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

All the new missionaries

Buenos Dias familia,

    I would love to start out with just saying that... AHHHH yeah! The mission is great man! I have been on a really big roller coaster ride this week! Of trying to balance administrating the mission and running my area with my wonderful companion Elder Motzkus! Seriously, it has been just a way of balance in our life as walking hard, proselyting missionaries and being able to attend the phone when people call for problems and being able to excite the missionaries to do a little more than what they think they could be doing.

 

Helping at the airport

    Mom, I don’t know why you didn’t know, but yes we have been in our area since the first week of January! Working hard and loving everything we do! Honestly I love it! because I got the old feelings of just tiring myself until my body just hurts at night and we get home and plan, and we have to be behind the mission so we know what’s going on, so we can help them, so we always go to bed late and super tired and sore. But as we get out of bed it’s like this miraculous thing were my body is 100 percent and I have enough energy to run around the world 4 times and not get tired.  The lord loves us! Seriously he is aware of us.  It’s pretty amazing.

 

Missionaries leaving

   This week all the old missionaries that completed the mission took the plane ride home and are with their families. This group contained some of the greatest missionaries that I have met.  They had a great faith and did everything to help the mission grow.  And they were all great and wonderful friends of mine.  It was a hard to say good bye. However, the newbies got here with a head full of pride and a body and mind full of excitement! They were so awesome to have them, and they helped us get back on track and remember our purpose as missionaries!! What a wonderful group of missionaries.

   Having said all that, we were too busy with all the administrative stuff so we weren’t able to get to our area until Thursday afternoon.  And God blessed us with some miracles. Wow... We got there and we don’t have very many people right now because we just opened the area.  So we were contacting and we knocked on a door and there was a young man with his guitar in hand and his girlfriend that he lives with, and his 10 month old baby.  He invited us in and sang us a song and it was super spiritual.  We taught repentance and told him the decision is now. We have to get baptized.  We asked him how he felt and he started crying with his GF.  They said that they had been praying to get back to the church.  But... they didn’t come on Sunday.  His brother is a Pentecostal man and put bad ideas in his mind.  so we have a battle!! WE WILL WIN!... Or.. GOD WILL WIN!!

   Then we just were able to go around with a some members this week as well and things just went great! We found a lot of new people and now have some new baptism dates!! Things are great!!

I just know God loves us! There is no other greater truth than that.  GOD LOVES US: CHRIST LIVES!!!

Los AMO.

Elder Wessel

Hey dudes, the doors open. 

IM pumped on the mission guys!! I love the mission! But it has been hard this week. 

We have been starting the new program and this week was super extraño and we just had a hard time getting started ya feel me! I feel the spirit and my studies and I feel things working.. But I can tell that it is going to take some patience. Really I don’t know what to talk about this week.  This week was a week of trials. 

This week we finally got into our new pension and it is super big and nice! We have to have a big one so we can hold the new missionaries and the ones that are leaving.  So it’s pretty cool.   But they cut our gas and now we don’t have means to cook or have hot water and we have been getting super cold in the shower in the mornings.  You have to turn on the water, dive in get all wet, turn off the water, soap up yourself, turn back the water and get the soap off and listo.  You get out quick.  It’s a very effective way to start the morning!!! :)

Other than that, we have had a rough week. Where we just started the area.  they didn’t have any investigators before. So we came in, and it’s been hard... we have been pressing forward in the work. And doing our best! But man, it gets to the point when we are walking so much, talking with a lot of people and nothing happens so we suffer so bad that there is nothing else to do than laugh.  So it has been fun! We suffer but the Lord loves us.  So we are alright! 

I promise things are going to get better.  We will have success next week! We are going to do some great big things with my comp elder Motzkus! It will be gangsta! I love him.

The baptism was last week.  The Elders were teaching him before but they would not accept.  So we went in and got it done!! It was great!  His parents were less actives and they got active!

So now we have the p day.  President is taking us to a dino museum! So I love the mission! Things are great! I have a testimony super strong! I know that God lives.  And things are great!! I’m happy!! :)

Love,

Elder Wessel 

Holy moly, can you guys believe that it is 2016 already?? That is super nuts. 

So this week was just a bunch of preparation for the whole new model area thing that Elder Oaks talked about.  I’m super pumped about it and I’m super happy! I’m excited to get back in the field and have the zone leaders come to my area to see how to work. I am praying that God prepares the people here so things will work.  Now, Things haven’t really kicked off yet. 

We had a consejo and I doubt we will see many results for a while.  We will be expecting some good things!! 

Only one experience this week that I want to share. 

One of the zone leaders of the new zone that was created, called me the other night.  He said,  ¨Elder Wessel there is a problem.  We have the district in catriel and things are rough.¨ The zone is a zone of all branches in the mission that we want to get them together and have a good enough attendance so that they can become a district.  He explained that there is no priesthood.  There is no one out there that helps the missionaries and they contact all day and nobody accepts them.. They contacted 200 people and not one received them.  So it was sad.  He said Elder, I think you guys should close this branch.  When I heard that.. My doubts came and I almost agreed with him.  I have heard many bad things about this city from other missionaries and really they have only baptized 1 person in almost 2 years.. it’s ridiculous.  But the thought came to my head, They need to be like Alma and Amulek.  How Alma was thrown out of the city. They were rejected and nobody wanted them to be there.  But he went and received revelation and went back and taught them to repent and be baptized. That was on Friday night.  On Saturday morning, after sharing the thoughts Friday, I received a call again.  He said, we shared that story with the elders.  They are going to go and teach repentance. They are going to go among the people and show them that they are sinners and God will condemn them unless they repent.  They called, with an excitement for the work with only words of gratitude.  (Elder Wessel thank you for not doubting, thank you for calling us to repentance.) I have never felt so good in the spirit for a long time.  I love the way God works through me! He gave me revelation in the moment and I love it. 

I love the mission.  I love God and I know he lives!! 

Elder Wessel

My Companions Birthday

Holy dudes?? What has happened?? All my friggen best friends are getting married!! That’s so radical I can’t even imagine it!! How is Colton Hill doing?? I bet he is married as well!!  Yikes.. And Clara Marsh, Tyson Bowden! Wow... the whole world is changing...

 

But me, I’m still me! Loving the heck out of the mission!! I’m happy as can be and I would not want to be in any other place in the world rather than here! Especially at this time when things are going so well!! 

 

So this week we have been preparing the leadership council and have heard new instruction from the Apostle, Elder Oaks.  He sent some instructional videos to our President and he informed us of the new changes in the mission field around the whole world.  First off he started off with doctrine from 3 Nephi 11.  Where Christ comes to America and plots the gospel there, for all to hear.  He states his purpose and he calls people to repentance. 

 

The interesting thing of this story is when Christ comes, the first thing he does is testify that he is the Christ. Showing that when people obtain a testimony of the living Christ faith will grow strong and will empower us to do many things which we have thought are not possible. He then lets the crowd come up and touch his hands, feet and side.  Testifying that it was him, that was crucified and suffered for our sins, our afflictions and he came for us! Doing so, calling people to repentance so he could use his atonement to clean us from our sins. 

 

The very next thing, he calls up Nephi.  Gives him the authority to baptize and tells the people, upon repentance, ye shall get baptized in the water.  Exactly how ye have seen me do it.  If we look at this, he helps people have faith; he helps them see that we are sinners, gives them a chance to repent and then cleanses them with baptism... In verse 36-40. This is my doctrine.  Repentance and baptism.  If we teach anything other than that, we will have the gates of hell open unto us. 

 

Its super interesting that Christ himself did not come down to teach about all the details.  He came to save us.  He wants us to come unto him.  That is what we are doing! I’m participating in the work that Nephi did in 3 Nephi. I am fulfilling the work of Jesus Christ as it says in the scriptures!! HOW GREAT IS THAT!! What a blessing!

 

 

Then also, as assistants, we have not been able to focus on an area.  Actually our President took our area away and we have just been his right hand men.  It has been fun, but hard to get accustomed to. So that is something I have been struggling with, not being out in the field teaching the things which I have recently mentioned.  But this week, with the instruction of elder Oaks, there is a new system that the church implementing in the whole world.  Areas of example.  Laboratory areas.  Where the assistants are there to set the example. They are there to help missionaries understand how to work well with members, baptize, work with the ward council, mission leaders, and the bishop! All those things we are going to be able to do again! President told us, I knew something like this would happen, for that, I knew I had to call you guys! By the way, I’m super pumped. That is the missionary that I am.  Is a field missionary helping people become better! I love it.  I am so happy and excited to be able to be trusted of the Lord for this position.

 

So this week was just a lot of preparation for that happing now in the mission.  Our following area and where we are going to be working.  We will still hold the same responsibilities and still help President, we will just have this extra wonderful job!!! I’m so excited.  So President this week gave us the liberty to choose where we want to work.  What place would be the most successful for us to be the examples.  We thought about Neuquen.  We are going to stay here. We went and have been interviewing bishops in many different wards and found out that the bishop in Neuquen is the one that will help us the most! I’m super pumped and so happy to serve the Lord!

 

I know I am week.  I know I am not the best.  But I know that as I do everything I possibly can, God’s grace will come and save me from my short comings.  I know that in 2 Nephi 25:23 it says that "we labor diligently.. To persuade our children and also our brother to believe in Christ.. For we know that it is for grace that we are saved, after all we can do."  With no doubt I am pushing myself.  I am doing and going to keep doing everything I can do. God will do the rest.  I trust in him. 

 

This is my message.  After all we can do, his grace is sufficient.  Lets be Diligent.

 

Elder Wessel