Week 58: "noche de hogar"

This week was an amazing week! I don't know if I told everyone but last Sunday we had stake priesthood conference and we set a record with the amount of people in the history of Artigas! After that my companion and I received a call from the president of the mission saying he had talked to the president of the area about Artigas and the president of the area was stoked! He will be coming to the mission and is really excited to come to Artigas in December! Our area is doing really well and so is the zone. We have the best missionaries in the mission here in Artigas and they’re obeying, working, and listening like there is no tomorrow. On Friday we had a ward activity that ended up in a flour fight! Also this week we had a great lesson with one of our main investigators Carlos! We invited him to the church and preached to him the Evangelio de Jesucristo using the baptismal font and the sacrament. It was super powerful and he is really animated for his baptism the 16 of Noviembre! When my comp and I went down to Montevideo we got to stay in a huge apartment all my ourselves. We had an older couple come to the mission but they went home because of health conditions so we got to use their apartment for the night. It was so much fun!!! But the truth, I can't even tell the difference now between the living conditions now and from when I was home! Everything just seems normal now! People here in Artigas are very loving and a very accepting people. I really have grown to love these people. Have you had the opportunidad to talk with the missionaries? Have you been able to go out and work with them or have you had a noche de hogar with them? God is speeding up his work right now and we all need to play a part in it. The missionaries need your help so please help them out...even if it's just a reference or an hour a week, or one noche de hogar with a family that is investigating the church. Please help them out! NOW is the time that God is speeding up his work...it's close!  Also this week we were going to have a zone activity on Saturday, we were going to go out to a place called Piedra Pintada and hang out with the stake president and play a bunch of games as a zone. But it rained so we had to cancel it. But we went to the church and cooked hamburgers for the zone. It was so fun....I truly love the missionaries in my zone. They are all such amazing missionaries. I want to bear my testimony that I know this is the one and only true church on the face of the Earth. And it is the church of Jesus Christ, the same church he established when he was on the earth but was restored by our beloved Prophet Jose Smith. I know the priesthood keys have been restored to this earth so we can gain access to the atonement of Jesus Christ through the sacred ordinances. I know that Jesus not only died to cleanse us of our sins but to know how to succor his people. Through him we can have strengths through our most desperate times. I know the plan de salvation to be the perfect plan of God made possible by his Son. I know that he is our Savior, Redeemer, and our Advocate to the Father.

I hope you have a great week!    

Elder Arbon

Week 57: "I know Today is the Day!"

This week was a great week! We weren´t able to proselyte for 3 days because Tuesday we had to finish buying the things for the new hermanas and on Wednesday I was asked to go down to Montevideo to help fix all the finances of the mission. On Thursday we had concilio, this is where all of the zone leaders get together with President to talk about the mission. But we did see a lot of miracles this week. It was amazing! I got to see Santi and Kati, Willy, and the family Ruiz. It was a lot of fun seeing Kati and Santi. They took out all of their piercings and are going to church. It was so amazing to see. As a zone we´ve doubled the assistance in the church and we´ve had 10 baptism this month compared to last month with only 3. Also, we were blessed with an investigator named Carlos Falco, he set his own baptismal date for the first of November and one of the menos acitvos that we helped reactive brought a family member and now she wants to listen to the missionaries. I know Today is the Day! hope you have a great week!

Elder Arbon

Missionaries of Artigas

Week 56: "We´re going to change...everything!"

These past two weeks have been amazing! We had interviews two weeks ago and President came up and was really impressed with the work we have been doing. Our goal as a mission is to double the assistance in the church in Six months for every ward. As a zone we doubled it in a month in a half. It was truly amazing! President Smith said if we keep doing this it is going to change everything here in South America. So that is our goal this change as a zone, "We´re going to change...everything!" Also this week we were blessed with the baptism of Mario. This man is incredible. He has read the Book of Mormon, D&C, Pearl of Great Price, and the Gospel Principles book. He is truly amazing! He has truly changed and become truly converted to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I bear testimony that through the Book of Mormon lives are changed, the spirit is felt, and miracles are brought to pass. Also this month as a zone we put the goal of 10 baptisms. As a mission our goal is 100. We have been usually getting 2 to 3 baptisms every month as a zone but this month we have already had 6 and are planning on 5 more. I know this is the work of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And I know that Hoy es el Día that He is speeding up his work. Have a great week!
Elder Arbon

Week 55: "I don´t have any time to write today."

I´m really sorry but I don´t have any time to write today. We have to go buy everything and get everything ready for the 4 new hermans that are coming into our zone. I love you and I hope you have a great week.  

Elder Arbon  

Week 54: "Hoy es el Día!"

This week was an amazing week. We have been working really hard with this guy named Mario. He is so prepared for his baptism! He has been investigating the church for about 12 weeks now and about two weeks ago we asked him to pray about when he should be baptized and he told us that he received an answer for this Sunday. He is so prepared and is going to be such a strong priesthood leader that will help edify the rieno de Dios here in Artigas. Also we have been working with this guy named Carlos. One day he just showed up in the capilla. It was truly a miracle and he was prepared before we even talked to him. We´ve talked with him and his daughter and they are both ready to be baptized the 13^th. But Thursday I had the opportunity to do divisions with Elder Berry, he just recently came into the mission. This kid is such a capo! It was awesome to work with him and see how blessed these new missionaries are. But this week in church we started to giving a class for the obra missional to help animate the members. Also in church we had another miracle. We had 95 people in church and the rest of the zone is catching the mentality that "Hoy es el Día!" I know that God is my heavenly father because he loves me enough to listen and answer my prayers. I know he sends the Holy Ghost to testify of him and of his Son, Jesus Christ. I know that  Jesus is my savior and redeemer. I know he arose the third day and broke the bands of physical death. I know he fulfilled the law of justice with his infinite sacrifice and is willing and wants to give us his mercy. We receive his mercy when listen to the Holy Spirit which helps us rid ourselves of the natural man through the power of the atonement. I love this gospel and I love this work! I know this is His work! Have a great week!

Elder Arbon