"A Marvelous Work"

Hello Family and Friends,

This week has been pretty crazy! Had a lot of meetings and were all over the place this last week.

There are a lot of hindrances for those who are very close to making huge steps in their lives. The Ruiz family has been doing super great especially these past 3 weeks or so. They had a plan and were preparing for baptism this coming July 30th, but because of temptation, Brother Ruiz broke the Word of Wisdom or the Lord's law of health.... But the good news is, he's made such huge progress from being a hardcore smoker to being almost completely clean! Its been a big blessing for their family. Because of that, Sister Jessa will be baptized first this upcoming week and Brother will have to follow. Sister Jessa has been ready for over a month and we feel that she should be baptized and receive full fellowship in the church. The real goal is the temple, so they will be able to go there together for sure.

I've been studying a lot about early Church History these past few days and have really just felt refreshed. I know that Joseph Smith was called of God and this is the work Isaiah saw that is a "marvelous work and a wonder" The Restoration of the Gospel happened and this is the Church of Jesus Christ. Have a great week! 

Elder Navarro

pictures: 

1) The "New Missionaries and Trainers Meeting" Just after 4 weeks in the field. 

2) Got to go back to my 3rd area and see some members I knew there.

Magat Dam

Hey family and friends,

I feel like I just glanced at my watch and all of the sudden it read, "July." Its crazy how fast time has been going.

This week has been great! We had our Missionary Leadership Council for the first time with our new mission president, President Hiatt and it was very different, but it was a powerful meeting all about teaching repentance. It really is a great gift from Heavenly Father and actually a miracle that we can repent. 

I was thinking about it this last week and it is such a great privilege to be able to "testify" in front of people. Testify of the happiness that people can have through the gospel. People have made 180 degree turns through this message and its super saddening to see people reject even "trying the virtue of the word." But for those who do, its  night and day the difference it makes in their lives.

We went to Magat Dam this morning with the zone and had a great time! I love boating and being out on the water! Reminds me of being out on Lake Lowell, even though it was a little dirty.. haha. But I know this work is true. Joseph Smith saw what he said he saw. There's no way he could've done the things he did, had he not been called of God. 

Have a great week!

Elder Navarro

Walang Hanggang Pag-unlad

I don't really have much time. Highlights of the week: Mini Zone Conferences with President and Sister Hiatt, great, great people! I know they were called of God. Brother Rey and Brother Michael's baptism was on Saturday! Such a sweet, satisfying feeling! The work is great. I know that its true! Have a great week!

Elder Navarro

HAPPY 4th of JULY!

HAPPY 4th of JULY!

 Well this has been quite the week! Its been hard seeing President and Sister Rahlf say goodbye for the last time to so many people! And since we're with him a lot more than others, he kept telling us, "we'll just save our goodbye for the very last moment" and that moment happened on Friday morning. We had Elder Higgins with us since he was flying with them to Manila to get his thyroid checked out, and we went to pick up President and Sister Rahlf at the hotel and then bring them to the airport in Cauayan. It was super sad to see them leave. He's been a great mission president and I've learned so much from him and Sister Rahlf.

But President and Sister Hiatt have been really awesome so far! From the second they got here, we could feel their energy and enthusiasm for the work! The first night when we met him,he asked us, "Elders, do you have any appointments tonight? Or did you leave your schedule pretty open?" We left it open, then he said, "okay great! Sister Hiatt and I want to go out and work with you tonight!" And so they did! We went out with President and Sister Hiatt on their first night to teach the Ruiz family! Elder Higgins was also with us so we had the 3 of us, the mission president, and his wife all there at 1 teaching appointment! Haha Had a great lesson with them. We've met with President Hiatt several times since then just discussing the mission and some of his plans and just to "talk about the future." This week, we have a "Meet the President" meeting with the Hiatts on Tuesday, Wed, and Thurs in 3 different places in the mission. We'll be with him for those three days. It'll be fun! But he's a great man and sister Hiatt is a great woman. I know they were called of God and I'm super excited for some of the things that will be happening in the mission in these next few months!

But the work has been going great as usual! Brother Rey and Michael Ordoñez were interviewed yesterday and passed so they'll be baptized this Saturday! Brother Michael was literally like an ex-gang member but now he's turned his life around bigtime! They're super fun to teach! Brother Michael Ruiz (Jessa's husband) has also made huge steps! His desire has increased a lot lately and he's stopped smoking cigarettes! They have a baptismal date for the 16th so we're excited to have a couple that will be baptized this month! I cant complain at all with the success we've been having! I know that its really because Heavenly Father has been preparing these people.

I had an interesting thought this last week... Its bothered me several times on my mission, "why was I so blessed to grow up in America, with a strong LDS family, a great community, strong friends in the church, great leaders, not poor circumstances, etc. while others were not blessed with as much." I think I finally realized at least one of the reasons: to put me/us in a position to find and baptize the people that we have found and baptized and brought into the church. It was a solemn moment when I thought that and I immediately felt the spirit. No matter what our situations are I know Heavenly Father knows and understands us.

Elder Navarro