Honestly... I have no idea what to write... The buddies are all telling me to be like King Benjamin when he bids farewell to his pueblo. But honestly, Ive got know idea.

  This week was good.  IT went by way to fast.  We started this week out with some transfers and moving some missionaries to their new area.  So that was a good experience.  Then, I got to go see some missionaries and help them with some investigators.  It was good.   We didnt see that many miracles this week.  IT was kind of sad.  Honestly I have been thinking that this was one of the very hardest weeks of my mission.  My thoughts were tormenting and I had a constant fight of getting homely thoughts out of my head.  But I conquered it.  We made it through. I am ending the mission.  I have done what God has called me to do.  I have achieved it.  

  The only thing that I would say I have really learned and could say that I have a strong testimony of without a doubt is that I know that if I put all my trust in God he will change me.  The repentance is real.  I have seen miracles upon miracles upon miracles because of the fidelity to God. I have come from the deepest places of sin and have gotten to be one of Gods soldiers. I feel honored to  have served him.  I feel like he has loved me and edified me.  I have felt that the trust in him is the greatest power that one man can possess.  I know that through pure trust, and devotion to God He will carry man to the eternities. He has shown me the way to where I need to be now. I will put my trust on him, and I will wait on the lord.  I know that God will do the rest.  HE is strong.  I’m weak.  I stand behind him and he strengthens me.  I love the Lord. I will follow him.  

  My exhortation is to trust in the lord.  Follow him with all thy heart.  Live his laws.  He will build us up! 

See you soon family.  Love you guys!

Elder Wessel

Sorry family, 

  I just realized that i did not write the family! i had a fun little encounter over the phone.   

  This week i really had a fantastic week and i have been writing everything down in my journal and i really want ot save the stories for when we get home!! i will share all the cool stories when i get home.  Its my bad that i didnt write this week.  I had a steller we and it kills me that i didnt write.  I just forgot and i was writing mitch... hahaha. Ill wirte somethign next week! Just know i love yapll and ill be home soon!!! 

the family we baptized gave us a lunch for my good bye and a little treat.

we had a zone activity today

So family, Good day to you. 

  This past week we did many good things are we down in the south in Bariloche and in Esquel to do the zone conferences with the missionaries.  My comps and I traveled alone in our truck and president followed shortly behind us.  We had many spiritual experiences and found light in the spirit of the Lord.  God loves the missionaries here and is very attentive at what they need.  

   We didnt get the chance to go and teach many people but we did do some work with members to get them excited about the work.  We have been struggling as a mission with the member work.  Gained trust, lost it, then gained it, then once more lost it.  So it has been hard and we are trying to use them.  We know that they are our biggest tool in the coming to pass of the great gathering of Israel. 

  I was really touched and many feelings mostly from the Mormon Tabernacle Choir this weekend as they poor our pure love for God through song. As they sang Come thou Fount of Every Blessing, my heart was filled with a pure love for the Lord and for his sacrifice for us.  I had the vision that I will practice and I will be on that stand one day singing praises in form of the Prophet to God! I also enjoyed the talk from the seventy named Mervyn Arnold.  I have never seen such conviction with a man about bringing people back to the church.  He shared deep feelings that spark a hidden fire in my heart! As I heard the deep love for God and his purpose here on the earth my desires to share the Gospel increased tremendously! I love this Gospel and I’m glad Elder Arnold could remind me that.  Also with the closing talk from Elder Holland was touching and a good confirmation for me that God lives.  As he showed love for us.  That there is no failing if we are trying.  If we are serving our lord, if we are putting him first, he will bless us.  He will always raise us up!  

  Conference was a blessing.  I love God.  He is great! I am blessing I still get to serve him in this time!! 

Elder Wessel

 

 

Hellloo family...  

 Things are great! We have been having a blast.  This week I was in a town called Zapala.  It is about 2 hours south west of Neuquen.  There we had spent a lot of time.  Well I did.  I spent Tuesday and Wednesday there.  I don’t know if you guys remember the story that I shared of the sister that we baptized down in Lago Puelo, but we had another cool experience.  I am going to wait to tell you that one when I get home.  I am going to really stop telling you a lot of things because I need things to tell you guys when I get home.. soooo now, we are going on a drought of info.. .haha I’m sorry mom! 

 No, this week after Zapala, we just had to get some things done in the office.  We are going down to Bariloche today. We are leaving in like 3 hours and we will be down there for about a week and then we will come back.  We are starting the zone conferences with President so it should be really cool.

  It has not been lonely actually! It has been fun and I’ve been able to see the way that the Lord blesses lives of many people.  I have really realized how small I am.  I am going through a good humbling process right now.  I have seen that things just don’t revolve around me.  It’s not about me. Some times I really find myself just thinking what do I need, or how can I do it... but really this week God has blessed with a new insight.. That is super hard for me to get a hold of.  It is that I should just make sure as long as I am doing his will, things will be fine.  It is really a big trust issue with God.  And he is super awesome and super patient with me, so he is taking it slow.  I really feel like I have grown and found many things that I want to do and accomplish.  I am very thankful for all the blessings and I do know that he lives.

  There is a new program that has not come out yet.  It is called my plan.  It is for returned missionaries and it is suppose to help them prepare in the field to go and front life on head on.  It hasn’t been released yet to the public.  But mission presidents have it.  SO my President and I have just started it.  We have been doing a trail to see how to do it with the missionaries.  I have been doing on paper.  It mostly is just setting goals and thinking about your testimony and getting a little more converted before you go home! soooo.. it has been great! We just started last week.  Let’s see how it goes.

 I love you guys! Thanks for your support! I hope all is well!

 

Elder Wessel

I almost forgot the most important part of the whole entire thing.  I have had some awesome feelings about the Lord this past weekend.  I have found a new love for him.  I have been able to communicate with him.  I have been able to know what I lack.  And it is through the atonement of him.  Those things I can get better.  I can be a better person, thanks to the atonement.  

  But the most amazing thing is... I can work miracles.  I can live.  I can act in his name.  It is thanks to him.  I can do all things I imagine because he overcame the tomb.  He walked out glorified.  He suffered, he died, and he LIVES.  I do have a strong testimony of our lord and savior Jesus Christ.  I have seen his saving powers in my life, and in the mission.  "Oh how wonderful, wonderful it is to me."  God lives. And I stand all amazed.  Let’s make sure that everything we do is to glorify the son of man, so God can receive his Glory.  Love you all!! 

¿Cómo anda la familia?   

   Good morning to all! I hope things are just spectacular for you guys!! Things have been great for me! So this week has been one for the books.  It has been full of revelation for the mission and helping a lot of the missionaries work on what they could get better. 

 We have noticed that in our mission right now, that we do not have many investigators.  We can find through our own efforts but after that, the missionaries and the investigators just don’t work.  It´s kind of sad.  So, that wasn’t my purpose this week.  It wasn’t suppose to be go and help the missionaries find, but it turned out just being with the zone leaders and helping them understand how to help the missionaries work harder in using the members. 

  I started in San Martin on Monday and we didn’t stay long.  We headed down to Esquel that same day, and we arrived that Monday afternoon.  Then, on Tuesday we stayed and worked with the missionaries helping them set up people to baptize.  We were will an Elder that didn’t really have anyone to teach and it was really a hard day.  His name is Elder Lyman.  He showed us that even though its rough, if you are working your hardest, GOD will forgive and we can be Happy!! Then we moved on up to Bariloche, I got to show the zone leaders all the people I taught so they could go and baptize them, they found one after I had left, who I showed them, and he is getting baptized this coming weekend. His name is Ezequiel. We had an inspiration party in bariloche with the leaders and they got some good stuff set up for their zone that they are going to do. Then I was in San Martin again where the missionaries showed me some pure desires.  They are new missionaries. There are 6 of them and they all have less than 8 months.  I loved being with them and showing them how to be firm and speak and teach with authority because they were so humble and willing to learn. I really felt like a new missionary again. Then President called and asked me to drive him to Esquel again. I was alone they and my comps had already returned to Neuquen. So it was a drive with the President, his wife, and me. There he asked me to participate in auditing the district of Esquel that is growing into a stake.  So we took a good 7 hour drive from San Martin to Esquel on Saturday and then on Sunday after church, we left from Esquel and headed to Neuquen.  We did 1100 kilometers in 8 and half hours.  IT was fantastic.  I had some good conversations with president and his wife and learned a lot! 

  Elder David A. Bednar said in his talk "ask in faith" that, "the members of the church are the missionaries.  They are ones who should be finding for the missionaries so they only teach.  A missionary should only teach." And later in a conference he stated "Missionaries are not here to do the missionary work, they are here to help the members do it." So our purpose is to teach.  We need to find the way to work better with members so that they can understand how to help us.  We need to become one with members and there, in that moment, will the church establish Zion here in Argentina.  Actually, from the scriptures we read that after the work with members, things start to rise and the missionaries baptize more.  (Helaman 5) 

  I have been really preparing my testimony of Jesus Christ and my repentance process and the way that I can grown in grace and in faith.  I have notice that when I pray I have to be ready to act.  I have to know that God will only answer my prayers if I act.  Therefore, if I want to a testimony of something, I have to stand up and share it.  I have to go get it.  If I want to repent, I have to use all the steps.  Like Alma the younger, to complete his repentance process, he had to declare the word of God.  HE HAD TO DECLARE REPENTANCE!! We cannot repent unless we share the gospel.  Have you ever thought about it? It is so wonderful and fills my soul with joy.  I understand a little bit more! I know that Jesus Christ lives.  I have seen miracles in my life.  Especially in my mission.  I have been praying hard to know what to do, and it has been cool man, I felt like I have been having conversations in my prayers with him.  He answers.  HE LOVES US.  I hope that everyone can get to the point where everything we are doing, we do with trust that it will benefit the kingdom of God.  I love this work.  I really feel so awesome this week. I know God is watching me. 

I love you guys! Here are some pictures of this week.  We traveled a lot but we had some hold ups.  

Love you guys

Elder Wessel

HOOOOLLLAAA family! 

    So this week has come to an end and my mom and dad are officially more excited for me to come home than I am. Soooo, STOP REMINDING ME THAT IM FINISHING THE MISSION!!!! haha  

   Mom, Dad, I love you guys.  But this week has been a hard one actually.  We have had lots of success, and we have seen many miracles.  And it seems, like as we are traveling, I always get the worst bed, or sometimes I don’t even get one, i just get the floor and don’t sleep.  And while those things are occurring, I think... and thinking has been hard.  I do not want to come home.  I have the Best companions in the whole entire mission.  I have learned so much from them, and they constantly help me.  I have worked harder this last transfer than I have worked a lot of my mission. I am very tired and I’m very happy.  I do not want to stop this... 

  My mom comes off to me a bit confused at my assignment so I am going to take some time to explain what exactly is happening.    

   I am still along with president as his assistant but we have called three to work as assistants for a certain purpose.  The other two assistants stay usually in the area and bring zone leaders up to the area to show them how to work.  I, however, will be traveling to other areas helping the number of baptisms increase.  My particular assignment is realize many interviews and go to the areas, where the missionaries have hard time committing their investigators to baptism. I will accompany them, help them use the spirit and teach these people and challenge them to get baptized that same weekend that I am there.  We will be wearing white. :) 

  This week, a new car arrived to this mission for a matrimony missionaries that we sent down to the most south area of or mission.  So with my two companions, we are driving the car down there to give it to them.  It has been a good experience.  Just yesterday we stopped in a place called Chos Malal.  There our president confirmed the Melchizedek

 Melchizedek priesthood to only the 2 priesthood holder in that town.  It is not even a branch yet.  It is a group of about 30 people that get together and take the sacrament together.  Super awesome. There, we worked with the missionaries in that area, and it was fantastic.   Our goal for the weekend was to baptize 3 people. Sadly, we did not reach that goal.  But we were able to find many new people, help prepare people for the proximate week and taught many many lessons in one day. I don’t know the exact number but it hadn’t been done for a long time.  God blessed us super greatly and we were super happy as we left.  

  This week I’ll be alone.  We are in San martin now, and will be making the last stretch to Esquel today.  From there, I will stay by myself with the missionaries that are there, and will be traveling slowing up to the north. I will travel alone, but I will be with missionaries upon each of my arrivals to each zone.  The Lord will bless the mission greatly.  His will to bring the salvation to all souls. And that is what we will do.   Please pray for me! 

Love you all!! 

Hasta luegito.

 

Elder Wessel

The new Asst

Family I am filled with the spirit today as I write. I have been inspired from the Lord in so many ways.  I have woken up really well today and I appreciate the blessings he has given me. I understand more and more each day that he loves each and every one of us in very distinctive ways.  I wake up singing hymns laughing and really loving life.  God is great.  He loves us.

   This week we have transfers and it’s my last one.  I don’t really have time today but, I am staying here in the office to end the mission and we talked it over with President and we have called a third assistant to assist us in the work and the goals that we want to achieve this transfer.  We want to break barriers.  It’s super awesome and I’m super excited.  He was the secretary of the mission and his name is Elder Tarone.  He is from Las Vegas and he is as super champ! I’m pumped for him. He only has a year in the mission can you believe that??

   This week we were working hard and ending transfers.  I didn’t have any cool spiritual experience with transfers this week but it was pretty cool igual. But, I have received a new assignment from President.  We have, in the mission, a new challenge.  We have a ton of investigators that meet the requirements of baptism that have not been baptized.  So what the assignment is; is that I should go amongst the missionaries and baptize the people that need the saving ordinance of baptism.  I’m super excited and feel super great for the trust the Lord has in me.

I had a really cool experience already this past week.  We had a zone that wasn’t going to baptize so I went and traveled down there.  It was like 30 minutes away. There were some Elders that had some kids and they needed to be baptized and so I went out we went to visit them.  Their mom did not want them to get baptized.  She was against it and didn’t really want to talk.  We insisted and insisted on her and we got into her house.  We talked with the spirit and it filled the room to an immense power that was incredible for me.  Within minutes she doubted her doubts and signed the two baptismal registros and confessed to us that she felt the need to get baptized as well.  We programed the two baptisms for her kids, and they will get  baptized this weekend at five and she will be getting married here soon so, as the mother, do the same ordinance as her kids.  It’s wonderful when we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and are able to witness the miracles that he permits us to.

I know God lives.  HE loves us.  His son died for us.  I can be clean because Jesus Christ already suffered.  He loves us!

Elder Wessel

I Love these people

Queridos misioneros,

En los últimos 3 meses hemos tenido un promedio de 46 almas con esperanza a ser salvadas y entrar en el Reino Celestial en toda la misión. Hemos visto que esto ha sido el esfuerzo de unos pocos misioneros, a través de sus esfuerzos y esmero. Ellos también tienen algo en común, tienen un deseo grande de salvar almas, bautizar, lo que los ha movido a prepararse cada día con el Espíritu del Señor y planificar para no fracasar.

Les pregunto a todos, ¿están conformes con lo que han logrado? Si vuestra entrada económica después de la misión dependiera del esfuerzo y esmero que han puesto para servir al Señor en su obra, ¿qué salario recibirían? Les daría para mantenerse a ustedes mismos, a una familia quizás? 

Es notorio que si queremos cambiar nuestras realidades actuales y futuras debemos cambiar ahora, trabajando con todo nuestro “corazón, alma, mente y fuerzas…” DyC 4:2-4, y no disminuir la fuerza ante el primer “NO” o lo difícil que es la tarea. Si hubiéramos sido Israelitas que llevaban el arca en la antigüedad, Josué 3, ¿no nos hubiéramos mojado los pies y hubiéramos regresado a Egipto con el Arca del Convenio?. 

“…Santificaos, porque Jehová hará mañana maravillas entre vosotros.” Josué 3:5 

“Y acontecerá que cuando las plantas de los pies de los sacerdotes que llevan el arca de Jehová, Señor de toda la tierra, se asienten sobre las aguas del Jordán, las aguas del Jordán se dividirán…” Josué 3:13 

Sin duda debemos “santificarnos”, hay mucha cosa que cambiar en nosotros mismos,  en nuestros compañerismos, en las pensiones donde vivimos, etc. Si no lo hacemos, por más que nos mojemos los pies, actuando, el poder de Dios no se manifestara, y jamas veremos los frutos que podríamos ver. Solo hay una manera, un camino para hacer la obra, y es a la manera del Señor, no la nuestra. Si entendiéramos esta verdad, no solo cambiaríamos nuetro presente si no el tiempo de nuestra vida por venir. 

El Señor está dispuesto a ayudarnos, sus promesas son muy grandes.  “Y respondiendo Jesús, les dijo: Tened fe en Dios.

Porque de cierto os digo que cualquiera que diga a este monte: Quítate y échate al ma, y no dude en su corazón, sino que crea que será hecho lo que dice, lo que diga le será hecho.Por tanto, os digo que todo lo que pidáis en oración, creed que lo recibiréis, y os vendrá.” Marcos 11:22-24 

¿Podemos desear ser los instrumentos para la salvación de muchos? Tengo mucha esperanza en la obra que ustedes pueden llegar a realizar. 

“…Santificaos, porque Jehová hará mañana maravillas entre vosotros”. 

Los quiero mucho. 

Carlos A  Casariego

Misión Argentina Neuquen

this is the email my president sent to us today! its wonderful!

This is the translation

Dear missionaries,

In the last 3 months we have had an average of 46 souls with hope to be saved and enter the heavenly kingdom throughout the mission. We have seen that this has been the effort of a few missionaries, through their efforts and dedication. They also have something in common, they have a great desire to save souls, baptize, what has moved them to prepare each day with the Lord's Spirit and plan not to fail.

I ask everybody, you are happy with what they have achieved? If your economic input after the mission depended on the effort and dedication they have to serve the Lord in his work, what salary would receive? It would give to keep yourself, a family perhaps?

It is noteworthy that if we change our current and future realities must change now, working with all our "heart, soul, mind and strength ..." D & C 4: 2-4, and not diminish the force at the first "NO" or how difficult which is the task. If we had been Israelites carried the ark in, Joshua 3 old, we would not have wet feet and we had returned to Egypt with the Ark of the Covenant ?.

"... Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you." Joshua 3: 5

"And it shall be when the soles of the feet of the priests carrying the ark of Jehovah, Lord of all the earth, shall rest upon the waters of the Jordan, the waters of Jordan shall be cut ..." Joshua 3:13

Surely we must "sanctify" there is a lot of things to change in ourselves, in our fellowships, pensions where we live, etc. If we do, though we mojemos feet, acting, the power of God did not manifest itself, and never see the fruits we could see. There is only one way, one way to do the work, and it is the Lord's way, not ours. If we understood this truth, not only would change nuetro present if not the time of our life to come.

The Lord is willing to help, their promises are great. "And Jesus answered and said unto them, Have faith in God.

For verily I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea, and no doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will be done, what he says will be done.

Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you receive them, and ye shall have them "Mark 11: 22-24.

Can we want to be instruments for the salvation of many? I have great hope in the work that you can get to make.

"... Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you."

I love you so much.

Carlos A  Casariego

Hello,

 So this week is short one.. But many wonderful things are and have been happening.  We actually had some very wonderful experiences this week that really motivated me to do better.  This week we worked a lot with president as we went to interviews and we acquired more information from elder Bednar as he came down to Argentina. 

  This week we had a wonderful Tuesday nothing too exciting.  But we started the interviews up on the north part of the mission.  We found all the missionaries great and happy and their desires greater and greater each time.  I have felt good with the missionaries and am happy with what is happening.  We are continuing an raise in the work and the missionaries are working harder and harder each time.

  On Wednesday, Elder Bednar started his transmission throughout all of the South American south area. In our area is; Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina, and Chile.  So we had over 6 thousands missionaries watching Elder Bednar.  He gave an interactive talk for about 3 hours and it was super awesome.  I was changed in what I have been thinking and the way I act as a missionary. 

   To prepare us for his talk, he sent out 3 talks for us to study.  They are called; Ask in Faith, Learning by faith, and Converted unto the lord.  They are all written by him. As I studied the talks I found deep desires to try and to partake of what he was trying to communicate to us.  I found my prayers instantly get better.  I found myself not only praying but willing to act.  In one of the talks from Elder Bednar, (ask in faith) he states that God will not just give us what we want when we just ask. However, he will bless us in our endeavors as we act to obtain the thing we have asked for.  As we make plans, and the act upon those plans then HUMBLY ask him to bless us with opportunities and chances to receive for what we have worked for, HE WILL. 

  He also stated that we are agents.  We are not objects.  He taught us a way to teach.  That we can not force that someone feels the spirit.  We are not the teachers.  THE SPIRIT is.  in turn, he explained that we provided spiritual environments so that the investigators can have the opportunity to feel the need to open their heart and try and feel it.  That is our job, is to provide the opportunity to feel it.  As we follow the spirit the investigators will understand and we will be able to present the message clearly so they can choose to accept or not.

  There are many more different things that I learned and it was fantastic but there is too much to explain right now.

  I have been learning a lot about repentance.  Repentance is way to act upon our prayers.  I know that as humans, we are week.  We are very desirable of the worldly.  We don’t understand, the blessings and the way we can be elevated unto God as we repent.  We don’t understand that it is sweet.  The exact opposite of bitter or hard.  It’s something that we can do, to be able to use and apply the atonement in our lives. If we do not use the atonement in our live every day, it will be nearly impossible to continue forward with a firm faith in Jesus Christ.  Repentance brought me out of the hardest moments of my life.  Repentance taught me, that not only will I walk taller, I will walk side by side with my savior.  That as I am able to understand that "let thy will be done, and not mine" my understanding of Jesus Christ and my love for him become ridiculously large and I can’t hold feelings back from my own being.  My darkest moments of my life I was saved by a simple prayer of repentance and a weight lifted off of me and then raised up on eagles wings. I know we can soar on the wings of an eagle.  But it really depends on us if we want to. 

God lives. He loves us.  And he will forgive and never remember more.

Love Elder Wessel

Great day family,

   

      This week was a tremendous week! I loved it and it was very adventurous. I started out the week with a  good p day of relaxation.  Then we I left and went alone to the zone leaders pension here in Neuquen.  They are super struggling so I went to help them and see what I could do.. And in fact.. I could really work with them, because a missionary got super sick and I went an took him to the mission house and I spent the afternoon with him.  While I was there at the mission house, it occurred that President was going to go to Roca.  A city about 1 hour away where he was going to have an interview with the Stake President.  So, him not having someone to go with, Invited me to go with him on the trip to Roca. It was him and I alone and there we were able to deepen our conversation and I really just had a good talk and learned a lot just from a small trip. It was cool that he even trusted me enough to be in the meeting with the Stake President as well.

      Then, On wednesday we worked out in our area. and it was good day and on the wise, I got super sick.  I couldn’t really even walk my stomach was hurting me so bad.  That had not happened to me in sooo long.  So I stay in the pension a little on Thursday but we still worked and did some stuff.  Taught some lessons.  Then, we took off for Bariloche on Friday.

   While we were down there we visited 4 cities and talked about the importance of Preach my Gospel.  There is a 70 coming at the end of April so we have to prepare the mission to be a mission of preach my gospel.  So we were working with that the week and it was super cool and we just barely got back from Bariloche.  There, I saw one of my converts and he has the priesthood and is giving references to the missionaries and passing the sacrament and doing wonderful.  That made me super happy! I felt great!

I Love You Family!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Como anda familia??

This week was super great.  Probably one of the best weeks that I have had in a very long time!! On p day of last week president, while we were just kickin it in his house, we were having a blast and then all of a sudden he invites us to talk... dun dun duuuunnnn... ruh roh raggy I thought to myself.. What does he want to say? So we sit down and he asked.. Elders are you ready? And he just laid it on us.  He gave us some scripture and we talked and we came to the conclusion that we are not baptizing as much as we would like.  So he said, hey, we need to do something.  He said go to zones that need help.  You decide.  Take some money and go. Help them baptize.

That is what we did. I went to a city named villa regina and then my comp went to a city named zapala.  We were like 5 hours away from each other and it was a blast.  I worked with every companionship the whole week.  I had many experiences and many good opportunities to train and show how to do many things.  I really felt humble during the experience that God trusted me to help in that aspect of the work.  I really enjoyed it.  We ended the week with many miracles and many good opportunities to baptize.  We should expect 20 baptisms from that zone  in this weekend and the next° it should be something super great! I’m super excited.

Now we are back in the mission home and we are writing. We are going to be celebrating a missionary’s birthday today and then I will leave to do the same thing this week, just with a different zone!!

Family, I love you! Have a killer week!

Elder Wessel

Buenos Dias,

  This week was super and I’m super great! Ha I’m loving the mission still.  I’m just still enjoying everything.

   This week we had leadership council and it was super great! We brought all the zone leaders up to Neuquén and we talked a lot about all the new things in the mission.  We had just had the transmission from Elder Oaks and the mission department of the church and included all that we had heard and learned from them to the council and added some new ideas for Neuquén.  We talked a lot about how our main purpose is the teaching of repentance and nothing else.  We realized that in the Book of Mormon, repentance is what is being taught to all the people that are getting to know God and what all the missionaries in the Book of Mormon teach first.  We helped and set plans with all the zone leaders and sister leaders to better our teaching and base it on repentance.  With that in mind, we knew not far behind was the end goal of baptizing more souls and helping them come unto Christ.  Side note; in the month of December and January, we doubled the amount of Baptizms we had from the year before.  And this year, we have 100 less missionaries.  We can clearly tell that the Lord has many things set up for this mission and loves us a lot.

      With all those things said, we had realized that our mission had not been the mission that plans super well.  We have been very lazy with our planning and we have not been deservers of the success because we don’t act according to the will of God.  So we stressed the importance of studying and planning so we may have the spirit during the day.  My comp stated a quote "an empty mind is Satan’s workshop." we applied that to our daily functions.  If we don’t have a full day, we will be ineffective and won’t get a lot of things done.  We set goals so we can have things to complete.  As we work to those goals and we are focused on them, satan has no where to enter and ruin the day! So I appreciated that and have been trying to change my mind on how I think and how I plan! We focused a lot on preach my gospel as well where it teaches us how to plan.  And a lot of it was just there for us to use, and we didn’t use it.  We held ourselves back from blessings that God had in store.  But, now humbly I realize that everything that we received is from God so we can be happy and progress.  There is actually a thing on LDS.org that I want you guys to read! it’s called seven happiness principals.  Look it up!

    This week with the teaching... we taught.  A lot.  But I feel like our investigators aren’t understanding because they haven’t been completing there commitments and haven’t been going to church. This is my first week in a long time that I hadn’t had investigators in church. It was super sad and honestly made me feel like all the hard work that was done during the week was in vane... it was tough.  But, God provides.  He loves me guys! it’s so real.

    We have a rule in the mission that we can’t be in the church unless we have investigators, (yes we can go to take the sacrament) so obeying this we left and went and look and we didn’t stay there.  Later that day we were with a lot of members and they started giving us a ton of references and loving us.  But something really weird happened and dropped my excitement... I got a little down with myself.  We took a seat on the curb and there appears a less active sister with her boyfriend.. .they had been reading the book of Mormon and he loves the story of Joseph Smith.  They invited us over to drink some juice and we taught the first lesson.  IT was fantastic.  He now is going to read and pray and come to church with us!! I’m loving how God loves us!

Love you guys,

Elder Wessel