April 6, 2014

Dearest Family,

Thank you for your emails, I love it when Demi sends pictures! She's so grown up now, it's so moving to see! I just really testify that the Lord will take care of our families and loved ones as we are in His service (D&C 31).

Last week was so humbling, the Lord has been so merciful to Elder Perez and I. Repentance is really one of the greatest gifts we have access to through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I testify that repentance is a happy process, wherein we become bigger, better, and stronger. We worked our very hardest last week, while trying to balance our work with serving our branch president as well, it was so miraculous the key indicators that the Lord gave us last week. I had never before sat and worked on MLS, the church clerk's system, but last week I had to encode tithing, make membership records, record expenses, and so much more! The Spirit really guided us as we did all those things, our branch did not have a clerk for 2 weeks so we had to step in place for our branch president, it was such a wonderful opportunity to serve.

Sister Thea Albesa was baptized on saturday! She is so strong. She was a part member, her mother and little brother both being recent converts. In their area there is so much persecution to members of the church, and Sister Thea really gave into that persecution before, and she would hide from us, and never was interested to be taught the Gospel. But as we continually prayed, and fasted for Sister Thea, one night after our Family Home Evening at their home, she said something whispered to her, and said, "Matuod ina nga simbahan", meaning, that church is true. Ever since that night, she never missed a day of reading her Book of Mormon, and never missed a sunday coming to church, even if their family is poor, and they have to try so hard to find money to make it to church, they never miss. This is just a testimony that if we open our hearts, the Lord will really testify to us through the power of the Holy Ghost of pure truths of His Gospel.This witness is the foundation of an investigator's conversion!

I've really been studying "Visions" from the scriptures lately.. and what the importance of a Vision is. In our mission here, you all know Our Vision of Exact Obedience, Preach My Gospel Scholar, and Weekly Baptism. This Vision has changed my life, given me direction, and helped me to fulfill my purpose as a missionary.

I am praying and searching for My Vision for my life and family in the future. I know this Vision will come according to my faith and obedience to the Lord's commandments. Why? "When there is no vision, the people perish" (Proverbs 29:8) These visions to not need to be something like Josephs Smiths experience in the sacred grove, or Lehi's while he was still in Jerusalem, but in a sense, it gives the same light, direction, and vision into our lives. I am studying 1 Nephi and searching for what Lehi's visions truly meant, and how they blessed his family, and I encourage you to do the same family! If you have no vision yet for what the Lord seeks for you and your family, I encourage you to seek and find out what the Lord's vision for you is! I will continue to study, pray, and seek diligently so that I can receive My Vision for my life, and I know the Lord will help me. 

There is one part that will serve as the foundation of My Vision of which the Spirit has told me, and it's seen in 1 Nephi 2:20, as my family and I obey, He will lead us to a land of promise, even a land of promise holier than the holiest of temples, even a home wherein the Lord Jesus Christ is our foundation. I know we can achieve these Visions if we purify our hearts and seek His will with diligence!

I'm so excited to see you in 7 weeks family! Let's keep obeying the commandments of the Lord as we prepare ourselves to stand before Him at the last day! I love you all so much!!!

Elder Doane