Another Great Week in the Work

Dear All,

This has been a great week. I love my companion, and we're having a great time working here in Panorama. Challenges, well, there are plenty, but I have the faith, and hopefully the knowledge and skills to be able to overcome them.

We are working with Isaac, who was supposedly baptized in Nicaragua a few years ago, but here in Guatemala, we have the area office, and we have members in our ward who work there, so we had them look for his records in the Church's central system for all Central America, and he doesn't appear. What does that mean? he needs to be baptized again! It's super complicated to be able to re-create a baptismal record that was lost, because you need to have 2 witnesses, the date, the ward and stake, and who performed the baptism. And here, it's kind of hard to get all of that information. So, basically, we'll be baptizing him soon, if all goes according to plan. But it will go according to Heavenly Father's plan, so I'm not worried about it.

We also have had several other miracles. Here in the Central Mission, we have a standard of excellence to have 50% of our lessons with investigators with a member present, which really is the best way to teach. This week, we came super close, and in an area where the members have extremely busy schedules, and it's diffucult to get them out of their houses, and the sheer fact that out of the fact that we had 43% was pretty great.

Also, my companion and I are starting to take exercise a little more seriously. It's a mission rule to exercise for 30min every morning, but sometimes we justify things that are just mildly exercise, like mild stretches for the entire half hour. We've really gotten into it now, with weights and stretches, and are exercising well and having fun.

My companion is excellent. I absolutely love him, and he and I are getting along really well. Elder Arrieta is very young in the mission (and I am very old), but he's already a great missionary. I wish I would have had some of his qualities when I was his "age" in the mission.

The thing I have learned this week is that the Lord can tell you anything, literally ANYTHING through the Holy Ghost. He has guided and directed me so much in these last few months. What you have to do is listen with your heart, then pay attention to what comes to your mind. Don't get too worried if you don't feel it, because feelings of worry and doubt overwhelm the Spirit. Relax, fill your heart with love for the Lord and for the people you serve, and the Sprit will fill you and direct you in what you need to do, where you need to go, and what you need to say. Sometimes, I don't even remember what I say in the lessons because it's the Spirit talking through me.

I testify that these things are true in the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Have a great week.
I love you all.
Keep the Faith,
And keep on prayin'.

Attentamente,

Elder Banks