September 2, 2013

Hello again.

Well, where to begin this week? It´s been a walking-a-lot, looking-a-lot, not-very-many-lessons kind of a week. Actually we´ve been in the street A LOT. Not sure why we can´t get lessons with anyone, but that´s that. Juan Carlos got called for some work and has been working a ton all week so we haven´t met with him and he hasn´t read or come to church. Merci and her family are doing well but they couldn´t come to church this week because they had to pick up or drop off a relative at the airport or something. Also, we´ve only managed to meet with them once this week, but it was a really good lesson. We taught the plan of salvation and the spirit was really strong. You could tell it had an effect on them, especially Merci. She said she has always wanted to know that, but no church has ever been able to tell her. It was a powerful lesson. Next time we see them we are going to talk about baptism again and set a date with them, the 28th is the plan. 

We met with Beto this week, but he didn´t read. We were going to set a date with him, but I feel like he´s still missing the drive or the desires to be baptized, or else he is afraid. Either way we had a good, strong lesson with him and he was in church on Sunday. He should get baptized before the end of the transfer, it may just take a little longer than we wanted. 

Bad news with Rania. We haven´t seen her for a week or more. Saturday night we finally got in touch with her and I asked when we might be able to meet again. She talked about everything going on in her life and how God should help her, how she deserves it. And then she said that she didn´t think that talking would help anymore. I tried to tell her that I know that our message can help her find the peace that she needs so badly, but as soon as I started talking she hung up. I´m afraid she´s gone. I wouldn´t feel so bad about it (obviously I feel sad, especially since she needed it so badly), but I feel like it´s at least partly my fault. I feel like we didn´t teach her what she needs. I think I focused too much on how she only looks at the bad in her life, the pride she has in thinking the Lord should do everything for her. I should have loved her more and focused on the good in her, on how we can help her be free of all that hate and pain. I feel like I failed. 

The highlight of the week was the activity we did Saturday night. We decorated a room in the church as a plane and all of the guests were the passengers. We had flight attendants and a pilot speaking through a microphone and everything. They watched as the "in-flight movie" a Mormon message about how men´s hearts shall fail them when faced with death. The Apostle in the video talks about how he felt no fear when faced with death because he knows what will happen afterword. When the movie was over we faked that the airplane crashed. The pilot came out all dressed in white and announced that everyone on the plane had died and that now they would be shown to the next life. Downstairs we had 3 different rooms decorated as the 3 different kingdoms of glory. We set up the lights and decorations so that there was a big difference between each and so that the Celestial was obviously the best. There was a companionship in each room to explain what it was and what type of people go there. They passed through each of the rooms ending in the celestial kingdom. It was the brightest of all and in the middle was a family of 4 all dressed in white. After a moment of "celestial" music, the hermanas came out and presented the celestial kingdom and then bore powerful testimony. They talked with the family about what they did to arrive there and how they felt being there together. Then they bore their testimonies that each of us can get there and that should be the goal for all of us. It was really powerful for me. I don´t know why but in that moment it felt so much more real. Hna. Cabellero talked about how one day she will have her own family and how that will be their goal. I felt like never before that it was really possible and that was really where I wanted to go, with my own wife and kids. They talked about looking at where you are now and where you are headed and then making the changes necessary. I want to always remember that. At the end we all knelt and prayed and the spirit was so powerful. We all got a little emotional, even the family sitting up front. Afterwords an investigator of the other elders was just sitting on the floor crying. He said that it really impacted him and that he knows he just needs to repent and get on the right path. He said he is so glad he is getting baptized. Several members said it really made them think too. It turned it so good! It was a really spiritual experience even for me. 

Oh, if you were wondering about transfers I´m staying with Elder Kinghorn which is awesome! We have to get some baptisms before he goes. All of us in the ward are staying and they are adding 2 more hermanas. 

Well, I better get going. Time to buy food! I love you guys so so soo much! I miss you too. Thank you so much for all you do. Thank you especially for your prayer for our investigators. They need it and I know it helps. Take care everyone. Until next week! 

PS If you see Brother Killpack or Brother Smith, please tell them thank you so much for the letters!