Well Done Thou Good And Faithful Servant

President And Sister Smith, Final Interview

Tortillas for the week: about 33

As I sit here in the internet café writing my final email as full time Missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints I have so many emotions knowing this is the last time I will be using an internet café in Guatemala to send home weekly emails. As I think what I want to say and how I can sum up 2 years up in one email, it may seem impossible but it is not; there are two words to summarize my mission: Elder and Christ.

So you might be asking why on earth Elder Mcilmoil would you say Elder. This is why and how I feel about that 5 letter word; the only people in the church who are called Elder are Apostles, special witness of Christ who are called to teach and testify of Him throughout the world. Now that I am going home and will not be called Elder anymore just breaks my heart because of how sacred that title is and what it means. To me Elder means a true servant of Christ, who truly dedicates his time to the Lord’s time. As missionaries we are not on our time, we are on the Lord’s time and that time to be completely dedicated to His work goes by way to fast. Elder is also someone who truly has a testimony of the Savior of the world, someone who is a reflection of the Savior, someone who serves in the way He would serve, someone who loves in the way He would love, someone to be His voice and His hands. Someone who desires with all his heart to do and does his best to do everything in the way the Savior would do. I have truly grown to love this little title and I am beyond grateful that I have a couple more days and have had this chance to be called ELDER. I’m an Elder, I know it, I love it and I live it.

Now to my last one, Christ, you might say well that a little vague so let me explain, I was reading a talk one day that my Mom sent me, ‘Gifts to Bring Home from the Mission Field’ by President Hinckley. As I was studying it I knew what I truly wanted to bring home for me, “I bear solemn witness from the bottom of my heart that Jesus is the living Christ.” In my last interview with President Smith he asked what have you learned from your mission? This is what I told him, out of all the things that I’ve come to know in these short 2 years is Jesus is the Christ and that He lives, that He is the living Son of the living God. That is my treasure and this is what I am bringing home from the mission is my personal testimony. Jesus Christ is literally and truly the Savior of the World. I testify that He lives and it is an honor to share with my personal testimony that He lives, I know it and I’m certain of it and I wouldn’t trade anything in the world for it. He lives, He truly lives. 

What I love about my Mom and Dad is there personal testimonies of the Savior.

con mucho amor, ducks forever,

Elder Mcilmoil

June 22, 2015

Scripture of the week: Alma 26:5,7-8 and 28-31

“No cause, No force in the entire world can stop the work of God

After All that has been said, the greatest and most important duty is to preach the gospel.” Joseph Smith 

“Yea, I desire to dwell among this people for a time; yea, and perhaps until the day I die.” Ammon (Alma 17:23)

“The standard of truth has been erected: no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing, persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished and the great Jehovah shall say the work is done.” Joseph Smith 

Elders: Special Witnesses Of Christ

Live Your Testimony And Witnessing A Miracle

Touching Hearts And Saving Souls

Tortillas for the week: 35

Well it is the last week in the mission, I just don’t know what to say except “I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me, Oh, it is wonderful, wonderful to me!” It truly is. I am beyond grateful for this amazing oportunidad (opportunity) I still have to be a missioanry for algunos dias (a missionary for a few more days).

Teammates, Companions And Brothers Forever

I had my last multi zona conference and of course it was great. I was able to see my son (greenie) Elder Mendoza as well as Elder Perry, Elder Robelo and many other of my brothers. The message that President Smith gave was his best yet, he talked about testimony. Every time he gives a message he is more spiritual. I can’t even begin to share what I have learned from President Smith; he truly is a man of God. During his message he told us we always need to testify of the truth and of the Savior. He said you can never talk too much or testify too much of the Savior of the world, for this is His work and change is possible because He lives. He then said when we testify we will awaken the spirit of the people we are teaching. He counseled us that we need to live our testimony for it will change everything. He said a testimony will change eternity for someone. When he said those words I knew the most important thing I could do this last week is just to testify but not just at el final de la leccion (at the end of a lesson) but also when I teach little things like God is our Father and we are His children. I need to testify more often that I know we are His children or that I know that prophets have always been part of God’s work. I need to testify more often of the small and simple things. I also need to testify more often of my companion’s words. I know Jesus Christ is our Savior and that is one of the things I treasure the most of being a missionary is to share my testimony of the Savior Jesus Christ and His atonement. We are so blessed to share the spiritual power of a testimony. I’m so grateful that I have this last week to put into greater action the counsel from President Smith and to testify of our Savior, whose work this is and who represent.

How Many Missionaries Can Fit In A Tut-Tut

Just a side note we will probably be having a baptism on Saturday. The hermano who will be baptized is Byran. He has made so much progress. He really wants to change and every time we visit with him, he has a greater understanding of what we are teaching. It is amazing and what is even more amazing is he reads the Book of Mormon every night!

Guatemala City Streets 

So yesterday was a very special day, so we went with some members to contact some references they had for us. We were able to contact one but second referral wasn’t home. It was pouring rain and as we knock on the door I see a man at another door. He isn’t wearing a shirt and he is covered in tattoos. As I walk over to his door and he closed it. I’m like I’m just going to knock. As I do one member is like what are you doing and then the guy answers the door. I tell him who we are and he invites us in. So we go in and this is where it all starts. We take a few minutes to get to know more about him and his family. His name is Angel. We begin to teach him and you guessed right, we teach him about THE RESTORATION! As we teach him and the more talk to him we witness a miracle, Angel understands everything! It was amazing! As we talked about the life of Christ he said how great of a privilege Peter had to have the keys of the kingdom, and to be the Lord’s prophet. Wow, who is this guy! We then explain about the apostasy with the example of a lightbulb falling to the floor, and how people took only pieces of the light (bulb) which is why there are so many churches with just pieces of God’s word. Elder Chavez asks, so hermano if the church is gone and there is no prophet and no authority do you think God loves us so much that He would call another prophet to give us His priesthood authority? And then I said hermano what if you find this church and that this church has God’s priesthood authority would you be willing to get baptized by those who have the priesthood authority? He said absolutely! Wow it was amazing not just his word but I wish you all could have felt the spirit that was there. When we finished teaching we knelt in prayer and during the prayer Angel cried as the spirit was touching his heart. It was just such a special experience. He invited us to come back and we will be teaching he and his family on Sunday! I learned this as I was teaching this family that God is everywhere, que dios esta en todos los lados, pero nuestro salvacion no esta en todo los lados, solo esta en uno. Our salvation is not everywhere it is only in one place, and that was our focus during the whole lesson, it was amazing. I testify this is the Lord’s work, He lives. I give you my personal witness that He lives, oh how sweet this sentence gives, I know that my Redeemer lives.

Sweet Is The Work

What I love about Mom is that she taught me the importance of family, what I love about Dad is that he taught me the importance of being worthy.

con mucho amor, ducks forever,

Elder John Mcilmoil 

June 15, 2015

Aros de Cebolla

Scripture of the week: 3 Nephi 27:27 and Mosiah 2:6 and 9 

Keep your eyes on the temple 

“Relying upon the Savior’s Atonement, we can change. Of this I am certain,” Elder Donald L. Hallstrom

“This is the work of eternity. Don’t lose it now. Don’t blow it now. Give it all you’ve got.” Elder Jeffrey R. Holland 

“What changes are required of us to become the manner of men we ought to be?” Elder Hallstrom

A Few Things I Have Learned

This Is Quiche

Tortillas for the week: 25

In the last few emails I will write before returning home I would like to share some things I have learned and experiences I had from the areas I have served in throughout my mission. First off and number 1 is how grateful I am for the opportunity I have been blessed with to serve the Lord as a missionary. I have come to understand that the Lord truly works miracles but not in ways we think, for example healings and not just for the sick and afflicted. He heals the spiritually weak, that is who He truly heals. Last Monday we met this man and as we talked him, he wanted to learn more so we made an appointment with him to come back and teach him more. Two days later we go to meet with him and we taught him the message of the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Later that night I should say really late that night we get a knock on the door and I’m thinking who in the world would be knocking on the door this time of night. I open the door and it is the man that we taught earlier that day. He said, “Hey sorry it is so late but I’m just studying some things and I would like a Bible since I only have the Book of Mormon. Right now I want to learn more about the laying on of hands (the priesthood).” I’m so dumb founded I just stand there thinking who is this guy, this never happens. Finally I said yes let me go and get you a Bible. He immediately said thank you so much. As this was happening I remembered an old investigator in another area told me, “Look for the people that are spiritually hungry because they will act upon that hunger.” This man we are teaching is spiritually hungry. He also asked us about the date he has for baptism. Elder Chavez and I just smiled knowing this was another opportunity to teach more and we were able to answer all his questions. This man also came to a baptism we had and then to church in a shirt and tie we gave him! This guy is super pilas. We are teaching him about 3 times a week because he is anxious to learn. He told us some things about his life, and I just stood there and almost started cry, because you could see that he wants to change and his soul is hurt and wants a chance to be clean. When I think about this man I picture someone I love very much that has strayed from the church and I hope I have the chance to teach this person that they too can become clean through the Atonement of the Savior.

Elder Chavez And Elder Mac Hastening The Work

Number 2: We need to picture loved ones when we teach investigators, we will then truly teach from the heart.

Sharing The Gospel Through Futbol

Number 3: I’m humbled and grateful for the power and authority we have as missionaries. I had my last zone conference and I trained the zone about the power and authority we have as missionaries. As I was teaching the spirit opened the minds of the missionaries in the zone. I told them are we leaving our houses with potestad (power); in other words when we leave the house each morning are we truly prepared to teach like how Christ taught. We cannot be afraid to offend people with love. We read in Doctrine and Covenants 1:38, “What I the Lord hath spoken, I have spoken and I excuse not myself…..my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same.” We have been called to represent the Lord, we are His servants, His voice.

Watcha Doing Elder Mac?

Number 4: We have a singular message to the world, THE RESTORATION! That is our message, it remarkable and it is simple. We need to always share the message of the Restoration, I testify as we do this; we and those we teach will truly come to know that Jesus is the Christ. If don’t share this powerful message people will never feel the true power of the Atonement in their life. They will never understand the importance of being baptized with proper priesthood authority. That is the truth and the truth hurts at times but we are talking about the salvation of the children of God, our friends and families. It is our responsibility to be pure and clean so that we share the message of the Restoration and invite others to come unto Christ through baptism so that His children can be saved. The mission is algo asombroso (something amazing). I’m truly grateful for the privilege I have to be a missionary and to serve in place of the Savior. And to help Him help others feel the power of the atonement.

Check This Out; Guatemala Wedding 

What I love about Mom is that she would write notes and put them in my lunches. What I love about Dad is when Mom and I would go up to the school he would take time and have lunch with us.

con mucho amor, ducks forever,

Elder Mcilmoil

June 8, 2015

How I Really Feel About Coming Home

Scripture of the week: 3 Nephi 18: 7 

If I could get every member of the church to go and partake of the sacrament, and when they took the bread, they asked themselves, 'Who am I? What am I doing? How am I living? Where am I going? What should I be accomplishing?' as they renew their covenants with the Lord. The minute they pick up the bread something would happen, they would turn to the Savior.” Elder L. Tom Perry 

The Gospel Offers Us Change

Tortillas for the week: 30 

This week has been crazy! Elder Chavez and I both have been sick with a stomach bug in a bad way, but we just kept working. So much to do in such a short amount of time. Anyway during my studies I have learned in addition to giving my time, means and abilities to be a true successful missionary I have to give my heart and will to the Lord. I need to accept and submit to His will. I cannot be stubborn and fight against His will. I can’t just do good things while my heart is desiring to do what I want to do. My heart aches knowing so many times I have fought against the Lord’s will or I did something good but with a hardness of heart. I’m so grateful for what this gospel offers us: CHANGE! I testify of change, I have seen change in so many people’s lives and I have seen it in my own life. I am so grateful for the Savior and I gives thanks to the Father for providing a Savior for us to change through His Atonement. The Savior extends a hand of unending grace. It is through His grace that I am trying hard every day to be a faithful representative of my Savior, Jesus Christ. I’m doing my best. I have a lot of weaknesses and there is a lot to learn but I am serving with all my heart and strength. I am trying to give all that I have to give to the Lord and to lose myself in His work.

We taught 2 lessons this that really stick out in my mind, one was with a family and the other was with a single man who has a set baptismal date. The first lesson I want to share is with the family; we have been teaching their 15 year old son and we needed to get his parents’ permission for his baptism. That morning Elder Chavez asks me, so what are we going to teach this family? I asked have you ever had the experience in going to visit a family to explain why their son wants to be baptized and to teach them what we believe? He said no. So we made a plan to explain about the church and following in the Lord’s footsteps. We show up to the house with a member and we start to teach by sharing the articles of faith so we can provide them a basic understanding of what the church believes. They could see that their son knows that this church is true. As we were teaching we focused on the priesthood, Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon and that Jesus Christ lives and is the resurrected Lord. As we were discussing article of faith number 8, they ask, what is the Book of Mormon? We explain in greater detail and then the Dad ask us, “Do you guys use the Book of Mormon more than the Bible?” I said, “Hermano we do use the Book of Mormon more because it contains the evidence that this is the only true church and it is the fruit of the prophet Joseph Smith. We use it more to gain a better understanding of the gospel of Jesucristo.” We shared with them that there is no other book that will draw them nearer to God than Book of Mormon and then we testified of the Book of Mormon. They said ok, we understand it is to clarify the doctrine of the Bible since there is only one true doctrine. It was amazing to see their hearts open up to the spirit to receive and recognize truth. As we ended we bore witness of the divinity of the Savior. It was a great lesson as the spirit touched each of us. 

The second lesson we taught was to a man named Bryan. Another amazing lesson because of a way he answered a question. We found out that he has smoking problems. We asked him why do you want to stop, he gave the normal casca; but then he said, “I don’t want to even image my son or daughter with a beer or a cigarro in his or her hand. I couldn’t tell them not to do that because that is what I am doing.” As he said that I had tears come to my eyes because I saw that this man was looking to his future, he wants to repent, he want to be better and to become the son our Heavenly Father wants him to be. It was truly a humbling experience. This showed me that I must look to the future also, to make choices that my own children will be proud of. 

What I love about Mom is that she would cut the crust off my sandwiches for me when I was little and what I love about Dad is the hours he would spend with me working on my pinewood derby car.

con much amor, ducks forever,

Elder Mcilmoil

June 1, 2015

Scripture of the week: 2 Nephi 9:50-51 

“By His words and His example, Christ has shown us how to draw closer to Him.” President Henry B. Eyring

“He invites us to be close to Him”President Henry B. Eyring

“God is a God of truth and He doesn’t change.” Elder Dallin H. Oaks 

“If you don’t raise the bar, how will you ever know your potential?” Elder L. Tom Perry

Light-bulbs And The Apostasy

Thanks Mom!!!

Tortillas for the week: 30

Where do I start this email; fist off Dad, I do not live in a church and by the way Dad our neighbor loves to listen to 80’s music so you two would be best friends. Anyway this week was great! We had 6 investigators come to church and Elder Chavez and I both gave talks yesterday in church. The speakers couldn’t come so we were asked at the very last minute. As a missionary we always need to be prepared to speak at a moment’s notice because you never know when you will be asked to speak or fill in for someone. Sacrament meeting was amazing not because we spoke because you could feel the spirit of Christ when the emblems of the sacrament were being passed. As I sat there I could just feel something swell up inside of me. It was such a sacred experience.

Hero=Missionary

A Little Piece Of The States

Missionaries Agents Of God 

This week Elder Chavez and I taught the restoration over 10 times! We teach extremely well together. Each time we would teach about the restoration I just felt so humble to share this life changing message. The Prophet Joseph taught that every prophet, priest, and king in every age “looked forward with joyful anticipation to the day in which we live; and fired with heavenly and joyful anticipations they have sung and written and prophesied of this our day;… we are the favored people that God has made choice of to bring about the Latter-day glory.” As I share the message of the restored gospel I just feel so much responsibility on my shoulders and being as imperfect as I am it hurts because I am called to represent the Savior or you could say to be Him for 2 years. Yes I am imperfect but the thing that keeps me going is this; the Atonement. Through the Atonement I can be lifted up and cleansed and not fail just like Peter, Paul, Alma, los hijos de Mosiah, King Benjamin, Nephi.  

The Force Is Strong With The Missionaries 

So Elder Chavez and I have found a way to teach the apostasy; we compare the church to a light-bulb. When the church fell it literalmente (literally) shattered into a thousand of pieces just like a light-bulb does when it falls to the ground. When the light-bulb falls and shatters to pieces there no light just darkness. During the apostasy there was darkness not physical, it was the worse, spiritual darkness. The people were without divine direction from living prophets. Men corrupted the principles of the gospel after the death of Savior and His apostles so God withdrew the authority of the priesthood from the earth. Imagine to yourself the spiritual darkness as people were looking for the word of God but they couldn’t find it, so people began to take the shattered pedazos (pieces) they liked the most and formed their own church. After teaching that we ask those we are teaching if you only have a pedazos (piece) from the shattered light bulb can there be light from the light bulb? They respond with no. Then we explain it is the same with the gospel of Jesus Christ, you can’t just take one piece and say you have all the truth. We ask the how they feel, they usually say I never knew about this and it makes sense why there are so many churches. We then share the message of the restoration. We have some say this is unbelievable, this is wow and many feel the spirit testifying to them that what we are teaching is true and they believe. We had one guy tell us after we finished sharing our message that he believed Joseph Smith is a prophet and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has the authority of God. I can’t even describe what I was feeling at that moment.

The Cobbles Of El Quiche

To end I would like to end with something Elder Chavez and I had to do, we had to fix a problem. We had to go visit some members to apologize for a missionary’s behavior. As we talked to the family we talked a lot about covenants and as we talked about covenants I could truly feel that I made a cevenat (covenant) with the Lord to represent the Lord Jesus Christ. And I must do all I can to have celestial conduct. I shared with this family it hurts because of how imperfect I am and I am called to represent the Savior and how eternally grateful I am for the Atonement because of my imperfection; I know He will never give up on me. I testify of the Atonement and its cleansing power. “Be not afraid, only believe.”

Called To Watch Over El Quiche

Only You Can Choose To Believe

Back To Countless Parades And Celebrations

What I love about Mom is that she used to tuck me in at night and what I love about Dad is that he would take me shooting with him.

con mucho amor, ducks forever,

Elder Mcilmoil

May 25, 2015

Sometimes You Have To Treat Yourself

Scripture of the week: 3 Nephi 11:32-34, 36-39 

The Savior also taught the people to come unto Him through sacred covenants.

“Unlike every other era before us, this dispensation will not experience an institutional apostasy; it will not see a loss of priesthood keys; it will not suffer a cessation of revelation from the voice of Almighty God” Elder Jeffrey R. Holland 

Santa Cruz de Quiche: My Final Six Weeks In The Mission

"Leader"

Tortillas for the week: 33

My first week in Quiche is about done and it was a good week. So Quiche is not as hot as HueHue, a matter of fact I am actually cold. I know I have said it before but I have never been so tired, this week I was like a zombie, it was bad. Maybe it is because of changes since I didn’t get much sleep the night before. When the alarm goes off at 6:30 in the morning I’m like you have got to be kidding, I just closed my eyes 5 seconds ago. Another thing that has happened is about 5 in the morning someone decided to set off some firecrackers. Elder Chavez and wanted to go outside and let them have it. And then there are some other people who turn up their music at the crack of dawn for all of Guatemala to hear, it is horrible but oh well, the life of tired missionary.

Elder Mendoza, Elder Mac, Elder Bonilla
Generation Photo: Son, Father and Grandfather

So this week we had some very good appointments, on Tuesday night we have a very good lesson. We were teaching a familia parcial (part member family) and we met a daughter that always leaves right before the missionaries get there. We show up and she is about to leave and I said Hermana why can’t you just stay, the lesson will be 30 minutes. And Elder Chavez also encouraged her stay so she did, which was awesome. We taught about the restoration. I can only remember what happened towards the end; we ask her how she felt and she said good. I was like there is more than that, so I asked what does your heart say? Again she says good. And I’m like umm ok you feel peace and hope and she said yes. I said do you feel that your Heavenly Father is telling you to come home, do you feel like He is calling you? She started to cry and said yes, she then said I have been gone to long and I need to come back, it is time. So my friends I testify to you it is never too late to come back because we have a gift called the Atonement to help us. I testify of the Atonement and that through the Atonement we can be made clean, loved, forgiven and strengthened. As my mission comes to a close I know the Savior’s Atonement is available for each us, always. It have felt the healing power of the Atonement in my own life and the Atonement can felt be in each of your lives too. It is through Him we can find peace and solace from our pain and our sins if we will but come unto Him with humble hearts. I ask why shouldn’t we talk about the Atonement and share the joy of the gospel because there is always hope through of the Atonement of Christ. I am beyond grateful for the Atonement of Christ for some many reason but this week I have witnessed the healing power of the Atonement in the hearts in some of the people we are teaching. I have been able to give more things up to the Lord and it is through the Atonement I have the courage to submit to the Father’s will.

Walking The Roads Of Quiche

I would like to end with an experience we had yesterday, we went to go teach this young man. As we were teaching him he told us he wants to repent, he wants to be someone and he wants to do what is right. We shared a scripture in 3 Nephi 11:11, we learn Christ submitted to the Father’s will by drinking of the bitter cup and He has taken upon the sins of the world with great suffering and a light to the world. Elder Chavez and I told this young man you are submitting to the Father’s will by your desire to repent and willingness to do what is right. We told him if you want to be someone then truly submit to the Father’s will and take those steps to repent so that our Father in Heaven can say this is my son and I am so proud of him. Friends I know that if we do the Father’s will, we will actually find our real selves and become someone, a light to those that walk in darkness. Before I end I want to share of other sweet experience we had. We taught his kid who is working to be baptized; his parents were baptized a month ago. When we challenged this kid to be baptized he looked at us and we thought he was going say no. He said I have been talking to my friend and I want to be baptized and so does my friend so is there way we can be baptized together? Elder Chavez and I about died, we just sat there in silence, yeah fue bien calidad (this was so great) and it turns out the kid’s friend has been to church 4 veces (times), all I can say is wow! The Lord is preparing gente (people) to come unto Him.

HueHue Familia 

What I love about Mom is that she taught me that it’s more important not to shrink than to survive, what I love about Dad is that he has taught me what it is like to love like our Father in Heaven.

con mucho amor, ducks forever,

Elder Mcilmoil 

May 18, 2015

Good To Back In A Small Town

Scripture of the week: Doctrine and Covenants 19:15-19

“I have learned that not shrinking is more important than surviving.” Elder Neal A. Maxwell

“As we confront our own trials and tribulations, we too can plead with the Father, just as Jesus did, that we might not shrink.” David A. Bednar

“Real hope is much more than wishful musing. It stiffens, not slackens, the spiritual spine.” Elder Neal A. Maxwell.

Saying Goodbye And Leaving My Tie As A Reminder To Always Serve

Mother's Day, Changes And A Prayer Answered

I Love You Mom!!!

Make Your Time With Mom Count

Tortillas for the week: 20

First of off I just want to say HAPPY MOTHERS DAY MOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love you so much!!!! So for Mother’s Day we bought 5 dozen roses for the women in our ward here. It was a great experience to see all the women’s eyes light up and to see a huge smile on their face as we handed them a rose, I loved it. 

They Had Been Taught By Their Mothers

I do have changes tomorrow, my last change of the mission. The crazy thing is where I am going….. I’M GOING BACK TO MY VERY FIRST ZONE!!!! I’m being changed to serve as a zone leader in Santa Cruz del Quiché. It will be sweet because I will be able to visit the members in Chichi. My companion will be Elder Chavez, he is from Mexico. I know Elder Chavez from serving in the zone where I am currently serving as zone leader (Zona HueHue Centro). He is a great missionary.

Making Cookies In Pot, Why Not?

One Last Hurrah With Elder Mendoza

This week was hard but so worth it, I don’t have time to write about everything that happened but I just want to testify that our Father in Heaven answers our prayers. I know this from many experiences. I want to share my experience I had on Saturday as a prayer was answered. I had the blessing to baptize a Mom, not just any Mom but the Mom of a convert that I taught and baptized in San Antonio Huista. This Mom would not give permission to her daughter to be baptized at first but eventually her heart softened and her daughter was baptized. On Saturday I baptized the Mom. I witnessed this family being made complete; the Dad is now active and is on his way to be a branch president in Las Hustias, and now the Mom is a member. When I left that area I prayed and asked our Father in Heaven that this Mom would soften her heart even more and want to be taught the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and that I could see her enter into the waters of baptism and I did. Not only was my prayer answered but I had the blessing to baptize her. The Lord does hear and answer prayers; in 2 Nephi 26:15 we read that the prayers of the faithful shall be heard. I testify again through that experience I had by witnessing the baptism of Estelita that the Lord hears our prayers. This experience was truly a tender mercy of the Lord. He lives and this is His work and He truly has people chosen and He does whatever it takes to prepare them, and He does it on His timeline. Once again as hard as this week has been, it was tender mercy for me and it truly showed me that our Father in Heaven does love each one of us individually. I know that He lives and loves us and that He is willing to work with us when we are willing to let Him work through us. I love each and one of you!!!!!!

Answer To Prayer

What I love about Mom and Dad was just being able to Skype with them on Mother’s Day.

con mucho amor, ducks forever,

Elder Mcilmoil

May 11, 2015

Las Familias Son Para Siempre

Until We Meet Again

Scripture of the week: Doctrine and Covenants 93:24 and Jacob 2:12 

“We have great helps to give us courage in this life. The greatest is the atonement of Jesus Christ. Because of what He did, sins can be washed away in the waters of baptism” Henry B. Eyring 

“Mercy is of the essence of the gospel of Jesus Christ.” Gordon B. Hinckley

Why shouldn’t we talk of the at-one-ment of Jesus Christ????

My Mother taught me.

Conesejo (Mission Leadership)