Monday, March 16, 2015

2015-03-15 The Adventure in the Lord's Vinyard Continues


03/16/15

 Hey guys, well checking in after another week here in the area and this week went by fast (as usual).  It was great this week because we got to do a whole bunch of stuff.  On Tuesday we were called in the morning by the bishop of the ward and he told us about a service project that we were going to do in a school.  So we go to the school and for a Mormon helping hands project, we helped hand out school supplies to all the children in the school (about 460 of them).  It was fun to be able to see the children enjoying themselves and now whenever we are walking in the street we hear "hey gringos!" because all of the children know us now.

Another highlight of my week was talking to an investigator and his family named A.  His wife goes to the Christian church and her children too, but her husband A does not because he is an atheist.  The first time we talked to him it was shocking to hear that he did not believe in God.  Guatemala is a strong Christian country and it is really, really, really rare to be an atheist.  So we went back for the second time this week and we had a really deep and spiritual lesson.  He had a lot of questions.  We were able to relate science and the existence of God to him and helped him open his mind a little about God and how religion and science can work together.  At the end of the lesson he was saying that he will have a lot of thinking and evaluating to do.  We hope that  we helped him open up his understanding more.  I hope that we can continue to teach him.

Other than that the week was pretty normal.  This coming Wednesday, we have a mission meeting with the apostle Elder Anderson, so that should be good.  Looking forward to it.

Oh well, have fun I love you guys!

3/09/15
Hey guys another week has gone by and since last Wednesday we have been working really hard.  As a mission we had a goal to find at least 15 new investigators and put 2 baptismal dates for every companionship, and we did just that!

It was kind of funny working this week because I burned my companion out.  He doesn't really like to contact and walk up and down hills and stairs so I just took him to "hell and back" like coach Roland would say.  He is super tired, so tired that we did not go to the gym the whole week because he wanted to sleep.  But in the end we taught 30 lessons with member, found 25 new investigators, and put 2 baptismal dates with our investigators. 

It was kind of frustrating though because we are teaching this super good investigator named MF and her son.  She goes to church every week, and wants to get baptize, but she is not married and her husband for some reason does not want to get married.  I feel super frustrated with him when we talked to him because he always fights with her over her desires to search out God, but we are working on that.  I was reading in 2nd Nephi about how there is opposition in all things... and that is how it will be forever.  To learn and grow we need opposition, and through the problems our faith will grow.  We will continue to fight through the opposition and do all we can to help M and her son.

The rest of the week was great, we had another interview with president as a zone, and it was good.  We just talked about conversion, how I am doing, and the area.

On Friday, there was a gun down in our area and being typical nosy missionaries, we went back the next day and the blood was still on the sidewalk.  COOL!  Haha.  I found some of the crime scene tape and put it in my journal.

Yesterday, my companion had his patriarchal blessing given to him by the stake patriarch.  It was a great experience.  It is weird because when I try to remember what was said, I can't.  I guess that is how the Lord works to protect things.  I feel like bishops and stake presidents forget things that people confess too?  But I do remember the spirit in the room.  It was a good, charged feeling.

All in all I am loving what I am doing.  Just working hard and trying to enjoy time.  Well, have  a good week, I love you guys!


3/04/15
Hey guys, well this past week was great and we got a lot of things done.  We are working hard and things are getting a little better.  I have had to work and talk with my companion to get things rolling there, but it is all good.  We had 2 interviews in a week and a half, and the first interview was on Friday with President for the situation with my companion and yesterday we had our normal interviews. 

The leaders are focusing a lot on personal conversion, and how having a testimony is not enough, and it is true.  In these last days, having a testimony is not enough and we need to act and be converted upon what we know.  I think Elder David A. Bednar gave a talk named "when thou art converted" and it is really good.  He quotes Joseph Smith, and he said that "when a man comes closer to the perfection and true conversion, he loses all desire to sin".  I hope that all of us can come unto Christ and be perfected in him... little by little. 

Other than that we had a good week.   We went to the temple today that is why we are only writing you today.  So other than that we had a good week.  Working and studying hard.  We have some baptismal dates for this month and April, but we will see.

Love you guys and take care!