Many Blessings

Hi!

What a week it has been. We had an awesome week here in Pola. I'm not sure I've had more blessings in one week in my whole mission! The area here just caught fire this week. This week we taught 32 lessons and had 8 people come to church and had 22 new investigators! The most lessons I'd taught in a week before was like 22 and 3 investigators at church. This week we gained a lot of new investigators that are awesome. When I say gained, I don't mean found because I honestly think we did nothing on our own to find them. The closest way I can describe it is the Lord literally handed them to us!

The theme for us this week has been obedience. We've been so obedient and that has literally made all the difference. I've always thought that when people said obedience brings power it was just some saying but it is so true. As we strive to be obedient every day the Lord blesses us so much.

We had a really sweet experience earlier this week with an older couple. We tracted into them and were sharing with them about the Book of Mormon. At the end of the lesson we gave them a Book of Mormon. The look on the Nanay's face was priceless. She told us her desire to read the Bible but they could never afford one. When we told her there was no price for the Book, she was so so grateful.

One of our best finding tools is my white skin. Yes. Whenever someone tries to speak English to me or say "Hey Joe" we go over to talk to them. We've actually found some investigators that way! Our companionship is getting better but we have our bumps in the road. We had an appointment this week where we were supposed to teach two principles. My companion loves to talk. I taught the first principle and he proceeded to rattle off seven straight principles and didn't so much as even look at me. When he was done he started to write something in his notebook . I shared my testimony of the truthfulness of the things we had taught. I felt a little sad that we had not done a better job as a companionship in teaching. Afterwards I asked him what he thought of the lesson and he said he thought it went well. I shared with him how I felt and I think he felt bad, but I did it in the most loving way I could and told him how great of a teacher he is but that we need to work together when we teach. We are still learning to work together and each day we do better.

The Atonement of Jesus Christ is just the same way. Despite the pain, the regret, the Savior has provided a way for that to all go away. I've been reading in 1 Nephi 8-14 or so about the tree of life. The fruit, sweetest above all else is the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Last night it was getting kind of late, but we felt prompted to visit one more investigator who works on the pig farm and is just a great person. It's a pretty far walk and I'm still not sure why we decided to go. I'd been fasting that day for him and that a way would be provided for him to go to church. We got there and he was drunk. I can't even describe the sadness I felt as we walked home. I thought to myself, how could this happen? It then occurred to me that my prayers had been answered. Now we knew his concern and what was holding him back. Just like Lehi's family, the Liahona provided the way when they were being obedient. But when they weren't, and as Elder Talmage talks about in Jesus the Christ, without faith God cannot work miracles. My heart breaks for this brother, but I am so happy to have the opportunity to help him and teach him, and have him taste for himself that most precious and most sweet fruit from the tree. I know this Gospel is true and that Jesus Christ is at the head of this work. One of my favorite moments of everyday is putting that name tag on, and thinking about who I represent, and whose name is at the center of the tag, and at the center of the work.

Love you all!!

-Elder Yost