October 14, 2013

Happy Monday! (That´s about all the break we get)

That´s nice you all had some time off, though. Don´t worry about the email mix up from last week. I totally understand. I was just surprised because it´s never happened before. 

It was so wonderful to see Bea and Kancho! I honestly don´t know too much about how the marriage thing works. They just tell me that they don´t have a date yet because of paperwork or something. But in March they will complete one year and be able to enter the temple! And I suppose be married there, right? I guess I don´t understand how it works. 

Currently we are working mainly with Viki and Arthur and Beto. Sadly we´ve lost touch with Mayte. Since she came to conference last weekend we haven´t spoken with her. She fired us 3 times and now won´t answer our calls or texts. I´m really worried. I don´t know what happened and since she asked us not to pass by because of her Dad, I´m not sure what to do. I think we´ll try going by sometime this week and after that, I guess it´s in the Lord´s hands, and we have to have faith that everything will turn out right. Sometimes that is hard though. 

We had an amazing, super spiritual lesson with Viki a few days ago. We invited her to be baptized the 26th of October. She was a little scared and hesitant, but promised to pray about it. Sadly we haven´t seen her since then. But I´m sure there is some reason. She is too well-prepared to disappear now. It is her time, she needs this gospel so badly and just needs to overcome her fear through faith. 

Beto we met with yesterday and had a very spiritual lesson with him and with a friend who has met with the missionaries before. We testified strongly about how baptism is the way to access the Atonement and invited both to be baptized. They both said they need to know more first, they need to get to know the church better.

I´m a little frustrated to be honest. I feel like we are so close with these people but we can´t quite get them to baptism. I feel like we are working so hard here, but we can´t catch a break. I don´t know. I just need to focus more and give even more. I know what we are doing is important even if we aren´t seeing baptisms right now. I guess it´s not for me to decide when the fruits come or who reaps them. In the end it's the Lord who does both, we are just tools in His hands. Sounds like I need to study humility and faith a bit more. I know miracles do happen and we will still get to the 4 baptisms of this month. 

Oh, one kind of sad story. We went and talked with Juan Carlos last week about our purpose as missionaries and what he expects of our visits (he has never progressed), and it was obvious that he just likes having us over as friends and that he really is not interested in our message. I tried so hard to bring the spirit and express to him how much this gospel means to me, but he would just change the subject every time to something else like work. It was so painful to see someone I care about reject what means the most to me in all the world. The mission isn´t all smiles and miracles, I guess. But his time will come. 

Thank you all for all your prayers and support. I can´t tell you how much it helps. I love you guys so, so much. Sorry if this email is a little down. I´m working hard to keep up the animo and I will. The Lord will bless us with success here, I´m sure of it. Thanks again for all you do. Be safe, have fun and be good!!

Elder Cousins