¡Hola familia!
Not too much newly new news from Quillón this week. We did find an umphload of new investigators that could be very good though! I'm not sure the name of family (In Chile, everyone has two last names, the family name of the father first and then that of the mother (her dad's dad's family name, etc.)) but a family of four, Jorge, Jorge, Jeanette and Edgardo. The father, Jorge, works with one of the members and is very VERY interested in the Church, came to conference, and the rest of the family is as well, their 15 year old son Jorge came to a mutual activity and was at the Church with the other youth from 4 to 10. Huzzah!
We also recently got a referral to a family, one of the girls wants to get baptized, LOVES the Church (friends of a member) and the other 11 in the family so far have not opposition. So the branch might grow by 15-20% here soon. Hector continues to help us at every turn, very concerned for retention among the youth, and offers his house for FHE/Youth get together Church nights every week. One of the strongest members of the branch, he is. It's interesting being in a Branch, there are few long time members, the Branch President was baptized but two years ago, but is very strong, a very good member.
High praises were sung when the knowledge came forth that I play piano (not during the hymns, but after). It's always a bit tricky when I'll play at one speed, the director will direct at a different speed than what I'm playing or she's singing, and the congregation takes thirty seconds to agree on what speed they want to sing. A battle of wills. In almost all the Churches I've seen here in Chile they have an electric piano with several options of of organ/piano for every building, so it's fun to change the intensity of the Organ to softer for more peaceful hymns(Sacrament, supplication hymns), and then to power mode for the praising hymns. (Restoration Hymns, etc.)
One of our investigators whose children recently got baptized defended the Church quite strongly against the criticisms of her atheist husband and bore strong testimony, it was very impressive. She said some interesting things, about how the Gospel can be approached in a very scientific, very logical way, as explained in Alma 32. If we try it and put it to the test, you'll see obviously that it is true and right. Don't have fear to put it to the test, constantly. I feel too many members have a rare spiritual experience here or there, or base their belief on that of others or on logic. We can constantly put it to the test, and constantly get the same positive result. If there is doubt, fear, or a lack of faith that impedes us from trying because we are afraid that it will not be positive, we will stay in assumption and hypothesis, rather than see the proofs, the evidences that are that of the growing seed. Put revelation to the test, put the Book of Mormon to the test. If you already have, do it again. The only causes of not having a testimony is pride. If we are too proud to test it in fear that we'll be proved wrong, that it is true, we will not know. If we are too proud to test it in fear that we'll be proved wrong, that it is not true, we will not know.
Try it, you'll like it. And then tell your friends to do the same.
--
Elder Kent Pimentel
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