I Love My Savior Because...

#PrinceofPeace

This week has been a good one... a lot of crazy thoughts flying through my head as I had my last Zone Conference in the mission field. We talked a lot about faith and president shared some powerful experiences about repentance from the time he served as a bishop. I've never seen him so emotional before and the Spirit just touched my heart. It's just weird... having this last conference meant it was the last time I would see some of the missionaries I've worked with for months! It was just a weird feeling to be sitting there knowing that and just trying to soak it all in. There were a lot of great insights that came to me through the Spirit and one of them was very profound to me. An impression came to my mind which said, "Remember that you know that I live... you won't convert everyone but as long as you convert yourself in the process of facing the world by defending My name, then you have been successful." I have tried to do that to the best of my ability these last two years. No better way to remind myself of that this Easter season as it came to a close.

Here's another one just for you Dad!

Among all the things that took place last week, I only feel impressed to shared a few things that have happened throughout the week. On Friday, we gathered the zone together for an Easter Finding activity that we put together and we invited people to write on white boards that had the question, "How do you find peace?" written on it. Thousands of people walked by throughout the three hours we were there contacting and it was just amazing to see the responses the people would put on the board. Were we fully teaching the gospel to them? Yes... by example and by word and deed. Teaching and sharing the gospel isn't always about giving someone a Book of Mormon or sitting down and teaching the Prophet's First Vision. It's more than that. It's simpler than that. All it takes it showing people a smile and inviting them to write down what makes them smile or bring peace to their lives. We had so much fun as missionaries in just sharing goodness to everyone around and we had some tender miracles. One is super sacred and it is probably the pinnacle moment of my mission and I couldn't have asked for it at any better time than in these final weeks. It is one that I would rather share in person because I couldn't even begin to try to explain it in just a few words through an email. It means more to me than that. I feel it would only be appropriate to share it in person. So, wait patiently for the story of Andrew to come at a later time.

The City...

We had some amazing miracles though this week. We had a friend named Francis that works at one of our visitor centers refer himself and we will be seeing him this week. President challenged me to
get one more person into the font and to bring them the blessings of the gospel before I finish up and this Thursday will be the beginning of that final last minute journey. A fourth quarter last 10 seconds kind of play. We also met someone on the tubes that was interested in learning more about the Mormon faith because he has heard so much about it and some of his friends are members. When we exchanged numbers, I noticed his phone light up and I looked at the caller ID and it said "Elders"!!!! What??? I didn't say anything at the moment but then I talked to Elder Walker about it and we were confused on whether he met with missionaries in the past or what the deal was there but my number was saved so it was a pretty amazing thing to see. We will be seeing them both on Thursday so if you want to keep Francis and Qbba in your prayers for May 6, that would be awesome!

The Best District Ever...!

Other than that, things are continuing to roll forth. We have our interviews with president and his wife coming up this weekend and I'm excited but also sad. This will be my final interview with President before our last night at the temple together with our departing group. There will be 7 of us heading home this transfer and it's a pretty diverse group. I'll be the only one heading back to America and then everyone else but 2 are heading to other countries. That has been one of my favorite things about the mission is the amount of diversity our mission has but then also the areas I've had the chance to serve in, especially London. It's a priceless opportunity to have and to cherish. I've learned more about different cultures and various languages than I thought I would coming to England.

Just a small portion of the week!

Well... I love you all! Hope you have another great week!

I love my Savior because... He is my best friend. He has pushed me to reach heights I never knew of and He has wrought a mighty change in my heart that has helped me become the new man I am today and that I've become over my mission.

Why do you love him?

Mesa and QC: Arizona Brothers

Verses of the Week:

Book of Mormon:
1 Nephi 2:1
"Blessed art thou [Elder Rivera], because of the things which thou hast done; and because thou hast been faithful and declared unto this people the things which I commanded thee."

Doctrine and Covenants:
D&C 115:4
"For thus shall my church be called in the last days, even The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."

Quote of the Week:
"Repentance doesn't crash the party... it's a celebration of the party."

Love,
-Elder Rivera