Week 25

Hello all Family and friends,

I hope you are all doing well and that this letter finds you all wherever you are. This week was a rollercoaster here in San Ramon. As is every week on the mission, but Ive really learned the lesson that everyone told me before my mission, is that on your mission there will be days where they are spectacular and amazing and everything goes well, and then you´ll have days where they are not so good, and they are super hard, and you wonder if its worth it. I can really see that every day is precious on the mission, it doesnt matter how difficult the situation may be, every single day is worth the sacrifice and the hard work you put into it. This week has been tough, but its had its moments of remarkable amounts of peace, happiness, and growth on my part. I learn more every day, and I am humbled by the amount that I still have to learn. I feel as though I dont have enough time, even though 18 months is a long time, I have so much to learn, and the time passes way too quickly.

Unfortunately, this week I learned how much satan is at work here. Just because we are missionaries doesnt mean that we are exempt from the works of satan. He works in strange and mysterious ways and it is always against the church and our work here. It is frustrating to see the people you have preparing and working so hard and satan comes in with one small temptation and they fall and it feels like all the work we did was lost. I can testify that the work is never lost with the gospel after the temptings of the adversary. Luckily, and thanks to our Savior, we are never lost and we can always get back up. Like I said, its frustrating to see the works of satan, but I am not mad at him, because honestly, it´s only a testimony builder to me. Everytime I see the way he tries to attack the church, my testimony doesnt weaken but grows stronger and stronger. Why would the adversary work so hard to stop a church that isnt true? Why would he do literally all in his power to stop people from getting baptized if it wasnt the doorway to their salvation?

I can testify with all that I am that after seeing the effects of satan that this church is TRUE, not only is it true, but its the only true and living church on the Earth, it is the church of our Savior whos name it carries. I know that baptism is the doorway to salvation, and I have seen lives changed, and miracles happen when satan and his temptations are overcome. This weekend we had a baptism. On saturday, Maria Sanchez was baptized, a little background information about Maria, her whole entire family, minus her dad was baptized last month before I got here, but she hasnt been able to get baptized because she was living together with the father of her 3 yr old son Joscuam. Her boyfriend didnt want to get married to her, because he didnt want her to join the church. It was tough for her to see her family growing and having these amazing experiences and she was unable to take part in them because of this man. Well, events passed and she ended up leaving him, and moving back in with her parents, and she was ready for baptism. We prepared the day for her on Saturday, and worked as hard as we could to get everything ready for her on this big day. At 2 o clock when the baptism was about ready to start, there was no sign of her. We had our investigators there to watch the baptism and see what it was like, but at 240 they decided to leave and didnt get to watch it. By 3 o clock it was just us and a member of the ward, so we decided to take a taxi to her house and see what the deal was. When we arrived at her house, the whole family was there and they were all a bit shaken up as if something crazy had happened. And something crazy did happen, apparently, Marias brother came home during the day at around 2 o clock, high on crack and cocaine (he is a member who was baptized last month, just another way satan works) with a machete in his hand. He threatened to hurt them all if they didnt give him the things he wanted to sell and buy more drugs. He also told them not to leave the house or tell anyone of this, or else he would really hurt them. So maria ended up staying home and not leaving to her own baptism. When we showed up, we reassured her that this was satan and that she absolutely NEEDED to be baptized, we hurridly shoved us all in the cab and headed up to the church. It was a small and simple service, but the spirit of the Lord was in great abundance, her baptism went great and shenow has the opportunity to partake of these amazing blessings the gospel has to offer. It was the best as she stood up and shared her testimony with all of us present, as she sobbed expressing her gratitude for this moment, the spirit was litterally palpable.

This is just one of the many amazing experiences I have seen this week. I know that God lives and watches over his children and keeps them in his constant care. I know satan is real, but it doesnt mean he has to win. I know this church is true and that only in and through the ordinances of the Gospel can we reach and obtain never ending spiritual happiness, in this life, and the life to come. I am so grateful for my opporunity to be a servant of the Lord, to witness these things that change peoples life, and at the same time to see my own life changed.

I love you all, with all I am. I hope and pray this week will bring many amazing blessings your way.
until next week,
Elder Falor