Haitian-ing the Work: December 14, 2015 - It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like... Springtime?

M kontan pou voye nou yon mesaj! (I feel happy to send us a message!) ?

I hope everyone is doing well and is enjoying the Christmas season!

This week was crazy as usual, which I guess would make it normal... I don't know. Anyway, to start out I went on exchanges 3 out of the seven days this week, so I was bouncing all over the place! I got to give a Dominican sister from the Spanish ward a blessing in Creole which was odd but cool! Maybe she understood some of it. I also got to use my Spanish a lot with the Spanish elder but it came out of more Cre-spanol, I kept throwing in random Creole words and they would just look at me confused.

I also got to take Luis to the temple with one of the Zone Leaders! Luis is 16 and is being taught by the Zone Leaders and want's to go on a mission after he is Baptized! He is so solid!

Then on one of the days this week we got to do a 'just serve' activity where we sorted food and got to listen to 'Apostate' music the whole time! I knew like all the songs and it took me back to the pre-Motab times. Needless to say we had fun.

Also on Saturday, I think the Methodist Church right next to ours brought in 30 tons of snow for the poor Floridian souls that don't know what snow is like. It was awesome to see snow again! This week it was 85 degrees and I sweated a little and thought to myself, "it can't be December, I must have traveled back through the fabric of time to the beginning of summer" then I realized I was crazy and got over it.

So enough of the random tangents, let's talk about Jacques. So we taught Jacques this week and he is so ready for his baptism, he has been telling everyone he knows that there is something missing in there lives and it's the Mormon Church! He definitely has the missionary fire. He has been inviting everyone to his baptism! This week we took away his coffee and the next day we visited him with the Bishop and he was like, " These guys, they took away my coffee, man!" We had a good laugh, but he will be baptized on the 19th!

Quick quote from Brother Tinny the Ward Mission Leader and then my last thought,

"If you know what the answer is, you'll get the job. If you know why the answer is what it is, then you will be the boss." - Brother Tinny

(I should also probably mention he is a multi-millionaire and knows what he's talking about)

Okay my last thought, this week I studied about mercy and justice and how they work together, in Alma 42:15, 22-25 it states:

15 And now, the plan of mercy could not be brought about except an atonement should be made; therefore God himself atoneth‍ for the sins of the world, to bring about the plan of mercy, to appease the demands of justice, that God might be a perfect, just God, and a merciful‍ God also

22 But there is a law given, and a punishment‍ affixed, and a repentance‍ granted; which repentance, mercy claimeth; otherwise, justice claimeth the creature and executeth the law, and the law inflicteth the punishment; if not so, the works of justice would be destroyed, and God would cease to be God.

23 But God ceaseth not to be God, and mercy‍ claimeth the penitent, and mercy cometh because of the atonement; and the atonement bringeth to pass the resurrection‍ of the dead; and the resurrection‍ of the dead bringeth back‍ men into the presence of God; and thus they are restored into his presence, to be judged‍ according to their works, according to the law and justice.

24 For behold, justice exerciseth all his demands, and also mercy‍ claimeth all which is her own; and thus, none but the truly penitent are saved.

25 What, do ye suppose that mercy‍ can rob justice? I say unto you, Nay; not one whit. If so, God would cease to be God.

Justice will receive all that it demands but through the atonement, Christ can take upon himself the punishment and grant unto us Mercy if we humble ourselves and are "truly penitent". The only way to receive mercy is through Faith, Repentance, Baptism, the Gift of the Holy Ghost and Enduring to the End! We cannot simply be saved by accepting Christ as our Savior! That is only the first step toward Baptism, which is the gate to the path which leads us to Eternal Life! We are only saved through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is a wonderful gift that we have been given and it is important for us to share it with others!

-- M' Renmen Nou tout ak mespere ke ou ap gen yon Nwel kontan (I love you all and I expect that you will have a Christmas joy) or probably a Merry Christmas!

Elder Hansen

Florida, Fort Lauderdale Mission
Haitian-ing the Work

He finally got the Christmas package we sent and they put up their tree!

The tags tell the story of Jesus' birth, the ornaments have the other names of Jesus from the scriptures (The Prince of Peace, etc.) and then pictures of Christ all around the tree.

The star says, "Unto us a Son is given".