Dear Family,

So everything is good. We were dropped the other day because the investigators minister won't let her talk to us (surprise!). Speaking of dogs attacking people, one of our investigators has an irritating little dog that barks at us all the time. Even at a lesson. I've only been chased by like 5 dogs and all of them were in the city and all of them were Chihuahuas (and, on the side note, all of them were in Projects). We also had a lesson with someone planned but when we got to his house he wasn't there. We waited for a while and he never came so we left a note and went to do our back up plans. Later that night however we got a call from him saying "Why didn't you guys come? I was waiting for you for a long time!" we told him we knocked on his door and rang the doorbell but he never came. Then he told us we had to come around back and that we should had called him....(he had never given us his number.) So ya.....on the upside, we have a lesson today. And he's Chilean so I'm going to mention Independence day and hope he cheers up.

 

Another miracle that happened is while we were doing look ups. on Monday we had a goal to have 1 less active lesson 1 investigator, and 1 active member lesson. By the time 7:30 rolled around we had only 1 less active lesson. So, we were doing look ups and saw a name we didn't recognize and thought "what the hay!" we went, knocked and.....no answer. Discouraged, we started writing a note but then a lady came down the stairs and opened the door. She was super surprised to see us and let us come in. It turns out that they are an extremely active Chilean family that goes to the English ward and never had their records moved. We talked with them a while and it turns out that they served missions in Chile! (Their names are A_____ and S______. They may have been serving the same time as Dad.) So, while talking with them, the Esposo said "Guys! before you leave, you need to knock two doors in this building" and gave us two referrals for a Chilean family and a Colombian family. So after visiting with them, we went downstairs, knocked the first door and she said that she was busy but said we could come back. When we knocked the second door, a nice lady answered, we said we were friends of her neighbors and wanted to introduce ourselves and she said "ok, come in!".......wait.......what? So we were able to have a potential investigator lesson. all in the course of an hour and a half. It was super cool, especially since half the people we talked to that day were Chilean. I was thinking "I'm just like my Dad!" Even though I'm in New York (well....Connecticut), what are the chances that most of the people I speak to are from Chile? It was fantastic.

 

So here's the Spiritual thought. I want to Quote the oft-quoted scripture 2 Nephi 25:23. "For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to  believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do." In the classic fashion of a High School paper, I've come up with three points that in the end all lead to the same thing and work within each other, but are important enough that they merit specific attention. 1. He cares that we learn and progress. 2. He cares that we endure to the end. and 3. That we follow the Highest and greatest commandment. From number one, he cares that we progress and learn. That is the entire purpose to our being here on earth. To learn, progress, gain knowledge, a family "con el fin" (I don't know how to say that in English)  that we become like him and in being like him, with him. He cares that we use the gifts given us, especially that most precious, the atonement.

The second point, he cares that we endure to the end. We often forget, I forgot this last week, that enduring to the end isn't the passive "I'll endure this until the brighter future overcomes me and I'm swept away in endless bliss" but an active "I must have faith, repent, and attend church (rinse, dry, repeat style.)" We must continually be trying to make the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the fourth article of faith, a part of our lives. Not just something we need when times get tough. he cares about this for a lot of the same reasons as number one, however, I would like to think that this one stands out because in my minds eye, it appears to have more emphasis in the fact he wants us to return to him.

The Third point is Following the highest and greatest commandment. To love God with all our heart, might, mind, and strength. and the second also, to love thy neighbor as thyself. He cares that we love everyone. He cares that we love him. Not in a way of "Love me because I'm cool and great and omnipotent, and etc." but rather a "love me because I love you." Its a natural thing that if you love someone, you want them to love you. Our Father in Heaven truly is a Father. And he truly loves us.

So Why did I introduce the scriptures from 2 Nephi? What kind of thesis is this if I don't mention the scripture (side note...don't grade me) This is the reason. To him it is important that we 1. Believe in Christ, 2. Reconcile ourselves to God, and 3. Persuade our children to do these things. and if we do, we will be saved by grace.

 

I'll reword it just a little to show the cool thing I found. I've shared it before with other scriptures but here's the new one. 1 He cares that we have Faith in Jesus Christ's atonement so that we can progress and become better. 2. He wants us to have hope, and to let that hope drive you to endure to the end and become reconciled with God. and 3. He cares if you Love him enough to love your brethren, and more than that, to love them enough to give them the gospel and try to help them. From thinking about it, and to answer your question Daddy, I think that having and developing Faith, hope, and Charity is the think that Heavenly Father Cares most about. There's a reason Charity is emphasized so much in the scriptures. And if I'm imagining the emphasis then there is a reason that it stands out so much to me. Not the last phrase, after all we can do. I noticed that it's "after all we can do" not "after all we are willing to do" I suppose this would go into a thought process about the "Natural man" scripture in Mosiah, but those are my thoughts. All we can do is have Faith, Hope, and Charity, and by grace we will be saved. And as a side note, it's not one of those, yes, have faith and I'm saved. It's like you said about being not just Hearers but doers of the word. We have to do our best to do all that is implied in all of those three virtues.

 

So ya, those are my thoughts.