...following the Spirit

Dear Family,

Well, as usual it’s great to hear from you all. It sounds like everything at home is going very well. This past week was a great experience for me personally. I saw the spirit do many incredible things and my testimony has increased because of these experiences.

We have been teaching a brother named Shastri. He is maybe one of the smartest people I have ever met. He is like a private detective or something and he uncovers corruption in the Indian government. He is born a Hindu, but has read the Bhagavad Gita, Quran, and the Bible. he already knew about the celestial kingdom and all sorts of things before we taught him. We went to his home a few nights ago and brought a member named Dasari for exchange. Dasari just got back from the Delhi mission a month of two ago, he served as an assistant to president up there. We taught shastri the gospel of Jesus Christ and it went well. We wrapped the lesson up and my companion bore his testimony. All of a sudden I started bearing my testimony, I don’t know why and I can’t remember what I said. But when I finished my heart was racing cause I knew I had to ask him some important questions. I looked him in the eyes and asked him if was willing to follow God. He said yes. I asked him to be baptized. He accepted, not a specific date but he is preparing now. I don’t know why I did that, I hadn’t thought once of challenging him for baptism during the lesson. But the spirit constrained me to ask.

I've noticed something this week. The promptings of the spirit are not always easy to follow. Sometimes I am very timid because it puts me out of my comfort zone and it can be down right difficult. But every time I act when prompted to, something incredible happens.

We met with a family that reminded me of Mom! They are christians and we contacted them last week sometime. It is a family that consists of the mother and her four daughters. They are all old though. The youngest daughter is maybe 35. None are married. I just thought it was funny to meet a family like mom's here. They are great. We shared the first lesson with them and they are all reading the book of mormon now. This week I have noticed the spirit a lot more than I have before. I don’t know what has changed. I am trying my best to increase my faith out here. Really its all we have going for us.

The more we rely on the Lord out here, the more success we have. It takes patience and I am learning a lot about that virtue. But when we "wait" on the Lord he really does come to help us out. When I follow the spirit I am happy.

Love,
Elder Tuscano

(below are excerpts from letters to individual family members)

Thank you so much for the package! I was so happy to receive it; really when I walk back in the apartment at night and the watchman has a package waiting for me it just lights me up.

That’s so cool that you went on splits with the missionaries and watched them challenge for baptism. You are definitely getting a taste of my life out here when you go on splits.

I made chicken curry for lunch on sunday. My curry was good, but not spicy enough so I learned my lesson about that. I'll be sure to put more spice in next time. I think I might try to do Dahl this week.

Have you been reading the scriptures? If so you should tell me where you are. I have been reading in Alma lately about the experiences of the Sons of Mosiah. They are so cool; it starts in Alma 17 and goes to 26. You should check it out bud.