Ay Bendito Part -Jose And Marie

So this week was crazy. To start, yesterday I almost got struck by lightning, and I'm not even joking. Within 20 feet from me, it struck the house we just knocked. We were walking away. An amazing burst of light came, and a huge crack. BAMM, and I was in a ball on the floor. My life flashed before my eyes. My companion thinks I'm a pansy. It was terrifying.

Jose and Marie - So one day, me and Elder Donaldson were walking, looking for a less active house, and we took a wrong turn down this street. After murmuring and saying, "I told you this wasn't the street," he goes, "There are no coincidences in God. Let's go pee in that field at the end." So we went down to the jungle to use the bathroom, haha, and we came out and walked up and saw Jose and Marie. Jose was washing his car, and Marie was watching him. So we started a conversation. Jose was not interested in talking at all to us. Marie just wanted to practice her English because we were white. So we started talking to them and told them what we do as missionaries. Jose goes, "Nah, I don't believe in any of that. I'm atheist." And we say, "We promise if you just listen to us, you guys will know truly that God and Jesus Christ love you. And they live." We also promised we could answer any question Jose had. So he got extremely excited to try and test us. So he set up a return appointment, and we were really excited to teach them. So we went back and we taught. And we taught and we taught. And we came back, and they came to church, and then we invited them to be baptized, and they said no. Then we invited them again and again, and they said no. Then Marie wanted a divorce. Jose didn't. We taught them, Elder Donaldson, and all his chick flicks saved us. He got up and became the marriage counselor, and I was shocked. It was very inspiring. I don't know what I would've said, so that was cool. The gospel saved their marriage. Then we decided to go in with fuego. Transfer calls, we really just felt that they were ready and that God wanted this. So I told Elder Donaldson the plan I had been cooking up in the shower. So we as missionaries really do have the calling to preach the gospel. We are set apart to promise people blessings. So what did I do? I had faith because we did it once before with Cristin. We came in and told them God told us July 9th, and that was the day. So we were going to ask Him together. All of us. On our knees. Now these are probably some of the coolest spiritual experiences I have had. We get down on our knees after being super excited and having so much trust in God that we have His promise in Moroni 10 that He will wander about the truthfulness of these things with His spirit. Then, with our call as a missionary, we promised them with all the faith we had that God would answer right then. And we knew that He would, so we kneeled, and we all prayed, and they felt it. Then Jose was firm; he knew. The Book of Mormon, the spiritual witnesses. He knew. Marie, she was a doubter. She knew but just was expecting some big sign, even though God had given her tons of little signs. It doesn't matter, they both knew. God told them. And Marie and Jose are now both baptized.

"I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it," Joseph Smith Jr.

It's pretty cool to see their progress. I can't explain in words how much they both have changed my life and how awesome it was to see their lives be changed. They're awesome. And two people who didn't even know they were looking for the truth until we came and we brought it to them. That's why it's so important to share the gospel with everyone. What would've happened if we didn't have the missionary mindset of talking with everyone? We could have turned around instantly and went to the less active. But we decided to talk to the people on that street, and now they are the most recent converts of the Toa Baja Ward. I often regret not sharing with some people or just opening my mouth. I just want to be the best instrument in the Lord's hands. And all the times before the mission when I could've been a missionary to people in my life who needed it most. I invite you guys to share with everyone you know that doesn't have the gospel. All it takes is one invitation to learn, and they could change their life forever. So why are we so scared to do that as members? Especially when 3/10 of member referrals get baptized. This is the best way to help lost souls make it back to their Father in Heaven, and we're scared to invite. Man, I just really learned out here how easy it is to invite. The worst they say is no, but if they say yes and then they change their life and get baptized, I know God is telling you in your head someone you could share with but haven't yet. Just because you felt like sharing and they reject doesn't mean you didn't do what God wanted either, "urra por rechazo." Fear God more than man. You can always say why you tried and failed, never why you didn't try. Feel the fear and do it anyway.

Along the lines of feeling the fear and doing it anyway, this week I had the impression of going to Walmart's parking lot and contacting all the people we could see. So we went, and we got there, and there were a lot of people and lots of chances to hear the word "No." I love the word "No"; it's become so common to me it doesn't even mean anything anymore. Anyways, we get out and talk to a lot of people that say no. But we found one who said yes named Jose, and he's lit. We invited him to be baptized. He said yes, then he said he couldn't on the 30th because he had work, but then his phone died, and he hasn't talked to us on the phone. He texted us, so we will figure that out. But we would've never found this man if there was fear. Hay que invitar siempre. Always invite. Never regret inviting. It's not annoying to invite someone to a party either, so why would they think you're annoying for inviting them to change their life?

Love one another enough to invite. If you really love someone, you'll give them all the blessings you have. If you don't love them, you'll be scared. Don't hide the gospel blessings from your non-member friends. Love them and share and invite. True love comes from invitations to be better.