“Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?” (Isaiah 58:6)
Fasting is one of the ways we both petition the Lord for His blessings as well as bless the lives of the needy. As we exercise our faith in Jesus Christ, we are blessed. Fasting is more than abstaining from food and drink for a time, rather it is an act of humility and sacrifice that draws our hearts and minds toward God.
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FASTING
My companions and I fasted before but not as much as we did in Bugambilias. Like I said before, the first Sunday of each month is dedicated as, "Fast Sunday" where we all fast as our health permits but when needed, one can fast anytime (See "Sacred Tithes and Offering"). A traditional fast entails abstaining from food and drink for two consecutive meals and donating the cost of what the meals would have cost in what is called a "Fast Offering" but we are encouraged to give a generous donation as our means permit; there is no set amount nor requirement although it's all for a good cause. This fast offering goes entirely towards caring for the Poor and Needy around the world through the Church's incredible Humanitarian efforts called, Latter-Day Saint Charities.
All commandments have underlying eternal principles and fasting is no exception. Fasting is an outward expression of faith, obedience, and sacrifice. As such, something that I heard suggested and approved by my local church leaders at BYU is that if our health does not permit us to fast in the traditional way of abstaining from food and drink, we might try abstaining from something else that demonstrates a personal sacrifice.
Fasting is also done with a purpose in mind, usually as a petition to God for a blessing, accompanied by prayer at the start and the end of the fast (also called "breaking" your fast). Fasting without a prayerful purpose is just starving yourself. We usually fasted to petition the Lord to help us find people to teach and to help the people we were already visiting as missionaries. It wasn’t always easy fasting because we burned so many calories walking all day in the sun and ate relatively little, but we fasted in the traditional sense when we could, and we prayed unceasingly.
OBED & LAURA
One beautiful Sunday morning after fasting, on April 10, 2016, Elder Z. and I were in front of the chapel greeting people as they arrived. A couple walked up to us and introduced themselves. The man shook our hands and introduced himself as Obed, a member of the Church, but that he and his wife had just gotten married earlier that week and just moved to Bugambilias. He indicated that his wife, Laura, was previously being taught by the Assistants to President Morales (See "Mission Administration") but since they hadn’t been married, she hadn’t been able to be baptized...that is until the day before (See "Chastity and Charity"). It was a miracle! It was so fast! That's right. Somebody who'd literally just gotten married and had already been taught and wanted to be baptized literally walked through the door and into our lives.
We took their info and started visiting them. She already knew everything we teach as missionaries thanks to the A.P.s and she got baptized a week later on April 17, 2016, after Church (See "Baptism by Immersion"). Obed knew a guy serving in our Mission who'd grown up in the same neighborhood as him named Elder Alvarado. They’d previously promised that friend the opportunity to baptize her when the time came, so he did! I reaffirm that it does not matter too much who baptizes, so much as the baptismal covenant is made.
In the following weeks, we continued to visit them and review the lessons with them and remind them that the next goal was to prepare to go to the temple together (See "Temples --- Holy Houses of the Lord", "Eternal Family" and "Marriage"). We’d usually have to be quiet during our visits because their newborn was a sleeper. It was so amazing to meet with a new family like theirs and see the new beginnings in their lives: a new marriage, newborn baby, new faith. It made it even stranger to consider that they were really not that much older than me. That and nearing the evening of my mission made me think about the day I would get married and have my own kids. Eternal families are what Heavenly Father's Plan of Happiness is all about!
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