Repentance

The Lord is really blessing us these days here in el Bolson and we are seeing lots of miracles!!  This week I want to share the story of an inactive member names Gustavo.  This week we had lunch with the Villablanca family and Sister Villablanca wasn't there to eat with us, so her brother Gustavo joined us and the rest of the family to eat all together.  It was the first time I had ever met Gustavo and as the lunch went on, we got to know him a little better.  After eating, we shared a simple but powerful scripture in Doctrine and Covenantss 5:35 which says:

And if thou art faithful in keeping my commandments, thou shalt be lifted up at the last day. Amen.

We then began talking to Gustavo about the reasons that he stopped going to church and as I sat there listening to him, I could just fell the power of his testimony and I couldn't believe that he had left the church for so many years.  He told us how we had been preparing to serve a mission and was super strong in the church, but then he started making bad choices and slowly fell away.  He then became disappointed in himself and felt unworthy for not having served a mission-and that became the turning point of when he became inactive.  It was sad for me to see this 25 year old member of the church so disappointed in himself and the choices he had made, so I started talking to him about the Atonement of Jesus Christ and how it gives us "new starts."  How it gives us blank pages that allow us to not only change, but to change the future of our own personal story.  And that is what I told him.  I said, "Gustavo, if only you could see yourself how I see you now.  I met you about an hour ago and during this short time I have been able to see your incredible testimony of this gospel and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  I don't know the bad choices you made.  If you wouldn't have told me that you didn't serve a mission, I would have though the opposite because of the strong spirit that you have.  For all I know, I would have thought you were an active member in the church.  But I want you to know that the way I see you now, is the way that your loving Heavenly Father sees you.  A strong disciple of Christ without blemish.  You have so much potential Gustavo.  All you have to do is repent, and faithfully keep the commandments of God as the scripture we shared says.  That is the beauty of this gospel and the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  The Savior is always waiting and willing to give us a new start, to let us be new people.  But we need to do our part.  Don't let the choices you make now, affect all of the eternal blessings that God has in store for you.  You can change, and you can start today through the Atonement of the Lord."  I know this to be true with all of my heart and I have seen the power of repentance throughout my mission many times.  Repentance through the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ changes everything.  We can always have a new start thanks to Him.  I love my Savior and I hope that we will all be able to recognize the great blessing He has given us thanks to his selfless act upon the cross of Calvary and in the Garden of Gethsemane.  Thanks to Him, Gustavo was able to go to church again after 6 years of being inactive.  I believe in miracles, but I even more so believe in the merciful love and forgiveness of our living Savior Jesus Christ.  

Quote of the week:

Godly sorrow leads to conversion and a change of heart.  It causes us to hate sin and love goodness.  It encourages us to stand up and walk in the light of Christ's love.  True repentace is about transformation, not torture or torment.

-Dieter F.  Uchtdorf

love you all and have a beautiful week!!!! :

xoxo

Hermana Anika Van Boerum