WEEK 70: MERRY CHRISTMAS

   MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!!!!  I hope you all have a great Christmas and come closer to Christ. Let us all Light the World to help others feel the light of Christ. We had a good week this week and are excited for what this next week brings

    On Monday we went with the branch to deliver bigas to some members. It was amazing to see their faces light up as they received the gift. It was truly the spirit of Christmas.  

    Tuesday I had exchanges.  We had a good day. We taught some great lessons.  My favorite lesson was one we taught to investigators that were hearing anti Mormon stuff.  We focused on the book of  Mormon and I really felt the spirit as I testified. That book is true and it's the keystone.  It's so important to this church and can answer all of our questions.  

   On Wednesday the best  lesson was taught to this great part member family.  We always leave feeling happy and inspired from them. 

   On Thursday we taught some great lessons in the morning. we are really excited for some of our investigators that will be baptized soon and how we can see the Lord's hand in their lives and how they are changing their lives and feeling God's love.  We saw huge leaps forward with some other investigators. the gospel is truly the answer to all of our problems. 

    Friday we taught a great lesson on the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  Sometimes I think we can overlook just how important that event was and what it means for us. I encourage you to read Alma 7:11-13. He has experienced everything. He loves us and will succor us and help us according to our needs. I can't explain all but remember that Jesus has paid the price and all He asks in return is our obedience to His Gospel.

    Saturday we taught some very good lessons. I was inspired by a man that has very little but he saw someone with less than him and gave to them.  This reminded me to just do what we can.  

   Sunday we had an earlier curfew because of Christmas Eve. We taught and visited some great people. The best part was we visited this old nanay who is a member and she was sad because her husband wasn't there.  She said he was usually the one to get the tree and decorate and now shes just too weak and sick.  So we got her a tree and decorated it.  It was such an amazing experience.   It  helped nanay and made me realize that  is what Christmas is all about. It's about lifting others and doing as Christ would. later that night we were fed really good by the branch president, it was so cool.  

Christmas Day: This is a day to remember Christ and draw closer to Him. Let's all remember that and help brighten someones day. I hope you all have a Merry Chirstmas

Elder Snyder

WEEK 69: HERSHEY'S CANDY AND WELCH'S FRUIT SNACKS

This week was very crazy. We had disappointments and miracles happen and it was also a very fun week,  a lot happened. 

   Tuesday we had the Christmas conference as a mission. It was so fun. I won't go into details but it was awesome. I got a t-shirt and some socks and other things. The Koster's are the best.  

  Wednesday we visited a member to help them work out some things and we were given Hershey's candy and Welch's fruit snacks because they have a family member that sent it from America, a great thing from home.   We were able to give a baptismal date to some great investigators.  

  Thursday we helped some investigators with the forms for marriage.  These investigators are inspiring.  They are doing all they can and really acting in faith so they can be baptized and achieve their ultimate goal of being sealed.  They are awesome and it was so great to be able to help them.  We also have some relatively new investigators that had many questions about the Book of Mormon and I really felt the spirit as we testified to them. That book is so true and I am so thankful for it.  It is a gift from God.  Then we were able to teach this great part member that is so humble and the family is awesome. We are really excited for them.

   Friday we taught some great lessons and had some things happen with investigators that was sad. I won't go into details but its OK because we see the Lord blessing us in so many ways and really helping the area. Everyone has their own time.  

   Saturday  we had the branch Christmas party.  We really tried to get people there so they could meet members and be more comfortable coming to church on Sunday.The plan worked, we had a ton of people come, members and non members.   

   Sunday we had a ton of investigators come which was so awesome!  We had people come that we were not expecting.  So many miracles.   We also had very high attendance overall for sacrament meeting, it was great.  Another great part of Sunday was that we taught this part member family and the dad who is a member told us stories about tithing. I know that this family could easily use the funds the pay for tithing but they pay faithfully and he told us magnificent stories of the Lord's promises being fulfilled over and over again. He doesn't just pay tithing he pays offerings too and I can see them being blessed.  I encourage anyone to always pay tithing and to pay a generous fast offering.  It's not about money its about faith and the Lord will open the windows of heaven upon you.  

 Also a great moment happened.  There was this family that is expecting a baby and the branch gave them a Christmas gift of diapers and stuff and the look on the dad's face was priceless. I will never forget it.  This is such a good time to give and it's great seeing someones face light up.  I hope you all have a great week. love you all

Elder Snyder

Let's Get This Bacon Party Started

WEEK 68 : JUST WAITING FOR MISSIONARIES TO COME

   This week was another week of miracles. I could see the hand of the Lord everyday. I can't explain it all but it was a good week. 

    Tuesday we found this family that were investigators a while back and should have been baptized.  This guy has already read the book of Mormon and was literally just waiting for missionaries to come.   It was such a cool find, hopefully he doesn't move haha.  We traveled into the city in the afternoon because its so far for our mission tour on Wednesday.

   Wednesday we had a mission tour. Elder Haynie visited and spoke to us. It was so awesome.  I learned so much and really felt the spirit.  He did a personal handshake with each of us and had a little conversation with each of us.  It was so awesome.  I will not forget what he said to me.  These men are truly called of God and are leading us the right way.  

   Thursday I had exchanges and worked in another area because they had a baptism interview.   The person that was interviewed is inspiring.  She cried as she bore her testimony and I could just feel so strongly that she was ready. It was a great experience. 

   Friday we found some good investigators and went caroling with the branch. It was great.  I think it really softened some people's hearts and was great for members and non members.  The Christmas spirit is so strong here. I love Christmas and Christmas is always better on the mission.  It was awesome because the branch president brought his guitar and would play the Christmas songs.

   Saturday we found a new "spit fire" family that we have high hopes for.   We have some really progressing investigators that will be baptized very soon which is exciting because we have been working with them.  They are so amazing.  It's so cool to see people progressing in the gospel.   On this day we saw many more miracles but I cannot even say them all but the Lord provided.  

   Sunday was awesome.  We got some great referrals and had some people come back to church, it was great.  It was great to see our investigators come too.  It was raining really hard as church was starting and then to see the faith of the people that showed up was awesome.  Our church building is just a house that has been turned into a church.  Still small but these people are so awesome and full of faith.  

  We had a great week and a tiring week too. Very spiritual and uplifting. The church is true!

Elder Snyder

WEEK 67 : I HAVE MISSED LASAGNA

   I had a good week.  There were so many miracles and great things that happened. 

    Wednesday, we walked so far but it's so beautiful here and awesome.   We found some great people.  We found this one family that has some real potential.   It taught me again the importance of just opening my mouth because we found them as we were walking down the street and were able to come back to them.  It was great.  

   Thursday, we taught this great investigator. It's so cool to see the change happening in their lives as they live the Gospel.  I've noticed over my whole mission so far that when investigators read the Book of Mormon regularly they progress and develop a strong testimony and desire to be baptized. That book is amazing and is so powerful. I encourage everyone to follow President Monson's counsel and read it again and bear your testimony of the truthfulness of it. 

   Friday we received some great referrals from members.  We taught this investigator that used to reject missionaries but now is progressing and loves listening. The Lord is preparing many people for this great work

  Saturday we had a cool experience. My companion and I were walking to grab some lunch and we said hi to this nanay and took about 5 steps and she called to us.  We went and talked to her. Turns out she is a member and so is her husband.  Her husband was very sick and could hardly speak.  When he saw us he started crying and we were able to give him a blessing.  The spirit was strong and I felt a love for this tatay even though I just met him. It was a cool experience and great to be able to help that tatay and find them.   The rest of the  day was great too.  So many miracles happening. 

   Sunday we had many investigators come to church, it was amazing.  So exciting.  People we have really been working with came and it was so happy to see all of them at church.   We taught the referral of a member and they have real potential. Member missionary work is so real and needed.  These members that give many referrals always say," if we all just bring one than it will go a lot faster."  That's all it takes is for each of us to invite just one.  It's the responsibility  of every single one of us. If we do that we can help this marvelous work roll forth even faster.   The couple missionary made lasagna and it was so  delicious.  I have missed lasagna. 

   It was a great week. I hope you all have a great week and always be on the look out for someone you can help and uplift

Elder Snyder

WEEK 66 : INVESTIGATORS FOR 5 YEARS!!!

  This week was alright. We worked as hard as we could.  My companion was really sick so we did all we could.

  On Tuesday my companion was not able to go out so I left him with the couple missionaries and went with the branch president to teach and visit one family. It was amazing.  I had a scripture prepared to share and then last minute Alma 38:5 came into my head and so that's what I shared and it was perfect.  The spirit was there and it really helped this family.  The branch president is awesome and spit fire and shared some amazing stories.  It was such an amazing lesson. 

  On Wednesday I had exchanges with elder Roberts. I truly testify that the Lord puts people in the missionaries path. In a period of 25 minutes we found 4 amazing people that had been taught previously but had somehow lost contact with missionaries through moving or other things. It was awesome and so the missionaries in that area will visit them. The interviews were amazing. The people being baptized have been investigators for 5 years and as I interviewed I could feel their excitement and that they are ready.  

   Thursday happy Thanksgiving!!! I have so much to be grateful for. I love being on the mission and all the people and things that have happened.  It was a simpler day. We taught some good investigators and I bought a lechon manok to celebrate Thanksgiving and some rice,It was good.  

   On Friday we had minimal work because my companion was still pretty sick. Also on Saturday he got so sick that we couldn't even go out. Just studied and read and did all I could to follow up with investigators.

   Sunday was great. I am really coming to love the sacrament on my mission. It's a time of refreshment and contemplation.  

   Monday was great. Visited and taught some great lessons. One lesson was great. We have this great family that would be baptized if they were married so we went to the government building and got the papers. We started the lesson by sharing Ether 12:6 and how we need to show our faith for the miracles to happen and then got out the papers. The happiness in their eyes was great. They saw we were committed to do all we could and it's hard to explain but the spirit was there and I felt so happy.  Transfer day is coming and no one will transfer.  

Hope you have a great week!

Elder Snyder