Week 33

Hello family and friends,

I am still here in Guacimo after returning from a long trip to San Jose for changes meeting. My comp Elder Gudiel had changes after being in Guacimo for 8 months, but now I am here with a new Companion Elder Hernandez from El Salvador. We have a lot to do here in Guacimo and are excited to get to work and get started. He has 20 months in the mission and will most likely end his mission here, which means I might be here until december, but we will never be able to guess what will happen in the mission. This week was a great one, as always I learned a lot, I found areas to improve as a missionary and as a person. I am always learning and growing, sometimes I stumble and fall, but the test is getting back up. I feel sometimes like I stumble and fall with my spanish, but the real test is getting back up and starting over with 10 times more strength. I am learning more spanish and still trying to improve. I have come miles and miles from when I got to the MTC, but I still have miles and miles to travel on this life changing journey.

As always, thanks so much for your letters of love and support, its so great to hear from you, for those of you who sent me handwritten letters, I will be working on sending some handwritten letters your way. It sounds and looks like all is going well back at home, I hope the spirit of the Lord has found you and you have been able to feel the presence of our Heavenly Father in your lives, as I have felt Him here on the mission. Its an amazing experience being here, each day is different, and its each day that will never return again, so it must be used to all it can be. I love being a missionary as I always say, and my mission wont end at 2 years, but will continue on through the rest of my life, I plan on working hard until the Savior comes, and He will look me in the eye and tell me well done.

I learned a lot this week, especially from our investigators. The father of a family we are teaching used this analogy in church and as advice for us as missionaries. He simply put it like this. "Elders, dont be like the donkey" confused we asked what he meant, "when the donkey came into Jerusalem with Jesus on his back, the people all began to throw flowers and shouts of joy and gladness, and the donkey thought it was all for him, when really it was Him who was above. All glory, and all things we do here, we mustnt be like the donkey, but remember Him above who makes this all possible." Its funny, simple and super profound, often times we boast of our own strengths and forget to give thanks to Him above who makes everything possible, who the very movement of the planet earth is controlled by His hands. It made me feel really small in this work, but not insignificant, I realized how much the Lord trusts me to take His two years and work all I can out of them, and not waste a second when I could be bringing people closer to Jesus Christ. There is no way to explain the way I feel when I am teaching and testifying. I feel the Lords love in great abundance every time I open my mouth and the gospel comes out, and miraculously it comes out in spanish.

I feel truly and immensely blessed, I cant find words to describe it. The Lord is aware of all His children and their circumstances. I know without a shadow of a doubt that this is the Lords church restored on the earth through the prophet Joseph Smith. I never tire of saying I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet, I never tire of testifying of the blessings of the gospel in my life. THe gospel is meant to change lives, and its changing mine and those that I have come in contact with. I absolutely love the gospel and the opportunity I have to share it and see the change it makes in the lives of all for the better.

I am doing great here, I am safe and protected as long as I live worthy of the spirit, I can do all things in His power and I can go any place, teach any people and do anything in His name if I am worthy and have HIs spirit.

I hope all goes well for you this week, you are always constantly in my prayers, please stay strong and dont lose the faith, stay safe wherever you go, and know that I love you all with all my heart.

Love, Elder Falor