Sept 30th
Hola! Haha this time we are writing in the morning, so you can have it by 7:00 am! I too can hardly believe that September flew right on by. It feels like it just started! We're already halfway through the transfer and it felt like we just started. Time is just a weird thing I guess.Hopefully I didn't forget anybody in my growing list of people haha. And hopefully you have time to read all of my rambling =)
So, this week for us. We didn't have much time from Thursday to the end basically, because of all of our traveling and the District Conference for the Islas Baleares, but those probably helped me more than earlier in the week =) We did a lot of finding activities too, so key indicators weren't as high but we feel satisfied with our efforts this week. Lots of door knocking, street contacting and being rejected =)
First off, I loved the opportunity we had to work with President Pace this past week. We were in companion study at 10:45ish when President calls us. He said he had just got in, and asked if we would like that he come out with us, or that he not bother us and read letters. We said “Of course you can come!” We both learned a lot from his example, and saw great things with his faith and his influence here, especially with some of the people! We had lots of fun. It was one of those experiences where you hear about it from other missionaries but don't think you'd think to ever experience often! We had various contacts where President just did a perfect job. We ended up finding like 5 new people haha. Our visits cancelled on us so he had a lot of time to walk him around Mahón. When we had nothing to do we went to go visit an antiguo investigator, and another investigator of ours answered their door! We had lost contact with him because he moved and never answers his phone, but then there he was! We were teaching him a message when the antiguos, his sister and her husband, got home and we taught them too! Then they invited us to stay for lunch =) President was there for a visit with Fran too, and it was really powerful, and helped him a lot. Then President met with Steve around 3 and we went back to prepare for our flight. We invited Fran to the District Conference Saturday, and he came to the adult session, which was nice. He said he would make it to church, but he never did...
Zone Conference was a wonderful experience. I loved the Spirit that I felt throughout the day. I always love learning more about the Book of Mormon and I want to start using it more powerfully in my efforts. I loved the discussion on testimony and felt that mine has grown. I was impressed by the new way of planning that Hna Pace introduced and I have already see how much it will help me. It resolves problems I have had with keeping track of everybody! We also have a great zone and it was nice to be edified by each other.
This past week I have been studying and memorizing various quotes, scriptures, and the Articles of Faith in Spanish. The goal came from rereading a talk by Elder Scott about scripture study and he encouraged the saints to memorize scriptures to be a friend in time of need and to become a powerful instrument in the hands of the Lord. It has been a large resource for me in my work and in my life. I have seen this promise come true and already have had numerous opportunities to use them =)
I was impressed with our District Conference, about President and Hna Pace's teachings on the Book of Mormon, working towards our goal of becoming a Stake, and the testimonies shared. There truly have been miracles in the islands!
I love working with Elder Alder. He is a true Preach My Gospel missionary and loves to study from it. He works hard, we have fun, and we work well together. We both have similar goals to work towards, and yet at the same time have strengths to help the other to make a "complete" companionship.
So, spiritual message/thought of the week. Our Book of Mormon reading is coming along just wonderfully—except that I’m falling behind. There’s just too many Christlike attributes and things to mark! I really loved the Words of Mormon this last week though. I was impressed about how he was writing as he witnessed the destruction of his entire people, not just their general apostasy, or contentions, or laziness. Pretty fuerte. I guess compared to that teaching a once believing but generally atheist community who want little or nothing to do with God or people who have fallen away by laziness is the high way haha. That, and we still see miracles and progression here, whereas Mormon knew that this would be the end. And he just had to leave his set of records which he had been working so hard with in the ground, or rather to his son who would leave them in the ground and hope that they wouldn’t be found and destroyed. But like he says: “And I, Mormon, pray to God that they may be preserved from this time henceforth. And I know that they will be preserved; for there are great things written upon them, out of which my people and their brethren shall be judged at the great and last day, according to the word of God which is written.” He chose the things which he was impressed that we would need:
“5 Wherefore, I chose these things, to finish my record upon them, which remainder of my record I shall take from the plates of Nephi; and I cannot write the hundredth part of the things of my people.
6 But behold, I shall take these plates, which contain these prophesyings and revelations, and put them with the remainder of my record, for they are choice unto me; and I know they will be choice unto my brethren.
7 And I do this for a wise purpose; for thus it whispereth me, according to the workings of the Spirit of the Lord which is in me. And now, I do not know all things; but the Lord knoweth all things which are to come; wherefore, he worketh in me to do according to his will.”
I was really inspired by how King Benjamin, with the prophets, were able with “all the might of their bodies and faculties of their whole souls” and by preaching the word of God with power and authority, using much sharpness because of their stiffneckedness, were able to permanently establish peace again in the land and drive out their enemies and the false prophets. I guess in a nutshell, with the work of the community to change the culture, word of God which leads to a permanent change of behavior and characteristics, and with lots of hard, diligent efforts, peace and righteousness were established. And that leads into King Benjamin’s amazing discourse and gives us (the reader) greater understanding as to the character and background of King Benjamin, which is why I think Mormon commented on him. We had a little “fun” I guess you could say by “using much sharpness” in teaching the Law of Chastity to Percy and his partner. It went pretty well, as the Spirit and strength of the Lord backed us up, but they even said it was pretty direct and fuerte. Good, just what we wanted =) And they still accept us back. So that is my goal, I am going to become a more bold missionary and use my understanding of the scriptures to expound hard and clear doctrine to investigators and members, with love of course =)
For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, cut the Spirit of God.
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. (1 Cor 2:11-14)
I also have been reading the CES devotional talks by Elder Oaks and Pres Uchtdorf, and the talk Absolute Truth, by Pres Kimball. All excellent talks. That false doctrine SATURATES this country haha. Relative this, depends on that, etc. and estoy hasta las narices con eso jaja. So I've started to memorize a few of their analogies and quotes to teach more effectively. It is true, there is absolute truth, whether people believe it or not. 10 times out of 10 we've seen that it's obvious these people are less active because they stopped studying not just reading the scriptures, especially the Book of Mormon, they've not prayed sincerely in who knows how long, and they haven't been to Church to renew that Spirit in a while either. The basics are key. The door closes every day and we need to re open it. Satan tries to get you to throw the key away, ignore it, lose it, have someone steal it, whatever it takes so that you don't open and walk through that door. I've also been prone to feel similar to these scriptures in Helaman 12:
4 O how foolish, and how vain, and how evil, and devilish, and how quick to do iniquity, and how slow to do good, are the children of men; yea, how quick to hearken unto the words of the evil one, and to set their hearts upon the vain things of the world!
5 Yea, how quick to be lifted up in pride; yea, how quick to boast, and do all manner of that which is iniquity; and how slow are they to remember the Lord their God, and to give ear unto his counsels, yea, how slow to walk in wisdom’s paths!
6 Behold, they do not desire that the Lord their God, who hath created them, should rule and reign over them; notwithstanding his great goodness and his mercy towards them, they do set at naught his counsels, and they will not that he should be their guide.
Well, that's about it. This week we are starting English classes, being more exhorting in regards to teaching our menos activo men, and searching for families!! Some of these Menos activos we are going to bother until they either ask to leave the church or ignore us consistently haha, maybe then they will come to church! Yesterday was Carmen, Fransisco, Nicole Nuñez, and a miracle that her mom came. Basically only to rant about problems she has with the in-laws haha. But oh well...I did better at piano this week since we practiced a little. Except for the surprise change to the opening hymn he through out without even realizing it until we told him after haha. Good thing I've had lots of sight reading experience!
We are having a blast and working hard in a spirit of obedience =) Elder Alder is a super fun guy. We are doing great. We're more and more like each other as we get to know each other more haha. Well, thanks for all of your prayers, keep them coming! We need Priesthood here. We just keep trying to the work in the Lord's way and time I guess.
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