News from NICK DeG!!!!

Elder DiGiuseppe: "I am a traveler. Which means basically I drive around a van and train other missionaries on exchanges all day every day. I don't have my own area, or my own ward. In fact, wherever I am on sunday, thats where I go to church. Life as a traveler is crazy. I had to drive 18 hours straight on Thursday. how insane! Its pretty intense, BUT I get some serious blessings in response to the work. I think everywhere I have gone, I have seen super amazing miracles. I think one of the sweetest miracles that I saw was when we were at a members house. After teaching we asked for a referral, and they thought and gave us the name of a lady. We went to her house, no one was home. So we knocked her neighbors and taught some good people, and after that we looked at her house again, but the lights were still out and no cars home. But we knocked again. No answer. But, we felt prompted to knock again, and she came down the stairs!!! She said it was funny because she had just been thinking of some missionaries she had met years ago. God touched that member family, us, and her, just so we would be able to teach her. She wanted us to come back and gave us her number and times. it was amazing. She said she would read all of 3 Nephi by next week. I won't ever see her again, but it was awesome miracle to see God touch so many hearts just for her! I loved it."

- Nick promised pictures soon.....keep checking the blog for updates

What a COOL story! It IS amazing how much God loves us each as individuals. We have such an impact on the lives of those people we interact with. Do you look for ways to serve the people around you? To share the gospel with them?

Week of Feb 8th

Elder Wigginton: "This past week has been full of blessing, and struggles. I watch my investigators (the people he teaches) being blessed. And all of these are blessings to me - they have become the blessings that fill my life. It is as if the blessings that would normally be appropriated to my self-interest before the mission have now been translated into the blessing for others that I love." - What great joy this Elder must have. Rejoicing in the blessings that others have. Happy because others are being blessed. Do we look for ways to serve other people and to seek out blessings for them?

Elder Packer: "My favorite thing to do is throwing out commitments to people. Its interesting. Even if they don't accept it, they appreciate the offer. One guys I had to work with for about 10 minutes just to get the pamphlet in his hand and he didn't accept the challenge, but before we left, he said "thank you". You never know whether or not they will do it. They feel something and appreciate it most of the time. I'm trying to throw the commitment out to at least one person every day for the rest of my mission. It feels great" - When we are asking people to do something, we are inviting them to act. To test it out. If we never ask people to an activity, to come to church, to learn more from the missionaries, we cannot know if they will accept. What a great example this Elder is.

Simple Ways to Share the Gospel

I really liked Cameron's talk today for those of you who heard it. Especially his missionary experience on a plane. His seat was next to a couple, and he was trying to decide whether to chat or plug in his ipod. They ended up chatting and he shared his testimony with them and gospel principles. He said something like: "I pray for missionary opportunities, but then I sometimes am not sure I really want to have them"

I guess the hardest part about sharing the gospel is not finding people with whom we can share it, rather having the boldness to open our mouths. But check out what Elder Holland said: "More important than speaking is listening. I promise you that something in what people say will always highlight a truth of the gospel abut which you can bear testimony". We are surrounded by people each and every day. But do we take advantage of the time we spend waiting in lines, running errands, at the store.... wherever it may be to talk to people and look for opportunities in something they say to bring up the gospel? I know that sometimes I just plug in my music or am in such a hurry that I regard people more as obstacles in my way instead of as my brothers and sisters who need the gospel as much as me. I would challenge you all to spend more time during each day searching for little opportunities to talk to people. Whether it be with the person in line behind you, or the lady at the bakery you go to, or wherever. Find out about them. What they are passionate about. And then tie it into the gospel.

Wow. I've been thinking a lot recently about being a full-time missionary and how your whole heart goes into the work. I have some friends coming home from missions, and it is just such an adjustment! You can't help but fall in love with the people you serve, and you have the unique opportunity of full-time serving those around you without worldly distractions; to really feel pure joy and love and the spirit comes in so strong. THATS what makes the gospel worth living. The joy and love and happiness you feel. THATS what makes it worth sharing - despite fear of rejection or being shy. Here are some updates on the Elders serving from our ward! :

Elder Blue Star: "We're teaching this family named the Contreras. The man works as a gardner in the beautiful Buenos Aires Temple and he was was referred to us by one of his coworkers. We have had very spiritual meetings with them. We met them again, and shared a message. We read about the Atonement of Christ, and how much He loves us and we talked about HOW it is that He is able to bless us. It was a short, simple message, but Sister Contreras could not hold the tears back as the Spirit was so strong and Brother Contreras had this just "awed" demeanor over his face. I know that the time is right for them to receive more blessings and as their faith and trust grows in Christ, this humble gardener will be able to enter the temple and receive blessings far more beautiful than the ground he keeps to support his family temporally."

Elder Wigginton: "It is very exciting because it looks like we will be doing two well projects to provide drinking water for the residents in the quartiers where there is no water. I love that the church always does humanitarian projects. Access to drinking water is always so difficult, and oftentimes people spend a lot of their time just going to obtain water for the day. It is of course usually the women who do this as their husbands are out working all day. It is a huge stress and burden on the women because they have so many other tasks they are responsible for. it will be a blessing when all is finished...."Think of your brethren like unto yourselves, and be familiar with all and free with your substance, that they may be rich like unto you. But before ye seek for riches, seek for the kingdom of God" Jacob 2:17-19 May this be our resolve - that we might prioritize our lives in the necessary ways to take joy from each day. May this be our resolve - to serve on another, to offer charity, the pure love of Christ, in a time when it is so desperately needed."