Bueno! How is everyone doing? We had an awesome weekend. So Elder Richard G. Scott of the 12 apostles, came to speak at a spanish fireside. We invited everyone we could possibly think of and so 4 of those we are teaching came, Mario Landeros, Veronica Oregel, and the Villasenors. They all really liked it. We haven't been able to talk to Veronica a whole lot to see what she thought of it but Mario was changed from it. I can't remember if i had talked a whole lot about Mario but we've been teaching him since the beginning of January. From the very beginning Mario was pretty bitter and grumpy. He has been through a lot of hard times and just has a hard time having faith. He was confrontational with the doctrines of the gospel which we taught but at the same time a small part of him seemed to be pleading for help but was often covered up by bitterness and sometimes anger. We asked the Elders if they would give him a blessing and his house. After this happened he seemed to change. He was just a little more open and less confrontational, although he was still very critical and a lot of what we said did not sink in and he still switched the subject to other things other than what we were teaching. Mario still decided not to go to church because he didn't want to leave his daughter who is struggling. He rarely read the Book of Mormon because he did not understand the importance although we tried to explain and bare our testimonies. So, he ended up going to the fireside and after Elder Scott spoke there was something different about Mario. It hit him. He, I think for the first time, really felt the power of the Holy Ghost. He told us that Elder Scott is a saint from the heavens. Elder Scott stayed until every single person who wanted to shake his hand and say hello had the opportunity. When we asked Mario if he wanted to shake the hand of Elder Scott he smiled with this childish shy half grin. So Mario shook his hand. After he told us that he could see a literal light above Elder Scott. I asked Mario what he told him. Elder Scott told him that he needed to read the Book of Mormon to know the truth and after Mario told us this he asked me, Porque no me lo ensenaron? Why didn't you teach me that? I looked at him like what?? haha I think I understood for a moment how mothers feel when they tell their children what they need to do over and over but it doesn't sink in until someone else does (huh mom? ha). So I asked him if he was going to read it and pray and he gave me that grin again and said well yeah. I told him that the power of authority that he can from from Elder Scott is from God in His church. I told him that this is the true church and you need to be baptized in His church. I said so when are you going to be baptized? He liked down and them grinned and said when you want. That night was amazing for all of us. I told Mario that he could get a picture with Elder Scott, so we got back in line and Elder Scott saw Mario again and said oh mi amigo. I took the picture of him and saved it on his phone, he beamed when he looked at the picture. It was so cute. So yesterday Mario, who would never go to church with us, showed up out of the blue yesterday and told us that he had read from the introduction of the Book of Mormon up to Alma 7. All during church he held his Book of Mormon and stroked it. It was a miracle. His countenance changed. When Elder Scott spoke to us there was such a love about him and power. In the beginning he had a discussion with everyone that was there, almost 1,000 people. He joked around with them but at the end, the last 15 minutes he told us that he was not going to talk to us as Richard G. Scott but as an apostle of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. When he said that the whole mood of everyone changed. I count tell you how strong the spirit was. He truly is an apostle of Jesus Christ and you can feel the closeness that he has with Him. Mario, who can sometimes be a grumpy and bitter old man, recognized that power that Elder Scott has and it changed him and many others I'm sure. I know that we have a living Prophet today and apostles who speak to God. I know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is Christ's church and has been restored on the earth today to build up the kingdom of God. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Love,
Hermana Alvey
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