Placentero Nos Es Trabajar En La Viña del Gran Rey Jesús!‏ (We are laboring in the vineyard of Jesus Christ the King!)

 

 

In a nutshell here is what happened this week. Marco got baptized! Claribel is gonna get baptized next Sunday. We had a super good Zone Conference. So Elder Morgan, Elder Minnich and I had prepared an awesome rendition of "Savior Redeemer of My Soul." We get into zone conference early, and two other elders are practicing it to sing it as the other musical number...... Well so we called Elder Minnich and asked what the easiest hymn to arrange is. He said "Nearer My God to Thee." So in about 15 minutes literally we put together a rendition that blew the socks off of the audience and brought the Spirit super strong into the room. I love performing for that reason. The Spirit comes in a completely different way. It went super well and tears were shed. That's how we do. Incredibly good week. Plus we had 11 people at church yesterday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It is difficult to describe my feelings right now. Yeah, I'm stoked to come home, go to college and live life and all that, but that also means leaving this way of life that I have come to love so much. Of

course I won't leave behind the habits, maturity, and testimony that have come to me, but you know what I mean. I didn't know it was possible to come to love these people and their culture as much as I

now do. I'm literally getting choked up as I write this.

 Seeing as this is my last letter home, I have decided to compile a list ofthings that I have learned over the past two years. This is in no way everything, or else you would be reading this email for years, nor can all that I have learned be written.

I have learned that God loves all His children, and that the worth of their souls really is great in His sight. When we realize that single fact, it enables us to be able to serve them as He would serve them.

As we serve those children of God, we are filled with love towards them and we begin to see them how God sees them. We feel a tiny portion of His same love that He feels towards them.

How much I have come to love a good Mexican spicy salsa. Si no pica, ¡no sirve!

How bad of a Dominican accent I have. (You'll see next week)

The amazing power there is in the scriptures. Some of my most sacred experiences on my mission have been during the quiet hour from 8-9 during my own personal study between me, The Lord, the scriptures, and my study journal.

If you ask for humility, The Lord will make you humble. He is EXTREMELY good at that.

If you will just communicate with your companion things will be 847,295,727% better.

Sometimes alcohol, weed, heroin, crack, and LSD make people more receptive to the Gospel!!!

Don't beat around the bush or try to sugar-coat things. Be bold and straight-up with people.

The Lord will absolutely, 100% of the time fill our mouths with the words we must say if we will just open them.

Even though it is never quite as glamorous nor gratifying, planting seeds always precedes the harvest, even if we never see the harvest nor take part in it.

The Lord really does keep his missionaries safe. (They really need safety walking the streets of Camden.)

The greatest joy that comes to one in this life is through selfless service.

The prayers of a righteous family availeth much. Prayers really are felt!

Christ is the Master of simplicity. Satan is the master of complexity.

No Random Thoughts!!! Most of those random thoughts are the Spirit

prompting us.

Prophets and apostles are real. Heed their teachings and you will see  the promises they make fulfilled right before your eyes.

Bruce R. McConkie really knew his stuff.

Preaching the Gospel isn't really that hard, you just have to make an effort to do it.

Show me someone who is keeping the commandments out of their own free will and choice and I will show you a happy person (see Mosiah 2:41).

We can't reach our potential unless we have a vision of what we want to accomplish, then set goals and make plans accordingly.

When we realize what divine potential we have to become like God, nothing this world has to offer should ever cross our mind.

The Bible really does testify of the restoration of the Gospel.

I could never marry a Puerto Rican. They yell too much.

As you keep a daily journal you recognize the hand of The Lord in your personal life.

Well there's an extremely short sample of the things I have learned in two years of full time service. What is most important is that I have learned and come to know that the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ is true. From what I have seen, heard, and felt, I cannot doubt that any longer. I have committed to be a devoted disciple of Christ for the rest of my life. My most important convert on my mission has been myself. I know it. I am so stinking excited to see y'all in a week.

Love ya!

Elder Mike Dial

It's August!!!

I really don't know what to say about this. 

Holy fetch. It's August. That's pretty weird. Yo. We had 7 investigators at church yesterday. Not as many as our 9 last week, but hey, I ain't complaining.

So on Tuesday we taught Claribel, and it was a super good lesson. We kind of have to speed teach her because she wants to get baptized next Sunday. We taught the first three lessons. Went well. She understands stuff. Not perfectly, but ya don't need to understand perfectly. That comes with time and in eternity. We also taught another Dominican member family. They are pretty neat! We ate some good Dominican food and taught the non member mother. We will see how it goes. We then saw Marco. He is stronger than an elephant wearing trousers on a Sunday afternoon. He is stoked about baptism. Taught the Ten Commandments today. He got them. Super stoked for him. Yup. That's what we did. Don't know what else to write. Love life.

On Saturday we taught a bunch of lessons. We first taught this 16 year old kid named Michael. He's kind of a punk, but so are all 16 year olds. Haha teenagers have a very interesting view about God and religion. Like Elder Holland would say, "Talk about man creating God in his own image." What people don't understand is that God has given us commandments. If we will just believe and obey, we will be alright. But people are lazy and don't want to do anything, so they make up their own God. That was the sentiment of the conversation we had with Michael. We will see how it goes with him.

We then saw the Espinal family. That's Maira, her daughters Genesis and Suhailey, Maira's mom, Aura, and then I think her brother, David. We had a good lesson about faith, repentance, baptism, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. That family is gonna get baptized very soon. They are one of the reasons that I was sent here to Camden. I love it when I see the hand of The Lord in my life. I just click with them, and I love studying the Gospel with them. Even Genesis, who is 15, is reading in the Book of Mormon and highlighting what impresses her. Like her book is marked up. It is a super cool thing to see. They all committed to come to church. I hope they can stay for the three hours. Gonna be a good time.

We then went and saw Claribel, who is getting baptized next Sunday. She is super incredibly quiet. Getting answers out of her is somewhat similar to pulling teeth out of a squirrel with its mouth clamped shut, but that's ok. She has been coming to church since December, and knows the stuff. She sometimes just doesn't know it by the name we call the certain commandment. She has her baptismal interview Monday because she is going on girls camp all next week. That's gonna be a super good experience for her. Super excited for her!!

Well, pretty much love y'all to death, but for now, I love this disgusting city of Camden more. We are super stoked. Two baptisms next Sunday. Marco and Claribel. I'm giddy. In denial. Not coming home. Love ya, but sorry. I love this work so much. There is nothing I've ever done that has made me so happy or has made me grow as much as missionary work has. It is the best thing I have ever done. If you have the chance take it. 

Love, Mike