Bolivia Bound

The love that changes us all

June 2, 2014

HELLO EVERYONE!

It has been another FANTASTIC week here in my personal paradise, barrio Paraiso, Tarija. :) First off, the ward is doing well. We brought up attendance by about 20 people this week (to 124 peope), which is definitely a step in the right direction. The news about the possible union with barrio Central has been a huge motivator for the work of salvation, and I love it. Our consejo de barrio is all focused on how we’re going to bring people back to the fold of God, planning activities (something that rarely happened in this ward before), making assignments to visit specific investigators and menos activos, and looking for ways to serve and lift the people around us. The missioneros del barrio are getting organized and are excited to work as well, as is our ward mission leader: he is 100% determined to change the situation in the ward and will do what it takes to get us there. We have a specific goal set: to have attendance of at least 200 for the conferencia de barrio the last weekend of July, and I know we can do it, with the misioneros del barrio, the consejo de barrio, the six missionaries in the ward, and most important, the Lord. We are more excited than ever to be working here.

The people we are working with are doing well! Belen, an investigator who is studying in the university here and living with her member aunt, is getting ready to be baptized, probably on the 14th of this month. She is so firm and excited about the gospel that she shares it with her friends and her dad and sister who aren’t members. Her dad isn’t thrilled about her decision to get baptized, but she is super excited about it and knows that this is the right decision for her life. We continue to work with Esteban as well - his baptism date on the 24th of June is getting closer and he is SO excited about it. He is truly converted to the gospel and an incredible example to me, as he has made huge changes in his life, abandoning alcohol and coca and going to church despite the major objections of his wife. We taught him about fasting and fasted with him for his wife this Sunday, and on Tuesday we are finally going to go visit her for the first time. We’re praying that the Lord can soften her heart at least to let him get baptized, hopefully to learn more about the gospel herself too. We are also working with a great less active family, la familia Avila, who are a couple with their new baby. We are just working to get this less active family married and on track to the temple! I love finding not just prepared investigators, but also prepared less actives who want to return to the gospel once again.

Finally, this has been a week where I’ve had the chance to learn a lot about God’s love for each of us, which is manifested through the Atonement. I had an interview with Presidente Willard this past week and I had the chance to talk to him about a few things that had been troubling me. He taught me a lot about just how deeply God loves us - something I am only just starting to understand here in the mission. And He manifests that love to us through the Atonement of His Son Jesus Christ. I love how Alma the Younger expresses it in Alma 36 when he finally understood and felt the atonement in his life:

 21 Yea, I say unto you, my son, that there could be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains. Yea, and again I say unto you, my son, that on the other hand, there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy.

 24 Yea, and from that time even until now, I have labored without ceasing, that I might bring souls unto repentance; that I might bring them to taste of the exceeding joy of which I did taste; that they might also be born of God, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.

I know that once we not only understand the Atonement, but also strive to apply and feel it in our lives, we will come to feel the joy that comes only from feeling God’s love. I invite you all to apply the Atonement in your lives, not just for big sins, but also for small errors and for mistakes that we all make on a daily basis. As we come to understand and feel the Atonement in our lives, we will come to feel the power of God’s love fundamentally changing us, AND feel a deeper desire to share this gospel with everyone around us. I love the gospel and I’m so grateful to be here as a missionary sharing it with the people of Bolivia!

Well, have a great week everyone! In just a few hours I’ll be flying off to Santa Cruz for the monthly consejo de lideres, so I’ll let you all know how that goes next week! Love you all!

Love, Hermana Chelsie Faulk