Zoological

Dear Family, 

Well this week we had success as a zone we completed the goals that we put for baptisms so that was refreshing ha-ha. We just pray that we can complete them for the whole month it’s been a fight for the last couple of months with everybody being new but we are really trying to teach the new generation how to do everything efficient but always the two most important principals for missionary work will be diligence and obedience with exactness there is nothing more important than those two. 

We have been teaching that over and over again so that they get converted to that I know that I have only seen the success that I have seen is because I was willing to go a little bit harder talk to a little bit more of people and strive to be as obedient as possible and the miracles just come like for this week we had three baptisms two from a less active that we reactivated and the third form a straight miracle of a friend that just simply invited her to go to church I have a strong testimony that the key to missionary work is the members we need more members that are willing to stand up and take a stand and proclaim their faith and beliefs and invite others to participate in it if we all did that we would be having more success and more members with stronger testimonies and deeper conversions than before that’s why the apostles and prophets have always been inviting all to be participants in this great work like joseph smith said when all is said and done the most important task at hand is to proclaim the gospel.

I really loved the talk that by Elder Ringwood about being truly good without guile and how is main theme was of ordinary people doing things great things without getting recognition and what he said exactly is something that I try and put into practice myself in a world where praise, position, power, accolades, and authority are sought on every side, I honor those wonderful and blessed souls who are truly good and without guile, those who are motivated by a love of God and their neighbors, those great women and men who are “more anxious to serve than to have dominion

 I honor those who selflessly serve each week in wards and branches around the world by going above and beyond in fulfilling callings. But callings come and go. Even more impressive to me are the many who without formal callings find ways to consistently serve and lift others. One brother shows up early for church to set up chairs and stays after to straighten up the chapel. One sister purposely selects a seat near a blind sister in her ward not only so she can greet her but also so she can sing the hymns loudly enough that the blind sister can hear the words and sing along. If you look closely in your ward or branch, you will find examples like these. There are always members who seem to know who needs help and when to offer it and I have been thinking aloud how calling do  come and go but always being a son or daughter of God with his children and being a follower of Christ or missionary for that matter  does not. 

But I don’t have more time to write so it will have to wait till next week ha-ha 

People need me. 

Love 

Elder Toma 

Guatemala Ciudad Central Mission