Al fin - cazo uno, Oct. 23, 2017

Hola Mamí y familia!

Glad to hear about all the great things you were able to do over Fall break! Thanks for your efforts to go and clean up! I forever have Dad´s words burned into my mind- each of us having to pick up 5 things, etc. A lot of people making small efforts makes a big difference.

As for your question, Enrique´s probably about 25-years-old. He has definitely faced some difficult circumstances in his life. We´re excited to see if he can keep progressing.

Elder Holmes and I had some great moments this week. One of the best moments was preparing the Barro family to attend church this past Sunday. We wanted to overcome the barrier that had been preventing them from attending- a part of which was just lack of knowledge as far as how to arrive to the Church. 

As a result, we arranged to stop by their house in the morning during the week, and we made the trip with them in bus to the church. With the ward Elder´s quorum president with us, we showed them around the chapel, and finished in the sacrament room talking about the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

I really felt peace as we were in that room together and talk about the sacred ordinances of baptism and the sacrament. We could feel the spirit as we invited them to go to church and keep the sabbath day holy. I really felt like that step was what we needed to finally get them over the hump and have them in sacrament meeting. 

Skip forward to Sunday morning and the heavens opened up! They came to church for the first time! It was such a big relief and it was so great to see the fellowshipping that some of the members did with them. They´re such great people and we are so excited to be working with them. I´ll have to get a picture with the family to send to you guys.

I know my Savior lives! I know that he has power! I know that the Book of Mormon contains his word! May we all allow the words of our Savior sink deep into our hearts!

Much love,

Elder Lambert

Madre terrenal, padre celestial, October 16, 2017

Hola Mamà y familia!

It was good to see you guys yesterday! I`m glad to hear that you are doing well. Elder Holmes and I had another great week here in Àlvarez. We met a lot of great people, had some incredible lessons, and got to enjoy the baptism of the other elders in our ward- a 14-year-old kid named Lisandro.

Probably one of my favorite moments this week was teaching Enrique, our investigator from Paraguay. Enrique has been reading in the Book of Mormon and asking if it`s true almost daily. He has really grown in his desires to follow Jesus Christ and he has been shown a lot of excitement to go to church with us each week.

We visited last Monday with Enrique, and he offered the final prayer. In the prayer he expressed regret for his errors, and asked forgiveness for his past sins. As Enrique concluded the prayer, he began to open up to us.

Enrique told us how he was raised by a single mom until he was 14, when he was forced to live on his own for the first time. During this time he passed the days by drinking, meeting up with friends and trying to make a living however possible.

He went through many hard things, and was still caught in his problems when he first met his current girlfriend, Ruth,and began to change his life. He expressed his desires to leave his old life behind and follow Jesus Christ. We`re hoping in the coming month that he can take the next step in his life and be baptized. It has really been a privelege to know and work with Enrique.

I know maybe it`s a surprise that I`m getting this letter to you all today, because yesterday I mentioned that it`s a holiday here, but we were able to find a place to come and write. I hope you are all continuing to seek out your lord and Savior Jesus Christ daily. He loves you and is waiting to help you come unto Him.

Much love,

Elder Lambert

Marcos 2:5, 9-12, Oct. 9, 2017

Hola Mamá y familia!

Doesn´t sound like too boring of a week! Sounds like a lot of exciting things are going on! I can´t believe you all are going to Australia. How crazy is that. Just take care of yourselves. I´m really excited for you guys. I´m sure you´re going to have a blast.

To answer your questions briefly- yes, I´m still in the zone of Luján. My area is called Francisco Álvarez. The Barro family is doing well, but unfortunately they hit some trials again at the end of this week and we weren´t able to have them in church. The father, Miguel, was at home putting on the new roof with the owner of the house, and the mother, Virginia, I believe was suffering from some stress and left to visit some family in another city.

This week I felt very inspired by the account of Jesus Christ and the paralytic that we read about in Mark 2. Some of our experiences have made me think about the account of Christ, and about miracles in general. In the story a paralytic is brought before Christ and he forgives him of his sins. He then turns to the scribes and asks which is more difficult- to forgive a man his sins, or to tell him to take up his bed and walk. It then says that to show that the Son of Man has power in the earth to forgive sins he told the man to take up his bed, and walk.

Christ had all power that had been bestowed upon Him by his father in heaven. He performed miracles. The other week someone asked me, what miracles has your profet performed? The truth is I have never seen President Monson heal a blind man, part a sea, or cast out demons. However, it was also said of John the Baptist that "he did no miracle." Yet, I know that President Monson is a prophet of a God. I know not because of what I have seen, but because of the witness that God has given unto me. 

I know that Christ lives. Elder Holmes and I were very blessed in His work this week. We were able to have Enrique at church, and were able to help the Barro family, along with many more people keep coming closer to Jesus Christ. I hope that I can have the faith that works miracles, or that doesn´t according to the will of God.

I love you all!

Elder Lambert

Photo:

1. Me, Elder Shepherd, Elder Siale, and Elder Holmes (Albuquerque, New Mexico) with the "Hamburpizza" that the Rojas family made for us (a hamburger with a pizza to replace the buns)

Resfrio y la tormenta antes de la conferencia....Que va a hacer?, Oct. 2, 2017

Hola Mamá y Familia!!!

Thanks for the updates on conference weekend! Sounds like you guys were really able to enjoy this past week! I got a little sick unfortunately- we had to stay inside this past Friday. But I absolutely loved the talks from conference! There were so many great moments! I felt so empowered listening to the words of the apostles, and leaders of the church!

As for my companion...drum roll please..........his name is Elder Holmes! Elder Holmes is 18-years-old and is from Albuquerque, NM. He´s a really good kid, and he´s the first person from his family to serve a mission. Some fun facts about Elder Holmes are: he grew up playing soccer and loves to play, he is really good with cars and traveled the streets of New Mexico in his own Mustang before the mission, and he studied German in high school because there wasn´t any more space in Spanish class.

Elder Holmes and I really had a great first week together. I misspelled the name of the paraguayan family this past week- they are the Barro family. We had a great time visiting with them again this week. On Wednesday we went by and shared a part of the story of Nefi- how Lehi was commanded that his sons should get married before crossing the waters.

In the scriptural account it says that when Nefi and his brothers were married that they were able to fulfill all of the commandments that the Lord had given them, and Nefi expresses that he was highly blessed by God as a result of his faithfulness. We felt the spirit very strongly and we invited Miguel (the father) and Virginia (the mother) to live the law of chastity and get married. 

Even though they didn´t accept I was grateful for the confidence they showed in us. Miguel (the father) explained that he wants his family to be happy and united, but that him and Virginia (the mother) commonly fight. He expressed desires to be married, but Virginia expressed that she doesn´t feel desires to marry him because of their relationship problems. They committed to reading in the Book of Mormon and asking God for the strength to take the marriage decision.

We were feeling very positive about their progress as a family but hit a stumbling block Sunday morning when we went by to accompany them to church. Their was a storm here Saturday night, and the wind had literally blown their roof off, drenching all of their things. We´ve been trying to work with the members since them to be able to help them out in their current circumstances.

It´s moments like that Sunday morning where I wish I knew better how to help. I am a man, and my power is limited. However, I know that I have a God who is all powerful. In these moments, I want to better remember that I can get on my knees and ask for the help of a being who has known me for the eternities. Elder Holmes and I are going to keep seeking the power of God in our lives to be able to help the Barro family and other families to come unto Christ. I hope that you all can also remember to stop and speak with your father on your knees each day.

I love you all!

-Elder Lambert

Photos:

1. Elder Sparks and I on our last together in front of the basilica of Luján

2. The main avenue in Luján

3. Inside the basilica of Luján

4. A stained glass window of the basilica

5. A statue from the basilica

(sorry I´ll get a picture of Elder Holmes and I out to you guys this next week)

Estamos renegando, Sept. 25, 2017

Hola Mamá y familia!

Glad to hear that you could spend some time with the Squires, and invite the exchange students to Women´s Conference! I´m excited to hear about Dad´s trip to the Ukraine this other week!

Elder Sparks and I just finished of our time together, and we did it in miraculous style. I really didn´t think that we could have a better week than what we had just had, but God proved me otherwise. It felt like we were walking on clouds for the first three days this week.

One of the most exciting things of the week was being able to teach the Varros family- a family of 7 from Paraguay (Miguel, Virginia, Daisy, Marcos, Marian, Lucia, and Angel). The family is extremely nice and they are all very sincere. They actually speak a language called Guaraní better than Spanish, and we have been trying to learn a little from them. 

We were able to read a little bit in the Book of Mormon and it was awesome to see the focus that they family gave to our lesson, and their willingness to commit to reading in the Book of Mormon and coming to know if it´s true for themselves.

After finishing a week of miracles I found out that my companion, Elder Sparks, will be heading to the mission offices as the finance secretary and that I will be training again. I won´t know who my companion is until tomorrow so you´ll all just have to wait for the news next week!

I know that God lives and loves us! Something that I remember very distinctly from my youth was President Parry telling us that if we ask God if he loves us in prayer that he will always answer us. That advice has helped me for my whole life to be able to recognize the Spirit. I know that God loves you all! I hope that you can feel his love as you listen to his prophet and apostles on the earth today.

Much love,

Elder Lambert

Photos:

1. Elder Shepherd, Elder Siale, and I on the bikes

2. Our district: Elder Sparks, Elder Neto (Brazil), Elder Siale, Me, Elder Quintero (Spain), Elder Shepherd

3. The group heading to lunch Tuesday

4. Lunch with the Ramponi family: Rosa, Jenny, Gustavo (our stake president), me, Elder Sparks

5. Elder Sparks and I with Enrique

Lo que nunca me imagine, Sept. 18, 2017

Hola mamá y familia!!

Sounds like an interesting week back at home! I hope Dad continues to enjoy the Ukraine, and that you all can keep showing that living the gospel brings you joy! Elder Sparks and I had a week incredibly joyous here in Francisco Álvarez. We had miracles that I have never experienced to this point in my mission. We were truly blessed by God.

Lucas right now is looking for a job, and has committed to get married and baptized once he finds a job! We have been getting the help of the ward so that he has his resume ready to apply for jobs, and move forward in his life as fast as possible. To add to our joy that Lucas committed to marriage, Ruth and Enrique came to church with us! After a couple weeks of sickness and trials, they were able to come and feel the Spirit in church!

The miracles in the progress of Caro, Lucas, Ruth, and Enrique were compounded upon by an outpouring of blessings as we testified to many people and were able to share a message, pray, leave a commitment, and set a return appointment with 21 new people this week. It was nothing short of a miracle.

I know that God is going to help us find the ones that are willing to read in the Book of Mormon, come to know that it´s true, and be baptized. I really am excited to see the changes that the Book of Mormon will bring into the lives of the people.

The story that I feel was most characteristic of this week was Saturday. We were heading towards a return appointment with a pair of investigators, when my back bike tire was punctured and began to deflate. We asked our investigator if he could repair the tire and he called out to his neighbor. 

The neighbor, Ricardo, let us come in and proceeded to help me patch up the tube of my back wheel. As he worked on the repair we talked about our purpose as missionaries to share the Book of Mormon and he told us how he came to believe in Jesus Christ. We were able to leave him with a pamphlet of the Restoration, share a prayer together, and arrange a time to give him his own Book of Mormon. 

God put us in the right place at the right time. For me, the coincidence was too well organized to not have been the hand of God. We were placed in the exact place to have Rodrigo help us and accept an invitation to come to know his Savior Jesus Christ more fully. I know that God lives and loves us. He´s going to help us see miracles as we continue to work like we did this past week.

The miracle of God is that as we accept his miracles- he gives us more. I will forever be indebted to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Much love,

Elder Lambert

Photo:

Elder Sparks (Alberta, Canada), Me, Elder Siale (Tempe, Arizona), and Elder Shepherd (Boise, Idaho)