Monday, October 27, 2014

float like a butterfly, sting like testimony

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hola hola everybody. im emailing from the big apple of chile right now, viña del mar, and its amazing. we came here to buy some stuff and eat at papa johns and its been a great day, and week. were still struggling to find good investigators but when were working hard the days go by fast, i learn something every day, and i`ve had experiences that ill remember for the rest of my life and im only 3 weeks in.
for this reason i really dont have much news to share about my investigators because none of them came to church. its super hard to teach people lessons, KNOW that they felt the spirit, stop by their house before church and they say theyre coming and then they dont show up. the 240 year old lady that we had a baptismal date for and didnt show up to church was exactly what we expected. her husband, who always seems to be drinking wont allow her to meet with us anymore and when we try to talk to him he just gets mad and tells us to leave. its been super frustrating for me this week to deal with people that i dont like. because when i wasnt a missionary i would tell them exactly how i feel. but now i realize thats not the best way to go and as a representative of christ just not acceptable. so ive been studying the love of christ and charity this week in my morning studies and trying to apply some things.
if you havent read elder hollands talk the cost and burden of discipleship then you should. being a true follower of christ never has, and never will be easy or the popular thing to do! its hard for other people to hear the things that we know to be fundamental and unchangeable laws decreed from god because they dont want to change the way they live their lives. i wanted to punch a wall a couple times this week becuase we have a family and another investigator that refuse to open their eyes and hearts and see what god has in store for them. another less active member that we`ve been trying to teach for weeks told us this week her story and its sad. she wont come to church and wont have her daughter baptized because the elders a year ago made a mistake and told her that her daughter could not be baptized becuase she didnt know who the dad was. after this long she still has so much anger over something so small. its tough.
im loving the food here. every lunch is at a members house and then i pretty much fast for 24 hours until the next one. we eat so much at lunch every day, and then i eat like a banana with nutella when i get home and yogurt in the morning. its really fun. but its the best when we have a lesson in the night with someone and they just automatically serve us once!! when they do its usually bread with palta (chileno guacomale without tomato) and tomato soup. its amazing. there has not really been food that i have not liked.
every day im exhausted. not just physically either! im even more mentally, emotionally, and spiritually drained because not only am i trying ot learn a new language and pretty much force my brain to switch the order that sentences should be in english to the way they are formed in spanish is incredibly hard, but also trying to control my mind 24/7 to not think about friends, family, or something stupid like a song that i shouldnt have in my head. but im enjoying every second of it because i know these are the times im going ot remember for the rest of my life. pouting does nothing out in the mission field. if you are sad or angry about something, nobody is there to pat you on the back motivate you to be better expect for yourself. thats why ive grown so much closer to my heavenly father out here. to have a testimony of god, jesus christ, and this gospel is more than just realizing that they exist, but its having an active and continuous communication with them. its simple pray, read the scriptures, obey the commandments, and you should be good to go. should be easy right? sadly most people do not want god in their life and if they do they want a god who is easy going and soft on them. does that sound like the god that christ described while he was on earth because when i read the new testament it sure does not sound like it. how are we supposed to learn and get better in this life and BECOME LIKE CHRIST with gods who not only dont rock the boat, but pat us on the back after doing something we shouldnt and tell us everything is alright??
no for real though if i had to pick any single topic of the gospel that my testimony has grown specifically on it would be the atonement of christ. everybody can change and has the potential to come back because christ provides the way. it requires desire to change first though and thats been hard for me to accept with my investigators. i feel like after i testify of something and i can feel the spirit so strongly that automatically they will recognize what it is they need to do, but in reality lots of times they just simply are not listening and dont want to change.
i participated a lot more in the lessons this week, i gave a blessing in spanish, and i taught the elders quorum lesson on president monson`s talk about being valiant members of the church which you should also read. you have a lot of homework this week. but yeah my spanish improved a bunch but i feel like everytime i take a step in the language i realize more steps that i didnt see before. funny how that works huh, you could probably compare that to a million truths of life.
love you all have a good week.
cuidense
-elder allred - chilean street raptor
fotos: alexis sanchez jersey that a member gave me, and me and my comp swaggin (is swag still cool?)

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