Hola familia! Que tal ha ido la semana?
It is a beautiful day! A fantastic time to be alive, wouldn't you agree? This week has been full of experiences, don't you just love it when that happens? I personally think that it is a huge reason why missionary work is so fulfulling. We have a 14 hour schedule that allows us to taste the glory of each day.
Speaking of that 14 hour schedule of a busy week...that is what makes it so hard to write these emails...
So I will try to pick a few experiences that were particularly notable.
On Wednesday we went and ate at the Ramirez family's home. It was literally a feast, I wish I would have taken a picture. It was pretty much the perfect example of what real Mexican food looks like. To tell you the simply, we ate tacos. But trust me. You haven't eaten tacos until you have really experienced mexican tacos. I think I have a Mexican stomach and taste buds now. I say that becuase we get fed lots of differents types of Hispanic food from all around the world, but the majority is mexican. It has progressed to the point that when we eat fruit at our apartment we put tajin (chile) on everything. Its a beautiful thing.
The Ramirez family is also wonderful becuase they are some of the most pasionate converts to the church I have ever seen. Literally, such a wonderful family. Hermana Ramirez now calls us her "chicos" and is always feeding me fruit becuase of my diabetes. You would like her mom(;
Later in the week we were teaching a man named Fernando. He is extremely faithful to his own religion, but was willing to accept our visits. The other day we were talking about proper priesthood authority and reading through the Restoration pamphlet when we came across the section that talked about the Prophet Joseph Smith being chosen to restore that authority. I literally could see his mind go into defensive confusion as he read that sentence. Simply by reading the words, "Joseph Smith" he completely froze. Isn't that interesting? This man was so against the idea that he let it interupt his learning and understanding of saving truth.
After thinking about this experience, I've decided that there was a lot that I can learn from it. Sometimes I feel like disposition, past experiences, and/or biases can limit our capability to have faith. I am not talking about blind faith, becuase study, research, and prayer are always required, However, I am talking about simply not having enough faith that something could happen. Is it so hard to believe that "God so loved the world that He sent His Only Begotten Son..." ? What about believing that God so loved the world that He chose a man to help people remember to believe in His Only Begotten Son? I know that God loves us enough to provide answers to our questions. I also know that the Prophet Joseph Smith restored the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the earth. If we let our preconceptions decide our choices we may never come to understand the truth God has been trying so desperately to share with us.
I pray that none of us ever finds ourselves in a situation where we regret not having opened our hearts or listen with our ears to truth from God, myself included.
(by the way. Fernando is a wonderful man who was willing to put his doubts aside and read and pray more to find out an answer for himself, in no way am I trying to call him out, rather, I am highlighting a pattern that I have seen in my only life when it comes to accepting new concepts and truth)
HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEK!
*besito besito*
con mucho amor,
Elder Stewart-Chester
1319 Butterfield Rd Ste 522
Downers Grove, IL 60515
It is a beautiful day! A fantastic time to be alive, wouldn't you agree? This week has been full of experiences, don't you just love it when that happens? I personally think that it is a huge reason why missionary work is so fulfulling. We have a 14 hour schedule that allows us to taste the glory of each day.
Speaking of that 14 hour schedule of a busy week...that is what makes it so hard to write these emails...
So I will try to pick a few experiences that were particularly notable.
On Wednesday we went and ate at the Ramirez family's home. It was literally a feast, I wish I would have taken a picture. It was pretty much the perfect example of what real Mexican food looks like. To tell you the simply, we ate tacos. But trust me. You haven't eaten tacos until you have really experienced mexican tacos. I think I have a Mexican stomach and taste buds now. I say that becuase we get fed lots of differents types of Hispanic food from all around the world, but the majority is mexican. It has progressed to the point that when we eat fruit at our apartment we put tajin (chile) on everything. Its a beautiful thing.
The Ramirez family is also wonderful becuase they are some of the most pasionate converts to the church I have ever seen. Literally, such a wonderful family. Hermana Ramirez now calls us her "chicos" and is always feeding me fruit becuase of my diabetes. You would like her mom(;
Later in the week we were teaching a man named Fernando. He is extremely faithful to his own religion, but was willing to accept our visits. The other day we were talking about proper priesthood authority and reading through the Restoration pamphlet when we came across the section that talked about the Prophet Joseph Smith being chosen to restore that authority. I literally could see his mind go into defensive confusion as he read that sentence. Simply by reading the words, "Joseph Smith" he completely froze. Isn't that interesting? This man was so against the idea that he let it interupt his learning and understanding of saving truth.
After thinking about this experience, I've decided that there was a lot that I can learn from it. Sometimes I feel like disposition, past experiences, and/or biases can limit our capability to have faith. I am not talking about blind faith, becuase study, research, and prayer are always required, However, I am talking about simply not having enough faith that something could happen. Is it so hard to believe that "God so loved the world that He sent His Only Begotten Son..." ? What about believing that God so loved the world that He chose a man to help people remember to believe in His Only Begotten Son? I know that God loves us enough to provide answers to our questions. I also know that the Prophet Joseph Smith restored the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the earth. If we let our preconceptions decide our choices we may never come to understand the truth God has been trying so desperately to share with us.
I pray that none of us ever finds ourselves in a situation where we regret not having opened our hearts or listen with our ears to truth from God, myself included.
(by the way. Fernando is a wonderful man who was willing to put his doubts aside and read and pray more to find out an answer for himself, in no way am I trying to call him out, rather, I am highlighting a pattern that I have seen in my only life when it comes to accepting new concepts and truth)
HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEK!
*besito besito*
con mucho amor,
Elder Stewart-Chester
1319 Butterfield Rd Ste 522
Downers Grove, IL 60515