August 13, 2012 > > Hey famlee > > Wow have I got a story for YOU guys... On Saturday night we went to our appointment with the Gutierrez family and were surprised to see an unfamiliar truck parked outside. Well, we arrived about 15 minutes early on accident and so we decided we would try to be at least on time in case they had some important family or friend or whatever (here, if they have "visitas" we never get into the house, even members). We decided to knock a house that was near (the only house that was near, we live in the super-country) and when that ended up being a, "no, gracias, ya vamos a la iglesia Jesus te ama....no, gracias....ya te dije, no gracias!!!", we went back to the Gutierrez´s house. The truck was still there. So Elder Larsen and I did our PEPO (Planear:plan, estudiar:study, practicar:practice, and orar:pray). We talked about what we were going to talk about again, we practiced and then we said a prayer. I couldn´t have been more surprised what happened when we knocked, if Elder Larsen hadn´t called it perfectly; Lurdes came out with an akward kind of smile and told us, " I have some bad news.... the pastors from the church came..." I liked how she said THE pastors instead of OUR pastors, and THE church, instead of OUR church, but still, a little shot of panic went through my body and then I think a higher, more intelligent influence took over and I said, "no matter, that´s okay. If it´s okay with you..." She said it was fine if we still came in, but that maybe we should act like it was the first time we were contacting them or knocking or whatever. Luckily the natural man didn´t understand what she had said, and the higher influence came back again and I said, " Hermana we came here to say something, and we are going to say it." She said, "bueno, pasen hermanos." > > So we went inside and warmly met the two pastors (husband and wife) and then the rest of the family. We made some small talk and the Pastor said, after asking us where we were from, "the only word that is the same in every language is ´halelluya´." I had not heard that ever in my life, because it sounds way different in Castellano. So I said kind of smartly, "Also, taxi." hahaha..... So after that little awkward silence, I said, "well, we wanted to come and share message with you all. Would it be alright if we started with a prayer?" The hermano asked me to do it, and so I agreed, prayed, and then opened up my triple to 3 Nephi 27, and we read 13-21, or the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The pastors refused to read from the Book, and so we skipped them and had everyone else read. After we were done reading, and explaining, the woman pastor asked us where in the bible that was found. We explained that the Book of Mormon wasn´t in the Bible, that they were two different witnesses of Jesus Christ. We knew exactly where this was headed and then for about 15 or 20 minutes after that, we sat and listened to all of their completely false-doctrinly based attacks. They asked us questions and then as soon as we had said two or three words, they started to answer themselves, again, taking pure truth and twisting it to satisfy thier almost blood-thirsty desire. Elder Larsen did the smart thing and in the middle of the pastor´s rant on how baptism is just something we do, not something we need, he cut him off and started bearing testimony about the Book of Mormon. When he was cut off by the pastors (both at the same time) I somehow quietly and firmly told them how we had been called by a prophet of God, and set apart to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is the Gospel of faith, repentence, baptism, the Holy Ghost, and of enduring to the end. My companion again bore testimony about how baptism is essential and without it, we will not enter into the Kingdom of God. The pastors were a little shocked I think, and then said, "well, we have to go now." They asked if they could leave with a blessing, and so the pastor asked us all to stand and he started his prayer, addressed to Jesus, and blessed us (los chicos muy jovenes) and the family Gutierrez in his own name, with his "authority" and closed the prayer in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost. > > Elder Larsen gave them a copy of the Book of Mormon and they accepted. I was really glad that we hadn´t given in to the temptation to fight back with them, because then the Gutierrez´s would have had that impression. I am also thankful for the guidance we had in our words and in our timing and everything. The entire family (except for the dad) came to church the next day and it ended up being just a miraculous experience. I am very thankful to know that we aren´t in charge here, in this work. > > I am doing really good. I hope you are all doing good too. It´s starting to warm up here, which is wierd becaue in Cordon, at this time I was still freezing. But time rolls on, seasons come and go, and new alfajors come out. Love you guys. HAVE FUN IN VEGAS! > Elder Daybell