6 Month Mark

Family—

Well, another preperation day creeped up on me and caught me by surprise… This week went by fast, like all the other ones. We continue to work hard and are helping John to progress… He and Shirley came to church again! Johany’s mom still doesn’t want to give permission… We’re hoping for a miracle. We’re going to try to do a family home evening at their house. We were able to help Jorge accept a baptismal date (not sure if I wrote about him… 14 year old that plays soccer with the young men every Friday). His father won’t give permission either… Here goes for miracle #2. We also found Richard this week… He is 20 and is studying tourism and english. He actually speaks decently. He’s a really humble guy with a lot of charity towards his fellow man. Yesterday he accepted to be baptized the 1st of May!

Even though we haven’t baptized anyone, I feel so successful. I am learning a lot and growing a lot. And I have been able to feel that the Lord approves of our work… It feels good. Of course there is a TON to improve… I lack so much. But Heavenly Father is helping me become more than I was before. A lot of help is coming through my companion… He is a great missionary.

This week we were able to give a lot of service and work with a lot of less active members. People in the ward, even active people, have come to us with their problems and it has really hit me that everyone has problems… A lot of times we never notice, but our own neighbors could be going through the hardest time in their life.

I want you all to know that I am being truly and greatly blessed by the Lord. I am beginning to realize how big this work is. I shouldn’t deserve to be a part of it, as imperfect as I am. And yet He lets me work for Him. LOVE all of you!

Elder Bassett

Gotta Love Those E-mails!

"Hey Family

This week was great, just like all of them! Elder Tello and I have now been companions for a month. We continue to work hard and feel that the Lord is pleased with what we are doing in Las Brisas.

Pretty much all of the progressing investigators we had fell through this week... A couple we haven't been able to find, a couple who didn't want to come to church, and a couple who told us they just didn't want to listen anymore. It has been a little discouraging, but the funny thing is I'm not discouraged. As F. Scott Fitzgerald said, "trouble has no necessary connection with discouragement-- discouragement has a germ of its own." Thanks Mom, for the quote, by the way. Sometimes the amount of work we do and how obedient we are isn't directly proportional to the amount of visible success we enjoy. However, I am finding a lot of joy in the little things that really matter... As President Chipman said in the last zone conference, the most important success we find is in the things we cannot measure.

Shirley and Jhon came to church with us yesterday with their four year old daughter, Karoline... I'm pretty sure I wrote about them. Earlier in the week we were able to have a really good lesson with them about the Plan of Salvation... I was able to feel God's love and forgiveness as I spoke about the Atonement, and I know they could feel it too. It looked like they had a good time in church yesterday, although Jhon got a little confused in Principles of the Gospel... The lesson was on repentance and the teacher ended up talking about the three kingdoms and baptisms for the dead. Ha ha but it was all good.

We were able to visit with Hyrum this morning... He is a 17 year old "oveja descarriada" according to his grandpa (lost sheep). He comes from a family of members and is going through a lot of very big struggles right now. He told his mom he was going to internet for and hour and didn't come home for a couple days. Apparently this happens a lot. She is really worried for him, because she doesn't know what he could be doing... I would be too. (Mom... I really wasn't that bad of a kid.) I sure hope we can help him, because he still has a tiny desire to maybe go on a mission (a very good sign). We challenged him to read the Book of Mormon every day this week. He said he would.

I love you all lots. I'm going to try to send a voice note this next week, because I really want to write everyone back individually. I seriously LOVED the talk that Mom sent me by Jeffrey R. Holland. There's a cool quote that says: "You can change anything you want to change, and you can do it very fast. That's another satanic suckerpunch-- That it takes years and years and eons of eternity to repent. It takes exactly as long to repent as it takes you to say 'I'll change'-- And mean it." He goes on to talk about how although restitutions must be made and suffering must be endured, our own repentance process can be as instantaneous as that of Alma-- who went from being one of "the vilest of sinners" to becoming one of the most powerful prophets of the history of this world. I love the principle of repentance; what it has meant to me in my life and what it means to all children of God who make the decision to follow His Son." --Elder Bassett

Elder Bassett y Elder Tello

"Hello Everyone-

It's been a great first week here in Las Brisas, my new area. My companion is Elder Tello (TAY-oh) from Lima. He is a happy quiet guy who works hard and does what he's supposed to. I have a feeling I'm going to learn a lot from him. This week I've been getting to know the area and the people that Elder Tello was teaching before. Las Brisas is HUGE. We do a lot more walking. The ward is a lot bigger (yesterday 160 people came to church) and they are willing to help us. So I'm really excited about that.

It was really rough to leave the Sanchez family. We talked to them on Monday night before I left, and I was able to bear a testimony that did not come from me…always a moving experience…

I love you so much. What I'm living as well as what we are all living, is best defined by King Benjamin: "For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father." Throughout our life here on earth we will be in constant struggle with our personal "natural man" --A part of us that wants to be lazy, selfish, prideful, disobedient, and completely average…Don't be average. I'll do my best not to be average either." --Elder Bassett

LOVE the Sanchez Family!

Elder Bassett and Elder Elguera have worked closely with this sweet family. They were baptized on Valentine's Day. Perfect!

Got the Package..

"What's up! Ok so first off I received a package. It's a little…special. I think a dog bit it or something. But it came! Thanks so much, Mom.

This week has gone by really fast…we continueto work with Robert and Elcira and they are set to be married this Saturday, with their baptism on Sunday! So that's pretty sweet. We continue to visit them often and I absolutely love the time I get to spend with their family. Once again I have forgotten to take a picture. They are the best. As we walked away from their house one day this week Elder Elguera turned to me and said, "You know what? If President opened up this area just for them, it was worth it." He's right. There is a change taking place in their family.

Tell everyone thanks so much for their letters…they lift me up a lot…Take care and thanks so much for your support." --Elder Bassett

ELDER BASSETT & ELDER ELGUERA

This is Garret and his great companion from Cusco, Peru! They are working hard for the Lord:

"There is so much more opposition against our church than any other church, just as there was so much opposition against He whom we represent—Jesus Christ. I learn something new every day I teach… The doctrine we preach is so simple. It makes perfect sense. But there is a key to knowing the truth—Prayer. The people who take the little step of faith and pray to their Heavenly Father for guidance will receive an answer, and these few people are the ones who choose to follow him. In the end the prayer is what makes the difference.

I love you all and hope all is well in the good ol’ states. As missionaries, we are inviting people to take an elevated path that will lead them to an elevated glory. Those who take this path will find happiness they never knew existed—But first they have to take a leap of faith. I like to think that the children of Israel had to get wet before the Red Sea opened… That they just kept moving forward as the water rose higher, trusting in their God and his mightiness to save. I love you all once again. Take care". --Elder Bassett

Quick Trip to Lima

"Well, this week has been interesting. Wednesday morning the zone leaders burst into our room while we’re studying and say “Elder Bassett you’re going to Lima! Get your stuff ready we have to go!” So I headed to Lima! Apparently I had to return to get my papers all squared away so I’m not illegal. I also got to go to a session in the Lima temple. It was really really good. I was so rushed I didn’t bring my camera, so no photos. It was me, another gringo, and three Guatemalans. We slept in a nice hotel… With a shower with hot water! It was freakin amazing.

I love you all very much and hope you are all in good health and good spirits. Remember that you are in good hands. The Lord will protect us as we are obedient to His commandments. It is the only way. He wants to bless us so much but all too often we refuse to let Him. Let Him bless you. I love you all so much and send my love from Peru. Let me know when it gets there. Ha ha. Take care."
--Elder Bassett