Fallas

Hola Muy Buenas!!!!

Today I write among the chaos of Fallas.

Jajaja it has been insane this week!

If you were to have every person who ever knew anyone from Valencia ever... come for vacation and walk the streets, then build massive highly flammable statues of wood and plaster to block every corner of every street, then you were to go buy 5 million dollars of fireworks and other various explosives then hand them to little children, then just let them go!!! add all sorts of intoxicated youth, and you might have something that looks like the Fallas.

Jajaja Its been amazing.

We have contacted tons of tourists, which means a lot of great referencias. Woohoo. There are so many parades, that there literally aren't enough people to watch the them.

Among all the explosions and warfare, we saw a baptism this week!!! Michael from Venezuela. The most loving and humble man. I have loved teaching him. He loves me and Elder Paulsen so much. It was amazing to see his progress, but most of all, to see how quickly the Lord can grow a testimony and work within the hearts of man when they humbly turn to Him. To submit like a child to the father. I love him, he's now determined to get his Camila, Mieter, and Sofie to follow his example.

Although the ordinance was beautiful, and all went amazing throughout the confirmation as well, I really came to the conclusion that the best part, the beauty, peace, and joy of it all comes not there but through the daily desire and action to follow Christ. It is the growth, change in character, that one sees in themselves and those around them. It's not the tear provoking spiritual experiences, nor really the crazy miracles, its the daily discipleship and turning of the soul to Christ.

So when we were trying to teach one of our Investigators about the principle of Faith, she being a doctor, was having difficulties not seeing it like the medical books she was studying.

Faith is not the perfect knowledge of all things. One could study the bible, highlight it, quote it, and devour it as literature, but unless they put it into practice, unless they seek to become the good Samaritan, pray unto the Father, they will never come to the testimony of God and His glorious plan. They are just words on a page. The real worth is in living.

I invite you not to worry, if you feel like you don't know all things. If you don't have the faith you wish you had, if you have doubts that what your doing is right. Heavenly Father didn't want us to have a perfect knowledge. He wants us to learn.

Alma 32:21: And now as I said concerning faith—faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true.

What does that mean? That means Abinadi didn't have a perfect knowledge, neither did the stripling warriors (especially in the art of sword-fighting) neither does that American missionary chasing down tourists on the street.

I love you all, keep hoping, keep praying and keep hoping in the things not seen.

Elder Gardner

A question he answered about Easter celebrations Semana Santa is the Easter here. Its really kinda creepy. It's insane how the Devil has twisted the pure and precious things, and turned it into a parade of the death of Christ, and all in the name of Mother Mary. It makes me shudder. Its coming up soon, I'll see if I can get pictures.