Another week has come and gone. Wow. This has definitely been a test of faith...... all the negative details don´t really matter, but let´s just say it didn´t provide the results of what you see on those District DVDS. jaja.
I think we had the record for most failed appointments in my mission up to this point. We were literally up to plan Z every single day. We set appointments, contacted, planned lessons with memebers, received references, tried to contact references, contacted in the street, searched old investigadores.....and nothing. Nothing. It was day after day, we did everything, studied, were obedient, worked the whole day, and nothing seemed to work. And the lovely weather always seems to play a part...days of blazing hot humidity, and other days waking up to argentina rainstorms. I was stuck, and just didn´t know what else we were supposed to do and change. We were trying to be good little preach my gospel missionaries, but I didn´t know if god was trying to teach us humility or patience or what. NO ONE wanted to talk to us. I understand Sterlings dilemna of nights with nothing...jaja. Sometimes I think it would be better to just go bake brownies and deliver them to all the old peple here for service.
But last night, Sunday, was a little miracle. Once again we had been through all our plans, back up plans, and plans of back up plans. We were contacting one last street, got the usual catholics who don´t even want to look at our faces. When we presented ourselves to a man, and he said ¨quieren pasar?¨......WHAT? he asked us if we wanted to enter his house. This never happens here. So we met Javier, a man who it turns out talked to missionaries a few years ago in a different city. He was so receptive, has a baby, really likes listening and learning about religions, he likes that our church has the name of Christ in it. It was a miracle and tender mercy to find him. He has a crazy work schedule, and we happened to contact his house one of the only days he has been home in the past 2 weeks...coincidence? nope. But this week it made me think a lot about success of a missionary. Lots of times it´s numbers, numbers, numbers. But our personal faith and confidence in God determines how we handle a situation, and in turn allows the spirit to work through us, even if we are not in the friendliest place in the world. ja.
Our neighbor warned us this week about the scorpions. Scorpions. Aaaahhh. They crawl up through the drains, because santa fe is hot and humid. I don´t know if it will be worse to see one, or to just be living where i know they are crawling around. and bite. Funny moment....we were talking to a contact, and a bird pooped on my comps leg. jajajaj. I didn´t even know until after, when she showed me that there was a big green and white dripping down. Another day a horse charged us, but luckily it was on a rope. Or I think we legitely would have died. A sweet little recent convert, Zunilda, made us lunch one day. She made empenadas, they were absolutely horrible and burnt and stuffed with green olives. But she is the sweetest, and her prayers are priceless. She said the prayer in sacrament...and i think some people were caught off guard, she does it more in the style of the catholics or some other church, with eyes open and doing the cross think with her hand. jaja. She is quite the caracter, and is still learning some of the differences in our church. (during lunch she asked my companion who is richer, me or her. My companion didn´t really understand, and zunilda then turned to my companion and said ¨yep, you look like you have more money than hermana andrews.¨jaja. i don´t know if it was my outfit for the day or what.) Another member made us lunch one day, it was rice with what I initally thought was bad chicken. Oops. She then said it was intestine (mondongo). This is one thing I just can´t eat.
Here´s a random fact....the FLDS church sends letters with revelation from their profeta to all the wards, even here in Argentina! It´s so crazy, it is straight from their profeta warren jeffs, delivered to the bishop here. funny huh.
We also contacted what is basically the hollywood of santa fe. Not knowing our whole area, we chose a street to contact, which turned out to be the RICHEST of the richest. haha oops. Everyone needs the gospel, it just takes a little more searching in areas like this. And wasn´t the most effective.
Tomorrow we go to Rosario for a conferencia de las hermanas:) with all the hermanas from the mision.
Good job ethan and landon with all your awards and everything! What proud little parents i have:)
Happy almost thanksgiving! I´m grateful for all I have....but most importantly for the gospel of Jesus Christ. Cliche, cliche. But really, it´s true. My testimony grows more every day. I know that lasting happiness only comes through knowing who Jesus Christ is and applying his atonement in our lives.
les quiero!
love, hermana andrews
p.s. home sweet...welcome to prison. the next few nights we will be shoving extra 2 girls in there with us....no idea how. just pray the scorpions don´t eat me during the night while i am sleeping on the floor.
No comments:
Post a Comment