Austin: 3/23/2015 - What a week!

Hola Familia!

I think I can honestly say that this week I had an oppurtinity that I will never have again in my life. In one week, I listened to 2 members of the 70. Elder Godoy from the first quorum and the area presidency and Elder Alverez, an area 70. They were all AWESOME meetings. Let me explain...

On Thursday, we had a Giro Misional with Elder Godoy. He´s from the area presidency and the first quorom of the 70. He´s from Brasil. He´s one of the guys who talking in this last general conference in another language. He talked in Portugues. (question, in the states on tv, did you guy have a translator to english, or just subtitles?) I think he talked about if we are living worthy to recieve the blessings of our Patriartical Blessings, but this thursday, we didn´t talk about that. He told his conversion story. It was really amazing. He said something that I loved. He said "you all might teach the message of the Restoration everyday, but for the investigators, it is their only chance." I loved that. It´s something that I already knew, but I maybe had forgotten. Our message is incrible, but sometimes as missionaries we fall into the habit of teaching the same way in every lesson, and the people can´t feel the importance of our message. Also, he blew my mind in one part. He trained for over an hour from one verse of the Book of Mormon. Alma 26:22. Wow. Awesome scripture. I had read it, marked it as a good scripture, but I had never thought about the depth of that verse. In the verse, it talks about 4 requirements to recieve 2 blessings. Read the scripture. Fantastic. But so you all know, it says that we have to 1) repent. Repent and be obedient. That is the first requirement. 2) Good works. which means you´ve got to work hard, be diligent, and know how to work. 3) Pray constantly. That means be constantly connected to the Lord. And 4) Faith. The faith like the sons of mosiah had to be able to do miracles. And the two blessings are 1)Personal Revelation. and 2) thousands of baptisms. The sons of mosiah are the perfect example of missionaries that lived the 4 requirements and recieved the 2 blessings. I know that we need to live those things to receive miracles. 

I really liked that part of the conference, but my favorite part was a one liner from Pres. Erickson. He said "El camino de nuestros deberes es el camino mas seguro." or in english "Duty´s path is the surest path" I loved that. He talked about how in seccion 76, Joseph smith received the revelation as he translated the bible. As he completed with something the Lord commanded him to do, he recieved an incrible revelation. Sometimes we forget about the importance of our duties. If we follow what the Lord commands us to follow, we will recieve blessings. We will be safe. We may not understand, but we jsut have to trust in Him, and He will do what He couldn´t do if we didn´t complete.

The other 70 was an area 70, elder Alverez from Venezuela. Wow. He was a dynamic, burning guy. He trained saturday night, sunday morning, and Sunday afternoon. It was jsut what the people in Canto Grande needed. He said a few things that I loved. In some church handbook, I don´t know which. The red one, it talks about missionary work. and it says "missionary work of the members" to say missionary work isn´t complete. It is missionary work of the members. We all have to do it. If we don´t do it, we aren´t completing with one of our duties. And sunday morning, he said "Salgan de aca con una desicion tomada. Si no aceptan un desafio en cada reunion, es una perdida de tiempo" (As you leave today, make a desicion. If you don´t accept a challenge in every meeting, it is a waste of time) That really hit me. Usually, we go to church, we feel the spirit, we feel good, then we go home and don´t change anything. I know I do that as a missionary, and I felt like I need to improve in that. 

I know i´m not saying much about me, but these conferences were super special and they were the most important part of my week. Know that I´m feeling good. We´re working better, and I´m happier. I´m not perfect, I´m still carrying a heavy load, but the Lord is helping me go along. He is helping me take the next step, like John told me in his letter from "lead kindly light". I don´t ask to see the entire scene, I just ask for help to talk one more step.

Mom - That´s so weird that annie is married now...she was on a mission when I left...weird. Also, Natalie is going to Nashville?? Bacan!!!!! When does she leave? I did that BYU thing, I´ll tell my president. I hope I did it right.

Dad - you run A LOT! I would die. Thanks for the pictures.

John -. loved your letter from last week. I love it. It´s so true.

Jordan - que dice la buena vida?

Tashita - YOU WENT ON A DATE ALREADY?????????????????? BUT YOU´RE ONLY 6 YEARS OLD!!!!! That´s really cool!! Good job.

Shaylee - don´t worry. Be happy.

I love you all. Thanks for you letters, suppórt, love and prayers. I know this church is true. It has changed my life, and will continue to change me, forever.

Love

Elder Schouten

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