Monday, February 8th

Hey Family!


This week, I got to admit, was hard but it always is, but the weekends make up all the difference. I LOVE THE MISSION!!! It is tough but it is good for me. I just admire those missionaries that give all they got and never give up and always smile (like Monson) that kid seems like he is having the time of his life, Oh man I can just imagine us both as companions WE WOULD CHANGE THE WORLD!!! HAHAHA I want to be just like that but sometimes I get so overwhelmed that it makes it hard to be happy. I am really improving (I think).

Things happen that I can’t control and really it’s something that I’m learning here in the mission because a lot of stuff does happen. The mission is the hardest when you try to do everything on your own because I AM NOTHING WITHOUT THE HELP OF GOD. It is true that when I try to work my butt off and do everything I can, it’s still is not enough, it never is enough. It’s not even enough when my companion and I are both working hard because the people are still going to reject us, they are going to make fun of us, and then we get discouraged. This week I learned how to ask for Gods help, and he helped me. We still didn’t complete all of our companionship goals, because my companion doesn’t want to work, (at one point he wanted to go home) but I completed all of my personal goals. I just wish things were quieter and I can find a reverent place to communicate better with Him, but He knows I’m trying and I know I’m trying so that’s what makes it enough.

Well I just want to recount of one of the many awesome experiences this week.
Last night, we just taught a in-active family that haven’t been going to church for about 7 years and I talked with them for 3 hours and we pretty much resolved everything, they thanked me and told me that they will see me at church.

After we left we still had a ton of contacting to get done and my companion didn’t feel like doing anything. So I start contacting people and I had a really good feeling this whole day, and I have to say, it was God’s love that I was feeling inside.

Well, we were passing by some houses and there was a group of women sitting outside so I start talking with them, they didn’t want to listen, they said they were busy talking, and so I said "Okay, well do you have any questions that you would like answered before we leave?" One lady was sitting in the chair with this group of ladies and the whole time never said anything until I asked if they have questions, she looked up at me and asked "Who is this Joseph Smith?"

I told her, he was a prophet called of God sent to restore the church of Jesus Christ to the earth and we represent this church. Then she said, “I’m a pastor of my Christian church and there is no where in the Bible that says "Joseph Smith" .

"Yes I know, its like in the Old Testament it doesn’t say Jesus Christ, only in the New Testament.

She sat there for a bit, and they I started "Hermana, we believe in Jesus Christ that He is the Son of God and that he originally formed his church while he was upon the earth and that after his death of Christ and His apostles, His church was taken from the earth".

"Today we have prophets, men who are special witnesses of Christ, who testify of Christ, that He lives, that He loves us, and that He speaks to us through his prophets."

She then wanted to know how we have prophets and they let me sit down in the chair with them.

So I taught her from the beginning of how Jesus Christ organized his church, that there was a great apostasy, and how it was restored. I then started to tell her by the "fruits of the prophets you will know" (ha-ha I don’t really remember what that verse is in English but in Spanish it is "por los frutos conocereis"

I taught her of the Book of Mormon, that the angel Moroni revealed the location of where the plates where hidden to the prophet Joseph Smith.

As soon as I said "angel and reveal" she started to look for something in the bible flipping through the pages and I was thinking "oh man what she doing now?" (She seemed to have a scripture to contradict me and tell me I’m wrong but I had some too, but more I had that I had the help of the Holy Ghost). She then read me the scripture that says something like "and if a man or any angel FROM HEAVEN reveals a different gospel then what we have been taught, let him be accursed."

I knew this was one of the scriptures that had changed its meaning during the great apostasy, so I told her "Hermana, do you thing God would send down one of his angels to tell a lie?! " "This boy, Joseph Smith, saw God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ… I know that...it is no lie, do you really think I would leave my country, my family, and come to Nicaragua to tell a lie?" I looked her straight in the eye and I told her "I know this church is true and that Joseph Smith was called of God to restore the gospel, and you can know for your self by reading the Book of Mormon…the fruit that testifies of Christ.

She looked like she was going to cry then she put on an angry face and told me "THE BIBLE IS THE TRUTH" then I said "Im sorry.....and Im sorry to all the rest of you sisters if I offended anyone, but without a prophet of God, who talks with God, to tell you what the bible really says... you will never know the truth.
I then shook everyone’s hand and left.

I felt really weak after and sad…I know that they felt the spirit cause my companion did ( he was whining the whole day and after the lesson, he kept quiet for the rest of the night)

Well I’m almost out of time. I love you all and thank you for all your prayers, love and support.

Elder Buck