This week. hmmm hmmm. So that member talked to us forever. then went to members house and she said i had to tell you about my week. Then last week i really tried to contact more people. I really tried hard this week. i talked to people in all places almost even in the bathroom but then i remembered that man show episode. "Dont worry everyone grows up" and decided it might not be an appropriate place to do it. But i tried to contact people everywhere else. Got in an argument with a testigo...(jehovas witness) i dont want to argue it doesn't help anything at all! The spirit can't be there and they don't want to listen. But i was honest with him and we came to some sort of understanding. I think it should say "What the Jehovas Witnesses really teach, using the bible." I read the same Bible you do but have a completely different understanding of what it means. The only person that can tell me what a scripture really means is God himself, or Through a living prophet as he did in the ancient times. but to think that i would follow someone who doesn't believe in the gifts of the spirit, prophecy and revelation, who has put together scriptures that prove his point of view without claiming it was recieved from inspiration from God but by the studies of man is completely strange to me. I thanked him for his time. I invited him to continue reading the bible and always asking God for the inspiration needed to understand What God really Teaches."
last transfer president told us we needed to be bold and show people what they are doing that is against his word. I guess I took it a little too far.
Then yesterday i asked Elder Viñas in our zone conference how i can avoid situations like that. He said. "Well to start i just want you all to know that you should never argue. Never. Especially not with Jehovahs Witnesses." i never even said anything about Jehovahs witnesses in my question. he continued "They know much much more than you all do about the bible. But they key thing you need is The Gift of Discernment. Pray for it seek it study it. and then you will be able to know when you should end a lesson or contact before it is able to turn to something that shouldn't happen, and can't happen for you to keep the spirit"
By telling you this please don't think i am always argueing with people. That was one experience out of many. But this day i too easily accepted his arguement. I am trying hard to improve.
This week we were in the parking lot of Supermax. a grocery store, and we were contacting people. I started talking to a girl about 25 years old. Then from inside the car her mom stated. "We are from such and such a church and we believe We have the holy Ghost and don't need a prophet." So i said "ok so would you be willing to hear our message and let the Holy Ghost tell you whether it is true or not?"
She replied and talked and talked and talked about how we needed to get off the path we were on becAUse God has more for us. becAUse God has so much more and if we would just listen to the holy ghost we could recieve beautiful visions and experiences from God. so i replied "ma'am i came here becAUse i recieved a confirmation of the holy ghost that what i was doing was right and was what god wanted me to do" she quickly said "But you need to come to my church. Just walking into the doors you will feel his holy spirit consume you and will be able to know he has more." she then invited me to pray and ask God where i should go. To read her church program and then ask God if i should go. I acceted her offer and then Continued to contact. an example of what i try to do normally when i recieve opposition to our church. (i did pray... dont worry i'm not coming home anytime soon...)
as we contacted some other people in the same parking lot there was a woman that called us over to her car from the other side of the parking lot. i finished talking to the people we were talking to as my companion went over to her. She said she had received the missionaries before and her sister is the seminary teacher for our ward. We set up a time to call her and pass by and we're pretty excited.
As well we started teaching a woman named ruby. She is the one that doesnt have a whole lot of knowledge of the bible and just wants to follow God. So we taught her yesterday about the apostasy and she understood all of it! we were excited. Her son came in she explained it all to him perfectly. It was a great confirmation of our clarity in teaching. We are always striving for clarity and understanding. There are a few things that impede that here. they like to talk (puerto ricans) and there is always music in the background. ALWAYS! No matter where you are there is someone with a Car or scooter or anything you can put speakers on blasting LOUD! ALWAYS! So it was great that she understood.
That was my week. Trying hard to contact and teach.
October 19, 2009
So Just so you know what happened. Today when I was in the library i was talking to that man and we weren't able to do The email. He talked and Talked and Talked. Then the man at the front of the library logged off my computer becuase i was over an hour. So i was talking to a member and she told me to write you becuase she knows how parents are when they don't hear from their kids. So i am writing a quick note to tell you what happened that i love you and will write you a handwritten letter tonight and send it to you tomorrow morning on the way to district meeting. But yeah Thats what happened and Next week we are not going to that library to do email. That guy stops us every week and i really didn't like how they kicked me off. I didn't even get to write president. He was talking to me and my email kicked me out becuase it took too much time. But yeah! I will write more about my week in a handwritten letter tonight. I Love You! Congratulations Mom and Dad. What a pleasure to know my parents can work through their differences long enough to stay together for more than the world average of 4. I Love You! i wanted mom to read an article that i loved in the ensign. in September the article from Deiter F Uchtdorf. he quoted David O Mckay. I LOVE THAT QUOTE BY DAVID O MCKAY!
"Pues adios, pues adios"
"Pues adios, pues adios"
October 13, 2009
We had interviews with president this week. It was good. It was very good. President told us that he put two clydesdales in an open field so we could start plowing it and...were not doing as he thoguht we would. He kind of chewed us out a little saying that he thought we would have much better results and told us exactly what he wants of us. So we are starting to work. We really started working harder this last week and saw many blessings from it! We started contacting people. Found some old investigators from sister that progressed great but didn't continue and were able to set up appointments with them. It was good. As well we contacted a guy who agreed to let us come by and share with him. So we went and he read all the pamphlet all the definitions and the additional study as well. He was completely prepared to talk about everything and accepted everything we shared. He had no objections and wanted us to come back and share more. It was great! I Loved it!
AS well we are working with a family right now and have tried many times. Many Many Many times to set a baptismal date! They just wouldn't accept. Just kept saying "we will pray and see" so finally we just gave up trying. we just taught them. Then this last week we had a cita with them and had everything planned to share. We got there and for the first time he excitedly told us that he read. So we went over the chapter Alma 32 and asked him what he could do to keep strengthening his Gospel "tree" and explained to him. He turned around and said to his wife. "these guys are smart That is a great example to show with a tree it totally makes sense" Then my companion asked him about baptism. he said you know what. We need to get baptized. we need to keep our trees strong. He chose to be baptized on the 31 of october. =) We were way excited. We still have a few more tings to teach them but they are finally getting somewhere. I was so happy.
This week was good. President really just gave us the wakeup call we needed. and things are turning around.
I wasn't horrible disobedient. But the fact is just wasn't Making my L's look straight like that instead making them a little curved like l that
thats the way president explained it we are trying and will hopefully be seeing the blessings come from being obedient. again i keep all of the big rules no problem. There are tons of things that a missionary just doesn't do. The small ones that don't seem important at times are the ones i have problems with. Going to bed on time. Starting studies on time. (i never sleep in. never have and never will....that one for me is a big one) But things are going to be different this transfer.
AS well we are working with a family right now and have tried many times. Many Many Many times to set a baptismal date! They just wouldn't accept. Just kept saying "we will pray and see" so finally we just gave up trying. we just taught them. Then this last week we had a cita with them and had everything planned to share. We got there and for the first time he excitedly told us that he read. So we went over the chapter Alma 32 and asked him what he could do to keep strengthening his Gospel "tree" and explained to him. He turned around and said to his wife. "these guys are smart That is a great example to show with a tree it totally makes sense" Then my companion asked him about baptism. he said you know what. We need to get baptized. we need to keep our trees strong. He chose to be baptized on the 31 of october. =) We were way excited. We still have a few more tings to teach them but they are finally getting somewhere. I was so happy.
This week was good. President really just gave us the wakeup call we needed. and things are turning around.
I wasn't horrible disobedient. But the fact is just wasn't Making my L's look straight like that instead making them a little curved like l that
thats the way president explained it we are trying and will hopefully be seeing the blessings come from being obedient. again i keep all of the big rules no problem. There are tons of things that a missionary just doesn't do. The small ones that don't seem important at times are the ones i have problems with. Going to bed on time. Starting studies on time. (i never sleep in. never have and never will....that one for me is a big one) But things are going to be different this transfer.
October 5, 2009
It defintiely was a great conference. My third one as a missionary! CRAZY! 1 left. here they broadcast from 12-2 4-6 and 8-10 so we had to just go straight home after the priesthood session. Otherwise we would have gone to wendys. =) i loved it. and i loved watching the videos inbetween. that was neat as well. but yeah we had that tradeoff and then p-day and then conference that not a whole lot really happened. this week we were able to have a great family home evening with a family in our ward. it was awesome we made dinner with them and then washed the gua gua while it was cooking. Their whole fmaily helped us. They are a husbad wife and three kids. Two boys 15 and 14 and then a girl 11 and they all helped us wash the car. we also made the desert for them... better than...almost anything cake. they loved it. She made us what is called pastelon. and its a layer of mashed potatos layer of ground beef layer of more potatos layer of meat and cheese. simple but it was good. Then we shared the story of nephi onthe boat where his brothers tie him up... we had a brick. and all 5 of them had to stand on the brick. its hard to do normally. but we blindfolded on and tied his arms behind his back. The dad. they couldn't do a thing. Then we took it off and read the scripture in 2 nephi 1:21 how lehi blesses them all and tells them to be of one heart and mind. so we tried it again and tried to be more unified and were able to almost do it. the wife kept giving up and didn't want to said it was impossible but the husband was trying to hard. they all learned a lot about unity. it was great! Really made me miss the elder bednar moments of prayer giggling and poking and many other wonderful family home evenings.
Then in conference we were in the english room and there was a woman next to me. She reminding me so much of mom. So much just a warm loving feeling sitting next to her. Just the feeling that whatever happens she is there to help and comfort. I Miss you Mom! You warm heartfilled hugs!
That was my week. Loved conference.
Then in conference we were in the english room and there was a woman next to me. She reminding me so much of mom. So much just a warm loving feeling sitting next to her. Just the feeling that whatever happens she is there to help and comfort. I Miss you Mom! You warm heartfilled hugs!
That was my week. Loved conference.
September 30, 2009
Well we are having pday today becase our zone leaders wanted to got to a science museum like omsi! Woohoo! Excited but we don't have much time till they close so this email is short. I got in another car accident. EVERYTHING IS FINE NO ONE WENT TO THE HOSPITAL NOR HAD ANY PROBLEMS... i will send pictures next week. i was on a trade off. driving a small car my companion was from nicaraguas and cant drive here. So i was driving and pulling into a gas station to meet a member to go teach with at the same time a girl turned the light and was going too fast to stop in time and hit the front right side. Destroyed the bumper bent the fender and started leaking fluids then when we got it to the mission mechanic he said the axel got bent as well. It was a brand new 2009 corolla. Drove nice.... but the police came the girl driving was 18. Sat down and talked to her till the police came talked about church and god and she goes to a pentecostal church because she feels they talk more about christ there than other churches and she liked that. But as soon as it happened there was a towtruck trying to tow our car. We argued a bit because he was all ready to hook up the car and i told him he had to wait until the police came and filled out the report. He told me: Your church might have a prohpet and twelve apostles, you may have pastors you may have anything but you don't have a towtruck.
I just told him to leave us alone. so he went and bought sodas for the other car and they accepted his services. EVERYONE WAS FINE! so we got that all worked out police came and filled everything out and now the offices are working with the insurance. For some reason i slammed on the brakes when i saw her. But realized after if i would have hit the gas to get out of the way like i was thinking of doing we would have had more damage and my companion could have got hurt. So little blessings in a mess. Like finding M&M's in the vaccum filter. =) GROSS! but yeah everything is being worked out. We have to go to the insurance office and explain both sides of the story and then they will decide whose fault it was. As for now i can't drive until president Gives me the OK. But yes we are enjoying driving the Short bus. But it is HUGE! That is mainly what has happened. My mind is not really remembering right now what else we had. but EVERYONE IS FINE!
I just told him to leave us alone. so he went and bought sodas for the other car and they accepted his services. EVERYONE WAS FINE! so we got that all worked out police came and filled everything out and now the offices are working with the insurance. For some reason i slammed on the brakes when i saw her. But realized after if i would have hit the gas to get out of the way like i was thinking of doing we would have had more damage and my companion could have got hurt. So little blessings in a mess. Like finding M&M's in the vaccum filter. =) GROSS! but yeah everything is being worked out. We have to go to the insurance office and explain both sides of the story and then they will decide whose fault it was. As for now i can't drive until president Gives me the OK. But yes we are enjoying driving the Short bus. But it is HUGE! That is mainly what has happened. My mind is not really remembering right now what else we had. but EVERYONE IS FINE!
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