Focusing on the positive this week went really well! I really saw the blessings that come from doing it. It
was a pretty good week, the work is going well. We had a lot more
success, and we have progressed with it a lot. We set more baptismal dates
with some people and we also, found A. again! He almost got baptized when I
first arrived to this area and then we could never find him again, so we
thought he had moved. When I went on divisions with Elder Bareiro all of our
plans had fallen through and I saw the house that A. had lived in before and so I
thought, I am going to contact the people that live there now, and when we “clapped” the house and to my surprise
A was still living there! It was great that we found him again and he wants us
to teach him again. We have been teaching a lot of people lately!
C. our new convert is still a
little sick, but we wished her a Happy Birthday last night and we also met some
of her other family members.
We had our interviews with President this week and he told me I would be training a new missionary this next transfer! This transfer is 7 weeks long instead of six, so that will be in about 2 weeks. President was here for the district conference and it was really good.
The other crazy story that happened this week was this: so we met this kid and he is like 20 years old. We taught him and he absolutely loves the bible and he really liked what we were teaching him. So much so, that after the lesson he went with us to our next few lessons, at the end of the day he says, “Hey I want to show you my church where I go.” We were like “Alright” he said it was close to where we were. We ended up walking a little bit more than we thought we would, but then he says: “Hey, I am going to go in and get my pastor so you can meet him.” We hadn´t told this kid that we were Mormons yet because in the lesson he had told us that he didn´t get along with the Mormon missionaries, but he liked us, so at this point he didn´t even know that we were Mormon, yet, Haha. It is a rule that we can’t be going into or around other churches like that and he didn´t tell us that they were having a church service that night, so we are nervous and he goes in and gets his pastor and his pastor comes out and talks to us and is a little confused. He invited us inside and we said we can’t go in and so he went back inside and then the kid J. is his name, he says: “Hey do you want to meet these guys” to this lady that was standing outside and she is like I have my own religion but they are welcome to go inside. So, at this point it is pretty uncomfortable and we tell J. “Hey we gotta go” and he looked a little confused but we left. We had thought that for sure this kid was going to get baptized but when me and Elder Bareiro went back to his house the next day he came out and he starts asking us all these questions and he looked mad. I instantly had to start defending myself. He is like I was named a prophet in my church and I see things that you don’t see. You are not on the right path! You are not teaching correct doctrine and he starts to say things like I receive revelation I know when the wind is going to change direction and when the sun will come out from behind the clouds. The sun is going to come out from those clouds you watch and he just goes on and on saying we are hypocrites and he was reading full chapters from the bible and I started to testify to him with other scriptures to show him the truth using the bible. I simply said look, we know what we do is right and prophets have to be called of God by authority. We are going to keep doing what we are doing and you can choose to listen to us or not. We didn´t bible bash too much because we aren't supposed to do things like that. We went back again another day and Elder Perez cleared a few things up for them and using the bible he also taught him in a way that he couldn´t deny the things that we said. His brother-in-law was there and was listening and has potential and wants to go to our church.
We had our interviews with President this week and he told me I would be training a new missionary this next transfer! This transfer is 7 weeks long instead of six, so that will be in about 2 weeks. President was here for the district conference and it was really good.
The other crazy story that happened this week was this: so we met this kid and he is like 20 years old. We taught him and he absolutely loves the bible and he really liked what we were teaching him. So much so, that after the lesson he went with us to our next few lessons, at the end of the day he says, “Hey I want to show you my church where I go.” We were like “Alright” he said it was close to where we were. We ended up walking a little bit more than we thought we would, but then he says: “Hey, I am going to go in and get my pastor so you can meet him.” We hadn´t told this kid that we were Mormons yet because in the lesson he had told us that he didn´t get along with the Mormon missionaries, but he liked us, so at this point he didn´t even know that we were Mormon, yet, Haha. It is a rule that we can’t be going into or around other churches like that and he didn´t tell us that they were having a church service that night, so we are nervous and he goes in and gets his pastor and his pastor comes out and talks to us and is a little confused. He invited us inside and we said we can’t go in and so he went back inside and then the kid J. is his name, he says: “Hey do you want to meet these guys” to this lady that was standing outside and she is like I have my own religion but they are welcome to go inside. So, at this point it is pretty uncomfortable and we tell J. “Hey we gotta go” and he looked a little confused but we left. We had thought that for sure this kid was going to get baptized but when me and Elder Bareiro went back to his house the next day he came out and he starts asking us all these questions and he looked mad. I instantly had to start defending myself. He is like I was named a prophet in my church and I see things that you don’t see. You are not on the right path! You are not teaching correct doctrine and he starts to say things like I receive revelation I know when the wind is going to change direction and when the sun will come out from behind the clouds. The sun is going to come out from those clouds you watch and he just goes on and on saying we are hypocrites and he was reading full chapters from the bible and I started to testify to him with other scriptures to show him the truth using the bible. I simply said look, we know what we do is right and prophets have to be called of God by authority. We are going to keep doing what we are doing and you can choose to listen to us or not. We didn´t bible bash too much because we aren't supposed to do things like that. We went back again another day and Elder Perez cleared a few things up for them and using the bible he also taught him in a way that he couldn´t deny the things that we said. His brother-in-law was there and was listening and has potential and wants to go to our church.
Anyway, if you are going to send a package to me, taco seasoning
would be good, Haha. I am doing well with what I have, though.
Mostly, it has just been a really good week. So mom, you
wanted to know what a typical day is like here for me. I wake up eat breakfast,
boil water to take a bucket shower, read the scriptures and plan for the day. From 9am to 12pm we work and then we eat lunch
with a member and then at 1:30pm we go to the pension to study until 4pm because it is Siesta time here, we don´t sleep during the siesta time, we study
and then from 4pm to 9pm we work and then at night just before bed I write in my journal and then
go to sleep. Pretty dang exciting, huh? As Nacho Libre would say, sometimes we
go to the church for things and activities and stuff but mostly we are just
studying and working.
Yeah, so the black pair of my shoes, the soles are coming
right off of them too! Haha, but they will make it to the end of my mission, don´t
worry about them too much.
That is fun that you went to the ward campout. I miss those!
The rest of the mission is going to fly by with doing training again.
I love you and miss you. Thanks for being the best mom and
dad ever! Thanks for all the support. I really love you both a lot and I am so
grateful that you are my parents. I can´t wait to see you again!
Love you and miss you!
Chau,
Elder Nate Pendleton
My companion and some of the good food we eat...
No comments:
Post a Comment