May 20th Email

Hey family what’s up? So to start with the miracles…. the district of Pilar is progressing a lot right now we are seeing miracles with the leaders but as always in everything so much more to progress. Friday we had a General Authority, Elder D. Giovani come to Pilar to have a leadership training and invited me and my compañero to be in the meeting, and it was amazing! He discussed exactly what the leaders needed to hear, he talked about something that touched my heart deeply that I think all back home need to hear to. It was about the sacrament. He talked about the people that have received the ordinance of baptism, and gotten the priesthood, their endowment, and married in the temple. What’s the next ordinance that we need? It is the sacrament. But he said the problem is that most times we show up to sacrament meeting not having spiritually prepared ourselves to take it and we just eat the little piece of bread and drink the water thinking that magically that is going to change our lives, and just tally down that we went to church and took the sacrament. He said that if we go and do this at church,,, it was literally just a snack that we ate and we start that week continuing in our sins from the last week. He also said that the sacrament doesn’t work if we think we can just go to the hour of sacrament then go home, or to take the sacrament and get up and leave.  We need to love God over all things says the commandment, there is nothing more important in our lives during those three hours on Sunday, nothing should get in the way. It’s just our prioritizing that will keep us from receiving properly that ordinance to return to Heavenly Father. We told him in our baptism covenant that we would do it, take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ in all times and in all things and in all places, and keep his commandments and remember him forever.. Family open up to Doctrine and Covenants 20 and read the sacrament prayer for the bread,, it says.... take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ, always remember him, and keep his commandments.. We literally are renewing our covenant with God every week, but... where’s our heart when we do it? He said taking that bread and water will not cause a magical change in our lives, we have to go prepared... So yeah that was awesome.

 Last night we had our meeting with the district president again and made some incredible changes here. We made a goal about 2 weeks ago to at least have a president for every organization in the whole district before the 10th of June. We are progressing but still need more. But we are really excited. Thursday my comp and I have to give a capacitacion on running sacrament meetings and home teaching with the presidency of the districta and branch presidents. We are so stoked. I love being in this position, the Lord has given me a change to receive so much experience in the church and I love it. I hope I have a sweet calling after my mission with the youth to get them going on everything. We will see what the Lord wants. But family, I love you so much and hope you guys have an awesome week. We have changes this week I’m getting a new comp but don’t know who yet, the assistants will call me this afternoon. I’ll have to go to Asuncion Tuesday night to get him Wednesday then next P-Day I go to Asuncion again for the leader council again. So yeah lots of running around. But it’s awesome. Love you all.

Elder Hager