing our savior JesuChristo.  But that it continues today, and that he lives to help us along the way.  Elder Holland puts it perfectly when he sasys ¨the crownigh characteristic of love is always loyalty.¨ Every moment here I am cherishing, every person I talk to I cant help but smile.  there isnt enough mintues in the day to get evereything done I have in my agenda, running isnt fast enough. 9 de julio is blooming in miracles, these people are so prepared and one dayvery soon we will have a Capilla. The best thing in the world is to see someone light up when they feel the spirit.   

This week I went on divisions with the hermana leaders, I will be honest didnt want to leave my area, because i love it and I want to soak it all up.  I left for junin, its bigger than hear, too many people for my liking.  haha but it was a good old time.  ahuge blessing was saturday. it was raining cats and dogs so we decided to hang out under a tree for a few mintues, there is nothing like riding around in a bike helpless from the rain.  the helmets just arent sufficient protection sometimes. when out comes a chicka 25 yearsold or something like that.  well she offers us to come insided.  boom! okay sure, why not, well turnsout its a food bank for a grouipo of 10 kids that have little to nothing.  we got to help out and I fell in love with them as we played together and made ballon paper machae (no idea how to spell it).  It was so great, nothing like walking into service. hey, just so you remember I love being a missioanry. 

so If we love our Savior JesuChrist,  we will never look backuntil his work is finished and the love of God and neigbors rules the world. Lets get rolling! 

Hermana Alley 

"toni and his family that are all active.  we have mica, who is pregant that is trying to get a devorce to be remarried to miguel, who isnt baptized yet because they are living together.  marita  next to me has a son on a mission, almost two weeks.  I love this picture!"

okay one more thing... there are two new laws here... get this the first one is that you only need one person of a marriage to get devorsed.. so in other words. I dont like that guy anymore, I get divorced and he stays married to me while I am considered single. because that makes since.  but hey helps us with baptisms and the law of chastity....  second, retired people who have worked their whole lifes get about 23 thousand pesos everyone month to live on, while those who are titled gay get almost 50 thousand. just for there title.  cause that makes more sense?  thought you'd enjoy the government...