Bad news..... I had more pics but I accidently deleted them
all off my card : (
I was messing with my camera and clicked yes on arrange
card or something like that and next thing I know everything was deleted! I will have to take more.
Everything out here is going good. It has been very hard
lately with a lot of interesting things going on. A little
background on the Mission Presidency and the Boston, MA Mission. We have our Misson President, Pres. Packard - a
successful lawyer, awesome man, very strong in gospel, and very very intune
with the spirit, following it and looking for ways always to be better. His
Counselors: Clayton Christenson - rated the smartest man in the business world,
works at harvard as one of the big guys on campus. He shares the gospel to
some of the most intelligent people in the world and now has a study group for
the book of mormon with them. :-) We then have his other Counselor, Pres. Hate (not sure of his first name
or spelling), a very, very successful businessman who meets with some of the most
powerful men. He always shares the gospel with them. A quick story, he was
meeting with a very powerful man and felt prompted to share the restoration
with him (btw they won't tell us who) he said the Spirit was so strong they
were all crying. So, this is just a little background of our presidency.
They obtained the records of our mission as far back as Salt Lake had, which was 5 years, and put the information through a very fancy computer for cause and effect. It shows us the importance of having a member at EVERY LESSON. It showed the baptismal rate increased because of this. So, now the theme or vison of our mission is to build Zion. It is possible if we keep doing all we can. Elder M. Russell Ballard is very interested in this mission and keeps constant contact with the Presidency. He has come back here a few times already and he is very excited about what is going on.
In addition, our Mission President brought up in a meeting about how Satan is so very strong and doing all he can to stop this work. Since our Mission President was called he has had to send home 20 elders (he has been Pres. for 8-9 months). A lot is going on and I can tell you that Satan is doing everything in his power for I have felt it and I can't even imagine what it would be like if I was not set apart with the authority of God and power of God to go forth and preach this gospel. Even after receiving this I can feel the weight, the great storms. Never the less, I know in whom to trust and rely on. Through Jesus Christ my Savior, my Redeemer I can do all things and Satan can have no power over me. I have learned an even greater importance of being fully 100% obedient in ALL things and ALWAYS having my thoughts turned to the Savior and doing that with full purpose of heart.
I love this work, I love the people. I know that this is God's work and he will continue to be by my side as he already has been. It is so amazing to open my mouth with faith in Him, after doing all I can to prepare, and relying on the Lord faithfully, to then walk into a home and love those people perfectly and want with all my heart them to hear and accept the invitation to come to Christ. I know how greatly they will be blessed. It is amazing to do these things, feel this way and open my mouth not knowing what to say and then all of a sudden find myself speaking spanish fluently, pronunciating clearly and saying things I know that are not from me but from God. Then to see in their countenances a peace, light and hope come across them. There is nothing more magnificent than that. I love it! Experiences like that solidifies my testimony that this is the true church of Jesus Christ restored on earth once again and that has a prophet called of God to guide his children back to Him.
I know that this promise is for all who accept the challenge and invitation to put the Book of Mormon to the test. For if you desire to know if the Book of Mormon is true, if you read it, ponder it then pray and ask God if it is true, in the name of Jesus Christ, God will tell you of its truthfulness in your heart and in your mind. If the Book of Mormon is true, than Joseph Smith was a prophet who restored Christ's Church once again on the earth. If that is true, then this Church is true and its trachings are true. How great this knowledge is! How great the peace, joy and guidance this can bring to lives! I know this is all true because I have put it to the test. It is what keeps me going when life gets hard and I now know in whom I can always rely on and that is Jesus Christ, my Lord, my God. I know that Jesus Christ lives, that he gave his life willingly for us that we may, through his sacrafice become clean, receive peace, and know how to improve to become who he wants us to become.
I leave this testimony with you in the name of Jesus Christ our Savior, amen.
They obtained the records of our mission as far back as Salt Lake had, which was 5 years, and put the information through a very fancy computer for cause and effect. It shows us the importance of having a member at EVERY LESSON. It showed the baptismal rate increased because of this. So, now the theme or vison of our mission is to build Zion. It is possible if we keep doing all we can. Elder M. Russell Ballard is very interested in this mission and keeps constant contact with the Presidency. He has come back here a few times already and he is very excited about what is going on.
In addition, our Mission President brought up in a meeting about how Satan is so very strong and doing all he can to stop this work. Since our Mission President was called he has had to send home 20 elders (he has been Pres. for 8-9 months). A lot is going on and I can tell you that Satan is doing everything in his power for I have felt it and I can't even imagine what it would be like if I was not set apart with the authority of God and power of God to go forth and preach this gospel. Even after receiving this I can feel the weight, the great storms. Never the less, I know in whom to trust and rely on. Through Jesus Christ my Savior, my Redeemer I can do all things and Satan can have no power over me. I have learned an even greater importance of being fully 100% obedient in ALL things and ALWAYS having my thoughts turned to the Savior and doing that with full purpose of heart.
I love this work, I love the people. I know that this is God's work and he will continue to be by my side as he already has been. It is so amazing to open my mouth with faith in Him, after doing all I can to prepare, and relying on the Lord faithfully, to then walk into a home and love those people perfectly and want with all my heart them to hear and accept the invitation to come to Christ. I know how greatly they will be blessed. It is amazing to do these things, feel this way and open my mouth not knowing what to say and then all of a sudden find myself speaking spanish fluently, pronunciating clearly and saying things I know that are not from me but from God. Then to see in their countenances a peace, light and hope come across them. There is nothing more magnificent than that. I love it! Experiences like that solidifies my testimony that this is the true church of Jesus Christ restored on earth once again and that has a prophet called of God to guide his children back to Him.
I know that this promise is for all who accept the challenge and invitation to put the Book of Mormon to the test. For if you desire to know if the Book of Mormon is true, if you read it, ponder it then pray and ask God if it is true, in the name of Jesus Christ, God will tell you of its truthfulness in your heart and in your mind. If the Book of Mormon is true, than Joseph Smith was a prophet who restored Christ's Church once again on the earth. If that is true, then this Church is true and its trachings are true. How great this knowledge is! How great the peace, joy and guidance this can bring to lives! I know this is all true because I have put it to the test. It is what keeps me going when life gets hard and I now know in whom I can always rely on and that is Jesus Christ, my Lord, my God. I know that Jesus Christ lives, that he gave his life willingly for us that we may, through his sacrafice become clean, receive peace, and know how to improve to become who he wants us to become.
I leave this testimony with you in the name of Jesus Christ our Savior, amen.
Elder Salerno
Please Keep me and all the
missionaries in your prayers and pray mightily for us. We need it. I need it. I
love you all and mom I will get more pics and send them out to you. Also, I may
not be able to get to the library for a while. If that is the case, I will write
you letters and maybe you can scan them on the computer and post them up. We
will figure something out. Anyway, I love ya.
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