"So this week we had a ton of meetings, we had interiews and we watched General Conferance. It was great! Sadly that means that very little missionary work got done, but hey I think we recharged our batteries so that we can be twice as good this week.
So you all know. I was not transferred... and neither was my companion. Yep, I am going to have six months in the same area with the same person. What is going on in Zion? I don´t know.
This week we had Mission Council. Our president started off by asking us to do something very interesting. He had every member of the council stand up and state why they are members of the council. Or in other words, why they have their assignment that they have. This was very interesting to me. I think it is something that we should always do as members. We should always ask, ¨Why do I have my calling?¨ We should first think in the Lord and those we serve. First, the Lord gives us callings because He knows that we are capable of magnifying them and blessing others. Second, He gives us callings and assignments because there is something that we need to learn from it. Many times... no, ALWAYS how to better repent. I am now asking myself everyday, ¨Am I working hard enough to show the Lord that I trust in His confidence in me (magnifying my responsibility)? Am I helping God´s children like I should in this calling like He would have me do? Am I allowing my calling to make me a better person and more worthy in the sight of my Savior? Our callings are very important... even when they may seem the very opposite. The Lord trusts us and knows how capable we are, He wants us to serve His children and knows that they need our help, and He loves us enough to give us this special chance to become ever so more repentant and just a little more like the Savior Himself.
We learned this week that as missionaries we now have six lessons to teach. If you remember it was like that 10 or 15 years ago. However, we have not gone back to memerized lessons. We are more focused on the commandments like fasting, which was explained very well in conference and in Isiah 58, so that the people will become more converted. We also learned that the 12 decided that our area rule of making a donation a requisite of baptism contrary to the doctrine found in D&C 20. We how ever have made it a goal to teach this law in such a way that all our investigators will pay a fast offering before baptism. It is a good way to see how faithful someone will be in the future to tithing and we are looking for those who will be faithful... or in other words CONVERTS.
General Conference was so great. However, the feel of this conference was different than that of any other. And not just because there were many talks in many languages. I feel as though our leaders are sad with how we members act.The 12 really focused on a few subjects... and all are found in Alma 5. The rival game of SJ and RV is a perfect example of why they would be sad with us. As I was reading of all that happened in St. Johns this last week I could not help but laugh at a few things and also feel sad. How sad it is that EVERY Apostle and Prophet of the Lord spoke on how we should be as members to others. We heard of charity and selflessness and sostaining your leaders. Those piss pore examples that were given at this years rival game by members of the TRUE church of Jesus Christ were to me utterly saddening. How can members of the church listen to the prophets talk so much about bullying, charity, kindness and love and than act in such a manner? I know my family and my friends and the members of my ward were not part of that and for that I am greatful, but I do want you to know that when we act like those select few acted we are not sustaining our leaders nor our Savior. I understand that we have a rival and I understand that sometimes we will lose our cool but there is no need for what happened. We really should think before we act and even better think before we speak. Let´s sustain our leaders by living in the manner in which they teach us.
No for the fun part. This week we went to the Suaña family´s house. We have been teaching them for a few weeks now and they are really started to progress. We have decided to take it slow with them becuase they are not married and focus on the Book of Mormon and prayer. We figured by doing so it would solve all of our problems for us... and so it did. The family has started to pray and read together as while as individually. To be honest they do it better than most ¨real Mormon families¨ that I know. In doing so they started to live the commandments on their own. For example this week we walked into their house and noticed that their ¨images¨ of Jesus Christ had been taken down from their wall and in its place was a huge copy of the famous painting of Jesus leaving the tomb. The room was litterally freed from a dark and dreary presence and is now a happy place to be. The parents also had set a goal to be married the 28th of February but now they have the goal to get married the first week of December. They are reading the Book of Mormon and praying every day and because of it the Spirit is teaching them all that they must do to truly repent and we are just showing them how they can do it. It is so awesome. Last night we taught them about fasting after it had been spoken about so many times in conference and next week they will be fasting as a family and giving their offering to make sure that it is a true fast. They are so great.
That was my week it was pretty fun. Oh, I forgot to tell you. This week we also went out with Hermana Archibald ( the president´s wife) to check mission apartments. While we were with her she asked me what I want to be when I grow up. I talked to her a little and than she told me that I should go into business and by a middle man. She has been so impressed with some of the negotiating I have had to do for her as a zone leader and she told me many times that I should really think about it. Who knows, maybe I will. While we were with here I also felt my shoulder get wet. I thought it was a pigeon right away because it happened to my comp last week and I died laughing ( I thought it was carma). However, I noticed that it was from no pigeon. I looked up and there were two people sitting in the window of a five story building. They had spit at us. I could not believe it. If any one knows my they know how much spit grosses my out. I would rather have a pigeon poop on me. Even though I was traumatized from the insident I was glad that it had landed on me and mot Hermana Archibald. Sometimes it is fun to be a missionary, but hey it is all in a days work.
P.S. I am going to try to take my president´s advice and be more like Joseph Smith. ¨The damn nicest man they´ve ever met.¨ Yes, he told me just that. I love interviews. Oh, and I am so excited that you are taking your temple classes! Happy late Birthday Mom and Spenser!... I did not forget, I just forgot to send a letter."
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