#RiseUp

Good morning everyone!!! 

The Sacred Record...

Another good week but it has definitely flown by! Elder Green has been pretty sick this week so it was a bit of a rougher weekend with being in the flat but it allowed some time to ponder, clean the flat, and then just study the scriptures. Nearly finished with the Book of Mormon again which will be my 10th time on my mission. Telling you... there is something about the number 10 with me haha. Just always seems to come around and stick around! Guess I won't be getting rid of my favorite number anytime soon and who knows... hopefully God will bless me with the opportunity to wear it upon my back once again. But things are going super well... has a crazy time with exchanges this week and also trying to accomplish everything for stake correlation with the Stake President and our Mission President tonight and it has just been ruthless! It's been 10 months since I've done Stake Correlation and it has beaten me up this time around but I think I've gotten the hang of it again with the help of my companion! Overall... things are going super well!!! We have an exciting week happening in the zone this week with 6 of our friends entering the waters of baptism throughout the zone and our friend Joe will be one of them! We are super excited for him and it'll just be a blast to see another brother join the fold!

Friday: March 17th, 2017

Never thought that Elder Tunnicliffe and I would have the chance to be companions again but we had the chance at least for the day to do so! It was so good to be able to catch up with a former companion and also talk about the things we want to do with our time winding down. We spent 6 months as companions and it was just a good time. I learned a lot of things from him and our friendship has grown a ton over the time we served together but even now as we are serving around each other once again. We had the opportunity to sit down on a bench and discuss some things and then we had a pretty sacred moment together that meant the world to both of us but when it was done... I was able to say that if that was the only thing that was accomplished during the whole exchange... it would have been worth every last second. We are looking forward to hanging out and doing things soon following the mission when he comes to America or I fly back over to visit England and the mission! Should be a good time. Actually... it will be a good time:)

Saturday: March 18th, 2017

Finished up our exchanges and then we began the Stake Correlation work and later we had some teach with some people we were planning on seeing and it was a good night! We found some solid potentials and then before we got off the bus as we headed to our Ward Mission Leader's home for correlation, Elder Green and I were talking about the scriptures together and a man tapped my arm as he was leaving and said to us, "God bless boys." It was just a key moment for me to see the importance of always being an example and a light to others. Even if you're not talking to them... people still hear what you say and the things you do! That's a good point to make and I can't remember who said it but they said to "always share the gospel, and occasionally use words." So important and all of us can do it... its simple! Just be an example in that you do and say and make sure you are a walking billboard for Jesus Christ in every situation or location you find yourself in!

Sunday: March 19th, 2017

Had church today and then we were stuck in the flat due to my companion feeling super ill! Must've caught a late flu or something but he has been pretty ill these last couple of days and just out of commission! I had the chance to do a lot of studying and I was going through the book of 3 Nephi and a lot of great insights came to me as I did so and I'd like to share a small one with you! Christ was teaching the people of the land about the sacrament and the importance of partaking of it(for us we know the importance of a weekly partaking). As He explains what the bread and wine(or water) represent, he then continues to bestow promises to those that partake of the sacrament in which we are promised to ALWAYS have the Spirit to be with us. This is a promise I have seen in my life become a great reality to me and it has helped me in every hard situation. One other thing he mentions though that I can testify of is that "whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given unto you."(3 Nephi 18:20) I've seen great answers come from following this pattern, although they don't always come immediately... patience and persistence always pay off!

Monday: March 20th, 2017

Today we had accounting and then later in the evening we had another round of exchanges with the Peckham elders. Elder Thomas and I got to work together again and it was a lot of fun. We've been around each other our entire mission so it's been good to build a friendship with him and have some good chats and trips down memory lane from how far we have come over these last 20 months in England. We had a few teaches together and they went super well and Joe passed his interview tonight and it super stoked and excited for this coming Saturday!!! It's been amazing to see the growth that he's has over these past 3 weeks of teaching him and just seeing how sincere he is and those that are sincere receive answers as guidance from God and that is just what's happened to him! Now he's ready to enter the waters and begin the next part of his journey with the Holy Ghost as his constant companion! There's no joy greater than being able to see people make the same journey you once made and receiving the same blessings that you've seen come to life since making that big decision of following the Savior into the waters and accepting His help in all things. Nothing greater...

Tuesday: March 21st, 2017

Well... today my mind was running 102 miles an hour as I scrambled to get everything done for stake correlation(elder green was still down for the count) and it finally got done(sort of) haha. Just need a few small points but the major important details have been accomplished and it is a great thing to be able to serve with the Stake President's again and be able to see things come to life on a Stake level rather than just a mission level as I saw things as an assistant. It's amazing to see the growth of the mission but also the missionaries each week but the real results are seen after the transfers go by. Nothing to complain about... things are just going super well right now!

Wednesday: March 22nd, 2017

Well... I got smacked with my flight itinerary today and it blew my mind to receive it... can't believe it. If the idea of home wasn't already real... well today just sealed that deal! I'll be flying out of London at 2:40pm on the 10th of May and arriving back home at 5:40pm. Crazy! It's all become real now and I know these next 7 weeks are going to be the best 7 weeks ever. Excited to see you all and catch up with all of the things that have happened to us all over these past 2 years.

Fly On...

Verses of the Week:

Book of Mormon:

Mormon 7: 8-10

"8 Therefore repent, and be baptized in the name of Jesus, and lay hold upon the gospel of Christ, which shall be set before you, not only in this record(Book of Mormon) but also in the record(Bible) which shall come unto the Gentiles from the Jews, which record(Book of Mormon) shall come from the Gentiles unto you.

9 For behold, this(Book of Mormon) is written for the intent that ye may believe that(Bible); and if ye believe that(Bible) ye will believe this(Book of Mormon) also; and if ye believe this(Book of Mormon) ye will know concerning your fathers, and also the marvelous works which were wrought by the power of God among them.

10 And ye will also know that ye are a remnant of the seed of Jacob; therefore ye are numbered among the people of the first covenant; and if it so be that ye believe in Christ, and are baptized, first with water, then with fire and with the Holy Ghost, following the example of our Savior, according to that which he hath commanded us, it shall be well with you in the day of judgment. Amen."

Doctrine and Covenants:

D&C 88:119

"Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God."

Quote of the Week:

"Rise and rise again, until lambs become lions."

Have a great week! Talk to you all soon!!!

Love,

-Elder Rivera