Arrived
Dec 19, 2016
Love
the fam more than Christmas Music! Even though I only have a few different songs
and I have probably heard “Joy to the World” a few hundred times now, I love
Christmas music! Its fun to sing and feel the Christmas season while I sweat in
my short sleeves and tie.
This
week:
I
think the Lord wanted me more humble. Monday was good and hard. We had a good
lesson with Hipolito who wants to get baptized, but never comes to church. We
think fast pitch softball is holding him back, which is sad. One of my favorite
members is his friend and he was there. After that lesson however we ended up
contacting a lot. Not sure why but the whole world was against us. We normally
don’t get rejected, just dodged by lazy excuses but I was surprised at the
opposite Monday. Sometimes it gets me to hear us contact, the Spanish is not
what I wish it was. Then it bothered me I was bothered and it was all humbling.
We had a tender mercy in disguise when I felt like I should double check and
double lock our front door, also when I woke up at 4:40 in the morning. A few
people where trying to get in at some of our things but I caught them and
everything worked out.
Tuesday
we did exchanges and a district meeting in Cotui. We practiced a little bit for our mission
Christmas party skit which will be this Wednesday. I’m
nervous because it wasn’t planned that well but it’ll work out. On the
intercambio I met a few great families that are so prepared. I love where I’m
at in the mission because I get to hear all the miracles and trials of the
other missionaries.
Wednesday,
with my favorite investigator Jose, we had an interesting lesson. Brother Rosario
came with us, and like all Dominicans they somehow knew the same people and
each other. We talked about baptism. He understands the importance and wants it,
but he hasn’t been able to come to church. We testified that the Lord loves
them and wants them, but wants them perfect. The Gospel of Christ, restored on
earth, and His church is how we return and become perfect. Sunday Brother
Rosario committed to passing by on his way to church but I think we went by the
wrong house haha. Anyways they weren’t there when we started but half way
through sacrament meeting we got a text saying “We are on our way” from them.
We had six people in church and I think it really helped Jose and his wife.
Our
work in the Los Quemados part of our area and by Campamento is really
interesting. We only can go about once a week so progress is super slow. I’m
hoping after Christmas we can go twice a week.We went to the other branch the
other day to give a baptismal interview. I did the interview but she didn’t
really seem ready. It’s interesting to see the depth of conversion in people.
It’s not the answers you give or the checklist of things you have done, but how
you have changed and whom you have become.
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| Our apartment; we don't always have water, so we keep buckets full in case |
Saturday
we made an amazing contact. The young couple asked us what we believe in and
when talked about baptism being a saving ordinance and then tied it into the
restoration with the falling away of the authority and then it being restored
to the earth. The spirit was really there and everything flowed so well. They committed
to be baptized if they received an answer from God. We will see how things go.
Our one investigator that reminded me of John Tanner has been in the hospital
recently and they amputated his whole leg. I was praying about what we could do
and that things would go according to the Lords will. We hoped we could have
helped him, but it seems my plan wasn’t THE plan. They still should be
interested in the gospel after they get released from the hospital in a week or
two. Instead of the John Tanner video I think we might share the stone cutter
video... Diabetes here is killer because they don’t take care of it. Also you
shouldn’t ever go bare foot here, that’s why we shower in flip flops.
After
stressing out and going through various back up plans, I didn’t go to Coronel
De Lunas baptism in Santiago. The firefighters have been having troubles in Santiago
and so his baptism got pushed back a week. I would have like to go but I think it’ll
be better in general if everyone stays put and and enjoys their Christmas eve.
It is like the biggest holiday here.
The
sister missionaries had a family get baptized Saturday and I was asked to
baptize one of them so things went alright.
Our
investigator Santiago said this week that he no longer has problems with
addictions and he is ready for his baptism the 31. We don’t really feel like he
should be baptized at this moment so we are going to have to postpone it for
the future.
Sunday
after church in Campamento, los Gomez made us dinner! We had Puerto Rican
pastel, rice and ground beef. I haven’t eaten anything that good in months. I
love the missionary couple. He is and ex-cop, church security guy, guitar player,
Harley lover, cowboy and golden convert into the church. His daughter is
studying at Weber state right now so we talk about Ogden a lot.
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| More pictures of our apartment |
One
of our new investigators randomly gave us food Sunday as well. It was barbeque
chicken, pig roasted over a pit and morro and yucca bread. I think this will be
our Christmas dinner since the plan is to work instead of spending more time
with members this week. Oh well it was a good Sunday.
My
spiritual thought is the family. I had not realized the complete importance or
blessing of a good family until the mission. It is interesting to see families
I could only have imagined of which their problems and incompleteness while at
the same time seeing families that are blessed by the gospel. I have seen
horrors and miracles in the mission that I didn’t expect to see. Oh how
important the family is. This week with a family the mother volunteered the 8
year old to read the restoration pamphlet in the lesson. I couldn’t help put
take a step back and see this family together learning of the gospel and
together feeling the spirit. I think it is a wonder but no surprise that the
only begotten of the Father was born on the earth so that the family could be
raised up together. We are children of God. I am so very grateful for a small
stable in Bethlehem a few thousand years ago filled with the Light and Life of
the world.
Feliz
Navidad
Elder
SheffieldSheffield
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