The Pressure

Hey guys,

So this week was good. As most of you know I share my area with my companion and 2 other Elders. They happen to the be the APs and I love them to death. The problem is that planning for two groups every day and working with other missionaries every night is kind of difficult. 

One thing you learn as a missionary is how to work with a companion. Usually after every transfer when you get a new companion it takes a week or so to tune in your teaching skills so you can support each other where it is needed. 

Here, we are always changing so it feels almost like every night you have to change the way you teach so that you support each other and compliment each other well. 

The other part is the APs leave a lot for things with President and it is just us two which has its pros but the cons is a lot of times we have a lot more appointments than we can handle. We have all been trying really hard to make the most of the time that we have. 

As a missionary I have learned a lot about pressure. In life people always feel pressured for some reason. Whether it is to be a good parent or look nice or be fit or do something well it is all around us. As a missionary it is not much different except for there aren't very many variations. 

Sometimes you teach someone and they are so ready and willing to change and then for some reason they stop wanting to listen or they start breaking a certain commandment or don't want to come to church anymore. And you feel bad sometimes. You ask yourself whether or not there was something that you could have said or done to allow them to make other decisions. 

As I was thinking about some of these things (not in a depressed sense more of like what can I do better type of thing) I ran into a scripture that I had not read in a while. It is in Alma 26:27. It talks about how their hearts were depressed and they were about to turn back and the Lord comforted them and said go back to your brethren that are in the land of Nephi and BEAR WITH PATIENCE THINE AFFLICTIONS I will give unto you success. 

I hope that you can remember those comforting words. When life has come back around kicked you in the head or knocked you down and you just wanna throw your hands up and give up remember: God promises you success if you just go and try again and the punches arent gonna hurt anymore. You will be able to turn everything around and make it a success. This is not only a promise from me but it is a promise from  God and Heavenly Father. Please remember these things. 

Anyways, that is a message I just felt prompted to give. Because in reality this week a lot of good things happened in our area. 

D is no longer on our radar. He cant stop drinking. He literally cannot leave it behind. That makes me sad but his time will come. 

J and S- They are a couple that live together that aren't married but J was an investigator a long time ago and now he wants to be baptized and this week we set a marriage date for them! 

LD - She is a younger girl that lives in a part member family. She is really starting to progress and her mom is a member which is really nice. 

M E - She is a lady that we taught about 1 1/2 months ago and she pretty much just gave us a big no. But I got a call on my phone Tuesday morning and there was a lady asking me if I knew a M E. I replied yes but wanted to know why. She explained that she had found a Cedula (it is like the Colombian equivalent of a drivers license but they use them a lit more here) and that the only form of contact she had found with these things was a little card with my number on it. 

I had given her a light the world card in December and put my number on it in case she changed her mind about listening to us. Apparently she had put it with her cedula. 

We stopped by her house later that night and explained what had happened and why and she was very grateful and we asked if we could share a quick message with her. She let us in and then we had a very spiritual lesson where she explained all her family issues and how she felt far away from God. Since then we have taught her 2 more times and she is just loving it. All because a silly little piece of paper that we decided to give to her. 

Na - Her best friend is a member and the daughter of a very great member couple and she already expressed to us her desire to get baptized and now it is just a wait to give her the lessons. 

So that is the progress with my investigators. I am some what ready for transfers. Buying these plane tickets was terrible because there were a couple missionaries that live in the middle of no where. Hermana Huayta lives in a legit village in Bolivia. Hermana Diaz lives on an island in Chile. I just hope it all works out. 

I have not gotten Grandmas package yet. I am very ready for it though! 

I hope Ty and Dyl are happy. I saw a lot of pictures and videos and it makes me happy to see them happy!

By the way Alex is the kid that came to our house a couple of times that didn't go to Middleton that was really good. 

Anyways that is what I have! I love you guys a ton! Be safe! 

Con amor,