Email 8-27-12

Hey everyone,

Wow, this week has just flown by and I don´t understand why it’s just all blending into one continual blur of a week in one day. This last week we did divisions with some elders that are in a place called Minga Guazu. It is a place out in the middle of nowhere. We got out there and it was HUGE. We practically spent all our time walking to the places that we were going to teach. It was a really beautiful place because it had a lot of fields and stuff. We taught some people who got baptized last week. They were really simple and it was hard to teach them but they just loved church and they knew it was true and so we just had to help them understand the gospel just a little better. It was quite the adventure. I got back with Elder Ponce and we just took off working and trying to get done as much as we could. We were trying super hard to find some people that were good and were going to progress. Sometimes I hear about how it is in other missions and about how the people normally just shut the door in your face. I don´t know what’s worse. Having people shut the door in your face or letting you teach them for 2 weeks and they really never have an intention of changing their life? hahaha Its ok we will just keep battling Satan in this country until we have shut him out.

We had a sweet conference this last week with Elder Zeballos of the new Area presidency. He was super super cool. He told us his story about how he became converted to the gospel when he was 12 and he was the only member in his house. WOW. After that he was called as a mission president. He told us the story of when he had an interview with Elder Holland to be a mission president and then later when he got the call from President Erying to be a 70. It was funny because it kind of made me remember when President Callan called me and he told me that he wanted me to be a zone leader, because when he called me I thought my legs were going to give out. I can´t imagine what it would be like to talk to an apostle, wow. It was really cool because at a point in the conference Elder Zeballos was talking about how important the missionary work was and that we had a HUGE responsibility. At that point a missionary asked about if the work was so important why did Christ call 19 year old kids like us to do it. Elder Zeballos just smiled at us and told us a answer that rung true. He said that we; as missionaries, spiritually had been trained for millions and millions of years before this life to show that we were worthy and ready to become the solders of the Lord. He said that maybe our bodies were young but our spirits have had the training, it is just a matter of being able to remember and teach with that same spirit. Wow that was super cool when he said that. He also started talking about authority and keys of the kingdom. I don´t really have a lot of time to write about all that he said, but don´t worry I took good notes. But it was super super sweeet and spiritual experience.

Pretty much all this week we have been trying to follow more the impressions of the spirit so that we could find the people that were chosen to progress in the gospel. I will just hurry and write one experience. We were walking along a road and we saw that there was a guy walking behind us and so we ¨slowed down¨ so that he would come up on us. We started talking to him and we found out that his life really was a disaster. He and his wife were fighting and he didn´t know if this was really what God had in store for him all his life. He is looking for peace but isn´t finding it. We asked him if we could walk with him to his house and give him a brief introduction to our message. He said sure. We walked slowly but surely to his house. We found out that he teaches in the Catholic Church. He teaches the Youth. He said that he really doesn´t know why he isn´t finding peace and happiness in his life. He said that he went to the Catholic Church mostly because he found himself in depressive state and that was the closest church to his house. We kept talking to him and we shared with him the restoration and about the gospel. He was really interested but won´t have any time this coming week because in the school he is testing with his students so he has to correct tests and all that jazz. We set up an appointment with him as well for this next weekend.

I know that the Lord is preparing people to receive us. He is a God of miracles. If we have the faith sufficient He will guide us through His spirit to find those people that are ready to change their lives and accept Christ in their lives. I love this work. I really wouldn´t want to be anywhere else in the world. Paraguay Asuncion is the best mission in the world. Its the best mission because its my mission and I have made it the best. Love you. May the spirit be with you..... Always!!!

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Elder Beatty