rollin' rollin' rollin'

Dear friends and family,

It`s so good to hear that things are great at home, especially to hear that my little sister had her ApPeNdIx ReMoVeD?! How random! But then she got her license and that makes up for it I guess. It`s crazy to think how things are changing so much at home, but I`m just doing the the same thing everyday. Sharing the Gospel.

First off, I would like to thank my amazing sister Melissa for her package she sent me! Really, it was amazing. Thank you so much Melissa for la bufanda (scarf) that you made. It is absolutely perfect. A couple of weeks ago Elder Laney and I were talking about how in AZ scarfs seem a little fruity, but here in Chile I think they are the best thing in the world. But really I have been using the scarf all day everyday and it goes well with both of my suits. Thank you so much. Oh and it smells really good too. The graham crackers blew up a little bit in the journey and the scarf soaked up the smell. It`s cool.

This week nothing new has really happened. We haven`t found anyone new to really teach. The drunks have been everywhere like usual. One good thing that did happen was that Bryan (recent convert), his grandma, and his sister Darinka all went to church on Sunday. Darinka should be getting baptized in two weeks. Let`s hope for the best. Abraham and Carolina are progressing well, but them and 20 other people didn`t go to church on Sunday because it was freezing in the morning. Ìt`s just getting colder and colder here. It`s below 0 degrees C everyday now. It`s just horrible because the temperature outdoors is almost the same as it is indoors. We can see our breath as we teach all of our lessons.

This week I have been really focusing more on the importance of a pure powerful testimony....
"And this he did that he himself might go forth among his people, or among the people of Nephi, that he might preach the word of God unto them, to stir them up in rememberance of their duty, and that he might pull down, by the word of God, all the pride and craftiness and all the contentions which were among his people, seeing no way that he might reclaim them save it were in bearing down in pure testimony against them." Alma 4:19
With that in mind we were teaching Rodrigo, one of our recent converts, how he can be a missionary right now by sharing his testimony with others. He told us that he had no idea of how to share his testimony? So we taught him and invited him to share his testimony with us, but he would not do it. After a few minutes he explained to us that he did not want to share his testimony because he was not really sure of anything. We shared our testimonies with him and explained that the best way to help your testimony to grow is by sharing it. He understood and agreed to start working on it until our next visit.

Another investigator this week astonished us with how powerful his testimony has become. He says that he knows that the Holy Ghost answers questions in the heart and the mind because he has been receiving answers. He said that the scripture, "by their fruits ye shall know them (Mathew 7)" has had a huge impact on him. It has dawned on him that we do not teach the beliefs of our own church, we do not teach what we want or what our church leaders want, we teach what God wants. His testimony, the testimony of an investigator, has strengthened mine this week. (Now all we have to do his convince him to get married...?)
I love you all so much. I know that this gospel is true. I know that Jesus Christ lives and loves us and that he guides his church today. You are all incredible. Thank you for all your love and support.

Love,
Elder Matthew D. Mooney