Week of October 3, 2016

Dear friends and family,

This last week has held a multitude of miracles that I am enthused to share with you all! First, last Thursday I had the opportunity to work with Elder Vicente in my area! I don't know if I have mentioned it in previous emails, but Elder Vicente, my trainer, is currently assigned in my zone. As such, I have had the great privilege of seeing him quite a bit the last few months that I have been here in Cauayan. Our day was absolutely awesome, and it felt like it was just yesterday that we were companions. I think the best thing that happened though on our splits was finding a whole family to teach! After a full day of teaching, I decided to do some contacting before dinner, and we ended up finding the nicest and most interested family I have met throughout the course of my mission, the Reyes family. Nanay and Tatay are in their low 50's, and they have two kids at home, who are 24 and 16. Last week, after just one lesson, the two kids of the family went to church and had an enjoyable time. And, Nanay and Tatay Reyes said they will make arrangements in their work in order to attend church next week. 

Furthermore, Elder Vane and I have been extremely blessed to have new, very interested investigators come into our teaching pool this last week due to work in the reactivation of some less active families, and much more. There is so much more I could tell you all, but I unfortunately don't have the time to do so. I just want to let you all know that I feel extremely blessed at this point in my work. As I mentioned in previous emails, at the beginning of this cycle, I was really concerned about managing my area with all of the changes that have occurred in my area and in the mission. However, as I have pressed forward with faith, the blessings most definitely have arrived. In sharing this fact, I can't help but think of the story of Nephi in the beginning of the Book of Mormon, who was commanded by the Lord to obtain brass plates, containing the records of his people from Laban, a dangerous individual who desired to kill him. Rather than doubt and complain though (like his siblings Laman and Lemuel), Nephi pressed forward with faith actually "not knowing beforehand the things which [he] should do" (1 Nephi 4:6). Rather, he trusted that the Lord would "prepare a way for [him]", for which He undoubtedly did (1 Nephi 3:7). At times as disciples of Christ we are required to do things that don't make us particularly comfortable, as the path before us may not seem clear or particularly easy that lies ahead of us. However, it is at these times in our discipleship that we can prove through our works that we have real faith in Him. Indeed, those are the times that define us. As Paul reminded us in the New Testament, we "must walk by faith, not by sight." I know as we do that that we will undoubtedly will see miracles in our lives and will become more than we could ever imagine.

Have a great week!

Love,

Elder Pulley