Happy Halloween!

Hey family and friends,

 This week has been pretty great! I had to give a talked in sacrament meeting this past Sunday and I didn't throw up on the podium...I count that as a success. It actually turned out to be a really good talk considering it was thrown all together the night before because I didn't have time during the week...okay I did have time but I did not feel I was getting any spiritual revelation until the night before. Funny how being under pressure brings a lot of spiritual revelation.

 It was also a very successful Sunday because a lot of our less actives came to church and one of them brought a friend who is not a member. She ended up liking church a lot and now we are teaching her kids. Yeah for awesome members! 😆

 Daniel, the eleven old boy we are teaching, is doing amazing! He is just progressing and learning so much! Yesterday we went over to his house to teach him and guess who was there...the none member friend with her children! We ended up teaching all of them the ten commandments and the hand signs that go with them. Though they may or may not think that the second commandment is that we don't worship cows...oops. Haha! They are great kids! Daniel is especially amazing! When we went over the sixth commandment, Daniel bore a little testimony about how we are all god's children and that is why we should not kill. He then turn to his friends and said "you are my brother and you are my sister." He then turns to us, "they are my sisters too!" Oh I just wanted to grab him and hug him! Though I think my favorite quote of his is "the three most important people are God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost. They are not the same people but they are all on the same team!" Man I have really underestimated this kid! He just understands everything and he just sees the big picture. And now he is super excited to share it with his friends! I love him!

 Lorenzo, my recent convert is also doing really well. We had a lesson about the word of wisdom with him and he basically taught us...yeah we are just waiting for him to get translated....He is amazing! He is starting his second time reading the Book of Mormon and he is already on chapter eight of first Nephi. Also last week, he blessed the sacrament! For the first time!! Sure he had to repeat the prayer like four times but he did so good and he said that he really liked doing it. He is just growing so much in the gospel but he is not prideful at all. I could probably say that he is the most humble person I've ever met in my life. Just so gentle, takes correction, looks for the good in people, always is ready to serve, just an example of what a disciple of Christ should be. Every time I go teach him, I learn something new. He thinks he is learning from us but I think it is actually flipped. We are learning from him. I so can not wait till he can enter into the temple.

 We also got a new ward mission leader. What a blessing! He is so great! First day as ward mission leader, he pulled us aside into a room and sat us down and then discussed our needs and how he could help us. I about wept! Haha! But seriously it was so nice that he wants to be directly involved in our work. He also makes sure that we have dinners for the week and he is helping us plan Daniel's baptism for November. We are extremely grateful to have him!

 I haven't done this in a long time but I am going to share with you some spiritual insight that I got this week. I was reading in the Book of Mormon in Alma 60 and I came to verse seven and something there just really struck me. It says "Can you think to sit upon your thrones in a state of thoughtless stupor, while your enemies are spreading the work of death around you? Yea, while they are murdering thousands of your brethren." It was very very interesting because in the very second that I felt the spirit touch my heart. It was very different for me because usually the spirit touches my heart with scriptures that are praising me or are a little bit gentler but this one really hit me and I couldn't help but think why? This chapter is about war and what this chapter is referring to is a war that is going on in the Book of Mormon, so why was this hitting me so hard. I did a little more research and then I found my answer. Just like those people in the Book of Mormon, we are in a war. Maybe not a physical war but definitely in a spiritual one. Everywhere Satan is trying to murder thousands of my brothers and sisters. Our brothers and sisters. I don't think we realize it. I think we sometimes think "well I'll take a break of doing home teaching or visiting teaching or sharing my belief with those I know because I have been doing a lot lately." Well you know what, Satan has also been doing a lot lately as well but the difference between him and us is that he is diligent in his purpose. He is one hundred percent focused. So every moment we stop or we don't do our visits or we don't share what we know with someone who is searching, we are basically sitting in our "thrones in a state of thoughtless stupor" while Satan and his forces are murdering thousands of our brothers and sisters.

 I don't want to be accountable for that. I have began to ask myself "am I as diligent about my purpose as Satan is about his?" If i can't answer yes then I am not doing enough.

 Let us not stand by and wait for miracles to happen or angels to come and rescue our brothers and sisters! Because it won't come! You know why? Because we are the angels, we are the miracle waiting to happen! Why would god send others when he has already sent us. Let us be proactive instead of reactive!

 A good talk to read that get my point across is Elder Hollands talk from General Conference October 2012.

 I love you all! Have a good week!

Hermana Paredes

 P.s. I also included a video for your amusement....you're welcome! 😉