Escundriñar las escrituras

This week I started something new. Apart of my normal studies I'm reading the Book of Mormon again, but instead of finishing as fast as I can, I'm reading it one chapter a day, and writing my thoughts and feelings about the verses and what I'm learning. I love the change it's brought to the Book of Mormon. It's now much more than reading. The word in Spanish is "escundriñar." It's like study and ponder.

This Sunday all of Mexico had a special conference where Elders Robert D. Hales and Russell M. Nelson talked to us about the commandments and how it's important live all of them. Elder Nelson spoke Spanish and it was surprising to hear his normal voice in a different language. Maybe that's how I sound to the people here hahaha. What I did love was how they talked about the progression of the church here in Mexico. They talked about the long time it took to start building temples and schools of the church. And then to the MTC in Mexico City and now 13 temples. Something special about my mission is that I have come to completely love the people here. I love love these people. They are so special and loving.

Sorry for the short letter as we have a lesson in like 10 minutes. I love you all and keep reading the Book of Mormon!!! Read it slow and ponder what the verses mean to you. LOVE YOU TONS!!!

Elder Babcock

Service

What a great week. It's seriously hard to remember everything that happened and all the visits and lessons we did. But what I haven't forgotten is the love and joy I feel while sharing this wonderful gospel. Especially with my new companion Elder Silverio. He's just an amazing guy all around. I feel like this is going to be a great couple of months together. He's from Guatemala and doesn't eat spicy food (which is funny 'cause none of my comps eat spicy food.)

PERO, this Sunday in our gospel principles class we talked about service. Why it's important and how it blesses our lives. I love being in classes when we can't finish the lesson because everyone is sharing experiences and asking questions. Honestly as a missionary when your investigators talk lots in church and talk with members it's awesome. Not sure how many investigators really go to church in Utah, but in other places I'm sure new people show up every couple of weeks.

I'd just like to invite you all to search for new people in church and make new friends. Who knows, maybe they have been feeling uncomfortable at church and you going to talk to them was the answer to their prayer? Think about it. I love you all and miss you tons! Short letter because well life is too good to rant!

Elder Babcock

An amazing week

Well this was quite an amazing week. Lots of really spiritual experiences and just a wonderful week in general. Some of the small highlights were:

- My new companion Elder Silverio came this past week as he had to learn to do elder Ix's old job.
-We found lots of new people to teach.
-WE BAPTIZED!!
-Did some service with an older couple in the ward.
-GOT MY PACKAGE FROM HOME. FLAMING HOT CHEETOS NEVER TASTED SOOO GOOD!
-Had some truly special moments while in lessons.
-Had lots of people come to church that want to be baptized!

Of all the points I would just like to talk a little about one experience I had while teaching a lesson as well as the story of our baptismal service this week! The baptism was a young boy named Amaury. He's only 9 years old but he had such a desire to get baptized. His family, consisting of his mom and dad, his older brother and his grandma were all members except the grandma. We started to visit them right when I first showed up. That was almost 3 months ago! Little by little we taught and encouraged them to read the Book of Mormon as a family and pray together. To do the small things as a FAMILY.

At first they came once a month, then twice, and now they come every week. It's so great to see this entire family sitting on the row together, smiling and laughing. We had the goal that the father would be able to baptize his son. We had to work with the bishop but everything worked out perfect and last night the family was together for the baptism of little Amaury. Truly a special experience.

About three weeks ago elder Ix and myself were leaving the house of Amaury when elder Ix stopped to talk to a young man in the street. His name is Joar and was interested in us coming to visit him. For days we passed but never was home until one day, this week, we found him. He invited us in and we started to get to know him and share what it is that we do as missionaries. He began to share a personal experience, in the middle I felt prompted to share the story of the Alma the Younger and the Sons of Mosiah. After he finished the story I pulled out the little booklet of paintings of the church and opened it to that page and we started to talk about this story. He was laughing in between sentences and after we had finished he asked if we had planned to share this story beforehand. He said this was the story closest to what he felt he was living in right now. He has lots of problems and would always say why would God answer me? I'm not worthy of it. Why would he want to change me?? He went with us to church and is now working and progressing to be baptized in the coming month!

I LOVE THIS WORK! there are people waiting to hear the stories of the Book of Mormon and connect them to their lives. I know its the strongest tool we have as missionaries and as members of the Church of Jesus Christ! It is another testimony of Christ's ministry. Read it, ponder it, love it!

I love you all and hope you have a great week!!!

Elder Babcock

New companion

Well this week was FULL of things to do. From one place to another we barely had time to do many visits. This is when the secretary assignment becomes a little difficult. BUT we had lots of people in church this week and we are teaching lots of progressing investigators.

We received the call that Elder Ix will be leaving. We don't know where but my next companion is named Elder Silverio. He's from Guatemala. He is currently in Coatzintla! My old home. He will be here tomorrow morning and by next week elder Ix will be gone. It's really sad when you have to change companions but we should always look for the good and not the bad right? My new companion only has 4 months in the mission. I have almost 4x his time in the mission! Time flies when you're having fun.

This past week we talked a lot about temples. Every time we talk about temples here everyone asks me how it was to have tons of temples close by. I think that's something I would encourage each and every one of you at home is to GO TO THE TEMPLE!! You never know when you'll be far away and won't have the commodity of having a temple so close to home. Go and enjoy the temple!!

I love you all and hope you have a great week!! New missionaries come this next Monday! The weeks keep flying by!

Elder Babcock

Busy

Well it was another week. Not much happened! (and by not much I mean 7 days of being so busy you come home late, plan, and then just go to sleep, and then repeat). We have seen some amazing miracles in our area, some with new people we are teaching and other people who have received an answer that they should go to church and keep reading the Book of Mormon. This has been a great week in the sense that we worked so hard, did lots of visits with members and are trying to help out a few less active families. Even though we are so busy and almost don't have time to do anything I'm happy. Very very very happy (: I know this work is true and I know the Savior lives and guides his church. I love you all and hope you have a great week (;

Elder Babcock

Share the gospel

Well this was a really different week. Coming right from general conference we had our stake conference. We were also with two other missionaries since Wednesday! This week we had some amazing lessons and found some really good new investigators.

Just last night we had a family home evening with our recent convert and her neighbors who we just recently started to visit. We had never been able to talk to the dad as he is always working and busy. The mom had accepted to learn more and said she would read the Book of Mormon. During our visits the family would always say that the dad would not accept this message, that he wouldn't change. When we invited him to the FHE it was 7 at night and we had planned to start at 7:30. Amazingly he and his family showed up. We talked and ate and got to know them and their beliefs. We watched the movie, Joseph Smith, Prophet of the Restoration with them. As the movie started we could feel the spirit so strong. By the end of the movie the father and his wife were in tears. They said we need to read the Book of Mormon because we want to know if it's true. They want to learn more and the father has accepted a baptismal date.

This gospel is amazing and perfect. It can and will change lives. Something so amazing should be shared! I would encourage each and every one of you at home to try to share the gospel in one way or another. Someone who you think isn't close to being ready might be like this father and the second he feels the spirit he understands why the message we share is so important. George Albert Smith said that our desire to share the gospel shows our individual conversion as a person. We know that this is the true church of Jesus Christ and only through the ordinances of this church allows us to return to our Heavenly Fathers presence. SHARE IT!!!

I love you all so much and hope you have a great week!!!

Elder Babcock

General Conference

Well well well, it's been another week and Xalapa is just as cold and rainy as the last week. The best part of this last week was the amazing General Conference that we had!!! This was the first time in my mission that I was able to watch in English. WHAT A BLESSING. There are many new missionaries, like I was in Coatzintla, who do not understand anything and sadly don't get that much out of conference. I spent the two days with my other gringo buddies, Elder Howell who is from Idaho, Elder Bowen, the son of Andy Oblad, and Elder Dahl, also from Idaho. And also my companion who is Yucateco but speaks better English then I do!!

I loved the messages and how they can apply to our lives. I think one of my favorite talks was from Dallin H. Oaks. He said two things that I LOVE and they go hand in hand. The first was, "all efforts begin with desire." The other was, "the people will learn when they are ready to learn, not when we are ready to teach them." Maybe I really liked these two quotes because its applies a LOT to missionary work. You can really tell if someone is interested in hearing and reading and keeping commitments like going to church and such if they put in the EFFORT. That's when you know they have the desire. And if they don't have the desire, they won't put in the effort and they won't learn. Because we can't teach them when we are ready for new investigators. Only when they are ready to learn and are searching the truths for themselves is when we can really teach them.

I love this place and I love the work!! I love finding the people who really want to learn and put in this effort. Who show not only to us as missionaries but our Heavenly Father that they are ready to make a change in their lives. I love the spirit of missionary work especially with ward members. Please please please contact the missionaries in your ward and go visit with them. Not only will you feel good but the missionaries love it when ward members WANT to go with them! I love you all and hope you are all having an awesome day! Hope you enjoyed General Conference!!!

Love,

Elder Babcock