Week 16

Hola Everyone.

This week was super crazy like always. The mission has it's ups and downs without a doubt every single week, but you can never let the bad out weigh the good. I hope you all had an amazing week and I hope the good ol' San Juan Broncos are tearing it up in basketball. Just a few experiences I want to share from this week.

So we are teaching a lady and she's Catholic and we had our 3rd lesson with her on Tuesday. We taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Anyways, she thinks our churches are the exact same. So this lesson me and my companion were super direct with her. We basically told her (in a really nice way) that without the authority of the Priesthood, her baptism doesn't count. And we explained to her that baptism by immersion and by someone holding the Priesthood authority of God is the only correct way. She didn't really buy into that, so towards the end of the lesson she was saying that it's okay because our churches are the same and God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are the same and how it doesn't matter what church you join because God isn't a religion.

Anyqays by this point, I was a little upset. I really have a love for sharing the Gospel and so I kind of raised my voice and just west straight at her. I said, Yes, that't true that God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are the same, but our churches are not the same. Your church has part of the truth, but our church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only true church on the earth today and it's very important what church you join. Jesus Christ established his one and only church on earth again. Then I read 2 Nephi 31:21 and I told her baptism is the only way to enter into the presence of God. Anyways, she ended the lesson with prayer and she said in her prayer how grateful she was to be in her church and be baptized in her church. She's a really great lady, but it's hard to see people not accept the Gospel.

I had another super humbling experience this week. So we got a call from a member in another ward and his nephew lives in our area. He has cancer and this member wanted us to go and give him a blessing. So we met up with this member and we went into the house. Seeing this kid who was 25 years old that has cancer absolutely sick in his bed was so hard for me. He couldn't sit up or anything during the blessing. But we were able to give him a blessing and tell him how much our Heavenly Father loves him and he's given him this trial for a reason. It was really tough and humbling to see this.

Anyways, I don't have much else to say other than I love you all so much. I hope your week is amazing. Don't ever forget all of the blessings that we have - especially the opportunity we have to celebrate our Savior's birth with our families at this time of year! I love you all so much. Have an amazing week and keep doing it.

Elder Blake