Elder Kyle Reynolds: You Are Good Enough...Come As You Are!!!

"By helping others Come unto Him, you will find that you have Come unto Him yourself"

~Henry B. Eyring~

Hello Everyone!
What a week this was! It was pretty awesome. This week the city was preparing for The Mama Negra. I don't quite understand it yet, but it has to do with a big parade and parties that last for 2 days. Its been pretty cool to learn about the culture and be a part of it and see it first hand. But...it kind of goes against a lot of what we believe so it makes it a bit difficult to do some proselyting. But it's all good. I love people and learning about them and what makes them go. I feel that is a real blessing especially for being a missionary.

Pertaining a little bit to that subject, we have had a lot of pretty powerful lessons. Ones that honestly at the beginning of my mission or even before the mission would have made me feel uncomfortable. Due to my lack of faith and lack of a sure testimony. But throughout these few months that I have been in Ecuador, both of those have definitely grown. We had a lesson with a part member family that we invited to come to church but started making excuses. We have a lot of their trust so we could talk pretty clear and direct with them. They understood the commandment of going to church and everything...but the more I listened to them the more I was convinced that they really didn't understand it. They were saying things like "We have to get our life in order," "I have to work in order to pay off things," "I have to care for my family " and "I can't go because our kids are rowdy." Not going to lie, all of these things are pretty dang good reasons of not to go...but being here on the mission I have learned the cost of miracles and the blessings of sacrifice/obedience. I felt I myself had 2 angels on both of my shoulders telling me what to say. One saying "Yeah it's okay, I understand and God understands, you get your life in order and when you are ready we will be waiting."On the other hand I had this voice telling me to say "Sister, we love you. We want the best for you. And there is no other way nor desvio (detour) to eternal life. You and your family need to be in church." I struggled a little bit saying the latter, but as I bore my testimony that I knew God always comes through, more things started coming to my head as to what to say. For example, we said "Do you believe in the Bible? Do you really believe it? Do you believe that God parted a sea??? A WHOLE ENTIRE SEA??? Or do you believe that Jesus really raised someone from the dead?? Like not just a cool story that we say in church to make us feel better about our lives and to trust more, but do you really believe?" She said "Yes, Elder. Why what's your point?" We said "Our point is that if we serve the same God, why wouldn't He be able to do the same miracles in your life. That seem a lot less than parting a whole sea or raising someone from the dead...? Why can't He work miracles in your life like He did in olden times? And of course, it all comes from faith and obedience." It really strengthened my testimony to say these things as I know that we serve a God of miracles. I know that He comes through. I know it without a doubt. I love being a special witness of Him as I truly can't deny the things I have witnessed here on the mission that prove that we do really serve a God of miracles. Mormon 9:11 and 2 Nephi 27:23 are some of my favorite verses to share:
"But behold, I will show unto you a God of miracles, even the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; and it is that same God who created the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are." --Mormon 9:11
"For behold, I am God; and I am a God of miracles; and I will show unto the world that I am the same yesterday, today, and forever; and I work not among the children of men save it be according to their faith."--2Nephi 27:23

Another thing that I learned this week from the lessons and experiences was how important it is to really understand Moroni 10:32:
"Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God."
I don't know how many times I have been so embarrassed to come to church or to begin repentance or to pray or read...Because I didn't feel worthy enough or didn't feel good enough. But as it so clearly states, we come to Christ and then we start the process. We don't start the process and then come to Christ once we are worthy! I love the John Bytheway talk on this that compares it to fixing a car before taking it to the mechanic...or for ladies doing makeup before going in to get a makeover. That doesn't make sense! I love being a missionary and being able to say to people that they are good enough. Wherever they are in the life or worthiness, they are good enough and prepared enough to be changed. Come as you are! I am loving my time out here. I hope that you all will continue to come unto Christ! It's the best life. Go all in. We are good enough. I love you all!
Elder Reynolds