Hola Familia!
OK, so it’s been another good week here in Sogamoso, there
were a couple of really good things that happened this week. One of them was
leadership council in Bogotá. I just wanted to tell you guys the experience
that we had. So all of this year, our goal as a mission has been 1,200
baptisms, and that’s a number pretty high for Colombia. Colombia is a little
bit slower in the work than the other Latin American countries. But President
had revelation and he set that goal in faith that we could double our number of
baptisms from the year 2016-2017. So we have been working with that all year,
and now comes the time to be looking at 2018. It was time to reset the goal or
see where we are at. Right now, the mission is at approximately 750 baptisms. Which
is an increase of 150 baptisms from last year and we are not even done yet. So
that was really good. So it came time to reset the goal for this year. We were
thinking about it, like what would be the best thing, and we sat there in
council with all of us there there I think there are 11 zones in the mission,
so that’s 22 missionaries, zone leaders, and various hermanos capacitalores or
mission training leaders and President and Sister Laney.
So we were all there, the seats are all in a half circle and
we were all there talking about it, people were standing up giving their
opinion saying like “I think we should bump up the goal this year because look
at everything we have learned and look at how much progress we have made.” I
thought of it as Zion’s Camp. Maybe we are not going to reach the goal, but
look at everything that we have learned. It was the same with Zion’s Camp. I
shared that with the council, and then that being said they came back from
Zion’s Camp to achieve a bigger goal. So my opinion is that we should jack up
the goal. So almost everybody agreed that we should jack up the goal. We talked
about it, we voted on it, and that was right. Then came time to set the number.
Some said 1,400, others 1,300, others 1,500. And then President said: “alright,
here is what we are going to do. We are all going to get on our knees and Elder
Lorr and Sister Orsey are going to offer a prayer and we are going to ask the
Lord what his will is.” I turned to my companion and I said: “this is gonna be
cool!” So we all got on our knees and we prayed about it for a good long time.
Personally, it was so cool. I have never been able to say that I have received
revelation that clear before. The number 1,400 passed from my mind. Immediately
I knew it was wrong. The same with 1,300. So we sat down and we started to
express our opinions about it in council. My companion stood up and said:
“President, I believe that the will of the Lord is 1,500 baptisms for 2018.” At
that moment, just the confirmation of the Spirit just hit me. Then everybody
stood up and shared their experience and were like “ya, that’s right! I
received that answer too!” Then we all got on our knees again, and Elder
Rosorio offered a prayer again to see if that was right. I have never had such
a cool feeling before. It was a feeling of peace, and something burned in my
chest. It stayed with me. After that, we took a break for lunch, and it stayed
with me all through lunch. Everybody was just like in this state of peace. We
knew that that was the Lord’s will. So that’s the goal. It was so cool. I wish
I could describe to you guys what that looked like! There are 36 missionaries
on their knees, praying to God, one of them out loud and the rest in their
hearts, and receiving an answer from the heavens. It was marvelous to behold
that process. It taught me a lot about receiving personal revelation, and a lot
about how we can receive personal revelation in our respective spheres of
responsibility. Like a Father for his family, a Zone Leader for his Zone, a Mission
President for his Mission, and the President of the Church for the whole
Church. It’s really, really marvelous.
As far as everybody with baptismal dates goes, we are still
on track to baptize at least 5 or 6 here in the next couple weeks. So keep praying
for them. They are Adali Cano and her family, her two children, Familia
Alarcon, Liliana y Juan Diego. Also, Brian and Jason Medina. They are all on
track to be baptized in December and I am just so thrilled. We will be
baptizing the family Robles here in January if the Lord permits me to stay
here. I hope that he does.
Also, I wanted to share with you guys an experience that
happened to Elder Colvin. Elder Colvin is from Harrisville, Utah. He is serving
in Yopal right now, that’s part of our zone. They had a lesson with 4 new
investigators where they were just ahead of them the whole lesson. “ya, ya we
know the apostasy was there. That happened. Ya!” Then when they invited them to
be baptized, they said the typical South American response: “We are already
baptized. We were baptized in the Catholic church.” Then Elder Colvin was just
like: “do you remember what we talked about with the authority?” and they were
like “Oh ya, that’s right…” and then one of them was like: “ ya I was baptized
when I was 8 months old. That doesn’t make any sense!” They were just so
excited at that point. And then they re-invited them, and the baptismal
invitation is this: “Will you follow the example of Jesus Christ and be
baptized by someone who has the priesthood authority of God?” and they said it
would be hard. It would be a hard change. And he said: “ya, well maybe it’s
going to be a process. But will you follow his example?’ and they still said it
was going to be hard. Then he (Elder Colvin) felt the spirit, and this is where
Elder Colvin, who has almost two years in the mission, I can just imagine how
this was, he said: “if Jesus Christ were in the room and he was telling you,
Son, come follow me, would you follow him?” and he said: “of course!” and then
he said: “As representatives of Jesus Christ, we are here to make the same
invitation. Will you follow the example of Jesus Christ by being baptized by
someone who has the authority of God?” and at that moment, me hearing that, I just
got chills. It was so cool hearing him preach with authority like that or to
hear that story. He just felt the spirit and they accepted the invitation.
Those are the best moments of the mission. It really goes to show you that if
we feel like we are not ready to start following his example 100%, we are
making the wrong assumption. I just know these things are true.
Those are what I wanted to tell you guys this week, I am
doing well, I am happy, Just keep praying for me that I can keep overcoming all
of my weaknesses. I am happy to be here, maybe a little stressed at times, but I
am happy. I love you guys. Chao!
-Elder Lewis
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