September 30, 2013

Dear Mom,

I sent it through media mail, so I'm guessing that it might take a little longer to get there. The package weighed a lot, but they shipped it for only $9! I'm guessing that they don't put a whole lot of urgency into getting that package where it needs to go if they charge so little to ship it.

That's so funny about the babysitters and riding on the bike. I don't remember that at all.

I honestly had no idea that Ronnie came to my apartment until I read your email. I don't know if I just didn't notice the note or what. I'm going to check better when we get back to the apartment today. Maybe it fell off or something, but I'll for sure check well! It would have been an awesome surprise to see Uncle Ronnie! I would have loved it!

I'll be watching General Conference at the East Brunswick chapel. I'm super excited about it! I'm sure that it's going to be amazing as always.

Q of the W:

1.  How many times have you given a talk in your branch/ward's sacrament meeting?

I haven't given a talk in Sacrament meeting in the New Brunswick ward yet. I did give my testimony the Sunday after I was transferred here. The Bishop here likes to have the new missionaries transferred to his ward introduce themselves and share their testimony at the beginning of Sacrament Meeting.

2.  Those referral cards you talked about at that fireside, did you guys make them or are they available to anyone?

They were specially made by one of our members specifically for this fireside.

3.  What's one of the best things you have learned from your mission so far?

Responsibility.

This last Friday we had a really good lunch. He is a recent convert from Peru. He was baptized almost a year ago. We have been talking to him for a while about coming over for lunch. Usually they have forgotten, but this last Friday they remembered! He made a typical Peruvian dish that is famous among all missionaries called Lomo Saltado. I'm sure that I've told you about it before. It is french fries, beef, onion, green pepper and tomato, with white rice on the side. It was super good. Even though we're living in the US, many houses are still dirty and just plain not good houses. We were eating and a few cockroaches were climbing up and down the walls. At least they weren't in the food. I've become immune to that type of thing. I don't get grossed out by bugs climbing up and down the walls unless it's in my apartment. I'm wondering if it's the special mantle as a missionary or if I've really just seen it enough that it doesn't bug me anymore.. Haha, get it?? Bug?? Nevertheless, great food!

Later on that night, we visited with our 17-year old Dominican investigator. He really has interest in learning more, visiting with us and coming to church, but he's just pretty busy with work and school. We were only able to visit him for about 30 minutes and we taught him the Plan of Salvation with a prospective elder named Roger. Our investigator, Luis, was especially intrigued about the idea of a Pre-Mortal life and the Celestial Kingdom. He really liked it and he told us a few times. It was a great lesson. He even had to go in the middle of the lesson, but he told his ride to wait outside for a few more minutes! Awesome! I'm pretty sure that he's going to get baptized. I don't know when though. It might be a little while longer. After the lesson, we were talking with our team up, Roger. He's at that stage right now, where the Stake President told him just a few days ago that he sent his mission papers to Salt Lake and he's been assigned! He's just waiting for the call to come. I remember those days! It doesn't really seem that they were that long ago, but they were. I was very excited for Roger. He's very excited about his mission. He's already read the Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants and now he's reading Preach My Gospel. I think he was more prepared than I was. Good for him! He's going to be an excellent missionary.

On Saturday, we visited with our couple Jorge and Stephanie. Jorge is the member and Stephanie is our investigator. Stephanie had had some questions about the temple, so we had a lesson on what the temple is and what we do there. She liked the part about vicarious work. Afterward, we talked for a minute on baptism. She expressed that she wants to be baptized! So told her that she could be baptized between session during General Conference. She agreed! There's a lot to the story, but our Bishop told us that he would prefer that Jorge and Stephanie wait to get married to be baptized even if they are living separately. He told us though that we should talk to our mission president about that because he is the one who is in charge of convert baptisms. I called President Jeppson and told him about the situation with Stephanie. He told me that if they intend to keep the commandments and wait to be married to move in together and that she feels like she has been repenting and has received a testimony that we should go ahead and proceed with the baptism. We had another lesson with Stephanie last night as well to talk about conversion. It's so interesting how the Spirit will work in a lesson. Even though we taught the lesson and were trying to teach Stephanie, I was taught many important aspects on conversion by the Holy Ghost as I taught! I love that! It was so interesting to see how as I was teaching, that I was being taught. One very powerful scripture that came to my mind was Mosiah 3:19. When we become converted to the Lord, we become disciples of Christ.

Another interesting thought about the correlation between vicarious work and the Atonement of Christ. Many people criticize us for doing work in the temple for the dead. It's a weird and foreign concept to them and they think that vicarious work is false doctrine and not possible. However, when we look at the Atonement of Christ, it was completely and totally a vicarious work. We, because of the fall of Adam, are spiritually dead. We will also all die physically. Because of the Atonement of Christ, we will return to the presence of God. We will also be resurrected. We will live again spiritually and physically. Christ did something that we cannot do for ourselves. He did something for those that are dead, whether physically or spiritually. One of the many reasons we feel so close to our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ in the temple is because we are doing things for others that they cannot do for themselves, which is exactly what He did for us. We could not and cannot return to the presence of God by ourselves. We need a Savior. Those that reject the idea of vicarious work, reject the principle behind the saving and enabling power of the Atonement of Christ. Luckily, we have the fullness of the Gospel and understand even more the doctrine of the Atonement of Christ through the Book of Mormon. I LOVE the Book of Mormon!

Anyway. Love you mom! I miss you a lot. I miss the whole family. Good to hear that everyone is doing well.

-Justin