July 2, 2018
Hooooola …well this week was good, really tiring. I got sick on Sunday with a cold and that’s sort of been bothering me the whole week. But we’ve been able to find some cool people this week! Lots of families where not everyone in the family are members. Sadly, none of them went to church, BUT some of them went to an activity potluck thing on Saturday so that was pretty cool! This week is going to be a little harder because el Miercoles we have concilio, Viernes - conferencia de zona, and other events throughout the week. So basically this week’s going to fly by.
I think the Elder’s Quorum is finally going to go to work. Honestly, they haven’t been doing anything. All the members individually are really good people, but they aren’t working well. The President hasn’t assigned anything really and every week there are fewer and fewer. Finally we had a quorum council, which was the first one I’ve seen in 3 months. Unfortunately, the quorum presidente wasn’t even there, but the quorum is going to meet up on Friday and is going to go out to visit people. Super cool. There’s something like 900 people on the lists and only 70ish attend.
Not sure what else to say, we’ve had lots of really interesting experiences and are seeing lots of opportunities to find new investigators and with some work things will really progress here. I probably won’t see all of it, but I think Elder Bender will see a lot of baptisms. I think we’re working well together. We get along and he’s really relaxed but likes to work. It’s kinda of a slower pace than I’m used to, but maybe that’s okay. Still, I’m going to try and give it my all until the very end. We’ve really been trying to find more investigators in these days, lots of contacting, lots of walking in the sun. but I’m finally making good use of my sunscreen.
Les amo mucho, sigan con fe, derramen sus corazones en oración buscando oportunidades para servir los demás y compartir el evangelio.
July 9, 2018
Well another week down! We have a new mission president and this week we had concilio with the leaders and a tri-zone conference. It’s a very different feel. Presidente Reyes as a different way of teaching, actually he doesn’t do much teaching but he likes to hold counsels. President Clayton and Hermana Clayton loved to teach certain things and principles which I really liked, but now these meetings are more for making plans of action which I also like. I think that’s what the mission needs right now. A lot of missionaries have gotten complacent, there’s a lot of people working really hard, but there’s a lack of consecration as a mission I think. We just have to do more. We need exact obedience more than anything. I think I’m learning more and more about exact obedience. I’ve always tried to be obedient, but I think I’m finally realizing the importance of it y por lo tanto I am striving to live the rules of the mission more fully.
So the week itself was a little slow. We didn’t find a whole lot of people, but we were able to work with some people who are really willing to progress. People who actually desire to have the blessings and promises that God can give them. And because of that desire, want to be baptized. It’s strange because we really aren’t seeing much progress in the Jovenes, but I think that’s more our fault than anything. I just don’t know how to work with young people maybe haha, but we need to work harder with them. I really believe that Elder Anderson’s promise is true, but I we just have to keep working. This Saturday we had a talent show in the ward and it went pretty well, I even got to play piano (I butchered the Haydn sonata but that’s alright) and several investigators showed up. Then on Sunday we got (thanks to the help of some awesome members) Brenda to show up with ALL of her kids. We left her a long time ago, but this week we went back and talked about eternal families with her and asked here directly, "whats stopping you from receiving those blessings?” She said, “nada!" So we committed her to go to church and this week we are going to invite her to baptism again. I think what we’re learning is that we must be extremely direct with these people. They need to hear the truth and they need to make a decision about it. But it’s incredible how we can talk to people in the street and ask them what they would do if Christ’s own church existed in the world, and they just respond like it wouldn’t matter to them. They basically tell us they would still go to misa even if Christs very own church was here.... At least it makes it easier to tell who’s ready to hear the message and who isn’t.
Anyway, this week I’m going to give it my all. We talked a lot about diligence in Zone conference, especially the importance of being constantly diligent. Our time here is basically an offering to the Lord, and He knows what we can give. If we give sporadic and inconsistent effort in the work of the Lord, but are able to more, it’s the same as what the Lord says in Malachi 1:
6 A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the Lord of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?
7 Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the Lord is contemptible.
8 And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the Lord of hosts.
14. But cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing
What kind of offering are we giving to the Lord? Really He is looking upon our heart more than anything else. I think it’s less about what we achieve and much more about how much we give. Our efforts are counted unto the Lord more than the results of our actions. I think in this way we can feel good about our efforts even though we might not have achieved all that we could. Maybe that’s also way many disobedient missionaries baptize hundreds in their missions but come home and fall away. They didn’t learn to consecrate themselves unto the Lord. I don’t have much time left but I hope to truly consecrate my time, talents, and all that I have to the work. I know that these two years of service have opened up a lifetime of service in the work of the Lord. This is His church and His glory. I know that our faith in Jesus Christ is not in vain. Let us be like Jacob of old and work "with all diligence" for the good of our brothers and sisters.
July 16, 2018
Well what do I say about this week…. Things are going well, we put several baptismal dates this week for the last two weeks of the change, but the sad part is that literally not a single investigator came to church. As soon as people start setting goals and really start progressing, they just stop all of the sudden. It may be one of the most discouraging things as a missionary, especially when you take reports of other companionships who are having tons of miracles. But I suppose we should be happy for the success of others and press forward in the work of the Lord. After all, He is the one who guides the work. I just want so badly to end well, but sometimes it’s discouraging. I have a goal to really just give it my all in these last three weeks, tired or no, just really really strive to follow the spirit and teach as clearly and as lovingly as I can. It’s interesting because we can teach so clearly that people literally say "well, we may be wrong, but we’re okay with our religión.” Most people see so much confusión in the world that the think its better just to stay where they are and not go anywhere. We contacted a part member family whose parents were baptized in the LDS church 17 years ago, but they moved a year after their baptism and went inactive. They investigated other churches, but eventually went back to the Catholic church. I think it’s interesting that after being active for a year, then leaving, they went right back to where they started. People are more willing to stay where its easiest because they don’t know what to believe anymore. They don’t even want to try and ask if these things are true. But the cool part is that we simply testified of eternal families and the truthfulness of the gospel and they accepted another opportunity to listen to the gospel. It’s been a long week, I’m not sure why but when I get home I’m dead tired. eI am even exhausted in my studies in the morning… but I think that its just one of those weekly trials. I feel like I’ve really been struggling to do the work well. Maybe it’s just end of the mission blues but I’ll try not to focus on that and give it my all.
July 23, 2018
Hola familia!!!! Well I don’t really know what to say about this week. We have had little success in finding new investigators so we really need to try harder to find and teach new people. This really just means stepping up our contacts. It’s been a little harder than usual to be really diligent for me when it comes to contacting lately. I’m not sure why but the people seem to be becoming more unreceptive. But we can’t let that stop of us from trying to invite everyone to hear our message. Look at the Nephites and the sons of Mosiah. The Nephites thought that they were fools to even try to preach to the Lamanites because for many generations they had rejected and even killed their bretheren. But they tried again and had great success. Asi es en el campo misional.
Although we haven’t been able to find many new investigators to teach, we are working hard to have some baptisms this coming Saturday and the next week as well. Brenda is trying hard to quit smoking and so far so good. If she keeps it up all this week, she and her son can be baptized. Una joven, Paola is super animada to keep learning and she accepted a baptismal date for the 11 of August! Which means I could still come and see her baptism! She and her parents came to church this Sunday and really do want to start living the gospel again, even though her parents don’t really have a strong testimony of the church. We have another investigator, Ana Maria, who could be baptized the 4 of August, but she has to give up smoking and coffee... We`ll see what happens.
Other than that we got to go to Jala on divisiones with the asistentes. Everything went well, I really enjoyed working with Elder Velazquez and seeing the members there one last time. During our studies Elder Velazquez shared Alma 1:1 with me... I don’t think it was a coincidence haha everyone in the zone keeps reminding me that "el fin se acerca.”
July 30, 2018 - FINAL P-Day
Well, words cannot describe what these last two years have been like. Some days have flown by, others have dragged on and on, but it’s hard to believe its time to go home. But really home is just relative. I think I’ve learned that home can be in many places. Wherever the love of Christ abounds, that’s a good home. That’s a home that welcomes whoever may come by. I’m eternally grateful that wherever the church is, that can be my home as well. What an amazing opportunity the Lord has given us, the opportunity to teach eternal truths that bring us peace and happiness. True, that doesn’t mean we will always be happy, we live in an imperfect, very difficult world, but things are so so much better with the gospel than without. We can either choose to accept the misery of a fallen world, or hope for a better world through the grace of Christ. Everything truly good and pure that we can have comes from Him. He is the source of all truth, light, and love. May we all come unto Him to find peace and happiness is my prayer. I know that He lives, and that our faith is not in vain!
I love you all. See you soon.
