7/24/17 Puerto Madryn

Hola Todos,

This last week was amazing. We worked hard and have seen blessings role on in. I have been more and more obedient. My testimony is growing. I feel Christ´s love for me and for all of those that we teach. I truly want to be a missionary, a true representative of Christ. Not one part time or some days but always. A true full time missionary. I believe this desire and wish is where I have began to see the change in myself. As we want to change or repent, we begin to see ourselves as our Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ see us. We truly begin to realize who we are, and what we can become. I have been blessed with experiences that have humbled me. I would say that im confident now. Before my mission while playing golf or in school or in whatever I did I would say "confidence is key". Yes it is but where are we puting our confidence? I know where I am putting my confidence and its in the Lord our Savior Jesus Christ. This week I hit my 19 month mark and my goal in these short five months is to let the Savior mold and change me into the man I need to become to guide me to the path where I need to go. Trust in Him. Let Christ change you. Dont make God humble you through painful trials. Its not fun and its a lot harder. Remember CONFIDENCE IS KEY!

We have a few investigators with baptismal dates this coming week and weeks. We are teaching a lot and the work is flowing. The main thing we have been working on is using the members here. We are in a small branch and there is lack of priesthood in the branch. We help a lot with almost everything. Use your priesthood. The members are amazing and almost every family has a member in their family that they have invited to have us teach. We are going to baptize a lot if they keep up the good work and of course us too. Ailin and Jazmin are our top investigators. Ailin is the grandaugter of Sister Olga. She is eleven and is turning twelve next monday. If we can get her parents permissin she can be baptized. We played a plan of salvation board game with her and she loved it. Jazmin came to use and asked us to teach and baptize her. She is 13 but needs to stop drinking and smoking. Her life is really hard and has no support from any family. She has lived with a member family for a while and thats how she found us. Time to start to baptize.

I know that life is hard. Stay strong. Dont give up and Heavenly Father will help you be and become the person you need to be. I know it and I know He loves us. He is our Father. We are His children. Dont you ever forget that. Les Quiero.

Elder Saunders del fin del mundo.

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See it. Feel it. Trust it.

7/17/17 Repent and Change

Hola Todos,

This last week has been a week full of adventures and moments of repentence. To all those that have been worrying, praying, thinking, and fasting for me, thank you. I have truly felt the love and help this week. The week began with me not feeling well. I was homesick, sad, and really just wanted to give up. Problem number one was that I had no where to go to give up. Staying in the mission seemed terrible and going home not to enjoyable as well. So was kinda just sad. Missing home and how I was about a year ago in the mission or any other time but in the moment. I began to ask for help. First from my mission President and then from a few Elders that I knew from other areas that are now in my Zone. A few days went by and I started to feel better. Talking and getting out my thoughts and feelings was working and trying to be obedient as well.

Wednesday I ended up traveling to Comodoro. We took a six hour bus ride and got there in the night. That day was able to talk with my ex companion Elder Walker and a lot of friends I have made here in the mission. They updated me on how my old areas were and everyone is doing well. That helped me feel happy. Our convert from Trelew is going to go to the temple to do baptisms this September. Things like that help a missionary feel good. Thursday I spoke in a leadershiop meeting to all the Zone Leaders and Sister Training Leaders about obedience. I almost cried and made a lot of other missionaries cry. That wasnt fun, but I got through it. I talked to President Salerno my missiona president and he convinced me to stay in the mission. We made a plan that I will try and keep going. That the Lord has promised me blessings, and if I do what I am supposed to do He will bless me. The goal is to repend, change, and be the man that I and God hope and wish that I become in these next five months in the mission.

When I got back to my area in Puerto Madryn we started working hard. We put baptismal dates and brought people to church. We found new investigators and taught like crazy. All the work made me feel good. I was not as sad and I started to feel happy. I have begun to change. As it is still hard and I still miss home, I have made progress. There are still things I can not fix and I wish I could. I will continue to have patience and love God. My trust is in His hands, all I want to do is change myself. I know i will.

We are going to have a baptism in two weeks and three more in three weeks. I know it and I know that we can all change. I know that the Atonement of Chirst is real. I can feel it. I know it cause I am living it. I am trying to change. We only have to show faith and try and Christ helps us out. Yes we make mistakes, yes will might feel like we are the worst, but I know that that is only Satan trying to get us down. Expel him from your thoughts and your actions will change. I know it! I know the Book of Mormon is true. It is giving me power to change and repent. It is teaching me how to be a better person. It is teaching me the truths of our Heavenly Father and what we all must do to return with Him again. For I know I am His son, I know He loves me. I am not a father but I can imagine the love that one must have for his children. He loves us I know it. When times get tough and we want to quit what should we do? Satan tells me to quit, and everything else I have learned in my life tells me to suck it up, and keep going. When I hit a bad shot it golf do I dwell on that shot for the rest of the round? NO, we have to forget our faults, sins, and bad shots we have made, and we need we HAVE  to remember what we have done well and improve and keep doing those things well. Repent and change. Do it. I am trying. You should too. Read and pray and go to church and see the difference those three things make in your life. I promise you that you will feel Gods love and come to a knowledge that He lives and that His son is running His church on this Earth today. For I know this things are true.I love you all and know you love me. I can feel your support and thank you for it. Les Quiero mucho!

Elder Saunders del fin del mundo:)

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See it. Feel it. Trust it.

7/10/17 Puerto Madryn

Dear Friends and Family,

These last few weeks have been rough. I have learned a lot and am trying to put it into practice. I have not figured out how to do it yet and it hurts. A few weeks ago I made a big mistake as a missionary. I learned a lot from this mistake and now know the importance of obeidence. The Atonement is real, but consequences are real as well. This is the first time in my life that i have felt almost completely alone. I am in a new area and in my zone I only know my zone leaders. I am in a city called Puerto Madryn. Its pretty and not as called as the other areas in the mission right now during the winter months. I feel like its my time to change and be a better missionary, but I have been trying and cant seem to get it right.

I am in a trio right now and my companions are Elder Michel and Elder Ward. Elder Michel is from Buenos Aires and Elder Ward is from North Ogden and lives just a few blokes from my grandparents. We have a lot of work to do and will baptize together. The hard thing is that I am really stressed trying to change myself and not seeing any progress. I am going to be okay I think. I know the Church is true and that the Atonement is real. I have now learned its hard to actually live it and be the person that has to change. I have to repent and become better. I know that its hard but that I cant do it if I keep trying. I am sad and feel alone right now because I dont know anyone and dont have anyone to really talk to.

If there is anything I want to say to you guys is that I know even though I dont show it always that the church is true. I know it. I know that everything inside the church in terms of doctrine is true. the atonement works miracles. Its my time to use it. learn from me and know that no matter what you have done you can come clean and become clean. It sucks cause you sit there and feel like crap, and dont know what to say to people, but I know in the end ill be okay! You will be okay. If you are unworthy or have something that you should confess. just do it and take the consequences. We can repent together. It will be hard, but it will be worth it. I know the Book of Mormon is true. Its time to read it together. Ill read if you read. Ill repent if you repent. Well Ill do it and I will hope that you do to. Les quiero and Im sorry this is kinda a sad letter but its where I am.

Carry on.

Elder Saunders

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See it. Feel it. Trust it.