Elder England: Standing As A Witness Of Christ

Even though I'm not living in Utah -

My heart is still in the right place.

Hola Familia!!!

Okay I'm going to start with an experience of standing as a witness of Christ first so that I don't forget. It's hard because really all the time we as missionaries are trying to be witnesses of Christ. Sorry I can't really think of an experience in specific, but seriously as I have tried to remember that I am a representative of Jesus Christ every second of every day for these two years it has changed EVERYTHING! Literally everything, or at least the way that I look at everything. I honestly don't feel like the same person I was 3 months ago. I don't really know what happens, but every time I talk to someone on the street I just know what to say. I don't have to think about the Spanish any more, it just flows, I'm sure that the spanish isn't that great or gramatically correct but it just flows out of me. I also feel like the people understand me a lot more, and that is probably the most important. Every time I knock on a door, I'm reminded that I really am a witness of Jesus Christ. Oh we actually knocked on this one door the other day and this older lady came to the door and said that she didn't have any time to talk because her husband is sick and she had to take care of him (I think she expected us to start preaching or teaching her something but I just asked her if we could help her in any way) And after that she opened up and listened to us talk for about 10 minutes. It really opened my eyes and I saw a change in her heart, as we tried to serve first. It reminded me of in one of the Joseph Smith movies, a lady goes up to Joseph and thanks him for all the things that Joseph and the saints had done for her and the town but she then said that she didn't want anything to do with the church. Joseph then said, ¨With all do respect that is our church¨ I have grown to love this opportunity that I have to serve every day! It fills me with such joy when I get back to the apartment exhousted, when I can truly say that I tried my best today. This is what I think about when I think of being a witness of Christ.

Guess what? Alejandra came to church this week! BOOYEAH! It was actually the district conference and was at the other church building here in Florida, but she came! President Newsome came too and gave a talk. He really emphasized the importance of the members working with the missionaries, heck yeah thank you Pres. Elder Cruz and I have been trying to work more with the members, and I feel like my relationship with a lot of the members is growing stronger and stronger. I can understand how Mace must feel right now, but for me I think that I'll be here for another 2 or 3 months because trainers are usually with their oros for 2 transfers. Anyways back to Alejandra, if everything goes to plan; which a lot of the time it doesn't, she will be baptized this Saturday. I really think that this time is it! Oh haha she said that she saw the movie the best two years on tv on the byu channel, and she said that she did'nt know that the missionaries could baptize people. So after that she told us that she wanted me to baptize her. So that was awesome, I'm a little nervous cause she is well... kind of over weight and I'm not very strong sooooo. haha no it'll all be good... I think. I guess we'll see this Saturday.

Things with Elder Cruz are going awesome, I really am so surprised at how fast he is learning! He is definitely learning a lot faster than I did. haha but one thing he always says is that I'm always angry. I don't feel like I am always angry but maybe I am. So I've been trying to be a lot nicer. But I can tell that these next couple of months are going to fly by, It's already the 18th of November I literally can't believe that! I looked at a picture of Maggie and me from the day I gave my fairwell talk and I seriously feel like it was yesterday!

I'm still praying for Chandler every single day, I just know that everything is going to be okay. Marsh sent an email to all of us friends saying that we need to be bold, we can't be afraid to ask God for a miracle we can't be afraid to ask for a few more years with Chandler. I was reading about the Brother of Jared this morning and thought about what Marsh had said. The brother of Jared was'nt afraid to ask God to reach and touch the stones that he had made. He had such faith in God that he specifically asked God to do something for him. I have not just been praying that everyone will be comforted in all of this, but I have specifically been praying and pleading that Chandler will live through this. I know that God can do it, and I know that if we ask we will recieve.

I love you all so much, keep Chandler in your prayers.

I love you more than you will ever know!

Elder England

ps...I think that we get to skype for Christmas!!!!