February 1, 2016 Boas!!

OK hello everyone!  Hope you all had a great week and a great sunday yesterday!  We had a great training on the sacrament and how to keep it a spiritual and not just a habitual or traditional experience.  We head the words of Jeffery R. Holland testifying of the sacredness of the ordinance and how the sacrament is the Saviors invitiation for us to "watch with him"  the same invitation he gave to the Apostles on the night of his atoning sacrifice.  Great thoughts to keep our mind focused on the Sabbath day but especially during the sacrament!

In other news this week we have been working hard to tell everyone about the restored gospel and the Lord has definately blessed us!  We were able to find a good number of people to start working with!  We haven't seen too much progress in them yet but we are just in the beginning!  We are hoping to see some good fruits!

This week we also had a giant mission leadership conference!  It was all the district zone and sister leaders of the mission in one conference!  It was a great time:)  We learned a lot and we all left feeling more determined to work harder and be better!  One thing that was different about this conference was the fact that me and my companion Elder João were asked by President to give a training on planning!  We were a little anxious but not too bad!  We planned it all out well with a story from the book of mormon that everyone who has been through primary knows!  To introduce the topice we talked about Nephi and his brothers various attempts to go get the plates from Laban's house and the importance of have goals that you are comitted to, having good planning, not giving up, and how the Lord will help.  I felt like it went well and we got many complimnets from the missionaries and President sent me a letter telling me that the training was great!  So that was fun to do!  

Also during this training, we heard from the area seventy of Portugal Elder Moreira.  He spoke to us about the power of prayer showing various examples from the scriptures and offered some new thoughts that I will share with you:)

During the Savior's atonement in mark's gospel in english we read "

And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him.

 36 And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.

In english the phrase is fell on the ground but in many other latin translations versions of the phrase "lay prostrate" are used.  Prostrate is the position of laying belly down on the ground with arms and legs out to the sides.  This postion is also known as the position of a slave.  Slave in the sense of obeying without fail every command that comes from his master.  Jesus was showing God that even though He wanted to quit, just as a slave He would obey and see it to the end if it were necessary.  And it was necessary, Jesus saw it to the end and gained the victory.

Elder Moreira counseled us that every night in our personal prayers we need to have that mighty "wrestle" with God, combatting our natural man, "lay prostrate" to the will of God.  When we can do that and pray with that attitude we will know what to pray for.  Our prayers will change and have a more powerful infulence on our lives and enpower us.  

Well this letter is kind of long now but I wish you all a well and happy week!  Always be on the lookout for missionary opportunities!  

Eu os amo!

Elder Eldredge