Become Something (Week 30)

Hello Everyone,

It was another busy week! We had so many lessons to teach this past week and I must say it was very tiring ha ha! It was also cloudy and cold this whole week.  It was raining for most of the week, so I finally had to pull out the rain coat and not just wear a sweater ha ha! I have been collecting Chinese ties. There is a member from Taiwan who orders Chinese ties for us. I have one in Chinese characters that say Families are Forever,  pretty cool. You can see one of my new ties in the pictures.

One of the investigators Elder Li and I have been teaching Mark, was baptized on Saturday along with five others. So there was a total of 6 people baptized into the City branch on Saturday. It was the most people I have ever seen be baptized on the same day.

Elder Li and I with Mark on his Baptism Day

Mark is just another testimony to me how God prepares His children to hear the message of the Restored Gospel. Mark made sudden changes in his life and his progression was 0 to 60. At first his mother did not want him to be baptized. He hesitated, but attended a baptism of some other recent converts. It was there he turned to me and said he wanted to be baptized. For the next 2 weeks he met with us almost every day! He had some struggles with some of the commandments. After reading the Book of Mormon with him they were no longer of concern to him. His faith in Jesus Christ increased tremendously. I can testify that the Book of Mormon is true that the words within it are the words of God. I know because I have just witnessed it change someone's life and helped them develop a belief in God from hearing and abiding by its words.  Not only that, but I have seen the Book change my life. I would exhort all of you member of the church or not to read the Book of Mormon, my challenge still stands from January to finish the book before the end of the year.  

 

Me, Mark,and Elder Maddock

I promise you all that it will change your life. Just like it changed Mark's and how it has changed mine, because the words it contains are from God. Mark was baptized and then confirmed a member. He received the gift of the Holy Ghost as a constant companion to lead him and guide him in his life. It was amazing to see how converted he became in such a short amount of time. It reminds me of a quote I believe from Russell M Ballard of the Quorum of the twelve Apostles, "The institutions of the world teach us to know something, the Gospel of Jesus Christ teaches us to BECOME something"!!! Mark truly became something on Saturday, he became the child of God that God knew he can be and God knows that we can all can become.  I hope you all have a great week I will be attending the temple next Thursday so that will be when I email next. I Love You All!!!!!

--

Sincerely,

               Elder Ethan Salcedo

A Perfect Love (Week 28 & 29)

Hello Everyone,

Wk#28

This week was a very interesting week! I had an emergency transfer, which means I got a new companion for this last week and a half of the transfer! His name is Elder Li and he has been in the same zone as me for the whole time I have been here and we switched companions.  My companion, Elder Maddock went with his companion, so I will still see him in the city and that is good! The weather has been very nice and I just love having the excuse to wear sweaters ( I love sweaters)! 

This week was also branch conference.  It started off with two baptisms on Saturday and a branch activity afterwards! There was games and food and lots of people that attended the activity. The baptism was really spiritual and you could feel the spirit so strong! On Sunday the stake presidency then talked about The Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Plan of Salvation. He also talked about how we have so many privileges that God gives us, but most of us don't use them.

It was all around a great week and I have continued to learn a lot. I have lots of time when falling asleep to personally reflect on my life, and I must say serving a mission was the best decision I have made so far in my life! I have learned so much and I have felt the Spirit of the Lord in my heart more frequent and so strong in my life. It always picks me up, it always gives me hope, and most importantly it always fills me with God's love. I appreciate all of the experiences that have happened to me in Australia, because I know it is God's way of shaping me into the child of God that He knows that I can be. I invite you all to continue to build your relationship with your Heavenly Father. As your prayers become more meaningful, you fast with a purpose, you attend church every Sunday willing to learn, and as you really read and ponder the scriptures, your eyes and heart will be opened to a flood of blessings and love from our Heavenly Father who loves each and every one of YOU with a PERFECT LOVE. I hope you all have a great week and I will talk to you all next week and always remember that I LOVE YOU ALL!!!

Dinner with Elder and Sister Rohlfing

City Branch Conference Program

 Wk 29

 Well it is the start of the new transfer today, this will be my sixth transfer that I will be serving in...... The City!!!!!! I am staying in the city of Adelaide and Elder Li will still be my companion for this transfer, which is exciting! It has been a while since our last baptism,  but we are preparing for a baptism this Saturday. His name is Mark and he is from China. He was actually in the same neighborhood as Elder Li when Elder Li was growing up in China. This is the first time they have met so that is pretty crazy. Please keep him in your prayers as he is preparing for baptism to make sacred covenants with God. He has sacrificed so much of his life to be baptized and it truly is a blessing and a miracle. It continues to build my testimony how the Lord truly prepares his children to receive and hear His message. I have had the privilege to see his transformation thus far and all of the credit goes to our Heavenly Father. Without Him Mark would not have transformed the way he has.  I am super excited for him to be baptized this week!

Zone Conference

Elder Miller and Elder Li teaching

 Elder Li and I were very busy this past week.  We have been able to teach so many lessons since the exams were finished at the college. A lot more people have had more time to meet with us, which is  exciting! We also attended a fireside last night and they showed one of my favorite Mormon messages. It is called "Enduring Love" and I invite everyone to watch it. It is about a couple who the wife is essentially disabled and can't function on her own.  The husband even though he has his own medical problems that prevent him from doing most activities, still loves and takes care of his wife and still makes her feel special. The spirit is so strong every time I watch the video because that is what Charity is, That is the Pure Love of Christ.  That is what we are all achieving to grow and build upon in our lives. It means to love someone for who they are and who you know and most importantly who God knows they can become. So many times we look at imperfection but Charity means to look past the imperfections and to look at the Divine potential they have as a son or daughter of God. Just like the husband in the video did with his wife! I am so grateful for my Savior and for Him demonstrating the greatest act of Charity suffering and sacrificing Himself so that we can be become free.  Free from our mistakes, from our guilty, angry and sad feelings, so that we can be given a second chance. That we can always have the hope in our heart, a hope created by the pure love of our older brother, our Savior Jesus Christ and of our Loving Heavenly Father. I testify that They live and that They love each of you and They see us for our divine potential as a son and daughter of God. I hope you all have a great week and I love you all!!!

--

Sincerely,

               Elder Ethan Salcedo

PS Here is the Enduring Love video link:
https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2013-06-010-enduring-love?lang=eng