Sharing the gospel

WOOOOOOO the week went by as fast as you read that word.. hahaha but seriously the weeks are going by too fast now. I completed 7 months today and yeah I'm super nervous. Less than a year and a half and I'll be home... like uh I just got here. This week was super awesome thanks to my new companion Elder Aviña. (la viña del Señor) haha he's an amazing missionary with a huge desire to serve and help others. He's a convert of 5 years and lives in the state of Mexico called Nayarit. He loves the scriptures (like me) and has some super powerful stories of his life and the gospel and in my one week with him I've learned tons.

We passed by with a lot of people that we normally see this week but our lessons were different. Not a bad different but the people who normally had lots of doubts or questions or problems just seemed to listen to his experiences and then boom! have desires to feel the same and leave behind what they had been doing. One of these people, she's like 50 something, I never know how old people are... hahaha but she drank tons before and after two Sundays in the church and one visit with us she told us the desire to drink is gone. She wants us to pass by more as well as the other members.  She's amazing and completely different from the first time we found her.. Another awesome person is hermano T. He served in the military and is a single father with four kids. He works in the ranch and has lots and lots of chores to do everyday. But somehow he always has time for the church and the activities and above all service.

We went to visit him this Saturday and he always has food for us and then after we have good little talks. My companion shared a really awesome scripture in the Book of Mormon about how we should share the gospel with others. Not just our friends and not just our families. But EVERYONE. And through our faith, the Lord will strengthen our words and help us preach the gospel to every creature on this earth. (2nd Nephi 3:21) he shared the experience that he had a friend that listened to the missionary discussions with him at first. This friend later said it wasn't for him and stopped investigating the church. Later after being baptized, my companion had the thought to go and visit his friend and share his testimony about the Book of Mormon. He went over, hung out and in the end started to slowly talk about the church. What he said is 100% described in this scripture. He said he shared his thoughts and love for the book, and even though he wasn't talking super well and super nervous he said it seemed as though his friend was hearing something completely different. That at the end of talking he asked for a book and within the month was baptized. How true is this scripture. being in Mexico where I still don't speak Spanish very well and I'm super nervous at times... A lot of people accept and I leave thinking how? I did awful. I didn't explain very well but they understood everything.. It's cause i wasn't what they were hearing. Same with my companion and his friend. the people were feeling the spirit talk to them and not just the two boys talking.

I love helping the people here and its changed my life. I would challenge all of you to invite someone new to church. Invite someone new to a mutual or Relief Society or Elders activity. As long as you have faith, the words won't just be your words. I love you all!

Elder Babcock