Feasting Upon the Love of God

@ the Mission Home

                                                                                                        12/7/2015

Mom-
On Thursday, we were able to eat at the mission home with our zone for a Christmas dinner, hosted by President and Sister Richardson. It was a lot of fun and it was great to see them again! The Secretaries told me that one of my Christmas packages got here and it´s at the office. The Zone leaders have to pick it up but they go every two weeks to the office and I have to wait until the 17th of December to get it from them. Oh well at least I know that the package is safe haha but thank you so much and thank everyone who has thought of me and sent a package! I received a letter from Kimmy Datin, and it was really nice of her to draw me a missionary and send a note.

We´ve been able to find more families to teach and it´s been helping us with our work here. Thank you so much for fasting for the Almeida Family! Christmas is coming so soon and I found out that we`ll probably skype on the 24th rather than the 25th of December but we will know by next week! I´ll let you know more! I emailed Grandpa about Great Grandma in Spanish and I hope he is doing ok. It´s so sad to see a close family member preparing to pass away. 

What are you guys doing for Christmas? A week from now, it will be my first change. I will either have Elder Huff to finish my training or another companion. If I get a different companion, I'll have to run the sector haha! We did watch the Christmas Devotional and we actually watched it with the Almeida Family!! I loved all the talks and it was great to see how much the Almeida family enjoyed it. 

Keep this scripture in mind: Jacob 3:2, "O all ye that are in pure heart, lift your heads and receive the pleasing word of God and feast upon his love; for ye may, if your minds are firm, forever."  I'm grateful for your example, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ truly has helped me become better and better! 

I love you so much Mom and thank you so much for sending my packages! Have a great week!!

Elder Tellez

********************************************************************************************

Hey everyone!

This past week I´ve been focusing a lot on finding Families to teach. God loves us so much that he provided a plan for us! The Plan of Salvation! Families are central to God´s plan and I`m doing my best to help and teach families in Cumbaya. My family, for example, has been a spiritual foundation for me and they know how to live the Plan of Salvation and they strive to build the foundation with others. Christmas is coming soon and I´m grateful for the Love that God has for us. He also loves us so much that he sent his Beloved Son, Jesus Christ for us! Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer of the world! Through his Atonement, we may be saved by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel. My Mission President and his wife had a dinner on Thursday for our zone. The food was amazing and it was a great opportunity to celebrate our Savior! Only through Jesus Christ, we can return to our Loving Heavenly Father! Throughout the course of my mission, one of my purposes as a missionary is to baptize families in the Gospel, so they can be sealed eternally. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is such a great gift from God! Use it and feast upon it and share it with others! Love you all so much! Have a great week everyone!

Elder Tellez

Trust in the Lord

Mom!!

I can´t believe it´s been over two months already and time flies by so quick! A lot of things have happened last week and I don´t know where to start! Our investigators have been progressing and reading the Book of Mormon but still haven´t attended church. A lot of them have very difficult dilemmas in their lives.The Almeida Family that we've been trying to get to church and a baptism date for, has been especially difficult. Anita is the mom of six children, with no husband in the home, and has an even more difficult challenge due to her mom´s terminal brain cancer. She`s going through a very hard, rough time and we've been helping her and the family with support with the love we have for them. Yesterday night, she and her son, Emilio, wanted a priesthood blessing. I gave them each a blessing and they said they were filled so strongly with the spirit, and were in tears because of how powerful blessings are. I love giving priesthood blessings in Spanish!!! It was my first time in Spanish. Can you and the family please fast this Sunday for this family? This family is going through a lot and I want them to know how much we care and love them.

I met the Gonzalez family yesterday in ward council and they said that they used to live in the SAN FERNANDO VALLEY in CALIFORNIA!! They lived there from early 1980`s to 1990. The husband`s name is Xavier Gonzalez. I wonder if you knew them. I can´t believe I`ll be skyping you and the family in a month, and I`m very excited!! Oh by the way, my tooth is fine. haha I know you've been asking for quite some time and I forget every time I email. And another thing, those third pair of shoes that we got, both of them are for the right foot!! UGH!! 

Anyways, that's great you had an awesome Thanksgiving with family!! Great pics too!! I had a great time with the families and sisters on Thanksgiving. The food was good but not as amazing as your cooking haha!! I kept thinking of you and family on that day! 

It´s so sad to hear that great grandma is passing soon. She has always been so kind to me and I love her so much!! I'm going to email grandpa and send my love for both of them. Through the gospel, families can be together forever! 

Christmas is coming soon and I`m so blessed to be part of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints!! Jesus Christ is the best example for all of us and it´s very important to always remember his Atonement and sacrifice for us!! I love you so much Mom and I am counting down those days til Christmas!!! 

Elder Tellez

****************************************************************

¡Hola todo el mundo! 

This past week has been great and Thanksgiving was amazing! I can't believe it's almost Christmas! I've been thinking a lot about having trust in the Lord! Life is difficult and we will have trials and challenges in our lives, but if we trust in the Lord and endure our trials and difficulties, we will receive blessings from our Savior, Jesus Christ and our Loving Heavenly Father. Throughout the time I've been in Ecuador, trusting in the Lord has helped me understand the purpose of being a faithful disciple! The scripture that helps me everyday with frustrating times is Helaman 5:12.. 

"And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless woe, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall." 

If we build on the foundation of Christ and act on our Faith in Him, we cannot fail and can endure all things throughout our lives. It is so important to act and magnify our purpose, through the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the Plan of Salvation that God has blessed us with. Me and my companion have helped so much here in Ecuador and I'm grateful for the opportunity to serve as a representative of Jesus Christ! No matter what, Heavenly Father, and his Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost, will help us and they are willing to do anything for us. 

I love you all so much and I hope you all have a great week!!!

Elder Tellez

Happy Thanksgiving!

Last week was better than the one before, but for some reason, it's hard for me and my companion to find more people to teach in Cumbaya. We've been doing great "saving" the inactive members of the ward and those struggling with Gospel. In the mission field, "saving" is when you and your companion reteach all five lessons in preach my gospel to those that are inactive and they attend church all 3 hours each Sunday and continue progressing as a stronger member of the ward. "Saving" inactive's is one of my favorite things to do out here. It's been hard getting baptismal dates because so many investigators don't act on their commitments and have dilemmas in their lives. For example, the Almeida family who we taught last week, got them a baptismal date for 5th of December, and said they would go to church, didn't show up yesterday to church and tonight we are going to their place for FHE w/another family to see what happened. Their baptismal date changed again because they haven't gone to church in a while. Each investigator and family, have to attend church 3 times and all 3 hours before they can be baptized. Hopefully we can get them baptized on the 12th of December because it's most likely that my companion will transfer in three weeks! Every six weeks there is a change with companions, and hopefully Elder Huff doesn't leave Cumbaya. Baptism is the most important goal in missionary work, but there are other things that we can also do to help fulfill the Lord's work. My companion and I are eating with the Hanks and Pack families, and the Sisters on Thanksgiving!!! So excited!! It will definitely be different without you and our awesome family! Thank you for putting that scripture on my blog!! Love that scripture! I will send more pics for sure and send pics of Thanksgiving next week! 

I love you so much Mom!! I hope you all have a fantastic Thanksgiving!!!!!

*******************************************************************

Hey everyone!!! This week has been getting better for me and my companion. It's been hard at times to find more investigators but I know that I have so much time in the mission field and I will do my best to find those seeking the Gospel of Jesus Christ! I know that if I have trust in the Lord and keep up the work, I can do great with the companionship of the Holy Ghost! Today I went to the Scala mall and they have CINNABON!!!! I love cinnamon rolls!!! I tried this drink called Polaca and it's amazing!! It's a popular drink in Ecuador and if North America never had Egg Nog, I would want Polaca because it's like an "Ecuadorian" version of Egg Nog. I can't believe it's almost Thanksgiving and I'm going to miss all that I have it with! Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because it is a time to be with family and loved ones and give thanks for all the great things they've done for you! I'm thankful for my great family who has created a foundation of Christ and has givien me full support and love! I especially want to thank all the friends that have helped me and have been such great influences in my life and a lot of them are on their missions right now! Me and my companion are celebrating Thanksgiving with two american families and the Sisters in our ward! Excited but it's going to be so much different without my family! 

I hope you all have a Happy Thanksgiving! Love you all!!! 

Elder Tellez