The Atonement is Real!!

Well we finished the week out alright, but the crazy thing happened on Sunday, so i am going to just skip to Sunday. We woke up and went to the chapel to have some meetings with the bishop, then went to sacrament meeting. Our recent convert blessed the sacrament for the first time and he only had to say it two times! one of the sister missionaries was speaking when the bishop waved down my companion to come up and talk to him. He went up and the bishop said that sister salgado a sister in the ward said that her husband was really bad and to send the missionaries right away if he could. I don´t know if i told you all or not but her husband had cancer and was told that he only had 3-9 months left to live. they said that about a month ago. anyway we were walking as fast as we could half running and when we could see their house we saw an ambulance outside. so we ran to there house and just walked in and one of their sons said what was going on. He said his dad was not breathing and that they had him hooked up to oxegyn. one of the parametics said he needed the stretcher and he needed to go to the hospital so we helped get the stretcher ready. then the other parametic said he is leaving us. we can´t take him now... So they took off the oxegyn and said to the family say what you want to him. Then they left. The family all said goodbye even though he could not respond at all and we did too. Then he died at 10:45 in the morning. We stayed with them the whole day after that. We helped dress him and put him in the cascet and take him to the chapel for the viewing and everything. We had a little devotional in the night and then all left for our houses. Then one Monday morning we opened the chapel at 8:30 because the family of Brother Salgado lives far away and couldn´t be there on time on Sunday... so we opened it for them, got them all situated, and then left for our district meetings and visits throughout the day. we passed by throughout the day to see how everyone was doing and then in the night we had a big devotional with all of the members and family. His and her families are not members. I sang a hymn with one of the sister missionaries in the middle and Sister Salgado started to cry... It was really special that we had so many members at church to support this family! Then on Tuesday morning we opened up the church again for all of them and one of her sons had made a slide show with pictures of him and music, and asked if we could have another little devotional before the hurse came. so of course we said yes and put together a little devotional. There were no other members they were all working. So I was asked to direct the meeting and give the closing prayer... the last prayer that was given before we went to the cemetary. I was so nervous, but i know that the spirit was with All of the family and spoke to each of them. We then went to the cemetary with the family and said goodbye for the last time to Brother Salgado. 

         He was a really funny guy. He said a lot of jokes that i didn´t get or understand so i just laughed with him anyways! He Felt terrible that he spent so much time in the hospital not helping provide for his family, so his last month he helped in everyway he could! It was really touching to hear his wife talk about how he demanded that he was going to buy his kids school clothes for this school year not his kids or his wife HIM. because he wanted to do it for his last time. Friday before he died he woke up and said to his wife that he wanted to go to the beach with her. So they went to the beach together and spent their second to last day at the beach and they had no idea it was about to end... I think that Heavenly Father was involved in all that happened SOOOO much he was so good to that family in their last week with him. 

       Family i ask that you can all pray for his family. He is in another place where he now has a great work to do, but his 5 children and wife are now without a spouse and a dad... They need all of the prayers they can get! please take time to give a little prayer to this Salgado Family!

    It was a week different than anyother, but i was strengthend by it and i know that the Atonement is real and Families live Forever!!!!

Love, Elder Ethan Groen 

A week of interviews!

Hey yall!

          Well we have been at about 40 people in our church on sundays because of vacations... and we are limited in who we can visit because EVERYONE is gone, but they are about to end and we are SOOO Happy for that! even with the vacations we have almost been getting the standards of excellence for our mission! we are pretty happy about that! 

        On Monday we had interviews with president! He always has a way of helping you leave with more confidence and a desire to do more than before! He always tells me funny stories! this week he told me that Elder Zwick said he was going to call him and never did! Then he said thats just Elder Zwick! 

       other than that It was a normal week with lots of work when a few families come back we are hoping for a few baptisms!!!!!!

     With A lot of Love Elder Groen!!!

I saw a miracle and I cannot deny it!

      Friday morning i woke up and did my morning just like always! Then we finished our studies and I was about to leave the house! I had this overwhelming impression that I was forgetting something! So i walked back into the study room and thought for a second. then it hit me i didn't have my emergency fund! As missionaries we are asked to have an emergency fund at all times of about 40 dollars or 20,000 pesos. I did not have my money for the month yet from the ATM but i did have 20,000 pesos in one bill from my personal money that i had, had for quite a while! i almost used that money many times, but something kept me from using it. Back to Friday! I put it in my Agenda and we Left, after it happened i thought nothing of it and kept on going! Later in the day we had a lesson with an investigator and we finished about 30 minutes late. that is usually bad we try to not be in a lesson for more than an hour, but this day was for 1hr and 30 min. for some reason we both felt calm and didn't try to end the lesson on time. I really don't know why we did that! We left the house and started to go to our next plan. it wasn't a fixed lesson, but we did want to pass by this person. but then on the way we ran into Gloria. We talked to her for a bit and then she said Leocadio (her boyfriend) was not doing very well. he was sad and work was bad this day. So we said yeah lets go to their house. When we got their he was down in the glumps and he said he needed to pay about 16 dollars or 8,000 pesos to a lawyer so he needed to sell a painting. so i tried to lighten his mood by asking about his paintings. He is a painter. and when i asked i got a prompting that i should buy a painting! So we taught a lesson on sacrifice and how we always recieve blessings after sacrifice! Then at the end of the lesson i told him i wanted to buy one of his paintings for our house. he said which one i was prompted to say "the big one" He said yes for 15,000 pesos or 30 dollars and i said I am pretty sure it is 20,000 pesos because I only have one bill for 20,000 pesos please keep the rest for you and Gloria. He looked at me and his eyes filled with tears. Then he looked at Gloria and they hugged and cried for about 2 minutes, then he hugged me and said we have been without food for the past day and thought we would have to go for longer, because we need to pay the bills first. Then we were able to help him recieve help from the church while he is trying to work out this problem with the lawyer. I look back at all that happned that day and realize that there was not one moment of that day the the Lord was not leading us with is hand! 

       What would have happened if I never went back for the 20,000 Pesos? Probably Nothing! I urge you all to think about the promptings of the spirit. I don't think that Bad things will happen if we don't very often, but i do think their is a better and happier plan waiting if we are willing to listen and Act on the promptings!!! 

Love Elder Ethan Groen! 

P.S. Stay tuned for next week when we will find out what happens to Elder Groen and Elder Lopez when they go on changes with a cat for 3 hours!! 

Work is work and fun is fun, but it sure gets quiet when the gold fish dies!

This week was a good week! we worked good and long every day! We had divisions on monday and i went to the other sector with the companion of my district leader! They have a really tough sector! they don't get a whole lot of lessons and they don't have many helpful members... I am sure glad for the ward we are in now! After a lot of work and contacting we now have families to teach and people that are progressing!

    I want everybody to read alma 8 this week in your personal study and think about how you can be like alma and preach the word and if it means go back to where it was hard do it!!!

     I sure love you all please have the best of weeks!!! 

                Love Elder Groen!!