Strong Timber!

 Quick update!

Highlights:

-Teaching Rodrigo and his family. They are progressing so much and they are really the most amazing people on earth! Keep them in your prayers please! Rodrigo, Media, Ismael, and Sofia!

-Jorge is still killing it as usual and we hope to go to the temple with him and his family this week. He also gives us food every morning and it is always SOOO GOOD! 

-We met a guy named Antonio two weeks ago and he had some serious addictions to drinking. We talked to him in the street for an hour and it was a powerful lesson. We kind of lost contact with him, but this week he came up to us in nice clothes and combed hair. He told us he has not drunk beer or alcohol for two weeks and he feels so good. He told us that he had drunken a bottle of beer everyday of his life sense he was 15! So cool to see the change! We asked him what made him change and he told us he looked into our eyes and knew we were representatives of Jesus Christ and that we could help him return to God. It was so cool reconnecting with him and seeing his growth!

-Recardo is a guy in teaching right now. He has a girlfriend who is pregnant and he wants to make sure his family knows God. So we started teaching him and I have never seen someone so motivated to learn. One day we asked him if we could drop by and talk to him, and he told us that he took the hour drive to the temple so that he could learn about where he will be sealed in the future! He seriously just went on his own! He is such an example to me!

-Had a blast bowling with my com today!

Spiritual thought:

During the last 10 years of my life, I have grown fond of a particular poem named "Good Timber". I want to share a part of this poem with you guys.

"Good timber does not grow with ease:

The stronger the wind, the stronger trees;

The further sky, the greater length;

The more the storm, the more the strength.

By sun and cold, by rain and snow,

In trees and men good timbers grow."

I just love these lines so much! This poem was introduced to me by a dear friend named Mindy Folsom during a tender part of her life. It has stayed close to my heart ever sense! During my mission I have found refuge in these beautiful words. I know that with each of my trials, I have the opportunity to gain a testimony in something. But I can only do this, when I turn to Christ. I love Revelations 3:17-18

17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: 

18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye salve, that thou mayest see.

We always need God and Jesus Christ. We are weak, poor, blind, and naked people. But Christ strengthens our trees! He makes us good strong timber.

Love you guys! And I hope all of you are just as excited as me for general conference this upcoming weekend