Easter

Hey everybody!! Hope that you all had an incredible Easter!!!

Hugs and Kisses

Honestly, I have got to say that I have never grown to appreciate the purpose of Easter until I came out here on the mission. I always knew that we were celebrating the resurrection of Christ, but I didn't understand what that had to do with all of us.

As I read the scriptures and studied and testified to others about the importance of Easter, I came to understand how incredible it really is.

(If you have not seen the church videos of the last two Easters, I cannot more highly recommend them. This year's is Hallelujah).

The entire purpose of Easter is to celebrate the Atonement of Christ. What is the Atonement? It is when Christ paid for our sins, was then betrayed and crucified on the cross, and then resurrected on the 3rd day.

Solved it!

Why is it important?

We cannot fully comprehend the pain that that entails but, as we give it our effort, we will learn more and become more grateful for it. Trust me, without the Atonement, EVERY part of the Plan of Salvation would fall apart. We would not be able to live with our families forever, live with God, or have true happiness.

Because He lives, we can have happiness, we can have eternal families, and we have the hope that we will see our loved ones again after death with perfected bodies in the presence of God.

Please watch the videos. They help explain it even more. And read the 4 scriptural accounts of what is the Atonement of Christ. I promise that you will find more happiness, gratitude, and purpose in your personal life, and you will become more fit to be an instrument in God's hands to bring that happiness, gratitude, and purpose to other people's lives.

Love you all! Have a great Week!

Elder Greenwood :)

God Loves Us

Hello everybody!!!

With the weather here now, ya gotta wear shaades!

It's good to write you all again, I hope all is well. If it's not, then God is preparing you to do something amazing in the future as an instrument in his hands. (#Refiner'sFire)

This week was an interesting week. Last P-day (I don't know if I mentioned it) I bought a sumbrero!! Rock on! I feel awesome in my sumbrero! It's amazing! And I burn less now! Even better!

But, all the hard work that we did and all the things that happened this week all summed up in a big way. A lady named Silvia Wong was baptized :)

Silvia Wong's Baptism

Silvia Wong is an incredibly strong person. In our lessons, she told us about so many things that have happened to her in her life -- things that you would never believe. It got to the point that she told God that she was going to go her way and that he could go his. And if they see each other they can say, "hi," and keep on moving. (She later told us that she hadn't even mentioned some of the harder stories of her life. I can't imagine them).

She felt abandoned -- by God, and by everyone. Her life was not a happy one. But she found a feeling of peace that she had never experienced before in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. In the beginning, she was afraid, afraid that God really didn't love her. But, after the Stake Conference we had last week, she found her answer that God does love her, and that He was and is always there for her. And that is the truth, not just for her, but for all of us.

I had the honor to baptize her, and the Spirit was incredibly strong. She knows now where she belongs and she has found happiness in her life. She even testified to another person in the baptismal service afterwards who has been investigating the church.

Not sure what this is about, but looks like fun!

Guess they're still friends.

In the mission you have experiences that you will never have in normal life. This is one of those. The Lord's hand is in this work. The other missionaries who found her wouldn't have found her without His help. This work is truly the work of the Lord to bring about the fullness of His true Church.

I love you all and invite you all to go out and serve someone else this week and go out and find a spiritual experience.

Elder Greenwood :)

Where's a razor when you need one?

P.S. - Scripture of the Week: Moroni 9:6-

"And now, my beloved son, notwithstanding their hardness, let us labor diligently; for if we should cease to labor, we should be brought under condemnation; for we have a labor to perform whilst in this tabernacle of clay, that we may conquer the enemy of all righteousness, and rest our souls in the kingdom of God."

Bi-Polar Chihuahua :)‏

How's it going, People?

Elders Greenwood and Vivanco (companion)

Homemade Tortilla!

Crazy week of weather this week! Hahaha! Sunday and Monday had some normal Mexican heat going on. Then, we "caught wind" that it snowed in Cuahtemuc (another city) and that wind comes up to the city of Chihuahua, near us. Tuesday and Wednesday it was COLD! and Windy. It even rained. Then, it went right back to hot again. Super extremes going on here. I've learned that I shouldn't pack up my jacket until May or June. Hahaha!

Rebeca's Baptism

Speaking of extremes... as in, EXTREMELY AWESOME! We had a baptism! And, even cooler, the brother of the girl who was baptized got to baptize her! Awesome stuff! She, her brother, and their mom are all members now and have the hope of being sealed in the temple some day. Awesome :) That is what life is all about. Being sealed in the temple and living a life like Jesus lived brings more happiness than you'll ever even know in this life and promises happiness that you can't even comprehend in the next life. :)

Honoring Cousin Heidi Around the World

Great pictures from flipchart

My scriptures of the Week are Luke 22:32 and D&C 108:7 -

"But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, STRENGTHEN THY BRETHREN."

"STRENGTHEN THY BRETHREN in all your conversation, in all your prayers, in all your exhortations, and in all your doings."

What is eternal life without family? First and foremost strengthen your family, and then, strengthen your extended family, those people on the streets, in the halls, in the store, are all our brothers and sisters. Jesus Died, and was resurrected so that we could be resurrected as well, but The promise goes even further. All it takes is a little more effort. And the promise is Eternal Life.

Zone Photo at Transfers

Love you all! Have a great week, and strengthen those around you!!

Elder Greenwood :)

Una Carta para Ustedes‏

Pretty tough week went down this week.

Even the cows wouldn't stick around.

I'll keep at it.

Lots of hard work and we didn't see too many results. But the results that do come make everything worth it. I know that with perseverance, all the hard work will pay off, and we will see results and bring good fruits unto the Lord.

I think they're warming up to me.

Like 2 weeks ago I mentioned some dude who said that he wanted to get baptized. (He told us that on the street.) But he didn't know his address, so he gave us his phone number. And we tried and tried to get in contact with him, but nothing worked.

Then, Tuesday night, we were planning on going and buying our food for the week at a store in our area when we heard someone yell, "ELDER!!!!"

All ears now. =)

We turned around to see that dude, Mauricio, running to catch up with us! It was crazy! So we went to his house and had a lesson with him.

Thanks to our Heavenly Father, through our diligence and hard work, we will receive mercy. That was a little piece of mercy that we received that day to give us the motivation to keep moving forward.

My scripture for the week is Romans 8:38-39:

38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

  39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Super good scripture about the love of God and of Christ for us. With them at our sides, when we trust in them, nothing is impossible. Love you all! Have a great week! Serve the Lord in some way!

Elder Greenwood :)

Baptism!!!

Happy VISIESTO everybody!!!!! (That's what they call Leap Year here :) )

Pretty sweet P-day to celebrate!!! We went to a museum and learned all sorts of stuff about Chihuahua's history. There were parts about the Catholic Saints, the mean Americans who kept taking their land, and the Mormons who settled Ciudad Juarez! Super cool stuff!

Also! This week we had a baptism!!! Hermana Monica Alfaro. I had the privilege to get to know her from the beginning of her experience with missionaries. She had never talked with us before. She almost didn't let us in when her son told her about us and how he had met us (she told us) because she was in a bad mood. But she loved the feeling that we brought. And, even more, she loved to read the Book of Mormon and the other things we gave her because of the sense of peace that it gave her. The most important thing to her is family. Especially after her husband died, her two kids are incredibly important. And now, she has the hope and faith that she can be sealed in the temple to her husband after a year of being a member. Absolutely incredible.

Baptism of  Hermana Monica Alfaro

This work brings people so much hope, peace, joy, and happiness. The experiences had here are unlike any other that you can possibly experience. I love being a part of this work. We are as the Army of Helaman.

Scripture of the Week - 2 Corinthians 12:10 – “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: For when I am weak, then am I strong.”

How is it possible that Paul is rejoicing in his challenges?

The answer is in Ether 12: 27 -

”And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.”

As we humble ourselves before the Lord, we learn that our challenges make us stronger as we put our faith in him. I would not be the person I am today without the challenges that I went through.

The  Invitation is that we all find joy during the dark times and keep the faith that the sun will rise again.

Love you All! Have a great Week!!!

Elder Greenwood :)

What a Week!

This week was even more full of divisions! hahaha! I legit only worked with my comp Tuesday morning. The rest of the week was full of divisions.

Most of the days though, he slept in the same house as me. But, one of the days, when we were ending divisions at night in the central terminal of buses, the bus I took to get there was also the bus my comp and I were going to use to get to our house. So, the plan was that I stay on the bus, the other elder would get off, and my comp would get on. My comp was in line to get on. The other elder got off, and the bus left!!!! ahhh!!! Totally freaked for a bit! I went up and talked to the bus driver, and he was like "oh, no worries, I'm just moving around to a different spot." hahaha! So I went a good minute or two without my comp in a bus. It was pretty intense - hahaha!

6 Month Tie Burning, Mexican Style

And then, the next day, after that happened, I reached my 6 month mark! Rock on! I'm already 1/4 of the way done with my mission. I find that crazy to think about. I've already learned so much and experienced so many things. And now, I have 18 more months to experience and learn more and help as many people as I can (with the Spirit) come unto Christ. I'm excited to see what the Lord has in store. :)

Also had another meeting with President this week. (Never heard of having 2 in 2 weeks, but it happened.) We talked about D&C 6:9-11 and the gift found in there. 

9 Say nothing but repentance unto this generation; keep my commandments, and assist to bring forth my work, according to my commandments, and you shall be blessed.

10 Behold thou hast a gift, and blessed art thou because of thy gift. Remember it is sacred and cometh from above—

New Guitar!

 11 And if thou wilt inquire, thou shalt know mysteries which are great and marvelous; therefore thou shalt exercise thy gift, that thou mayest find out mysteries, that thou mayest bring many to the knowledge of the truth, yea, convince them of the error of their ways.

We, as a mission, are working on finding and using and understanding this gift. It's super cool. In Spanish, it's "El Don de Descubrir Misterios." 

Resting from Soccer on P-Day 

My scripture of the week is 

Moses 7:18 -

18 And the Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them.

Classic. I'm going to focus on the last part and help others in any way I can to not be poor and to have joy.

Love you all! Have a Rock-on Awesome Week!

Elder Greenwood :)

Cosas que hizimos esta semana :)‏

What's up y'all!!!

This week was a good week. We did a lot of divisions and stuff. But I know that through our hard and efficient work that we will see miracles and baptisms.

Speaking of miracles, 2 of our investigators came to the church all by themselves this week!! Normally, we have to pass by their house and remind them, or wake them up.We had a plan to visit one of them and go to church at 8:30 with her. We called her just before we got on the bus to go to our area, and she said "oh, I'm already headed out the door for the bus to the church." YEAH!

So we went on the bus to the stop closest to the church to wait for her. After like 10 minutes we started to worry and we called her again, and she said "Oh, I'm almost there."All by herself she went to church. This person's faith is strong in the blessings that come from going to church.

And our other investigator, "we didn't have time to go to his house," we called and called and there was no answer. And then, in the church, he just walked in!!!! This kid is 16! And he came all by himself!! It was incredible!!

Blessings come eventually, when we are doing the things we know we should. The thing is, they don't always come when we want them to. But they always come. Have faith and a perfect brightness of hope. Blessings always come :)

Love you all!! Hope your Valentine's Day was Swell!!!!

Elder Greenwood :)