I Will Never Stop Being A Missionary

Tudo Bem!

So, my Visa is FINALLY ready! Wow, I just got settled in. I will leave at the end of the transfer, pretty much on my birthday! There is a slight possibility I might move again because I guess it isn’t legal to have three people in our apartment, and this lady told on us. The manager of our apartments is in our ward though, so it might be fine. And they really don’t want to move me again, because I have moved a lot. I don’t want to move again either, but it has happened in the past, so just to be safe, send any handwritten letters or packages to the mission office.

The missionary work this past week has been going awesome though! The Bishopric asked a missionary from each companionship to bear their testimony on missionary work this last Sunday. So I bore mine on how the Lord is with us side by side in His work. It was just for like five minutes because there are three missionary companionships in our ward, I don’t think I mentioned that last time. But the Bishop is starting up this member missionary program, so we can get more member lessons, and have the members more involved, because the Lord has asked that the members lead missionary work in their ward, and the missionaries support them, not to have the missionaries as the only ones who do missionary work. So we are really trying to get the ward involved because we need people to stay active and not just get baptized.

We actually invited this investigator, Bianca, to be baptized last night and she accepted for the 28th of July! It was so awesome! She is super nice, and the best experience with her is last time we were reading Alma 34, and explaining the Atonement and what it meant, and then she was like "ooooooooohhh" like she understood. And I asked, what---Did you understand something better? And she said, now I know what it means when the Bible says that. So it’s awesome because she really is trying to learn. She read the whole Plan of Salvation pamphlet before we came, so it’s really a blessing to be able to teach her. 

Also, we have been talking to a lot of people on the street and jumping right in to teaching them the Restoration. Actually, on the bus coming home from Detroit, I taught this girl a brief Restoration lesson, and told her to get a free Book of Mormon. She seemed really interested in it. We are really having a great time teaching and doing the Lord's work.

I know the Lord is here preparing people, and working here with us, as we strive our hardest to let Him. I like the scripture in the Olive Tree Allegory:

“...labor in the vineyard, with your might. For behold, this is the last time that I shall nourish my vineyard; for the end is nigh at hand, and the season speedily cometh; and if ye labor with your might with me, ye shall have joy in the fruit which I shall lay up unto myself against the time which will soon come.” Jacob 5:71

The Lord of the vineyard sent His servants down for the last time, and they worked in the vineyard, and the Lord worked with them also in the vineyard. I know He is working side by side with us. What an honor that is! It is an honor to see how much trust the Lord has in us, and how much faith He puts in His children. The more faithful we are, the more trust and power He gives us.

I know this Gospel is true, and has been restored through a prophet of God, who was a humble seeker of truth, foreordained to be the Prophet of this last dispensation. This is last time the servants of the Lord will go forth. The work is hastening, and it is something amazing to be a part of. I will never stop being a missionary, this is the life! 

Well, it’s nice to hear how things are going, I love you guys so much. Have a great week!

Love,

Elder Hoyt