Good times in Ceibal

The whole fam damily!

Now this is a story all about how my life got flipped turn upside down and I'd like to take a minute just sit right there & I`ll tell ya how I because the fresh prince of Ceibal (Say-Ball).. And..Here we go...

Things here in Ceibal have been going really well. We had some really good experiences this last week and we were able to see the Lord`s hand as we worked in His vineyard. The experience that I would like to share with you comes from Friday night and we had set up a charla with an investigator and his less active wife.. (we have been finding a lot of people like them.. where one is a member and the other is interested in our message) anyways.. they weren't there. We thought for a second on where we could go. We both decided on Lauro and Natalia (Natalia is the member here and I met here in Obelisco because her parents all served us over there.. now she lives in Ceibal.. coincidence.. I think not Ü  Because we missed the charla with them on Wednesday due to a youth activity.. (another crazy story for another time!) The charla was awesome and it went so well with what we learned about in concilio (The meeting with President Smith and the other zone leaders). We got talking about prayer and we began to talk about why it is important to pray and Elder Emrich can in with a sweet message and the doctrine of why we pray.. 2 Nephi 32:8-9. We then talked about it and committed him to pray and as he said yes.. I had the biggest impression to invite them to be baptized. I wasn't sure if he would say yes because he is one of those guys who told us that we just wants to take it slow.. step by step. However, I couldn't deny the impression and so we invited him to be baptized. He said yes! and then we talked about their relationship status.. they aren't married however Lauro would like to be married because he has 7 kids (other marriage) and needs a wife to help him so we invited Natalia to pray about what the Lord would like her to do and she said she would. It was such a Spirit guided lesson and helped us realize that the most important thing in the charla is that we follow and listen to the Spirit. 

Okay.. so you may be wondering why I bolded the word why.. Read the talk below. It is by Elder Bednar and he talks about Doctrines, Principles and Applications. The question why is answered by the doctrine. The question what is answered by principles and the question how is answered by the applications. Check it out.. super good talk. We have been studying it because Elder Bednar comes the 26th of February! So stoked.. really though study it!

This Saturday we had a training from the area presidency for the ward council and the missionaries to talk about the plan for 2016 here in South America South. An Elder Johnson before we started asked if he could talk to me afterwards. The meeting finished up and it was awesome.. we then went and told Elder Johnson that it would be a good time to talk now if he would like. I was thinking that he was going to ask for advice or something.. no, he had some things he wanted to tell us.. well me more than anything. He told me that he was feeling really stressed out and that we were only living by the letter of the law and not by the Spirit of the law. At first I was kind of bugged because he has no idea how it is to be a zone leader.. when I got to Salto again there was very little obedience and so we began to help the zone by making sure that they were where they were supposed to be when they were supposed to be there. We have only been together as a zone once and so I was just thinking that he was just judging off that one experience. However, as he kept telling us what was going on I think that Spirit was trying to tell me that I needed to change. When I was with Orihuela I felt a lot of pressure because he was always trying to push power and authority on me and I had to be a little tougher or he would call me out on it. We went and had a little charla after the meeting with Elder Johnson, and I was just so mad. I wasn't mad at him.. I wasn't made at Orihuela.. I wasn't mad at anyone but myself. We got home and said our prayer to end the day and I went right to the shower. I just stood there in the shower with the coldest water I could have pouring down on me. I didn't know what do to and I felt that I needed to change. I needed to be the old Elder Abel.. the one before I was with Orihuela. I turned off the water and just stood there thinking. I put some clothes on and went right to the paper where it talks about the responsibilities as zone leader.. that led me to another spot and as I was there all I could think of was how I needed to be more like Christ. 3 Nephi 27:27 came to mind.. "Even as I am." That is when the change of heart came in.. I took an hour searching on how to be more like Christ. I decided that for the next little bit I am going to study the Christ like attributes and try to develop them more. I could definitely feel the guidance of the Spirit as I was in the process. Maybe it was a little soon for Elder Johnson to jump the gun on me .. however, that doesn't matter anymore. He gave me the chance to change and I will thank him for that on Tuesday when I see him. Change is good.. repentance is a miracle and I thank our Heavenly Father daily for sending His Only begotten son to atone for us. I invite you all to take a step back.. take a look in the mirror and see where you can change and how you can be better. It can be hard at times.. but I know that change is needed to be more like our Savior and Redeemer.

Well family, I would just like you all to know how much I love you! You guys are my favorite. I thank my lucky stars every day for you all. I am such a blessed missionary and I am so grateful for the blessings that God has given us as a family! God is great! I hope that you all have a wonderful week! Until next.. just keep on smiling!

Elder Taylor Abel.. a changing missionary

This is what happens when you say "Fútbol" in Uruguay 

Chillin' with Elder Emrich