Hello everyone! I hope everyone has been having an excellent summer so far. It is getting a little hotter here in Jamaica for summer time. It is funny because at the beginning of my mission I couldn't feel the temperature changing for the winter and summer seasons. I could only feel one temperature here in Jamaica, and that was HOT. But now I can feel the seasons changing. I am developing into a true Jamaican haha. 

This past week has been very nice. On Friday, Elder Cornish and Elder Gamiette from the Quorum of the Seventy came and spoke to us. They taught us some very excellent principles that I know will move the work here forward even faster. Both Elder Cornish and Elder Gamiette taught us about the importance of working with less active members and their friends and families and helping them become active members of the Lord's Kingdom as a way to build up the Kingdom and also find new investigators. They said that working with the less actives is the way to do missionary work now. We also learned about the importance of councils in the meeting as well. It was just an awesome meeting. The Spirit was there very strongly, I learned a lot, and we have begun to implement the principles we have learned immediately. 

 Already, we have seen some really great success. We are teaching some more families, and are finding people interested in learning about the gospel and changing their life.  Up until this point, working with less active members was one of my lowest priorities on my mission. Now it is one of the highest. The meeting will change the face of the mission.

 Also, this morning, we had a meeting with President Hendricks, and Elder Gamiette. Both shared a spiritual thought, which taught me a lot. President Hendricks taught about how we need to follow the Lord wherever he may take us even if we do not understand why. We may not understand why He tells us to do certain things, and we won't know until we do them. But we need to trust in the Lord. It is better to walk with God in the dark (understanding)  than ourselves in the light. how true that is! Often times we are prompted by the Spirit to do things, and we don't really know the reason why. But, as we obey, we will later understand. Following the promptings of the Spirit is the only way we can follow God's plan for us. It is the only way that we can be led by Him. may we all listen and obey.

 Elder Gamiette then shared a thought on the Sermon on the Mount. He explained and clarified it in a way that I had never before thought about it. He taught us how the Beatitudes (3 Nephi 12:3-10 and corresponding verses in Matthew 5) are actually talking about repentance. When we are poor in spirit, we are humble. We are brought low because we recognize our carnal natures and our sins. When we come unto Christ, we will be admitted to the Kingdom of Heaven. When we mourn it is talking about mourning because of our sins, and we will be comforted as we come unto Christ through repentance and baptism and partaking of the Sacrament etc. When we partake of the Sacrament, we are comforted. When we mourn and repent and are comforted, we will be meek, we will be completely submissive to the will of the Father. We will know that His way is the way to happiness. Our way only brings misery. We will want more and more commandments. We will want to be obedient and do the will of the father. That leads us to hunger and thirst after righteousness. We hunger and thirst after the Bread of Life, and the Fountain of all Righteousness. We hunger and thirst after the Sacrament. And we are filled with the Holy Ghost when we do so. As we continue this pattern of righteous living, we may be tempted to look down on others who are not living the way they should. But, we need to be merciful to them and show mercy. Next, when we are pure in heart, we shall see God. Those who are pure in heart are those who are filled with charity, the pure love of Christ. As we do these things, we also need to endure to the end despite persecution and opposition. I know that these things are true. And I am grateful for these truths that I have learned these past few days. The mission is awesome. I love it out here. 

Elder Nugent