This week was a weird one for sure! Obviously, it was different, since I'm sending this email on Tuesday instead of the traditional "Monday". I'll explain.
This week started out interesting, because on Thursday we did divisions (splits? I don't speak English very well anymore). I am a district leader, after all. So I went over to Elder Pearson's area and his brand new companion, Elder Sullivan, got sent over here to El Carrizo. What an adventure it was that whole day! It being the end of the month, I had almost no money, so we got around with a lot of rides. One guy was in a HUGE truck, the kind they use to haul copper in Kenecott! It was crazy to get a ride in something so big! I tried to get a picture but he turned around and I couldn't. Oh well. That day we had a lot of success. We committed three people to get baptized, got permission to baptize the kid of someone who wouldn't let him get baptized before, and found a guy that's really interested. Of COURSE all that has to happen to me the one day that I'm not in my area! But I'm happy for them. Elder Pearson is a really great guy and an even greater missionary, so it was fun to work with him. He's the one who I sent the picture of that has his mouth gaping open. Why, you ask? I was showing him how my camera has two screens!
Friday we taught a few people, but we've had to cut a lot of people from our teaching pool because they just aren't keeping their commitments. We're doing our best to teach how important it is, but it just doesn't get through to some people. We also did some preliminary arrangements for Saturday....
About three weeks ago, the district presidency told us they wanted us to have an activity: Super Sabado, just like in the United States! All the other district presidents were really excited and had a lot of volunteers offer to help. We were going to go to El Fuerte to do a combined activity with them, but later the district presidency told us they wanted El Carrizo to do its own activity. That left us very little time to organize the activity, with not much support (for lack of notice). That meant a lot of cleaning and shopping and pricing and setting up....that's all we did on Saturday. The activity lasted from 3 until 7, and we were preparing for it/cleaning up from it from 10 until 9. It was a crazy long day, but it was pretty worth it. We did a water balloon toss with the young men and young women, and we had 6 investigators and 3 inactive members come, so it was pretty good. We had a "barbecue" of sorts (I just simply don't know how to translate these things....we made carne asada!) We had a lot of fun and there was a lot of not-so-missionary music but that's okay, because we all bonded.
That is also where I lost my missionary agenda. Sigh....
The weekend was just about over, we had our really busy Sunday as usual, and just as the day was going to end and I was going to collapse, they told us that Monday would not be our preparation day. They said we were going to go to Los Mochis and have a Zone meeting and some interviews with President Cantù, and that Tuesday would be our P-day. Of all weekends, it had to be the most tiring one ever to put off our P-day. But I remembered what Nephi said, that we should "go and do" because God would never tell us to do something that we couldn't do.
That Monday was FANTASTIC. The zone meeting was pretty good, but what really helped me was the interview. President Cantù is pretty much the best guy ever. We all love him. He is going to leave the mission exactly when I do, which I'm really glad about. He'll be my only mission president. In my interview I expressed some of the things I've been having to deal with, and some of my frustrations of this area and of being a branch president. I fully expected a round of applause and a sad violin solo, but that's not what I got! That's what I love about our president. He says things like they are. He used an example that made me realize I've been failing really bad in something. He said:
"Just think about it like you're a surgeon and your investigators are the ones who need surgery. Are you going to open them up and say "Oh, gee, this looks really tough." or are you going to dig for the cancer? Even if you don't know how to cure it, it's better to know what's wrong!"
After that example, I had a lot to think about. I realized that a lot of our investigators say things like "Okay, I'll go to church," but don't go, or "Sure, I'll read the Book of Mormon," but don't read. President Cantù made me think about the WHY of all of that. If someone doesn't go to church, and they said they would, it's because something's wrong. "I was sick" is not a valid excuse for us! We're talking about salvation and exaltation here! President told me to never believe anyone! That we have to assume they have some bigger reason. Like "I slept in on accident" probably really means "My wife has heard a lot of horrible things about the Mormons". I realized that I've just been a surgeon who says "Oh, something hurts? Here's a pill, I hope it works!" I'm going to do a lot better on that too.
Elder Osorio and I have decided that we're going to start from scratch this week. The people who we have haven't been doing their commitments. We don't have very many investigators, so here are our prayerfully selected goals. I hope that everyone who reads this can say a quick prayer on our behalf, so that we can meet them:
- A family of 4
- A family of 6
- An "escogido" (a chosen one). Someone who is so interested that they'll keep all of their commitments.
- A less active member or family that talks to us, who wants to come back to church
- Someone who can get baptized on September 8, 2012
I realize that some of these are lofty goals, but we're going to keep praying and working hard! Please keep us in your prayers, we need them!
In the zone meeting, Elder Osorio got a package from his family which included a little music. There was a song called "A Letter Home" which really touched me. It's sung from the perspective of a guy who didn't go on a mission, but his friend did, then something he wrote in a letter home was an answer to his prayers. When I heard it, I really really hoped that I've been that, at least once. That something I've said has touched somebody's heart, or helped them recieve some little bit of revelation, or something. Lots of your letters have contained answers to my prayers. Especially those friends of mine who write me quite often. You know who you are, and thank you!
Well, that's about it for this week. I love you all and I pray for you. My prayers have gotten so much better out here, mostly because now, I know without a doubt that they can be answered. I can't wait to go home and just be....better. There were a lot of things that I did that were just kind of "meh". Scripture study, personal prayer, talks, yada yada yada.....a lot of stuff. But now I realize that is exactly what Satan's plan is. If he gets us to think that we're "doin' what we're 'post to" we're in trouble. In this life, we are on an escalator that is always moving DOWN, and if we're not moving, that's where we'll go. If we're walking, we'll stay in the same spot. The only way to get to the top is to RUN! That's what I'm going to be when I get home. A spiritual sprinter. Physical not so much.
And if I've sent an invitation, amonestation, exhortation, or anything of the kind to you, please consider doing it. Sometimes it's something so easy as reading a book or saying a prayer, but I know it will help you. I have seen dozens of lives change for the better after doing these things and I can't help but want that for my family and friends. It works.
By now, don't you think I would know?
Love,
Elder
Oh, and I hope you didn't buy that Mexican Pepsi. I know from personal experience that it tastes like regular Pepsi with grass in it.
Some pictures of Super Saturday, the water balloon toss, the carne asada, and a rainbow! (I guess the world ISN'T going to end just yet....)
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