Changes!

Well the mission had changes this week, but don`t worry niether I nor my companion had changes this time around! So that means that officially I will be my companions last companion! This week was a good week! We have 3 baptisms coming up on sunday so we are in full swing preparation for those! 

I have spent some time thinking about the mission and all that happens here and why so many missionaries come home chaged. Everyone always says "Wow you are so different." or "that guy shure changed a lot!" So why is it that they change? I think that there are lots of factors to this change, but I want to share one that came to my mind as I thought about it this week! 

To start off I want to share a short experience! When I was on the plane from Utah to Georgia on my way to the mission. I sat next to a man from India. There I shared a message about families. It seemed SO easy to me. He was very receptive and I came into the mission thinking that this was going to be a breeze sharing this message. Then when I arrived in Chile I remember trying to communicate with the people at the desks and realizing that I was in a new world! It seemed so big compared to my little bountiful and So daunting what I was about to face. Then In the MTC it was just as hard trying to figure out this spanish thing! Then when I got to the field and saw the mission I could not believe how many dogs there were and how fast the people talked and how far we walked and how small our house was! I realized early on that this was not going to be easy! In certain ways it wasn`t as hard as I thought but in other ways It was much harder than I could have imagined! But Now I understand why missionaries go home different than before! Because they are asked to do something hard! But it isn`t just something hard! It is a time that the Lord has told us that we should give to him! We are doing something hard for our Savior! I believe that these missionaries come home different because they are brought to their knees and pray in a way that they have never done before, Because they feel a fraction of the same joy and sadness that Christ felt, And because they understand that with Sacrifice blessings will ALWAYS follow! 

I am so grateful for my time here! Where I have come to know and love my Father in Heaven and My savior Jesus Christ! I Truly LOVE this work and being a missionary! 

Love Elder Groen!!

I`m Grateful for...

I think that many times in this life we get full of expectations for things to happen. And when they don`t happen we tend to be frusterated that they didn`t happen! So this week I realized that maybe I wasn`t being grateful enough for the things that the Lord has been giving me and I was taking for granted the spirit that He has given me and the strength that he gives me! 

When a new missionary gets to the mission field they are blown away at the miracles and it seems like they are full of the spirit and teach with such power! I think one of the reasons for this is because it is all so new! The spirit that goes with them is new and it guides and leads them and they teach with this spirit frequently! Some missionaries have told me that they don`t feel like they did when they started their missions. I think it might not be that they don`t have the spirit, but more that they have forgotten to give thanks for that spirit! They do not recognize it like they did before. 

I think one of the keys to recognize the gifts that we have been given and have them present in mind is through a grateful heart! We need to be grateful for the things that the Lord has given us! He has given us many things! We only need to open our eyes and see them and give him thanks for them. Then I believe that our attitude will change towards life and all the things that we are doing! 

I have loved this week trying to ask myself in what ways the Lord has blessed me! And it seems that I really do have too many blessings to count! I can`t even comprehend ALL of the things that he has given me!!!! My Father in Heaven loves me enough to give me a loving family, good friends, the church in my life, and more than anything else He gave me a Savior who would love me and guide me in every way possible! I want to give you all this simple invitation to "count your blessings"! I bet that if you do it you won`t be able to count them all! and then you will feel the love of the Lord in your life!!! 

I testify that he loves us individually! He knows us and blesses us!! I love the Savior and have come to know him more than ever here in the mission!!! 

Love Elder Groen!

Miracles are Real!

We are feeling really good about the work in the sector right now! We are seeing so many miracles!! We have a few reactivations that are really close and a few really strong baptismal dates. It is such a blessing to see people change their lives and desires to try and come to know their Savior. I think that is one of my favorite parts of this work! When I can see a true change take place in the heart of someone! 

This week we had a really special moment. After the zone conference on tuesday we tried to think of a way to apply what we learned and put in practice what we shared with the missionaries. So with a family that we are teaching Elder Hermosilla said he felt we should go by them and give them a challenge for our appointment the next day about the Book of Mormon and have them study the chapter of Mosiah 18 and to teach us the next day. We had challenged the 3 kids to be baptized on the 22 and the Father to pray about baptism. Then we went back to teach them on Wednesday night. What happened was excatly what Clay Christensen said would happen. We had them teach us. The Father comes from a Jehovas Witness background which is usally very difficult, but after teaching us he looked at us and said "the more I read this book the more I know it is true. And now I know that I will be baptized. I don`t know when still, but I know I will." We were so Happy then the mom of the family who is a less active said that they had already been talking as a family and decided that they would go to church on that day and would never leave again. We were so happy for them and all that they were feeling. Then the oldest Child a daughter named Nayadeth who is 18 said, "Elders, I got my answer. I am going to be baptized on the 22 of November. I had a dream that I was with my family on the first day that they came to church, but I was dressed in all white! I know I will be ready by that date!" That was one of the most powerful and spirit filled lessons that I have ever been a part of, and it might have been the lesson that I spoke less than any other lesson! I am so greatful to know that the spirit is working in these people and that they are growing and learning every day! I love this gospel and my Savior too! 

So I just want you to all know that the Lord watches over us and is constantly trying to bless us! I learned another special lesson this week! and I think I might have some new favorite scriptures to add to my list! I just want to say that I love this work and I love to serve! It is something that I have learned gives me true happiness when I am serving and loving others! I love you all SOO much And I pray for you all often! 

Love the skinny kid from bountiful! Elder Groen! 

p.s. here are the awesome scriptures! Aren`t they so bright and full of hope!! 

 Revelation 21:3-4 3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

 4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

Also

1 Corinthians 2:9 2 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

Short 'N Sweet

Well I just want to tell you all that the Lord knows us and Loves us more than we can understand! I find out more and more every day that He loves me! I know that he will help us through any trial and any struggle if we but give our will to him and let him take over! 

This week we were able to teach a few really special people! We have two less active members that are now going to church and almost a complete reactivation, and we have 4 baptismal dates for the 22 of November and we are Very excited for them also!! The work is definitely working here in Chile! I love you all and hope that you all have a great week! 

Con Amor Elder Groen!

Oh just playing my weed whacker, er, uh, cutting the grass. 

A mighty change has taken place in my Heart!

Dearest Family and Friends

      I want to share with you all a special experience that I had during a personal study this week! I was studying in the Book of Mormon, and while i was reading i started to think about who I am and who i was before and who i want to become. I was thinking about htis and I started to think about how I got here to where I am today and to be who I am today! I was thinking when I realized that all that I have is from my loving Heavenly Father! For example My parents taught be many valuable lessons as a child and gave me a home to live! I will be forever grateful to them for that service and for ALL they have done but the one who gave me them was my Father in Heaven! I was also given incredible friends! People who showed me by action what real happiness is! But again My Father in Heaven was the one who put me here and gave me them! And All of you who read this letter have also impacted me and my life in ways that you do not know! And I am so grateful for you and your dedication, but I must recognize again that my Father in Heaven gave me each of you!!! I had never thought of it like that before! But it is literally all from him! Everything that we have or are is from our Father in Heaven! He loves us and watches out for us! 

      We have 4 new baptismal dates for the 22 of november! It is a miracle that we have found all of these people! The Lord is guiding us and helping us in ALL of our efforts! 

Love Elder Groen!  

A week of miracles!

      When I got to the sector and we had a few days of work together I began to talk with my new companion about the work and about what he has seen in his 21 months here in the mission. We started talking about miracles. Then after talking about the miracles that we had seen we talked about how they happen and how we could have them happen to us! Then we decided that we needed some miracles to help us find some new investigators. So we stopped right there in the street and prayed that the Lord would lead us to someone who needed this message! We then walked for a little while and then we both started walking towards a house that we saw. We went to it and contacted it. Then a young guy came out and started listening to us his name is Maxi. He asked us to come back another day to teach him more and so today in the night we are going to go back and teach him. 

      By this point I was amazed that the Lord answered our prayer and we found someone so quickly! The next day we were walking and all of our appointments had fallen and we were walking to go contact some houses! Then my companion turned to me and said "If you and I have the faith the Lord is going to give us another miracle!" So I said a prayer in my heart asking to know how this miracle would come then kept on walking. we then saw a young man cleaning his yard so we went to talk to him and we had a lesson with him and we are going back on Friday! 

      I have always believed that the Lord gives answers, but I don´t think that I was a strong believer in miracles like this! But this week I learned that the Lord will give us what we ask for, as long as it is a righteous desire and if we have sufficient faith! So I will keep on asking for miracles! Because I know the Lord will bless this work and help these people progress! 

I know this church is true and that Christ lives! I love you all and pray for you often! 

Love Elder Groen! 

Changes!

   This week I had changes and now i am in a ward that is in the same zone and stake as my last ward. I am with my companion Elder Hermosilla from Santiago Chile! The ward here has about 180 members! 

       It came as a big surprise to me to hear that I had changes! I had only been with Elder Johnson for about 3 weeks and I only had one change in that old sector! In this misison the missionaries tend to stay in one area for about 6 months is normal. So I was expecting that, but I only stayed for 6 weeks. It caught us all off guard. It was hard. I don´t like saying goodbye and not to mention that I am a cry baby too... 

     Anyways I know that everyone is talking about it, but how can you not? CONFERENCE!!! It was so incredible to go into conference with real and sincere questions in my heart! I watched as one by one the Lord answered my prayers! Including the 3 new apostles were direct answers to my prayers! It was just like Bishop Hanks always says! If you go with a question they will talk to you! It was like that for me! The world seemed to drown out and I was alone with them for those short talks! I really think that they were talking to me and what I needed! 

    This week I spent time thinking about the profets since Adam. Every one of them passed for a trial that made them better people and more devoted servants of the Lord! I believe that trials are the Lord´s way of saying I love you! Sometimes we feel or say why are you punishing me like this, but he is saying I only want you to be able to grow and become better! In this past month I felt for a moment like I was alone. But because I had that trial I was able to grow more than I could have imagined! 

    I testify that the Lord knows us individually and is at our side in all moments!!! He spent time completely alone so that we would never have to!!! He loves You and he loves me! I know that this is the truth! I testify of this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. 

Love Elder Groen  

Elder Groen & Elder Hermosilla (Mom editorial: Ethan was quick to reassure me that the picture was not taken in his room.)

Elder Peterson, former Zone leader and Elder Groen, new Zone leader 

The Zone