5/2/17 Heavenly Father Loves You

Hola Todos,

Another week has come and gone and we are doing well here in Trelew. Water has come back and we have been able to shower normally everyday. The simple things are sometimes the best. Our week began pretty slow, trying to put the new emphasis of obedience into practice. Taking out bad habits is hard, but I know I can do it. Thursday we had our last Zone Meeting. One of the new things in the mission is that we are only going to have District Meeting. So we wanted to end with an amazing Zone Meeting. I believe it went well and we all almost cried. I finally gave a talk I was happy with and completed one of my goals of doing better in public speaking. We shared a video called, Missionary Work and the Atonement. Elder Holland explains very well why the mission isnt easy. It wont ever be easy, cause it was never easy for Christ. Remember that when times get hard. I know Christ wants and needs you to push through the tough moments. 

Our weekend is where the magic started happening. After a week of struggling with all the rule changes and trying to be more obedient, God showed us why we really need to obey. Saturday we finished preparing everything for the Baptism of the Hermana Amelia (our Abuela). She gave an amazing prayer that night, that brougtht tears to my eyes. The tears didnt leave cause I really didnt want to cry, but wow she has really changed in the last few weeks. Sunday we had the baptism. It has been over twenty months since the last baptism in our area, Soooo go Abuela for being the curse breaker. The Spirit was there, I felt it. Its been awhile since I have felt soo happy, with peace, the Holy Ghost has done wonders for me this week. I feel more worthy to have the Spirit with me and to teach with Him on my side. Thats why we are obedient my friends. I also made brownies for Amelia because she loves chocolate. 

Funny story, when we were teaching her about the word of wisdom she thaught that we werent able to eat chocolate. We all laughed and now the joke is that the Elders cant eat chocolate in their house. jaja be careful with the chocolate;)

Yesterday was a holiday called Worker´s Day. Everyone had the day off, like everyone. It was weird cause no one was in the street. Everyone was having their Argentine BBQ(Asado). We didnt have PDay and thats why I am writing today. Yesterday was perfect. We had four people accept baptism dates and three of them were a family. We found them through the family of the Abuela who was baptized. The youngest daughter has taken her friend to church with her and we finally found her family. They all want to be baptized. The mom Yessica, the son Derik, and the Daughter Triana. It was an amazing lesson and the how time the kids were begging their mom to be baptized. Miracles! Elder Rodriguez and I left that lesson grateful for the miracle and excited to keep baptizing here in Union 2! Triana the friend of the member family, talked so much about my companion and I to her mom that she knew our names before we got there. They call me their gringo;) 

I know that serving a mission isnt easy. Its not, and it never will be. My dad sent me a letter this week saying the same thing. Expressing his love to me and showing me why I am really here in Argentina. Listen to your parents! They love you! You will miss them one day. I know that families are eternal. I want one, and I know that through obedience to the laws and ordinaces of the gospel of Jesus Christ will give me mine. Dont give up, never give up. Push through the hard times. Repent, and be forgiven. Forgive others and yourself. Remember Heavenly Father loves you. I know He love you and me. We are His children. When life is rough, when you think all is lost, when you feel alone, lost, or that trying is hopeless REMEMBER Christ knows how you feel. You are not alone! Trust in Him, Love Him, and watch how He will love and change you. Little by little, never too much, never too little. He knows what we need. I have felt His love this week as I have failed to obey and tried to change. I know we have His church. I know it. Les Quiero. 

Elder Saunders del fin del mundo!

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See it. Feel it. Trust it.

4/25/17 Time to Change

Hola Todos,

Im writing this on a Tuesday because we had a leadership counsel meeting over the weekend and we traveled to Comodoro and got back last night. I was able to visit the ward I served in for six months and see my convert Claudio Sedron. He is such an amazing person. He has the priesthood and is the second counselor in the Elders Quorum presidency. The meeting we had as leadership was brutal. We are going to have to change a lot as a mission if we want to start seeing success. First step obedience. Its going to be hard cause we have changed a lot of mission rules and my faith is being tested. Pray is essential in my life right now and honestly I have had feelings like this is like putting my mission papers in again. My last eight months are going to be A LOT different. 

We are still fighting the problem of not having water. Its fun but sometimes we have to go without showering to have water to cook and drink and use the toilet. Kinda stinky no?? haha However we have enough water to have a giant baptism night. That means our Amelia can finally be baptized. Time to break the curse of area Union 2!! We are the first elders in over 21 months to baptize in my area. Go Elder Rodriguez and Elder Saunders!!

My second companion and one of my best friends in the mission Elder Petersen is going home in a month and a saw him for the last time in the leadership counsel. It was rough saying bye, but Ill see him in Utah. The hardest is saying bye to the latinos because I dont know if I see them after the mission. Tears were shed as my buddy Elder Petersen was sharing his testimony. I love that guy and we went through a lot in Calafate. 

Christ, who really is Jesus Christ? I want you to think about that. I have to too. I have to really dig deep right now into my testimony. Do I really know this church is true? Enough to change my ways that I thought were His ways, but really werent? Do I have enough faith to say im sorry and repent and move closer to Him? Does He really have only one church on this Earth? Are the feelings that I have felt that I thought were the spirit, really the spirit? Did I really make covenants with God or was it all a lie? 

There are so many questions going on in my head. I want to answer them all with only a few words. Yes, Chirst lives. He is our Savior. I need Him, and more then ever right now! I know this church is true, and that I have made convenants with our Father in Heaven and Savior Jesus Christ, and I need to stay true to these. If I want to have true success in my mission, TODAY is the day to start the change. Satan is real and tells me to just go home. I WILL not listen, I will stay and I will baptize and change myself. I invite you all to take a self check. In your life, marriage, family, and studies. Are they how your wish? Do they allign up with the commandments of God? Would Christ be happy with who you are? Come unto Christ, and repent. Let us do it together. I know it will help you feel better about yourself and have more happiness in you life!! Les Quiero y se que Dios les ama!

Elder Saunders del fin del mundo.

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See it. Feel it. Trust it.

4/17/17 Testimonio:)

Hola Todos,

We had a rough week, but are hanging in there. For lack of water in the city we had to postpone our baptism. Sad but she is going to be extra ready for this upcoming Sunday! We are the smallest zone in the mission of only ten missionaries but we are going to baptize more then our areas have in the last few months in just one so we are excited and putting work in. 

Transfers were crazy and we didnt get any sleep because we spent hours in the Bus Terminal helping all the missionaries get in and out of the zones here. With all the rain in Comodoro the only highway going north and south was cut to a one way road. Soooo we had a lot of problems as a mission and the glory of being a leader is having to fix them all. 

On Saturday we found out that our baptism on Sunday wasnt going to happen. So we had to let our sweet Abuela know that she wasnt going to be baptized for lack of water in the city. She haddled it well but we had a scare cause we went to take her to church and she already left and we thought she left to sisters house, but she went to the church herself. She walked there alone cause her family was sleeping and didnt go. She is my favorite and an example of faith. 

I know that God loves us. He is our Father. He knows us, and even though sometimes it doesnt seem so He does. This last week was tough. I was struggling just wanting to be a missionary. I feel like we all need to remember why we ever knew or had a testimony. This week I took mine for grantid and forgot everything I knew and know. I know that as we try to do our best God blesses us. Sometimes our best isnt what we want it to be, but thats why we have the Atonement of Christ. We can get back up and try again. I know Christ suffered for every single one of us. I know that you might not feel it. Sometimes I dont too. BUT we have to keep trying. He lives. I know it. We can be forgiven and become clean through His Atonement. Remember that. Dont give up. I wont! Les Quiero y Dios Les ama!

Elder Saunders 

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See it. Feel it. Trust it.

4/10/17 Trelew with my Bolivian:)

Hola Todos,

Three months in Trelew have now past and we are finally out of the heat. The weather is perfect and besides a lot of rain we are doing well here. I dont know if you have heard but in Comodoro there was two big storms that brought major flooding and mudslides to the city. Our mission home is there and the office and without electriciy the mission is struggling in general. We ask for prayers and thoughts for the people who have lost everything and for the work of the Lord to be able to continue through service and love. 

We have been doing a lot of service for the people in Comodoro. Collecting donations, filling trucks with clean water, and fasting and praying for the people who live there. Its been nice to feel the spirit through simple acts of service. Service is sometimes hard for me to want to do because it does nothing for numbers and really seems like a waste of time. But this week I was able to learn and realize that its really the opposite. 

Some highlights of the week. It rained a lot. Nothing like in Comodoro but it rained and there wasnt any electricity for a few days or clean water.... so we didnt shower... not good for the nose;) My comp is sick and so we were able to take it easy and watch church movies for a day. We got transfers and Elder Rodriguez and I are going for round three together. The Hermanas in a little city called Gaiman baptized!!!!!! We are going to bapitze the Grandma of a family we reactivated this next Sunday!! This are looking better in the Zone and in our Area. Im enjoying the mission and having a lot of fun. 

Today is a sad day because we are splitting up as a Zone. We were all together for three months so its hard to say goodbye. This is the worst part about the mission. I hate goodbyes and in the misison they are worse cause its not like we all live close to each other back home. Some live down here and others in Brazil and others in the states, we are really close and all good friends. 

This week I ate a million empanadas and a lot of coke. Its time to buy some fruit and drink more water... however we dont have clean water...sooo.. good thing I love coke. OH and we made tacos as a Zone this week and they were amazing cause we have a Mexicana in the zone.;)

I know that this church is true. I know that the Book of Mormon is true. I know that prayer is powerful. I know that as we put in our effort to do the right thing God blesses us. When times get tough push harder. When satan fights more, fight even more. Dont give up. Never give in to the temptation that all is lost, that you cant continue. The Atonement of Jesus Christ teaches us that He suffered for all we have felt and can feel and are feeling. He knows us perfectly. I felt His love this last week. Always try and be worthy. Never put anything above the importance of living a life worthy of a Temple Recommend. Its important. My mom and dad taught me that. Thanks Mom, Thanks Dad. Les quiero!

Elder Saunders

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See it. Feel it. Trust it.

4/3/17 Rain and Conference

Hola Todos, 

This last week was a different one. Full of rain, waiting, and less walking and teaching. For those who dont know becasue we live in the end of the world, Comodoro was hit with a huge storm and a lot of rain. It never rains there and with a sudden amount of rain it flooded a large amount of the city. I was traveling to Comodoro for a leadership meeting when the main part of the storm hit the city. I arrived and went straight to a pension in Downtown Comodoro. The next day and a half we were not allowed to leave the pension. So we read, played cards, and talked about life. I was able to talk to my convert in Comodoro and make sure his family was okay. We are all fine but just had a few boring days not doing anything. It was nice but at the same time Boring.;) 

We got back to Trelew Friday night and just in time for conference the next day. Let me tell you that after three days doing nothing that spiritual, conference hits you like a bomb. All the talks were really missionary centered and I loved listening and feeling the power the prophets bring through the spirit. My favorite talk was by Elder M. Russell Ballard. He spoke on Goals, and how we should put life goals inside of The Plan of Salvation. Another part of his talk was on Golf so that was cool, and that we should take "Self Checks" to see if we are hitting our goals and walking on the path we should be. 

So my friends and family take a self check and put some new goal if needed. Base these goals off of the Plan of Salvation, meaning that your goal should be to make it to he highest glory in the Celestial Kingdom. I know that these things work. I remember a great youngs mens leader I had Brother Palmer. He shared a story one day with the young men about a self check he had and I remember that next day I had one of my own. It helped me turn around, really think of who I wanted to be and where I wanted to go. It works. Put the goals you feel will help you grow to become like our Savior. I know He will walk side by side with you and you will complete them. 

Thanks for the prayers you offer for me. On the rough days I can feel them, and on the smooth ones they help me realize im having a good time. I know that the mission isnt easy. Baptisms arent everything, but its why I am here. I love the gospel. It makes me happy. All I want is to have a family that is strong in the church. My parents, brothers, sister, and all my extended family. If I could desire one thing it would be to tell you all that I KNOW its true. Its not a maybe or kinda its a for sure thing. I KNOW its all true. Please if you dont know and you know me or even if you dont, PRAY, and ask God! I proomise as a represtative of Jesus Christ that if you pray and ask with a desire to know, you WILL recieve an answer. I dont when, or where or if it will be in twenty years but it WILL come. Les quiero!

Elder Saunders del fin del mundo:)

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See it. Feel it. Trust it.