This week we moved our house. I have helped many people move, but this was the first time in my life that I have moved (other than the whole Utah-Indiana and America-Bolivia thing....and all of the misionary transfers) It was wierd to move all of the stuff and arrive at a completely different house, in a completely different place....with the same furniture and all or the same stuff.
In other news, the Rivero family went to church for the second time and everyting is on track for their baptism May 10th. The kids really like the primary and the father has started to say "when we get baptized" rather than "if we get baptised". The sad thing is that is like a 95% probability that I will leave the area May 7th.
I wanna share something that I learned this week and that I wrote tomy mission president, but I´m out of time so I´m gonna copy and paste it in Spanish. I hope it makes sense
8 (Pues sus discípulos habían ido a la ciudad a comprar algo de comer.)
31 Entre tanto, los discípulos le rogaban, diciendo: Rabí, come.
32 Y él les dijo: Yo tengo una comida que comer que vosotros no sabéis.
33 Entonces los discípulos se decían el uno al otro: ¿Le habrá traído alguien de comer?
34 Jesús les dijo: Mi comida es que haga la voluntad del que me envió y que acabe su obra.
35 ¿No decís vosotros: Aún faltan cuatro meses para que llegue la siega? He aquí os digo: Alzad vuestros ojos y mirad los campos, porque ya están blancos para la siega.
37 Porque en esto es verdadero el dicho: Uno es el que siembra, y otro es el que siega. Juan 4:8, 31-35, 37
Comida del hombre: nuestros propios deseos
Comida de Cristo: Hacer la voluntad de Dios
GOOGLE TRANSLATE:
8 (His disciples had gone into town to buy food.)
31 Meanwhile, the disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat.
32 And he said to them: I have meat to eat that ye know not.
33 Then the disciples said one to another, What man brought him ought to eat?
34 Jesus said unto them, My meat is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.
35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest.
37 For in this the saying is true: 'One sows and another reaps. John 4:8, 31-35, 37
Man Food: our own desires
Food of Christ, doing the will of God
-Elder Casdorph
Monday, April 28, 2014
Monday, April 21, 2014
Seguimos
Not much has changed in the last week. The Rivero family has been progressing quite well, and want to get married and baptized, but they couldn´t go to church because they had to go to the hospital with their 11 year old daughter that was sick with dengue.
I learned an important lesson in the book of Mormon this week about the need for member missionaries.
Alma was Preaching in Amonihan, but the people rejected him saying:
Who art thou? Suppose ye that we shall believe the testimony ofaone man, although he should preach unto us that the earth should pass away?
and
Who is God, that sendeth no more authority than one man among this people, to declare unto them the truth of such great and marvelous things?
Afterward, however, Amulek, a great member misionary, bore his tesimony with the people and the following succeded:
And now, when Amulek had spoken these words the people began to be astonished, seeing there was amore than one witness who testified of the things whereof they were accused, and also of the things which were to come, according to the spirit of prophecy which was in them. (Alma 9:2,6; Alma 10:12)
Try helping a missionary out by offering your testimony and you will see miracles.
I learned an important lesson in the book of Mormon this week about the need for member missionaries.
Alma was Preaching in Amonihan, but the people rejected him saying:
Who art thou? Suppose ye that we shall believe the testimony ofaone man, although he should preach unto us that the earth should pass away?
and
Who is God, that sendeth no more authority than one man among this people, to declare unto them the truth of such great and marvelous things?
Afterward, however, Amulek, a great member misionary, bore his tesimony with the people and the following succeded:
And now, when Amulek had spoken these words the people began to be astonished, seeing there was amore than one witness who testified of the things whereof they were accused, and also of the things which were to come, according to the spirit of prophecy which was in them. (Alma 9:2,6; Alma 10:12)
Try helping a missionary out by offering your testimony and you will see miracles.
Monday, April 14, 2014
Familia Rivero
I can finally put the name of some investigators int he subjest line again. We were struggling a bit in out area, but now we are doing a whale lot better, and the Rivero family came to church tis Sunday and will be getting baptised May 3rd. The success with them has very little to do with us, and a lot to do with a member family that is helping them a lot. (all credit of course goes to the Lord, not any of us)
I don´t have time to write anything , so to see what happened with the family you will have to translate what I wrote to my mission perisident:
El Sábado tuvimos una cita a las 6 con la familia Rivero (familia de oro) y pedimos a la familia Rodriguez que nos acompaña (sus hermanadores que ya conocieron la casa porque no habían acompañado antes). Llegamos MUY tarde a la cita, porque la menos activa ni los miembros que nos acompañaron en nuestra cita a la 5 dejaron de hablar para que pudieramos terminar la lección. Decidimos ver primero sí los investigadores estaban en casa (porque ya era las 7), y luego llamar a los miembros y pedirles que vengan.
Llegamos a la casa, y el padre salió a recibirnos. "¿Hermanos quieren pasar?"
"Claro que sí, hermano," dije, "pero vamos a llamar a la familía que vino con nosotros el otro día para ver si pueden verin tambien."
Respondió, "Oh, ¿el hermano Ausencio? ya vinieron. salieron justo antes que llegaron ustedes. Dicen que van a venir mañana para llevernos a toditos a la iglesia en su auto."
GOOGLE TRANSLATE:
On Saturday we had an appointment at 6 with the Rivero family (golden family) and asked the Rodriguez family with us (their hermanadores already knew the house because they had not joined earlier). We arrived very late for an appointment, or because the less active members who joined us on our date to the 5th stop talking so we could finish the lesson. We decided to first see if the researcher were home (because it was 7), and then call members and ask them to come.
We got home, and the father came out to meet us. "Brothers want to spend?"
"Sure, brother," I said, "but let's call a friend who came with us the other day to see if they can also verin."
Replied, "Oh, Brother Auxentios? Already came. Came out just before you arrived. They say they're coming tomorrow to toditos llevernos to the church in his car."
Elder Casdorph
I don´t have time to write anything , so to see what happened with the family you will have to translate what I wrote to my mission perisident:
El Sábado tuvimos una cita a las 6 con la familia Rivero (familia de oro) y pedimos a la familia Rodriguez que nos acompaña (sus hermanadores que ya conocieron la casa porque no habían acompañado antes). Llegamos MUY tarde a la cita, porque la menos activa ni los miembros que nos acompañaron en nuestra cita a la 5 dejaron de hablar para que pudieramos terminar la lección. Decidimos ver primero sí los investigadores estaban en casa (porque ya era las 7), y luego llamar a los miembros y pedirles que vengan.
Llegamos a la casa, y el padre salió a recibirnos. "¿Hermanos quieren pasar?"
"Claro que sí, hermano," dije, "pero vamos a llamar a la familía que vino con nosotros el otro día para ver si pueden verin tambien."
Respondió, "Oh, ¿el hermano Ausencio? ya vinieron. salieron justo antes que llegaron ustedes. Dicen que van a venir mañana para llevernos a toditos a la iglesia en su auto."
GOOGLE TRANSLATE:
On Saturday we had an appointment at 6 with the Rivero family (golden family) and asked the Rodriguez family with us (their hermanadores already knew the house because they had not joined earlier). We arrived very late for an appointment, or because the less active members who joined us on our date to the 5th stop talking so we could finish the lesson. We decided to first see if the researcher were home (because it was 7), and then call members and ask them to come.
We got home, and the father came out to meet us. "Brothers want to spend?"
"Sure, brother," I said, "but let's call a friend who came with us the other day to see if they can also verin."
Replied, "Oh, Brother Auxentios? Already came. Came out just before you arrived. They say they're coming tomorrow to toditos llevernos to the church in his car."
Elder Casdorph
Monday, April 7, 2014
Conferencia
It´s getting harder to find new and exciting things to write about every week. We hada pretty good week, and I enjoyed conference a lot. We made a whole ton of plans to help our investigators go to conference, but despite our best plans and efforts, only 1 investigator came....and due to his age(62) and health problems, he ended up sleeping for most of conference. Sometimes the missionary work is that, way, sometimes we make plans and goals with no results, and other times we see miracles that we never could have planed or even imagined. While being a missionary is sometimes hard it is always rewarding and while I´ve thankfully never had to go through experiences quite as dificult as those poor sister missionaries in Elder Holland's talk, I'd happily go through them for the Lord.
In respect to general conference, I would actually like to share a story with you all that I shared with my zone a few days ago (Credit for the story goes to my old companion Elder Aquino, and he probably stole the story from someone else):
There was once a group of ducks who every thursday gathered together for their duck club meeting. Every week they shared experiences that they had had in the week as well as thing that they had learned. One week, one of the duck-club members stood up to share what he had learned:
"Fellow ducks! I discovered this week that if we take our right and left wings and move them up and down simultaneously, we can fly!"
He then demostrated his newfound knowledge by flapping is wings and lifting himself off the ground.
The room soon electrified with emotion as all of the ducks discovered that they indeed had the capacity to fly!
After a about half an hour they all calmed down again, fineshed the meeting, and then went back home walking.
DON'T GO BACK HOME WALKING!
In general conference we all heard or felf spiritual impressions about what it is that we need to fly. We felt it! We learned how to fly!
and then many went home walking. If you liked a certain talk, apply it. If you felt that you should do something, do it.
I personally liked what Elder Ballard said about writing about what one is learning in Preach my Gospel to a missionary in the field. It made me notice that I, as the missionary in the field, am not doing my part to write what I have learned to all of you.
Don´t go back home walking. I'm gonna do my best to fly by sharing the things that I have learned with all of you, so stay tuned for next week.
Elder Casdorph
In respect to general conference, I would actually like to share a story with you all that I shared with my zone a few days ago (Credit for the story goes to my old companion Elder Aquino, and he probably stole the story from someone else):
There was once a group of ducks who every thursday gathered together for their duck club meeting. Every week they shared experiences that they had had in the week as well as thing that they had learned. One week, one of the duck-club members stood up to share what he had learned:
"Fellow ducks! I discovered this week that if we take our right and left wings and move them up and down simultaneously, we can fly!"
He then demostrated his newfound knowledge by flapping is wings and lifting himself off the ground.
The room soon electrified with emotion as all of the ducks discovered that they indeed had the capacity to fly!
After a about half an hour they all calmed down again, fineshed the meeting, and then went back home walking.
DON'T GO BACK HOME WALKING!
In general conference we all heard or felf spiritual impressions about what it is that we need to fly. We felt it! We learned how to fly!
and then many went home walking. If you liked a certain talk, apply it. If you felt that you should do something, do it.
I personally liked what Elder Ballard said about writing about what one is learning in Preach my Gospel to a missionary in the field. It made me notice that I, as the missionary in the field, am not doing my part to write what I have learned to all of you.
Don´t go back home walking. I'm gonna do my best to fly by sharing the things that I have learned with all of you, so stay tuned for next week.
Elder Casdorph
Monday, March 31, 2014
Compañero nuevo
Sorry, I'm hardly writing anything for the blog now. It seems like there´s always someone else to write or general conference invitations that I want to make to print out and give to everybody, or information that I have to send to the mission offices for my zone of missionaries.
I should at leat tell you all that I have new companion. His name is Elder Esquivel. He´s from San Juan, Argentina and has the same amount of time as me in the mission- 21 months. He´s actually my 4th companion from my same group (in missionary jargon "group" refers to all of the missionaries who started and will end their misions on the same day).
Elder Casdorph
I should at leat tell you all that I have new companion. His name is Elder Esquivel. He´s from San Juan, Argentina and has the same amount of time as me in the mission- 21 months. He´s actually my 4th companion from my same group (in missionary jargon "group" refers to all of the missionaries who started and will end their misions on the same day).
Elder Casdorph
Monday, March 24, 2014
Elder Grow
We had a special conference with Elder Grow, a member of the 1st quorum of the seventy and member of the preisudencia of the South America Northwest Area. It was powerful and very spiritual. He congratulated the members for the work that they have been doing. In the last 4 months in the area (which includes Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela) there have been 8,000 rescued less-active members who are now active in the church, which is the equivalent of 3 new stakes. Everyone is really excited for the work of salvation.
I personally am super excited for the upcoming General Conference. The last general conferences have changed my entire mission with the announcements of reduced ages, new missions, and a whole new focus in the work of salvation.
Please watch conference April 5th and 6th....
LINK TO WEB STREAM
....and please invite everyone you know to watch it too.
Elder Casdorph
p.s. I had a baptism Saturday. Jaime Muñoz (24 yrs.) got baptized, but I forgot the SD Card with the picture in my house, asi que no habrá foto.
I personally am super excited for the upcoming General Conference. The last general conferences have changed my entire mission with the announcements of reduced ages, new missions, and a whole new focus in the work of salvation.
Please watch conference April 5th and 6th....
LINK TO WEB STREAM
....and please invite everyone you know to watch it too.
Elder Casdorph
p.s. I had a baptism Saturday. Jaime Muñoz (24 yrs.) got baptized, but I forgot the SD Card with the picture in my house, asi que no habrá foto.
Monday, March 17, 2014
Apresuraré mi obra en su tiempo
Sorry, I didn´t have much time to write last week. I have a ton of things to write all of you, but I´ve got a bunch of other things to do too, so we´ll see if I have enough time.
My mom recently asked me for ideas about how to have more refferals to give the missionaries. I wrote this to her, and then later decided that it´d be something good to put on the blog.
The idea is:
1.Make a list of all of your friends, family, and aquaintences that don´t know the gospel, and might be interested in listening (when someone doesn´t know that many people, this list should basically be all of the non-members that you know within the ward boundaries).
2. Pray and ask for help from the Lord to know which of the people in the list is prepared to recieve the Gospel (D+C 88:73 "Behold, I will hasten my work in its time" - the Lord is hastening is work and SOMEBODY in that list is ready to recieve the Gospel).
3. GO with the missionaries and with Dad and try to teach, invite, inspire, or get to know better the person in the list. (Call them and say, "hey Elders I have a referral for you")
Trust me, this works.
You can also read this article, especially the Section "Bringing people into the Church" for more ideas.
If after doing the 3 steps and reading the powerful words of President Hinckley, you still don´t have anyone to present to the missionaries. Go and visit a less-active member and invite him to go back to church. Ask him who he knows that could receive the missionaries. The less-actives always have a bunch of non-member friends.
Elder Casdorph
My mom recently asked me for ideas about how to have more refferals to give the missionaries. I wrote this to her, and then later decided that it´d be something good to put on the blog.
The idea is:
1.Make a list of all of your friends, family, and aquaintences that don´t know the gospel, and might be interested in listening (when someone doesn´t know that many people, this list should basically be all of the non-members that you know within the ward boundaries).
2. Pray and ask for help from the Lord to know which of the people in the list is prepared to recieve the Gospel (D+C 88:73 "Behold, I will hasten my work in its time" - the Lord is hastening is work and SOMEBODY in that list is ready to recieve the Gospel).
3. GO with the missionaries and with Dad and try to teach, invite, inspire, or get to know better the person in the list. (Call them and say, "hey Elders I have a referral for you")
Trust me, this works.
You can also read this article, especially the Section "Bringing people into the Church" for more ideas.
If after doing the 3 steps and reading the powerful words of President Hinckley, you still don´t have anyone to present to the missionaries. Go and visit a less-active member and invite him to go back to church. Ask him who he knows that could receive the missionaries. The less-actives always have a bunch of non-member friends.
Elder Casdorph
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