Monday, July 11, 2011

Monday, Jun 20, 2011—Rainstorms and Changes

This has been such a crazy week, I don´t know where to even start.


 

I´d like to start out with the conference that we had on Tuesday.  I love mission conferences.  They always give me so much excitement and energy for the work.  During the conference Presidente Gillespie gave us all a little fake diamond.  He then told some facts about diamonds.  He told us the proportion of dirt that has to be moved and dug before a diamond can be found (you can look up the data).  He then asked, "Do you think that the mine workers ever get sad or depressed?"  No, they know that something of great work is waiting for them, they just have to get to work and move the dirt.  We discussed how great the worth of souls are and the fact that we have to get to work and "move the dirt."  It was a rather inspiring comparison.  We all now have our little diamonds that we carry around in our pocket every day to remind us of the souls that we are looking for.


 

These last few days, the weather has been absolutely horrible.  It has been rainy, extremely windy and very cold.  The area has been on storm alert.  It was so windy and rainy that on Saturday the zone leaders called Elder Schiller and I and told us that we could stay in the apartment.  However, together we decided to leave and go work.  Within minutes, we were soaked.  Even though I was wearing three coats, a sweater, a long-sleeve shirt and thermals, it didn´t matter—we were drenched, cold and perfectly happy.


 

Even though the weather has been horrible, we have had so much success this weekend.  It has been inspiring to see how the Lord blesses us for our willingness to go work and be obedient.  Over the last few days we have found four incredible families who are looking for the truth.  Not only are they looking for the truth, but they are willing to do their part.


 

Saturday afternoon, we were making our way up and down a flooded street, looking for a house (the house numbers here have no order whatsoever).  As we wandered down the street, we heard someone calling out to us.  We turned and an older man beckoned us into his house.  In his nice warm and dry house, we taught him and his wife about the message of the Restoration.  We asked them to be baptized and they said that they would in a little bit of time. We have another appointment with them this week.


 

This weekend we had a baptism here in Las Torres.  His name is Armín Gonzalez.  Armin is an incredible man.  He found the church because of his girlfriend.  For his birthday she went to the temple and bought him all the standard works, pamphlets, and DVD´s.  He then found the missionaries. Last week we were teaching him about tithing.  I was halfway through the story about how mom and dad paid their tithing before the rent, when he interrupted.  He said, "Let me tell you why I should pay my tithing.  A couple weeks ago, I was smoking a pack of cigarettes every day.  That adds up to just about ten percent of my monthly salary.  Why can´t I just give that to the Lord to thank him for this beautiful Gospel that he has brought me?"  True and steady faith right there.


 

Now, today has been a pretty crazy day.  This morning President called and told Elder Schiller that there had been some changes in the mission and that he had to be at the office at twelve.  We spent the morning packing his bags.  I will miss him.  We bonded a lot and became like brothers.  I am now with Elder Rowett.  He is a good Elder.  I have been in the same zone as him before.  We will work hard and do the Lord´s will together.


 

***


 

Time to go now.  *** I love my mission!

No comments:

Post a Comment