So
my first two weeks in the field have been interesting. Not all too
great. I have learned that I am in the place of the Devil, not even
kidding this is a modern day Babylon. It is the land of iniquity. We
seriously are laughed at every single step of
the way. No one cares to hear our word. No one takes us seriously. About
80 percent of this place is Athiest. I live in a super poor area,
everyone is from Ecuador and South America...I haven´t taught a single
Spaniard. We are laughed at, spit at, yelled at...we
almost get in fights. It is not what I thought a mission was. I am here
and I feel like we are in the times of old in the scriptures. These people
are so wicked. We have some faithful members but not many good ones. You
wouldn´t even be able to comprehend what I
see daily. This place has us because Satan has won here, and we have to
conquer it again. Almost daily my companion and I come home close to
tears because all we do is fail. There is no success. We street contact
over fifty hours a week because there is no
one to teach. Everyone, give missionaries references because without
member references this work cannot go on. Help them please!
This is so
hard you have no idea. I have taught three lessons out of complete
miracles though just enough to keep my companion and
I going. We have one baptismal date on the 28th -- a nine year old who
isn´t a member his dad is and his mom is not. The mom does not want to
be baptized but we finally taught her and the Spirit was literally
shouting during that lesson. You wouldn´t even believe
it. I asked her to be baptized as we are instructed to... She said no.
She won´t listen to us now and it´s been almost a week or so. How can
you deny these feelings? It was so strong. My companion and I were
dying and struggling because she flaked on us one
day and we were standing in the street murmuring so my companion said
let´s pray and repent so we did and after we said "amen" I just said "Elder
we need to contact everyone we see" so some little punk kid walks by and
I was just like not him (though in my mind)
but my companion said, "una pregunta usted una persona que cree en Dios?"
and he said, "yes" and wanted to hear more, this never ever ever happens.
We taught the first lesson right there and invited him to baptism and he
said yes. We have to teach him the rest before
we can truly set a date but wow, what a miracle. That has been our only
true success so far. Having to report our numbers every week just really
gets me down. This is the hardest thing of my life. I have never felt
so discouraged. But one night while walking
home after hours and hours of working I just had this overwhelming
feeling in the street then I heard my name... No one was there so I shook
it off then it happened again. Then I remembered a quote that Elder
Perkis always says, Sacrifice brings forth the blessings
of Heaven. The words just made me feel so much better and I could feel
the angels around me. It´s not all like that though. It´s hard. It´s so
hard. I wish I were better prepared. The mission isn´t all these amazing
miracles. There are many but that´s not a
mission. Be ready for trials in this life. And learn that money is not
everything. Money is of Satan. Truly. I have been so humbled here. Be
grateful for everything you have back home. You will never understand
how blessed you are until He takes it all away.
So be humble like unto a child.
So a little update on weather, well it
rains like every day and when it doesn´t rain it´s about 110 degrees so
its hard hahah. All we eat is rice I swear. Some of the food is pretty
good but mainly rice hahaha. I am serving a
third world country mission I kid you not. Hahaha but everything is going
along well.. half decently. I´m very homesick and miss everyone sooo
much. But I hope all is well. I pray for you all so hard every single
night. I love you all.
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