7/15/13 - Jordon

Hola, familia mia, ¿Cómo está?

 

This week was a bit of the same. Trying to find people to teach and trying to teach those we have. We found a few people this week, I'm not really so sure on how solid they are right now, though. We'll find out soon.
We're also trying to get our members a bit more involved. Just the other night, we had one of our priests come out with us after dinner, and he was with us for the rest of the night. We managed to have a few lessons while he was with us. He's a great young man, and he's preparing to serve a mission. He's well on his way.

Yesterday morning, Alfonso called us and said that he was moving..."right now" (yesterday). So, we gave up our morning studies to go help him until church started at 11 pm. We tried to find some members to help us, particularly one with a truck, but we couldn't find anyone. We asked if he could wait until after church, so we could bring the Elders Quorum with us, but he needed to be leaving for work at 2 pm. Also, we invited him to come to church, but he said with his situation (family issues), he needed to stay and keep moving stuff. We promised him that, if he put God first, everything would work out in the end and that we could bring more people later, but he still decided to stay. Later, in Elders Quarum, we asked who had a truck and if they could help us. He agreed, and we left Elders Quorum to go help Alfonso, once again. we finally finished up at about 2:45, when alfonso said that we'll leave the rest for another day. We did manage to get most of it done though. We hope everything plays out well.

 

As I mentioned last week, we had Transfers. Results: I'm still with Elder Macfarlane, and we're still in the same house. I guess my feelings about getting split were wrong.

Although, I did learn something really interesting. It would appear that, after this last transfer, (Elder Gutierrez went home.) I am now one of three Spanish speaking elders in the mission. THREE!Myself, Elder Macfarlane, and Elder Clark (you haven't met Elder Clark yet).  Of course, we have Spanish sisters as well, but I can't be companions with them. We better get busy on the work so there will be a need for more Spanish Elders. hehe.

 

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Old Habits Die Hard. Did you know that? I had realization of this this past week. We had ordered a box of Books of Mormon, and when we got it, I wanted to open it up. So, I reached into my pocket and shortly realized that my box cutter was not there.  I haven't had that on me for over 9 months now. So, why am I still trying to use it. Old habits really do die hard.

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I appologize if I ever give off the impression that I'm depressed or down-hearted from lack of success. It is not my intention. My demeaner is actually quite the contrary. I am aware that this work is hard. I am aware that I'm not "seeing" the success that I have been hoping for. But I'm also aware (and (ex)President Howes made this very clear to everyone) that not all of us may be here to harvest the field. Someone has to plant the seeds. So, as I'm laboring, day by day, I'm looking forward with happiness of heart and trying my best to plant those seeds upon good soil. I'm also looking to find those who may be ready for harvest, as rare as they may be among the Spanish comunity. I'm here because the Lord wants me here, and I'm glad to be here doing the Lord's work.

 

Another thing that keeps me going in good spirits is a portion of a talk entitled "Missionary Work & The Atonement" by Elder Holland (see below) that he gave to a group of missionaries a little bit ago. The imagery he gives is quite interesting:

 

“Elders and sisters, don’t you ever quit.  Don’t you ever give up! Don’t ever talk to me about going home.  I’ve said from this pulpit before I am manifestly the wrong man to talk to about going home.  You’d better talk to somebody else, because I am absolutely, totally, and completely biased.  I am insufferable on that subject.  I would wrestle you to the ground.  I would…I would grapple you all the way to the airplane terminal.  I would get into your backpack and go with you.  I would! (laughter) You would never get rid of me.  You try to go home; you look up in the middle of the night in your bedroom window, and I’ll be there.  I’ll…I’ll be there.  And I might scratch on the window pane.  I might make sounds.  Just don’t you ever turn away from this greatest experience of your life.  I couldn’t live with it.  I could not allow you.  I couldn’t do anything within my power, but have you experience what in some way what I experienced; that [of ]these brethren and sisters, your predecessors before you, missionary companions who follow you, your little brothers and little sisters till the end of time.  I am grateful for this mission, and I pray that as I bear testimony and try to fill the assignment that I’ve been given, to speak about the Savior of the World, the atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ, as I try to bear testimony of something of what that means for missionary work, that you will know how much that means to me;  how much I’ve been given, and how much every missionary’s given, and how much the world has been given, by the light and the life of the Son of God.”

 

That's all for today. We expect to see great things coming about soon.

 

Oh, the brethren of the church have announced that soon they are going to disallow backpacks in all missions. They want us to use shoulder bags instead. I'm going to have to get one soon. They haven't started this rule yet, but when they say no more, it's no more. Until then, we can still use our backpacks.

 

Also, my farewell from the MTC is now on Terra.

 

Until next week.

Con amor,

-Elder Jordon Hill-