Elder Richardson in Guatemala: September 7, 2015 email "No unclean thing can enter into his kingdom"

"No unclean thing can enter into his kingdom"

Tortillas: 30 ( Here they also eat Tamalitos, which are tamales but just of Mara, and I count them as tortillas)

This was a wonderful week with a lot of rain and everyone crazy about the politics!

On Sunday was the voting for the whole day. We did not have very many people in church,

only the faithful members came! But, it was still a wonderful day at church. We had to come in at 4:30 and we spent the night as effective as possible with reading and planning. We have also been still seeing amazing miracles and working with less actives. Working with less active families for me is something very beautiful, to be able to be answer to their prayers. Also, to see the joy that comes into their lives to be able to once again live the gospel. This work is not just a work about finding people who know nothing about the gospel, but it is also about helping all that have fallen from the path and are in need of the love of the Savior. How wonderful to be the one to bring that love.

Mejor Milagro:

One day we went to go and visit someone we are teaching about the gospel. When we arrived, an old man who we did not know opened the door. We began to talk to him and he soon asked if we were here for his daughter because she was not home, but we said we came to visit him. We came in and sat down and as we talked, we had to yell, he couldn't hear very well. We began to talk to him and he said that the missionaries had come to visit him about 10 years ago. He told us that he had a blue book, so we asked him to go and get it. He left and came back with a very old Book of Mormon with a pamphlet as a bookmark from 1985. He explained that the missionaries had come and they gave him the book, but then they disappeared. He then told us that he had read most of the book, and he really liked it. We asked him what it was about, and he began to explain the story of what was happening here in the Americas. As we leafed through the book, there were markings on some paper and notes. We began to explain, as we yelled the importance of this book and that it meant that God had restored his true church on earth, and he could know for himself if he prayed. He explained that he had been searching, and had many doubts about the church that he was visiting. We invited him to pray, and he said that it would be a wonderful blessing for God to answer his prayers. We asked what he would be willing to do if God answered, and he told us that right now he would not commit to anything, but if God answered he would be willing to make necessary changes to follow Jesus Christ. Even though at first sight we may not have the thought that this man was being prepared by God, but because we followed the spirit, we can now begin the journey to help this man and his family receive the gospel.

Testimony time:

The title is found in 3 Nephi 27:19, and it says:

And no unclean thing can enter into his kingdom; therefore nothing entereth into his rest save it be those who have washed their garments in my blood, because of their faith, and the repentance of all their sins, and their faithfulness unto the end.

Oh how wonderful it is to be able to feel clean before the eyes of God! There is nothing more important than making sure that in every moment we are clean and ready to enter into his kingdom, but we all know that no one is perfect. Because no unclean thing can enter into his presence, oh how important that we are constantly washing our sins away through repentance and the atonement, or the suffering and blood of Jesus Christ. In General Conference last October, Elder Klebingat talked about ways to approach the throne of God with confidence, and one of those is learning to repent really fast! The part I liked the most was that he explained that the atonement is intimate. We can use it when we want and how often we want, so why don't we! I know that this is true! Jesus wants to forgive! He wants to give us the opportunity to change and become better. There is no greater joy than the feeling of doing Gods will. If we mess up, repent really fast and never do it again. through this process of repentance we will become the people that God wants us to be and we will see the greatest progression. I testify of the love that our Heavenly Father has for us, and the love of our Savior Jesus Christ. His arms are always open, but we just have to come unto him. I testify of his redeeming and forgiving power, because I see it every day, not just in my life but also in the lives of those that he sends us to. I love my Savior with all my heart, and testify of these things in his sacred and holy name, Amen.