Week 63: "Go Wherever Your Best Prayers Take You"

HEY EVERYONE

SO THIS LAST WEEK WAS A PRETTY GOOD ONE! MAYBE ONE OF THE BEST ONES!!

So about 2 months ago, I wrote a letter about how we found a family in our area, and today, and I am going to retell it for those who missed.

On one beautiful Thursday, Elder Guerra and I had just finished planning for the week. We were pretty anxious to find a complete family since that had been a common request in many of our prayers. This Thursday, we were tired of not finding one, so we decided to do an experiment to test Gods ability to lead us to a family that was ready to receive the Gospel. We grabbed the map of our area, and we divided it into three groups, and we gave a number to each one. Then, we got on our knees and said a prayer. We asked God to indicate to us which number was the location that we needed to go to, to find the family that He had prepared. When we finished the prayer, we agreed that on the count of three, we would say the number that was most predominant in our mind. 1, 2, 3, boom. We said the same one. OK, it was the first time, there are just three numbers, beginners luck right? So we took that area that we had agreed on, and we divided it into 3 again and did the same thing. Once again, we said the same number. We repeated this process 6 times, and every time that we prayed together, we said the same number (one time we decided to pray individually, and this was the only time that we spoke a different number. We took it as a hint that God wanted us to be united).  We got it down to three streets out of our entire area.This was the last time we would pray, and we could both feel the Spirit very strongly. After repeating the process for the final time, we both spoke the same street name: Calle Serena. This very hour, we left the house and practically sprinted to the street, absolutely sure that it was where God needed us to go, and not just the result of some silly guessing game. In search of a family, we spotted a parked mini van outside a house. We knocked on the door, a grown man opened, and a few moments later, we met the familia Torres Ibarra.  

2 months later on the 2nd of May 2015, that amazing and beautiful family entered the waters of baptism together. It was one of the most amazing days of my entire mission. Seeing their faces as they left the font and as they celebrated together in a group hug, was a memory that I will cherish for the rest of my life. 

I am absolutely 100% sure, and do not have a single doubt that Elder Guerra and I were once again led by the Lord to find this family, proof that not only does God exist, but that he answers the prayer said with faith and real intention. I love this work so much, and am so so so grateful to have been the means by which this family could grow one big step closer to God. 

Love you Mommys!!! Talk to you all on Sunday!!!

Elder Bernal

"Go wherever your best prayers take you."

   - Frederick Buechner

Week 62: "I Fear No Man"

Hello!

It was another great week in Hermosillo, I must say. Due to a few minor changes in the mission, I now have another companion whose name is Elder Pineda! So there are now 3 of us. I thought it would be kind of annoying because one guy would always be like a third wheel, but its actually really fun. We joke around a good amount and Its fun to be with 2 other Latinos. They teach me a lot of Mexican slang so I can fit in a little more.

This week, I finished the Book of Mormon once again. What a blessing it is to be able to read such a book. As always, I put to the test the promise that is made to all in the final chapter, which is to "ask God, The Eternal Father, In the name of Christ, if these things are not true" (Moroni 7:4). I can testify to having received answer, and it wasn't for the first time! I know that the Book of Mormon is the Word of God, and that the work that I am doing, truly is the work of the Lord.

So this week, I read an article that really, really inspired me. Kind of changed my mission/entire life. A theme that I have taken away from this experience is the phrase "I fear no man." Fear has always been a topic that I have enjoyed talking about, because I simply love conquering my fears. Fear is also one of the most powerful weapons of the adversary, and is a tool that he uses to simply prevent us from reaching our potential. This week, after receiving the inspiration that I needed, I wanted to give God the reassurance that my loyalty is to him and I truly "fear no man." In the mornings when we were about to leave, I followed the advice from the article I read, and I would look myself in the mirror and say to myself several times, while pretending to look tough and changing poses, "I Fear No Man!" It would give me a good boost, and of course gave my companions a good laugh,

Now lucky for me, I do feel that in just about all areas of my mission, I show the Lord that I am not afraid. But shouting to a bus full of people a couple times did give me a rush. So this week, I decided to do it on every single bus that I boarded. It didn't matter if there was music playing, or we had just barely caught the bus and were puffing for air or whatever excuse i would normally come up with, I put myself in the middle of every single bus and time after time presented our message of the Restoration of The Gospel (even if some thought it was a little annoying!). There were moments when I felt a little bit of fear, but one time, I had an impactful realization. I was shouting for everyone to hear me, and everyone's eyes were fixed on me and it kinda got me nervous. But then, as I looked into the eyes of the people, I realized something. These are people, each one is a Child of God. As made eye contact with each person that was looking at me, I was no longer talking to a bus full of people; I was talking to each one of them individually. The light in the eyes of each person reach so deep into depths of mine own, and in that moment I understood more the scripture that says, "The light of the body is the eye." The nerves went away, and the words came out. Because we had boarded a ton of buses this week, we had A TON of references from our efforts. And maybe the best part about the whole thing, was that I got my companion to do it too! After a few pushes, Elder Pineda took his turn to "fear no man" and shouted on a bus as well. 

One of my favorite scriptures is found in 2 Timothy 1:7 "For God hath not given us the spirit of Fear, but of love, of power, and of a sound mind." Fear is a product of the adversary, it is not sent from God. When we feel fear, regardless of what the situation may be, we need to recognize that it is the Devil playing games with us. The best way to go face to face with Satan and win, is to face our fears. This week, I can say I won, and I will continue to do so, because I Fear No Man.

I love my mission. I love every single minute. I think how I feel about my mission can be described in the words of CS Lewis in an awesome quote that I have heard throughout the years. "I believe in God as I believe that the sun has risen, not only because I see the sun, but because by it, I can see everything else." I am a witness that God lives, and that He loves each one of us, and all that I have witnessed in my mission is the evidence.

Have a great week!

Elder Bernal

P.S. Please Pray for the Familia Torres Ibarra. If all goes well, this Saturday the whole family will be getting baptized on Saturday!

Week 61: Happy Birthday Phil

Hey gang!

So this week was great because we finally saw the movies Meet the Mormons and it was killer. If you have seen it, you are really missing out on all the super secret information that we Mormons hide from all the earth!!!!!!!!! My favorite stories were about the Navy Football Coach, the Boxer wife from Puerto Rico, and the Dude from Nepal. Meet the Mormons, check it out.

I gave a talk on Sunday, that I was informed about Sunday morning, So that was great. I have no idea why, but even though I have been on much bigger stages, standing at the pulpit of the Sacrament Room to give a talk is the most nerve wracking experience that practically makes me chest explode from all the nerves. Good thing I left on my mission so I could have to years to prepare for my homecoming talk, right right??????

Instead of telling stories, this week I am going to send you a ton of photos that I am way behind on. Hope you enjoy!!


Love,
Elder Bernal

"And, before you think I forgot.... HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BEST FRIEND PHIL FRAZIER ON APRIL 14TH!!!!! LOVE YOU BUCKWHEAT!!! Don`t stop till it rain."

Week 60: "Working for God doesn´t pay much, but His retirement plan is out of this world!"

Hello!!

So, things have been pretty mellow lately. My new companion Elder Hernandez lives up to his looks and he is indeed a boss. We are having great time and life, as always, is superb.

General conference was awesome as usual, I hope that all of you were able to watch it. If you missed a session, or a talk or two, you need to do all that you can to watch them, because you never know if the talk you missed is the talk you need to hear. 

So my companion, Elder Hernandez, is super stoked to learn English. We have been practicing in the mornings, and as I helped him learn, I remembered how hard it is to learn a second language. There are so many little things that you have to remember, so many differences in the pronunciation, and so many different ways to talk But, this week, I came to the realization of one of the biggest evidences that I have to support the truth and reality of the Holy Ghost. In just a little more than a year, my ability to speak Spanish has transformed into something that is beyond my comprehension. There is no possible way in the world that I could ever have been able to speak Spanish at the level I do if I had done it all alone. No, it is simply not logical. The only possible way that I could have learned to speak the Spanish language in the short time that I have, is if God himself had helped me do it. And you know, the funny thing is that this fact is more evident than you would think. On days that I feel out of it, on days where my patience is thin, where I should have been loving when I was harsh, I can barely speak. I try to think every word out in my head, translate everything directly, and I cant do it. It doesn't work. Doing it my way, I sound like an old CD with a million scratches. But when I forget about myself, when I put my confidence in the Lord and let him take care of what I say, and I really focus on the people I don't have to think twice. The words come out as if I were speaking English. I am forever grateful for the help I have received from the Holy Ghost in learning another language, because I know I could have never done it alone. I know that His presence is real, and that He can help us accomplish ALL the things we desire if we put ALL of our trust in Him. 

And thank goodness I still have another 10 months to take advantage because I'm still trying to shake off the gringo accent :)


Until next week!
Elder Bernal

Inspiration of the Week, thanks to recently return Missionary Kaleb Evans!
"Working for God doesn´t pay much, but His retirement plan is out of this world!"


HA!!

Week 59: Goodbye Elder Guerra

Bueno pues...

Today is a very sad day........ I had to say goodbye to one of my favorite companions Elder Guerra, who is going to be going home after two years of a well served mission. That kid was so much fun to be companions with, and it was a really tough goodbye. Long live our legendary companionship.

In other news, my new companion is Elder Hernandez! I actually didn't know him very well before we were companions, but he already looks like a sweet dude, so I have no doubts that it has the potential to be yet another legendary companionship. Look out.

So Cynthia, one of our converts her in Villa de Seris is a psychologist, and she was telling us a bit of what her conversion was like. She was telling us a ton of things that we had never known about when we were teaching here, but it was really cool to hear the things that she went through. She said that as a psychologist, it is very easy for her to tell when people are lying, she can see when people are just going through the motions, and basically she pays really good attention to all human interactions. So with all that in mind, she told us that it was so easy for her to accept the Gospel and do the things we asked, because she could see genuineness in us. She said that the happiness that Elder Guerra and I radiated made it very easy for her to feel comfortable and also made her feel the desires to know more. Listening to hear tell us these things and seeing the sincerity and her eyes made me feel so so so incredibly happy for the blessings of the Gospel. If Cynthia was the only person that I had brought the gospel to in two years, it would be two years well spent.

We are looking forward to a good couple of weeks in Villa de Seriz, and we would appreciate all the love and prayers that you can send our way. In specific, I would greatly appreciate it if you could include the names of the Familia Ayala Yocupicio and Torres Ibarra in those prayers. They are two families that are very close to receiving the restored Gospel.

Love you all muchisimo!
Elder Bernal

btws... NICE SHOT GRANT PREISLER IN MARQUETTES WIN OVER VILLANOVA!! YEAH I SEE YOU FROM MEXICO KID

Week 58: Mangos!

Hey gang!

So this week was great because we finally saw the movies Meet the Mormons and it was killer. If you have seen it, you are really missing out on all the super secret information that we Mormons hide from all the earth!!!!!!!!! My favorite stories were about the Navy Football Coach, the Boxer wife from Puerto Rico, and the Dude from Nepal. Meet the Mormons, check it out.

I gave a talk on Sunday, that I was informed about Sunday morning, So that was great. I have no idea why, but even though I have been on much bigger stages, standing at the pulpit of the Sacrament Room to give a talk is the most nerve wrecking experience that practically makes me chest explode from all the nerves. Good thing I left on my mission so I could have to years to prepare for my homecoming talk, right right?????? HA

Instead of telling stories, this week I am going to send you a ton of photos that I am way behind on. Hope you enjoy!!


Love you all!
Elder Bernal

P.S. The only great thing about the weather heating up is the mangos!!!

Week 57: "A Life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives."

Hey everyone!

So my bad on last week. I got caught up in a few letters and I honestly just totally forgot to write. oops

Soooooo all is super well again. Not a whole lot of news. Here are some updates:

1. Sunday was an awesome day because 3 of the people who my companion and I were able to see get baptized had huge advancements in church. Cynthia, the younger one gave her first sacrament talk about The Resurrection of Christ, and she killed it. She was reading off scriptures from the Book of Mormon and citing past Prophets like it was nothing, and I wondered where the heck she learned this things because I definitely did not teach them to her! Then, the older Cynthia received her first calling in the church as the second counselor in the Young Women's organization!! AND THEN, Joaquin, Cynthia's brother, was interviewed to receive the priesthood and he will be getting it next Sunday, AND he taught the Sunday school class to the adults (with a little bit of help from his missionary companions :) and he also killed it. SO all in all, It was very beautiful Sunday to see such young converts progress so rapidly in the church. booya!

2. This next experience goes to show that you never know how much of an effect your actions will have. When I was in Nogales, I got to know a wonderful familia named Antonio Tufino. They are all members of the Church, and are great people. The father, has a sister who is not a member, along with the rest of her family. Missionaries had always passed by, but they never accepted any of them. When I found out about them, we immediately went to go find them and talk to them. At that time I didn't know that other missionaries had already gone to visit them many times, but their chat was very casual and informal. However this time the family let us come in and we shared a lesson about the restoration. We went back to the Familia Antonio Tufino and I told them that we had gone inside and talked, and all of them were in shock. They could not believe what we were able to break their shell and let us teach them! It was cool, and I felt all special inside for being "that missionary" to brake the shell. We continued to visit them occasionally, but I never saw anything big come out of it.

Then, this week. I get a call from a missionary. He told me that he saw the Familia Antonio Tufino at the temple, and the father really wanted to talk to me. I thought that was interesting, and I asked, "What did he need?" Then my missionary friend told me something I will never forget. The father of the Familia Antonio Tufino told my friend, "It's just that I have to much to thank Elder Bernal for. He was the first missionary to get through to my sister, and now, thanks to him, My sister and her entire family are going to be baptized this month."

Hearing these words brought an incredibly feeling of happiness to my heart. Although this man gave me way too much credit for merely initiating their journey to the Gospel, I was so incredibly happy to hear the news. I never realized that what I did could have had such a big impact on him, and the life of his sister. Such a simple act that was not very big on my part, had at eternal effect on the life of all of these dear people.

Never forget the impact of every little action you make. Although to you it may seem like just another little thing, to someone else it may be the most important of their day.

Inspiration for the Week:
"A Life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives."
Jackie Robinson



Have an great week!
Elder Bernal