Praying for Miracles

Happy June everybody! Excited that it really feels like summer is getting here. The weather has been really good here. I'm just going to list off a few things that happened this week first: 

Eugienie's baptism!!

- Eugienie got baptized!!! If you remember Jovanni and Moses, they got baptized on Christmas, then you might remember their mom. She got baptized on Saturday, and I was lucky enough to go back and visit. It was a really good service

Elder Canty with Elder Scott, Elder Weed and Elder Thomas in the background 

- Had meetings for transfers and lots of office work. Quite a few missionaries are leaving for their original assignments this week, which is super exciting. 

- Went to a baptism where the temple square sisters were translating everything into ASL. She even said a prayer and was translating it into ASL while she was praying! Sooo ya...I opened my eyes to peek and see what it looked like 

We got to go fishing on Pday and I caught a big whopper!!!

 Elder Canty fishing

We are fishers of men.

Okay, I wanna share 2 quick things. One about baptism, and one about the power of fasting. 

At the baptism for a guy named Cody, he had to be baptized four times because he didn't go all the way under the water. It was probably the most amount of times that I have seen someone be baptized. It might seem like a small, not important thing for someone to need to go all the way under the water. But if this is The Church of Jesus Christ...then we should follow his example, and be baptized by immersion. It was a small reminder to me about how big of a deal it is that we follow our Savior, Jesus Christ.

The other quick story I wanted to share is about not drinking or eating food for 24 hours. Seems like a fairly insignificant thing. I was starting to feel like that too this past Sunday. We have been fasting every Sunday this transfer for miracles to happen and for us to be able to find those children of God who are prepared for the message we have to share. Especially with the limited amount of time we have to work in our area. Anyways, on Sunday I was starting to wonder "does fasting really work?" Then after Sunday School, we met this guy named Clay. I can tell you more about him later maybe. But basically, he is just super prepared and he even went with us to the baptism that night. I wish I could explain better  but this is more of a reminder for me when I look back at these entries 20 years from now. Basically - fasting works and beings miracles.

I read this really great article this week by N. Eldon Tanner titled Leading as the Savior Lead. I have learned a lot about what it means to be a leader, and what a leader looks like. This is a quote that especially stood out to me: 

"To be an effective leader or teacher, one must show love and actually feel love for the person he is trying to instruct. No power is as motivating as the power of love. Christ loved everyone—the weak, the sinner, the righteous. Sometimes, the ones who need to be loved most are the ones who seem to deserve it the least. Though we may not appreciate or approve of what someone does, we must still show love for the individual." (Leading as the Savior Lead by N. Eldon Tanner - January 1978)

Selfie with Elder Canty sleeping

We have transfers this week. I will be staying here to finish off my mission, Elder Canty finishes his mission on Thursday, and Elder Scott is getting transferred to a new area to finish his mission off. I will tell you all about my new companion next week! 

Song of the Week:

- Come, Follow Me (The Hymn Book). The 3rd verse of this song especially hit hard. We sang it at one of the baptisms this week. Give it a read/sing 

1. 3rd verse. Is it enough alone to know

   That we must follow him below,

   While trav’ling thru this vale of tears?

   No, this extends to holier spheres.

Scripture of the Week:

- 1 Nephi 19:23 (The Book of Mormon). I have been learning more about what it means to apply the scriptures to my life. 

23 And I did read many things unto them which were written in the ^abooks of Moses; but that I might more fully persuade them to believe in the Lord their Redeemer I did read unto them that which was written by the prophet ^bIsaiah; for I did ^cliken all scriptures unto us, that it might be for our ^dprofitand learning.

Much Love,

Elder Ditto