All to Come Unto Him

We're Back !!! Sorry it's been a little bit everyone, I hope you are all doing fantastic. Seguimos en La Ofi

y en Salta, and ooohohhhh Boyyy do we HAve some good Neeeewwwss: Templo de Salta Argentina, Open House, is coming soon. And wow, it's already affecting the work in beautiful ways.

I'll catch you up a bit to what's going on here in Salta. I'm still in the office and still in Barrio Tribuno, the literal ward that has the Temple in its boundaries, so let's just say the Lord has work for us to do. The last couple weeks we were teaching Bauti and his brother Lucas and their family. Bauti was progressing most of all, having gone to Church a handful of times with a friend he made in the lessons, Tomas. (This kid is incredible Tomas, literally just a full on Amulek member missionary, incredible). After the first lesson we had with Tomas and the family, we left 3 Nefi 11 for them to read, and as we returned the next day, we asked Lucas if they had read. He was like, 'yeah, we read the first verse together...and then I read the rest, but I don't know if Bauti did' then Bauti came out of the house super nonchalant and started full on quoting 3 Nefi 11, so.... wow. We taught them for a while, two Sundays ago, Bauti even went up and shared His Testimony of Jesus Christ. It was so powerful, to see his testimony grow, and to have the desire to share it. He has invited friends as well to come and see. And did I forget to mention, he shared His testimony that Sunday!!! (I know I already said it, but man it just amazes me). It was a wonderful, spiritual experience. (And the member, Tomas, has been a huge support: Explaining how everything works in the church, showing him around, helping with questions, helping him set up an account of Family Search, and helping him to share his testimony of Christ). He was preparing for a baptism that would have been last week, but both a surprise to him and to us, had to leave for Tucumán out of the blue. We had one last lesson in the pouring rain, with some members, to prepare him to continue to build his testimony while he's out in the middle of nowhere in Tucumán, and said goodbye. But I already know, with the support the members are giving and with his faith, he will be coming back with a testimony even stronger. (The picture bellow is us with the member Tomas and Lucas, Bauti, their dad Marcelo who thought it was a once in a lifetime incredible moment that there was a Brazilian, Ecuadorian, and a North American all in one place, so he call over the mason working on the house next door to take a picture). We found a new family, the familia Vaca, this week, that we just started to teach, A reference from the familia Villa Sabatte, (super genios) a family of fou, who's dad is a recent convert to the church. We swung by for the first visit, and the mom was a little unsure, but we ended the lesson with a prayer that she said really touched her heart, and she invited us to pass the next day. We left them with an invitation to read 3 Nefi 18, about praying in the family and to say a prayer as a family that night, and they did all of the above. Seems like a great family, and they want to get to know the church. We'll see how it goes. These last few weeks as well we were teaching Mateo Vaca (a different family). He is the grandson of one of the families in our ward, and the last in the family who was never baptized. His family has been coming back to Church, and it was something he wanted for his family for a long time, to be back in the church with his mom and siblings. And we started to teach and prepare him, his cousin was a great support along the way, they could teach us those two, Mateo y Fabio. Fabio, the cousin, was preparing to receive the priesthood right before the baptism. Everything lined up perfectly, Mateo grew his testimony more and more, and his cousin was able to baptize him. Something I know neither of them will ever forget President gave me a new name tag this week from the bathroom light that wasn't working, I got stuck in the middle of the pouring rain at night, and I'm still having to help people get quick care after getting bit by dogs every once and a while. It's the sweet life. Really, it's spectacular. Every time a taxi driver asks what it's like, I can't help but smile, chuckle a moment and explain how incredibly and strangely wonderful it is to sacrifice this time to the Lord. What a blessing it is to share the good news of our Good Shepherd to all these people, to see them welcome Him into their lives, and to see the influence that He has. It is wonderful. Surely doesn't seem like much of a sacrifice at all. Sus Atalayas Somos: He truly invites ALL, to "Come Unto Him" and it is wonderful to me that he allows us to help make those invitations, to invite others to come and see, come and stay. In what ways have you seen that we can invite others to come unto Christ? Let me Know. Mason.Shepherd@missionary.org Until Next Time, Love you all, bye

2 Nefi 26:33 he ainviteth them ball to ccome unto him and partake of his goodness; and he ddenieth none that come unto him, black and white, ebond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the fheathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile.