And the children say “Jesus. Amen!”

This week was a tiring but a great one. I always feel like whenever I'm dead tired, and about to drop on the floor throughout the entire day is when we see the most miracles, so I'm starting to like being really tired. At one of our visits with a member of our ward at night, he offered us a protein shake instead of the usual water. Elder Smith was elated, that man loves his protein. We spend most of our spending money on protein powder, so that night probably saved us some money. 


Elder Smith and I had a lot of kids talk to us this week. The kids in this area are hilarious, my title for this weekly is just one of the many awesome quotes from them. We have a few kids in areas where we teach that think we're their friends and always come and hug us, but their parents don't exactly like us, so we don't try to talk to the, for too long. One day, we had a group of kids ask if they could tag along to us as we knocked doors, so we had a crowd when people answered the door, who knows, maybe that could get more people to talk to us. 

One crazy miracle: Elder Smith had a prompting to go back to a couple that we had tried a few times before. When we went by the husband said he was busy, but behind us in the street were some kids biking. They started talking to us and asked why we look so weird and why we wear weird clothes. We told them that we talk to people about Jesus, so one of them begged us to knock on her door. After a minute or so of her asking, we decided to just go ahead and do it. Her mom answered the door and even though she wasn't interested, she said that our church teaches great things and wants us to come back to teach her children and take them to church. Elder Smith and I were extremely surprised but excited, it's not every day that that happens. 

Dale is still amazing. He said that he's already talking about the Book of Mormon with his sons and all his neighbors because: "If it's true why not share it?". He's already a great example of a missionary to me. We were also able to set a date for Shari's baptism, a new person we're teaching. She is so prepared to hear the gospel. Finding those who really are interested and want to meet with us can be tough, but Elder Smith and I have seen some amazing miracles.  

I'm excited to be able to stay in this area for another transfer, even if it means biking up our giant hill at least once a day. Still no word on the visa, but that's ok. (update: as I'm writing this email the mission office called me to tell me I'm going to the consulate tomorrow in San Antonio, Texas, so that's crazy. I have no sense of direction so this ought to be fun. All I ask is that I'm still here for Dale's baptism, wouldn't want to miss that for the world.) The members of our ward are awesome, it's great to see them get excited about missionary work as we've begun to find and teach more people. 

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Something Elder Smith and I have had the chance to talk about recently is faith and why thinking about faith as an action word rather than just a thought or a belief is so important. I really love how Alma teaches about faith in Alma chapter 32 in the Book of Mormon. Verses 26 and 27

26 Now, as I said concerning faith—that it was not a perfect knowledge—even so it is with my words. Ye cannot know of their surety at first, unto perfection, any more than faith is a perfect knowledge.
27 But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than adesire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words.

I love how Alma talks about experimenting on his words. Unless we act on our faith by doing things like praying, reading the scriptures, and treating others as Christ would, we won't know if these things are true. Seeing others truly attempt to grow their faith and seeing how it has blessed them is such a joy to see. My faith isn't perfect, but it has certainly grown on the mission as I have had the opportunity to serve those around me and teach them the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. I invite you all to see faith as an action, and then focus on something you can do personally to act. I know that as we act on our faith, our testimonies are strengthened, and we can have more love for others.
T'chau! Eu amo Voces!

fletcher.madsen@missionary.org
https://fletchermadsen.blogspot.com/


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