CHARITY IS THE PURE LOVE OF CHRIST

This past week I found out about carnival...I found out that meant 3 days locked in our house!  Not to be offensive or sound like I'm making fun of the scriptures, but it was like a glimpse of spirit prison, for it was a rejoicing day of pure doctrine and study.  I learned so much in that time that my heart was happy. Now I know even in that place that people might receive instead of paradise they will be able to feel a portion of the love and the mercy that God gives us and I am certain that they will deny him not.  I received revelation of the importance of having charity for others.  Like it says in Moroni 7:47-48 CHARITY IS THE PURE LOVE OF CHRIST  and it endureth forever and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day it shall be well with him....(ILL LET YOU READ THE REST OF THIS)  It hit me hard to have read this at least here on my mission. Charity truly manifests itself in a very different way when you serve Him, who has given all, so that we may have joy here on earth. He fulfills the promise that we should suffer no more for we shall not fear the adversary and the hands of death. Thanks to Him, if we are obedient and follow him, these things will become dull...  I can testify that I will work harder here, that I will give my all to God, even my heart, that I might be able to change the hearts of many I know! Only through knowing that Christ lives that God is our loving Heavenly Father, and that we have the everlasting fruits of the gospel, can we have a real conversion, a conversion that will make enduring to the end a joy!

I love you all!
Elder Blanco

This week was a week of miracles that made me realize this sacred calling is real.

First of all sorry everyone... I found out today that there was an error in the system so what I wrote didn't go through. Another thing that made my heart rejoice was that I got letters from you... Christmas letters!  This made my days much better!  Thank you all!  Since the first time I went to church I have felt the love of all of you and it has truly made me grow so much!

This week was a week of miracles that made me realize this sacred calling is real.  I am really here and I couldn't ask for anything better!  For those that are preparing to serve, know that when you turn in your papers you are actually giving your heart out to God. You are trusting it to him. Knowing that he will mold it and that it will pass trough the refining fires of the world but this He will do so that we can truly understand His love. That Christ's atonement may change you from a weak spirit to a strong spirit, converted to the gospel, being able to fight through anything. I know that its only through pure doctrine that we may be able to endure till the last days, where we will rejoice in knowing that we gave our all, both on a mission and in life.

While I was studying the book of Mormon this week, I came upon the things which Alma saw in the Zoramites who were lost in the false ways of their own. They even denied the Christ and how he suffered. They were so corrupt that he truly prayed for them so that they may have true joy. When he did this he armed his companions with the holy spirit so that they may resist their ways. Doing this, they went out to teach and found this humble people. That's when I found something that changed me. It was in verse 13 and verse 16 of Alma 32 for it says sometimes we have to be compelled to be humble to repent but its when we repent without being compelled to be humble that we truly experience the joys of exercising our faith. I can testify that we can all see the mercy of God, but its only through falling that we are able to look up and see His arm is extended for us to know he hasn't forgotten about the covenant he made with us.

I love you all and I can only say this... give your heart so He can shape it to the point that its perfected even unto being like Him.

Elder Blanco

A week full of rejection!

This week was intense not only because of the sun but it was a hard week! A week full of rejection! It all started the day me and my new companion started preaching to people. We had a great plan, set appointments, and most of all a heart full of joy, till everything started to go wrong! Our appointments failed, many got drunk, and others impossible to get in, for we had no members to help us with single mothers. After many rejections, we walked without direction, feeling sad for this. I thought to myself if I was doing things wrong, if I wasn't praying hard enough, and how I was disappointing not only God but my companion. It was hard knowing that I myself was lost and to think that I had to train this new missionary the next day.  I decided I needed to really give my heart to God and be faithful and something great happened in my studies! I read ALMA 8 verse 13 to 32 and my heart rejoiced! It was like God said, "OK. you learned that with me you are nothing, now here is your answer in this chapter." Alma teaches to this city but the people reject him and throw him out.  As he is grieved by this he walks away, but an angel tells him to turn back and teach to them repentance. When he did he found what he needed. I thought about this and my companion and I went back to all those that had rejected us and the Lord worked on them. I was a little hard on them but I saw the change they made. Even though not all came to church, one of them not only attended church, but went to a baptism! It was a precious gift for us!  So I know family that God has many opportunities awaiting and its only when we fall that we look up and when we do we see him telling us to get up and try again.  I can testify that every day we get to experience JESUS CHRIST"S ATONEMENT and its through him that we can get up over and over!

Elder Blanco