A little update on my week..
Monday, like you already know, we went to sol with some members from
Hermana Rossberg's last area, and later we went to email at Burger
King, but Burger King kicked us off of their wifi so half the emails
I wrote didn't send, and a couple that were in the process of being
sent got sent automatically Tuesday when we were at the church. So
pops, that is why you didn't get your email, and also I didn't send
anything Tuesday in case anyone was questioning obedience matters..
Haha I have the biggest love/hate relationship with p-days! They are
probably the most stressful day of the week.
Tuesday, everyone failed us! And no one wanted to talk to us in the
streets.. Are only lesson we had is with this family we are teaching
from the Dominican Republic. They are great but are all in different
places as far as their testimonies go, so we are going to see if we
can figure out a more effective way to help them progress.
Wednesday, we were doing pass-bys for some members we haven't met and
we got let into this home where the whole family is less active and
the mom is not a member, and before they weren't excepting visits from
anyone in the ward, but agreed to meet with us again. It was a
blessing from the lord, we passed by literally at the right time to
find them, because this family has really crazy schedules. That
morning we also got lost in the middle of nowhere.. And arrived an
hour late to district meeting.. Haha we thought we had our area all
figured out, but no! Oh and that night we had a family home evening
with a part member family. It was so good! This family has really been
progressing in the church, and we are praying for them to receive
papers of divorce so they can get married and the wife can get
baptized. This next fast Sunday we encouraged them to do a family fast
with us to receive them.
Thursday, we had a bunch of lessons. We taught this lady from Peru who
has family that are members in her country, and she came to church
this Sunday! Yay! We also met with an investigator from Bolivia who is
so close to baptism. She's still just working on dropping coffee. But
she's down to 4 cups a week and she used to be drinking 4 a day, so
she's doing it! And later we met with our investigator from Cuba, who
used to be a Jehovah's Witness. She is really great, and understands
everything, but still needs is testimony strengthened on a couple
principles of the gospel. She loves the Book of Mormon though and has
been studying it a lot. She also has a coffee problem as well, so
right now we're in this.
Friday, so I've had a cold all week, but Friday I woke up with a
fever, so Hermana pack encouraged us to stay in all day, so I could
recover. I slept literally all day long.. I don't think I even
realized how tired I was... But when I woke up I was so bored. I feel
so bad for my poor comp. it's the worst when you can't leave the piso!
Saturday, we went out to work.. I was dying a little bit. My fever was
gone, but I just felt a little weak more than anything else. We met
with two recent converts/ un poco less- actives and we talked to them
about why they hadn't been coming to church.. One of them ended up
coming on Sunday, and the other couldn't, but he's going to invite us
over to have a lesson with his mom this coming week, who is an old
investigator of other missionaries, so that's cool. He also is
planning on coming to church this next Sunday. These guys are both in
their twenties and crazy! We didn't stop laughing during our lesson.
They're great. That day we also met with a less-active family, who has
a lot of potential. We are helping them get back to the church, and
later that evening we had a family night with a part member family
from Ecuador. The mom and son are members, but haven't been active for
13 years, and the father and daughter aren't members. The son came to
church Sunday, and the parents are both going to figure out their work
schedules to make church more a priority. They are a miracle family!
And a reference from a member in our ward. They are such a blessing
that we have to be teaching them. And they are crazy good dancers! I'm
going to send a video of they're 10 year old daughter dancing bachata.
Sunday, I had a talk in church on the importance of members in
missionary work. It went really well. I love talking in front of
people and teaching now, but only in Spanish! In English, I'm lost..
Later that night we went with the president of the young men and the
relief society president to visit a less active family. And okay, I
just have to tell you guys. The young men's president is a 23 year old
convert from Venezuela and ex- missionary, me and Hermana Rossberg are
starting a fan club. He is amazing! We got to this family's house and
he just called heaven down. He woke up all the kids to join us, and he
just started putting goals with them for family prayer, scripture
study, family home evening, and going to church. He asked them all how
they were doing with it and our goals and gave assignments to all the
kids to make it happen. He did it so boldly but with so much love. Me,
my companion, and the relief society president were all lost of words.
It was probably the most amazing lesson I've ever witnessed. So
basically this guy is our new hero, and we took notes to try and
improve our lessons to be more like that! Also fun fact about him. His
sister is less active, and he has a 3 year old niece who is the
cutest. And he brings her to church every Sunday, and does nightly
family prayers with the little girl, to help her be raised with the
gospel. But anyways I'm done swooning. But something I really learned
from him and his lesson is how much the little things we do in the
church are so foundational especially in the family. If we aren't
doing weekly family night, daily prayer and scripture study as
families we need to re-evaluate and make these things happen. The
gospel is simple, and we need to be living it no matter where we are
at in our lives.
Spiritual insight this week that I would like to share. Have you guys
ever thought about the word commitment? I think the perfect definition
comes from preach my gospel. It says that a commitment is the act of
obligating oneself to a course of action and then diligently following
though with that decision. I like how it says oneself! There is
nothing impeding us from strengthening our commitment to live the
gospel, but ourselves. We are our own agents. Our commitment to follow
the savior, his example, and grow in his gospel depends solely in
ourselves.
I love you guys!! And have the best of weeks.
PS read the talk by elder perry from April 2009 conference, I don't
know what it's called in English but it should be something like
"bring souls to me" I studied to prepare for my talk and it gives a
really cool insight in being member missionaries.