ELDER DREW CARSON: Year 2, Week 26

WOAH. Week 26. That’s half a year.

LECCIÓN DE LA SEMANA: This week I came to an important realization about the importance of Family Home Evening. I was sitting in Ward Council, listening to the bishop and auxiliary leaders talking about the need to elevate the youth. I felt inspired to start a list of practical skills that would be useful for the youth in order to plan activities based on those skills. Soon, the list got long, and I realized that, though activities help, nothing can replace the consistent, life-long teaching that occurs as parents diligently plan and execute Family Home Evening every week. It was a testimony-strengthening realization.

I was also reminded of the General Conference talk given by Dallin H. Oaks on the responsabilities of the Priesthood in which he addresses the excersise of Priesthood by fathers in the home (https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2018/04/the-powers-of-the-priesthood?lang=eng). I invite all of you to read or listen to the talk and pray to know how you can better fulfill your duties in your families.

Oh, and here’s the list I made, just for fun. All of these ideas can be expanded into a fun activity with a Gospel twist:

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This week, our friend Elder Tello was in our house because he had an operation and couldn’t move around much. We spent a lot of time helping him, and we also had to stay home for Elder Vergara’s health. Both are doing fine, but between the two there wasn’t much time to be in the streets.

While on exchanges, I felt impressed to pass by the house of a former investigator, even though I knew the situation prevented him from being baptized (he’s a kid and his dad didn’t want to sign the membership record). BUT, obeying the impression, we knocked the door and found his older sister who’s 28 years old! The best part: she’s INTERESTED! We were able to committ her to read the Book of Mormon and pray. She didn’t immediately accept a baptismal date, but she is enthusiastic about learning more.

Later, Elder Vergara and I went to see how she felt about the Book of Mormon. While we were talking, her problematic dad got home, and to my surprise, he said, "every single member of my family now has a Book of Mormon EXCEPT for me... What’s that all about??" We were able to give him his own copy and commit HIM to read and pray, too!! Now the whole family is in on it!!! MIRACLES!!!

In other news, we’re excited for Nichupté Ward. Hno. Brandon was called as the new Elders Quorum President (a young returned-missionary couple - THEY’RE AMAZING) so we were very VERY happy. Then, we got a surprise wave of participation in our Book of Mormon initiative. We’re all reading together, from start to finish, and marking our progress on the ward bulletin board.

Fun stuff. The mission is the real deal.

Love you guys!! Thank you for continually supporting me and sharing your positive, uplifting thoughts!

Elder Carson

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