Faith in Christ is a Gift

(Elder Cummings)

This week saw many new investigators coming to know the doctrine of Christ. For several of them, meeting with us is their first formal Christian experience. This has had me pondering on the simple topic of "faith in Jesus Christ."

One thing that never quite made sense to me was the doctrinally accurate statement that "faith is the gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8). It has often been difficult for me to recognize how that has been true in my own life. I have often felt that my faith came to me because I worked for it. I couldn't see a way to fit the teaching that faith is a gift with my own life experience.

Moua is one man who we just began teaching. He helped me connect the dots on faith. He is not Christian, and truly doesn't know anything about Christian theology (didn't know anything, we've met with him a couple of times). I have observed that as we have laid out gospel truths for him to comprehend he has been about to come to believe. Romans 10:17 teaches us that "faith cometh by hearing...the word of God." Moua was a prime example of this. Had he not been taught the word of God it would have been impossible for him to have faith in Christ founded on a true knowledge of the character of Christ and the nature of God.

Earlier in the same chapter of Romans we read "how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?" They can't! Then follows the next enlightening question: "how shall they hear without a preacher?" (Romans 10:14).

Again, they cannot. For the gospel to be believed it must first be taught, it must be preached. "And how shall they preach except they be sent?" (Romans 10:15).

Christ was sent by God into this world (Abraham 3:27). He condescended and was born into mortality to preach, so that we could hear, so that we could believe. Without Christ reaching out to the family of God generation to generation to reveal the plan of salvation to them there would be no knowledge of God. There would be no faith in God. We can have faith because Christ preached of his Father, and his Father bore witness of his Only Begotten Son. We never did and never will do anything that makes us worthy of this divine communication. Faith is a gift that we could never earn. In fact, it "is the gift of God [the Father]" in that the only firsthand accounts of his voice in scripture preach the divinity of Christ. God enables us to have faith on the Son by bearing witness of Him.

Moua has no idea that he taught me all this by simply hearing the word of God. I had no idea that I missed all of this as I have heard the word of God for all these years.

Faith in Christ is a gift. I am grateful for that gift. It guides my life, carries me beyond sorrows, and enables to rise above my own mortal limitations. As I have invested time and energy in allowing that gift to flourish these blessings have been mine. I know the same blessings are available to all of you. God has given the gift. What will you do with it?

I hope you all have a wonderful week!

Your friend,

Elder Cummings

Happy Mothers Day! BBq's and Tender Mercies

(Sister Ellsworth)

Hey Everyone!

This week was good. Lots of work but we some the greatest miracles I've seen so far on my mission. It was great to talk to my family on Sunday! They are cool people. It rained a lot this week but the Lord loves his missionaries so it only rained while we were inside! As soon as it was time to go outside it stopped raining!! I think God has a sense of humor or something.

There was a BBQ here for the  anniversary of the restoration of the Priesthood. We were out on the streets hauling loads of potential investigators into the church for free food and salvation!

On Sunday at church I translated for two American families, a couple from Germany, and a woman from Switzerland for all three hours of church. My brain was completely fried at the end of the day! They were returned missionaries visiting their old areas again. One of them had served here 25 years ago and the other was a sister that trained my trainer! So she's my grandma! The man who served here 25 years ago was standing behind me as I was trying to talk a less active member into staying for the third hour of church but the less active wasn't having any of it. Then the man stepped all of a sudden like he knew the less active. Turns out the returned missionary had baptized that less active 25 years ago!! But they didn't recognize each other until I said the name of the less active. Talk about coincidences!

As promised, I have pictures!!

 This is Teresa! If you guys saw, my dad posted a video of me talking about her on my blog. She has such a cool story. Love her to bits!

 This wonderful lady also changed me mission. Her name is Lania. She's one of those unknown superwomen who just needs to be baptized. Unfortunately she moved to Brasil this week. I'm happy for her! And I'm also going to track the missionaries down in her city and annoy them until they find her.

 This week was international week in the Sisters' house. We made nachos! We also made Hortchata. Yum!

This is my best friend here in Portimao! Sonia is so awesome. She was baptized 4 years ago and loves to help us out and goof off with us on our Pdays.

Love all of you! The Church is still true!

Sister Ellsworth

The Book of Mormon is True!

(Elder Cummings)

It has been a beautiful week. An especially sweet moment came Friday night. Elder Ellestad and I went by to visit Caraoline and her children to read the Book of Mormon with them before their bedtime.

It was a great evening. One of the mission rules is that if we don't enter homes where there is not a man home, so Caraoline pulled out her floor lamp and we sat around her outdoor table. Goshen, the eight year old, pulled out her rainbow-firefly night light to make the perfect atmosphere to read 1 Nephi chapter 1.

We read and the Spirit was strong. We finished the evening with Thomas S. Monson's talk from last conference and a prayer.

Caraoline said the closing prayer. She prayed fervently that she and her children would remain close to the Lord as they daily read the Book of Mormon together.

The Book of Mormon is prophesied to "sweep the world as with a flood" to direct our lives to Christ in preparation for His second coming (Moses 7:62). It brings all people to greater faith in Him and greater conviction of His divinity. It will continue to be the principal tool in the conversion of nations to the fulfillment of the prophecy that in the Millennium "the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea" (2 Nephi 21:9). "Conversion to [the Book of Mormon] is conversion to Christ" (Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, "The Book of Mormon: The Heart of Missionary Proselyting").

I know that if you will daily feast from the pages of the Book of Mormon greater peace and light will come into your life. You will be more prepared to meet the trials of life. If we read the Book of Mormon, it will all work out.

Hurrah for Israel!

Elder Jared Cummings

The Work Must Roll On

(Elder Cummings)

This has been another fantastic week. The Book of Mormon changes lives. Jesus Christ lives. This work rolls on unhindered.

In section 14 of the Doctrine and Covenants, verses 9 and 10 tell us why the gospel MUST continue to press on.

Behold, I am Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, who created the heavens and the earth, a light which cannot be hid in darkness;

Wherefore, I must bring forth the fullness of my gospel from the Gentiles unto the house of Israel.

After declaring his living reality and giving "credentials" that evidence his almighty power, Christ tells us that the gospel will go from the Gentiles unto Israel. To put it in other words, how do we know that the gospel will spread and keep on spreading? We know because Christ said it would. We can have full confidence in his declaration.

That confidence can only be as firm as our faith in him, and our conviction that he lives.

The more convicted we are that Christ DOES live, that he truly DOES have "a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s" (D&C 130:22) the better we are able to see the hand of God working in the world.

To those with an immovable testimony of Christ, the irremovable nature of the restored gospel is fact. They know and have no doubts that any obstacles to the spread of restored truth WILL be overcome in God's time. They can look forward with peace that comes only by the Holy Spirit, living legacy to the scripture recorded by Joseph Smith that reads:

"Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed." (D&C 123:17).

The "salvation" of God is exactly what the Israelites saw as the Red Sea was parted and crossed (Exodus 14:13). It is seen today by those with faith in Christ and a knowledge of his perfect character.

Jesus Christ lives!

With love,

Elder Cummings

Ladrões, Amazing People, Paradise Weather

(Sister Ellsworth)

Hey yall! This week was filled with lots of fun things. On our Pday we went to the local mall and tried to find a new skirt or dress for the Zone conference that happened on Tuesday. All the Sisters in my district are "old" sisters (we've been serving for more than 9 months) so we've all worn out all our clothes or worn them six bajillion times. When we got there we quickly realized that the winter knee-length skirts and dresses had long gone and had been replaced with the summer skirts lol. Let's just say that there will be no hope of finding new skirts unless you go to the old ladies section XD We got a few funny looks from these Germans as three Americans and a Brazilian tried on old lady skirts.

On Tuesday we had an awesome Zone conference and I got to see a few of my friends before they head home in a few weeks. I took pictures and everything but then my Zone leader deleted every single picture I had on my camera. He doesn't speak a lick of English so the "delete selected picture" looked a lot like "delete all photos". I wasn't too happy but hey... The Atonement works in many different ways haha. So I don't have pictures for you guys... Sorry. I'll take some more this week.

On Wednesday we were in the chapel waiting for an investigator to show up. We were there with Sonia and Carina who were working on a relief society project when this guy comes running through the door, blows past all of us, and books it to the end of the hall to the bathroom.  The four of us looked at each other bewildered but none of us had the guts to go find out why he need the bathroom so bad. Here in Portugal it's super rude not to say hello to someone. It's rude enough that people get in fist fights or break lifelong friendships over it so it was really strange that this strange man I've never seen before would just run into the chapel without saying anything. Well a few minutes later three other guys came running in and scared the bejeezes out of all of us. They were Gypsies so they're the type of people to live in shacks and steal things. Very nice people but not very trustworthy. So being the fearless missionary that I am I intercepted them before they could beeline it to the back of the church like the first guy and said "Hello, we're the missionaries. Would you like a tour of the chapel?" The man responded and said that they were looking for a thief who ran in the church. I was like.... uh oh... So I told them that a guy ran to the back of the church and they started to look for him. They didn't end up finding him and left in peace. I think the robber probably jumped the fence or something.

We also met this woman named Teresa. We gave her a Book of Mormon and taught her about the plan of Salvation. She started to cry and told us that she had never found answers to her questions about life after death and the purpose of life. She began to read the Book of Mormon every day. She told us that she didn't understand everything that she was reading but that while she was reading  she felt this funny burning feeling in her chest. She didn’t understand it so she paused her reading assignment and took some medication for anxiety, thinking that her anxiety was coming back. But we explained to her that the Holy Ghost speaks to us through feelings like that. She felt so content that she asked if she could be baptized. My companion and I were like... Um. Sure. If you want to... Haha just kidding we were so stoked for her. Marked her  and everything. She's such a powerful woman.

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY NEXT SUNDAY!!!! It was mothers day here yesterday... Don't ask me why it's different because I don't know.

Well that's about it! Love all you to bits!

Sister Ellsworth

Rain, Viviana, Soccer and the Savior

(Anziano Wilkinson)

We all know that "April showers bring May flowers", but, when Italy forgets that it was April until the last week and just decides to keep on pouring into May, we can expect flowers some other time. That is our reality this week. That old time saying put a nice due date on most of the worlds downpours and trickles in Italy, like a washed up high schooler, rushing to finish his procrastinated homework the night before. Of course, dealing with the rain gets a lot easier in missionary life if one happens to be in possession of a Toyota Yaris. Haha

We this past week was a pretty great one! It started with a solid lesson with Viviana about the Ten Commandments. We are so excited about Viviana's progress and the way that she is trying to bring the Spirit into her life! It was a great lesson! She, sadly, wasn't able to make it to church this week due to complications, but it'll be good. She plans on introducing us to her boyfriend Adrian sometime soon, so wish us luck!

This weekend we went on exchanges with the Anziani in the town next door, Merate (a thirty minute drive). And that went really well. We got some good work done and saw some awesome people up there (which basically looks like a brand new city compared to a lot of Italy as the oldest parts seem to have been built around the 70s and 80s at the earliest).

On Saturday we had a YSA/missionary activity where we came to the church and played sports. Mainly handball and soccer were played but we did some other games as well. It was a good time and we had Paul, our new convert, there... And he brought 7 of his friends! They made a soccer team and it looked like team Nigeria vs. Team Italy haha. It was great! You just have to try hard to integrate them and make sure things are communicated correctly for them because Italians don't speak English that well, and the Nigerians often don't really speak Italian. But it was a great success!  This week I wanted to share that truly, our Heavenly Father loves us! He has very high expectations for us, it is true. But, He knows that we can all make it. And He wants to help us and will help us as we strive to be like Him and His son. Miracles happen everyday, and I would argue that the very greatest of the miracles that happen are the ones that deal with our very nature. When we put ourselves trustingly in the hands of our Savior, and He takes what was once raw material with only great potential, and makes us more than we could ever become by ourselves. He does this by changing changing our hearts when we let him and try.

I hope that you have a fantastic week and remember to let the Savior change your hearts!

-Anziano Jake Wilkinson

Alma 27-17 - It has been a great week!

(Elder Cummings)

I cannot believe that it has been seven days since I was last in a family history center emailing. We have done so much work this week. Elder Ellestad and I get along on a high performing level. We are putting in the hours to find, teach, and baptize. We both want to give our whole heart to the work. We get up at six, and by 7:30 we are planning. Friday morning we even went for a 6.4 mile run , getting up at six and still planning by 7:30. When we don't have dinners, we work through the evening. We are seeing many mighty miracles. I am so happy to be in this area again.

Andrew and Goshen, the two children who were baptized last night, have been one of those miracles. I met their family for the first time almost 18 months ago. At that time they were staying on the east side of town with their cousins who were baptized in January earlier this year. Their father was abusive. He was the only obstacle between their and their mother's baptism. Since I last saw them almost a year ago their parents have gotten a divorce, and mom took the kids to live with her. They were somewhere in the United States, but we and their cousins didn't know where they were. A few days before the transfer the cousins got in contact with them. Transfers came, and I was back in the area that they were living in, and I was blessed to be a part of the baptisms and confirmations of the kids. Mom is getting baptized in two weeks. This family is one that I love and have thought about and prayed for often since leaving Pioneer Park last May. It is a merciful gift from a merciful God that I have returned for this.

My first convert in Fresno and his wife will be getting sealed in the temple near the end of this transfer. Another blessing!

Last night we were recontacting a potential when her granddaughter came out of the house almost in tears. Her name was Nancy Vang, another investigator who I taught and loved over a year ago who was dropped when she was kicked out of her apartment during a week she didn't have a phone. Since last seeing her she has had a hard time. Abusive relationships, drug abuse, losing the custody of her children, and going through rehab without family support at the time. She has way more tattoos than the last time I saw her. As we talked together we wept together. Without any prompting from us she told us how she needed to be baptized. A week ago she downloaded the gospel library app and began reading the Book of Mormon. I do not know if she will be able to fully repent in the time I still have left, but seeing her again and seeing her humbled and penitent, even more than before, is miraculous to me. I feel so blessed. There is no other place I would rather be a missionary at this moment.

Elder Ellestad and I are going to keep going at this. We are having a great time!