Well, where to begin! So much has happened I will keep it
short and sweet hitting some of the big stuff.
Last Saturday we had an open
house with something that our mission started doing called the "Portable
Visitor's Center." It is sort of like the Visitor's Centers at the Temples, but with
a little good ole MBM twist. We have different stations with different posters
and videos. For instance, Families and Temples is one with videos where people
walking through go up to an ipad and can learn more. It is a very
powerful experience going through all of the different stations. Really in a
sense, it takes the basics of how we as Mormons, or rather, as Latter-Day
Saints worship God. It was overcast and raining and we were
worried that it would be a really bad turn due to the weather. We ALL said a
prayer and started to set everything up. Sure enough, about 30 min. before it
starting the weather cleared up, stopped raining and turned out to be a
pretty descent day; a little bit chilly, but good. We had a descent amount of
members helping out as well. Elder Silva and I went on exchanges for a little
bit with the Providence English speaking missionaries, so we could cover more ground
and get out on the streets to invite more people to come in. We had members at the
doors as people walked by inviting them in and giving them Books of Mormon as
well as giving tours through the Visitors Center set up. We had one English
speaking guy come in, go through everything and ask, "How do I get baptized? I
want to change my life." It was an amazing day. We had inactives come, our
Relief Society President brought her Non Member Husband as well. It was amazing
to see the members being filled with the missionary spirit as they were running
people down on the streets with Books of Mormon, inviting them in and to hear
the good word. It was a great experience and as I was out with Elder Gunnel on
the street we got some good potentials and even one return appointment.
In the
branch we have been super busy striving to meet all the different goals we set
as a branch; to go on splits with the members; going out and doing Home
Teaching to make sure it gets done; having Family Home Evenings with members
where they invite non-member friends to come join and visiting in-actives. It
has been great.
This last P-day we went to a session at the Temple that was amazing! Then
we went into Boston since it will be Elder Lopes' last p-day in Boston
since he is going to be finishing his mission this week. We ended up getting
lost and so Elder Silva and I ran about a mile and a half to the car so we
could get home on time for our appointments.
This past week we have had a lot
of cancellations, but it has still been a great week. We received t-texts and
Elder Silva is getting booted to New London, CT, which is one of my old areas.
He is going to love it there and I am going to miss him. Time with him has
flown by and we have had a blast working together. He will do a lot of good in
New London, so for that I am excited for him.
My new companion will be Elder
Sanchez who has been out for about 6-8 months and is from Mexico. That is all I
know about him and I think I heard that he has learned English in the mission.
It looks like hopefully I will be able to smooth down those MANY rough edges in
my Spanish...I'm hoping anyway.
We met with Oswaldo y Vilma yesterday and they
won't be making their baptismal date, but they are still working on getting
married. They are amazing though.
Time goes by way too fast and it seems like
lately everything is starting to "crystallize in my mind" more about
everything we have been taught since I have been here. It is cool to see how
the Lord prepares each and every one of us in order to become and fulfill the
unique things he has in store for each and every one of us. I love the mission
and am so grateful for it and all that it has taught me and still is teaching me.
I know
that this truly is Christ's church restored on the earth today, that as
we but pray for the desire to share the gospel and then act out of faith in
sharing it, we are blessed more than we can ever comprehend. The gospel is easy.
In short, turn your life over to Christ and strive to live worthy in order to receive promptings from the Holy
Ghost in order to have him as our constant companion.
After seeing the change in the members who attended the open
house I would like to invite all of you who are reading this to think of a few
people who are not members, whether they be neighbors, friends, family or
co-workers and invite them to a Family Home Evening with you and the missionaries.
Share with them your testimonies and I can promise you as you exercise your
faith and do this you will experience an even more abundance of the
Spirit in your lives and be filled with that same excitement that the members
here in Central Falls experienced.
Elder Salerno
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