The Mish is Seco

woah this week flew by. it was a solid week. the mish was fun and rewarding this week. we got into a lot of new houses, and taught a LOT of inactives!! now we just need to get people to church, because honestly that has proved to be the hardest thing for me in my first two months here. nobody can motivate themself to get up for church at ten. its super frustrating, but i guess that just means that im not helping them see the blessings well enough or letting the spirit teach them. thats something ive learned over the past couple weeks... i spent awhile trying to come up with the perfect questions and explanations of things, and while that is important and i should always try to improve the way i teach, whats more important is that i try to focus on them and listen to what the spirit wants them to feel and hear. the lord works with unlearned, humble servants, better than with an eloquent and prideful missionary.

with that being said i had the hardest day of my life i think on tuesday. i dont know what got in to me.. but it was bad. i spent the whole day just so sad and unable to shake thoughts of home, friends, and a million other things. it was the most mentally frustrating thing ever. i got home tuesday night and i just prayed my heart out. i wanted to be happy, and i wanted to work hard. the answer i got was exactly what i needed. i had forgotten for a few days the concept of forgetting about myself. i know i wont be happy if i cant do that. but if i can, ill be happier than ever before. because ive felt that happiness of only worrying about others a few days this week. hopefully i can maintain it becuase the mish is a lot easier and funner that way. i guess ill just have to burn all the pictures of my family. nah broma. also on tuesday i 100 percent am positive that i saw the gordito bald waiter from mama chus, so that didnt help all that much.

eliana accepted a baptismal date for the 28th.. but then got scared and said she needed more time. she is reading and praying and believes that book of mormon is true but hasnt recieved an answer. danny didnt come to church becuase his best friend (who borrowed his car last week when it got stolen and is a member) her ex husband committed suicide saturday night so he went to be with her. yeah hopefully nobody dies or robs cars this week. 

after two and a half months of visiting inactives in this ward ive come to a conclusion that im sure all other missionaries before me in chile realized... 85 percent of people that are not in the church anymore, are not in the church because they got offended. its seriously unbelievable. there are always going to be the people that never had a testimony and dont want to keep the commandments. but really the majority have told us they know the book of mormon is true, they know this is the correct church, but they cant come back becasue of other people. its sad, but at the same time ridiculous. we end up teaching agency like every lesson because they dont seem to understand that that concept applies to all people. 

my testimony of the sacrifice of christ and really my true identity as a child of god has increased dramatically recently. its interesting how as i learn more about the eternal scheme and plan of god i understand just how much sense it makes and more than anything feel in my heart of the validity. ive been reading jesus the christ and its super cool to see how the savior[s role plays a part in our everyday lives. i love this church and i know that its the only church in the world that really is the church of christ. not because its a good [church[ but becuase it teaches the gospel of jesus christ and more than anything it has the authority to do it! love you all. keep the commandments. dont get offended. have a good christmas.

feliz navidad.

-elder allred - chilean street raptor