Monday, September 10, 2012

Hola familia!!!

So this week was good!! It was busy, and a little disappointing at times, but good!. Tuesday we had a lesson with our previously dropped golden investigator, Amanda. She is getting baptized this next Saturday!! Granted, Nava and De La Cruz, his previous comp, have done most of the work, but I like to think I helped a little bit. We will see how this goes. I will get pictures to send next week.

We also spent two hours Saturday chopeando. That is Spanish for chopping, which translates into using a machete and some pruning shears that I accidentally broke, they don't make products for Americans here, to clean up the weeds around the front of the house and the trees and wild bushes and stuff. It made me think of the summers spent weed whacking in the yard, and I would have loved to have a freaking machine. What took us two hours would take me maybe ten minutes with a machine down here. But it was good and I apologize if I ever complained about that. We did it at the house of a non-active and her sister, who is an investigator, and her mom, who is stubborn as a mule. We had a super, SUPER great lesson with the sister, Pamela, last night. She wants to get baptized so bad, but the mom won't let her right now, she's only 15, and as far as the mom is concerned, she has been baptized already. It's frustrating, and it makes my heart hurt, if that makes sense, because I know what the girl feels, and it is a feeling of disappointment. Kind of like, when you know something is true, and the person can't accept it because they can't see past their own understanding and pride. Hmmm,,....did that sound familiar when I was typing it. Anyways, she is hopefully going to be baptized soon. hopefully. We had a family, Alexander and Lesvia, that have been with us for like a week and a half, almost two, actually, and they seem to be getting it. The problem is, they won't go to church. Yesterday, we went to get them for church. Alexander was outside, and we knew that his partner was inside. He saw us and disappeared into his house, and the door shut. His two nephews told us that no one else was home, which was funny because we could hear Alexander's voice from inside the house. This family was a HUGE hope for us, and now we don't know what to do with them. Again, it makes your heart hurt....I think that is what it means when it says in PMG to love your investigators. Feel the sorrow of them not accepting a challenge, or keeping a commitment. I leave appointments like that and am just devastated.

So, also this week, Nava and I talked about the fact that I never talk and we fixed that. We have left the 12 week training program behind, and are now working like normal missionaries. I am contacting a lot more and talking a ton more during lessons. The problem is that most of our investigators hit a two or three lesson mark before they can't see past themselves, or they won't accept a doctrine, and we have to drop them. So all that work we did two weeks ago finding people payed off for a week, but now we have to find people all over again. That's the work though.

Dad, you hit the nail on the head. Nobody here knows how to sing with a piano. It's really funny, but kind of frustrating. I know the point of hymns is to praise God, and he probably doesn't care how it sounds, but if I were God, it would definitely help a little bit. Probably a good thing that I am not God, among other reasons.

I went on splits last week with our DL, and it was good. I like working with other people, because I learn new stuff. For example, with contacts, Nava is super direct, but elder Peña likes to chat with the person for a minute, and then bring up the church. I like to mix the two, because my conversational Spanish is lacking a little, but with practice it will come.

Our ward is pretty big. We live on the far end of it. it takes us like 20 minutes to walk to church if we miss the bus. Elnicky's comp is from draper, a Landan Sorenson. He knows Jeremy Allan, and lives up by Sprucewood.

The food is actually really good. We really only eat one meal a day, but most members will offer us something if we stop by for a sec.

So, spiritual story for the week. We were teaching a lesson about the priesthood, which is something a lot of people here don't understand. The whole "i have already been baptized" thing can be a real problem because they don't understand how important authority is. As I was explaining where the authority comes from and using JSH 1:68-69 and 72 to do so, I told them that I have this authority and so does my companion. The thought popped into my head. 'How can you make that claim?' I straight up said to Alexander and Lesvia, "So, right now, I feel like both of you are wondering how I can make the claim that I have this authority. Am I right?" They both sort of looked surprised, and nodded. I keep my line of authority in my Spanish Book Of Mormon, and so I pulled it out and explained that my authority comes in an unbroken chain straight from Christ. THE POWER OF DISCERNMENT IS REAL. I have experienced it for myself, and have noticed it at other times during lessons since then. Holy crap.

So, Davids letter was interesting, because we get like the same rain here. In fact, if you are caught out in it, the roads turn into rivers and you can't go anywhere, and the water can get up to 2 feet deep. Naturally, you find those spots on accident. It took 40 some odd hours for my boots to dry all the way. I will be buying wading boots, because everybody here says that October is the worst month, and that it can go for days without stopping.

Tell Bishop thanks for the letter, and it's awesome to hear that everyone is doing well. Tell him thanks so much for everything he's done for me, and that I am working as hard as I can.

Everybody sounds like they are doing well. Cody, I am not surprised to hear your team is killing it. Erin, I am sure you will do fine in volleyball. You have an amazing capacity to work hard, and your consistency will show through. Mas....dude, really??? I wait all week to hear from you, and I get a "I don't really have anything to tell you?" TELL ME ABOUT FREAKING ANYTHING, I DON'T CARE. I love hearing from you. Anything. Soccer, school, friends, girls, I don't care. Something. K bud??? love you. and Cody, lemme know when you play with bobby. Record it if you can. and I can't wait to get home to hear that song.

Everything's good here. Gonna go watch a movie and play some ball for pday. Don't worry, the movie is mission pres. approved.

Love you guys,

Zach