This week was great! Yesterday we had the baptism of Marcel who is super firm and super excited about the gospel. He was bouncing off the walls before and was so happy afterwards ouch my heart. our other investigator Daniel that I told yáll about last week cut us that day, because  he´s from another state and decided he was going back the next day, so we said goodbye. He said to stop bye later the next day though in case he hadn´t let yet. But we assumed he left, even though we didn´t believe him. And I couldn´t help but feel that he still hadn´t left and that we need to go back. We went back, talked to his sister, and she said he still hadn´t left and his stuff was still everywhere. He wasn’t home at t that time because he found a friend and went off to a sitio to chill. We just hope he´s making good choices, because he told us that he still has a very strong addiction to drugs. We´ll be going back this week hopefully and try to keep working with him because he needs it. 

This week we met this lady knocking doors who is Buddhist and doesn´t believe in God at all, and actually seems to be against Him. She has passed through so much suffering in her life, and she used to be catholic, and left because she does not accept the idea of a Father sending his son to suffer and die. She doesn´t understand why Christ suffered for us if there is still going to be suffering. This really bothered me. In fact, I couldn´t sleep for several hours because of this lady. The next day I studied and studied to find an answer. Here´s what I found regarding the atonement of Christ:

The Atonement consists of Christ´s sinless life, suffering in the garden of gethsemane, death on the cross, and his resurrection(or triumph over death). The Atonement covers everyone unconditionally, meaning we will all be resurrected and have immortal bodies– everyone who has ever lived, good or bad. BUT the Atonement is conditional individually, according to our own sins. We can utilize the Atonement by having faith in Jesus Christ, repenting, being baptized and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost under the priesthood authority of Christ, and enduring to the end, or striving to be better every day. No matter what, the atonement is there. Christ suffered for our sins so we can live with our heavenly father again. Whether we accept it or not, it happened, and we can utilize it or not. This is all based on our faith. If we do not have faith in Christ, we will not understand the need for his atonement. When we have faith, we enjoy the peace that comes from knowing that we are able to live with our father in heaven again. 

I am so grateful for Christ’s atonement, and the opportunity I have to preach his gospel. I know this church is true, and I know that through Christ, we can have true joy in our lives. 

Love you all!!!

Sister Evans