The Church building is about a ten minute walk away, pretty close since it´s a smaller city and we live in centro. It is a rented house with a warehouse next door turned into a chapel. The attendance is good. It is going up ever since we got here. We had 65 in church last week which is unprecedented, and we had 10 investigators in church two weeks in a row. Nicholls said that is a mission record for him. So that was sweet. And the lessons continue going well. We just taught Norma Breto again and we teach Ramon Gonzales tomorrow. It was such a spiritual lesson. I totally see how loving the person is so important in the work. When you truly care about someone it is just easy to teach them. The church does have a full program. They are lacking priesthood holders and full tithe payers to have a chapel built. But it has all been going up. I really think that it will get there in a year or so.
The teaching has been great. The families we tried to pass by with Hermano Ovando all stood us up so we are still trying to talk to them. We will see what happens. Everything is going super good though. The cortes de ruta (protests) still continue in all parts and the dengue from mosquitoes is going crazy here, but we are all safe and healthy. No worries.
We have transfers this next week and conference which I am super dooper excited for. They set it up in Spanish and English for the elders so that is cool. I can´t wait to see what happens this time.
I am praying for you all and encourage you to share the gospel!
01 April 2009
30 March 2009
Number 10!
So I am sure you are wondering what the whole "number 10" thing is about. Well, that just so happens to be the number of investigators that we had in church on Sunday. It was super cool. One of our branch members, the second counselor in fact, brought 8, EIGHT, people from his English class at school. He told us he would go with us to teach all of them this Friday so I am Super STOKED for that. Then we had the father of a member family. His name is Daniel Rodas, he is a way good guy, he said he really does want to get baptized but he is taking things slow, so who know what will happen there, but he is coming to church every week, so there´s that. And then perhaps the best of all, my man Ramon came to church and brought his own investigator with him. Ha-ha, he is so awesome. His friend wasn't able to stay for sacrament meeting but it was cool to have him there. And as for Ramon, he is a stud. He was participating in every class and even volunteered to do things. And to top it off, after sacrament meeting (which this was his first week in church by the way) he told us this (the English translation of what he said at least "I will never miss another Sunday again." I was so so so so happy on Sunday. It was just amazing. And then to top it off we were invited to a barbecue by some members and it was SO good. We have a few other investigators who weren't there. Liliana, who is very promising but just has some issues with her husband being accepting. And then a lady named Norma who is so interested. It was sort of a shot to the heart when she told us she didn't know if she could be baptized and change from being catholic for her whole life. But who knows, anything can happen right? So that is where the investigator situation stands at the moment.
17 March 2009
The Work Continues
Not much new going on. It started getting hotter again. So that is fun. But the work is going well. In my interview with the mission president, he told me that this area that I am in is probably the most difficult area to work in and stay motivated in because of it´s history with trucho missionaries here and the lack of member confidence. But we seem to be doing well and it has been difficult, but if it was not it would not be a mission right? But I’m good. The work moves on no matter what people say or do and whether they want to listen or not. I always keep the hope, always keep the faith and always keep smiling. That last one helps a lot.
We never actually went to Salta to do divisions (exchanges) because we were stuck in another cut in the route for 9 hours. (A cut in the route is when the Argentines get upset so they cut trees down and block the road. Usually, it only lasts for 30 or so minutes. This is their way of protesting.)
We got part way down there and then there was a cut in the route. So anyway, we were on the bus waiting for 9 hours before we decided it wasn't worth it. We were able to get our money back though which was good. So we are going down there this weekend instead.
So the work just keeps going on same old same old. We find so many really great investigators, but like I said, they just don´t go to church. And we can only do so much in going to look for them on Sundays because of the size of the area and having to walk. But it´s still going, yeah, it is frustrating sometimes, but you just have to remember that even though you can always be doing more, you can´t do everything. And if you are being righteous and doing what you should, you´ll be blessed sometime down the road for it.
I´m excited for the last week of this transfer because it is general conference. We will get to go down to Tartagal, a bigger city, and watch it down there with all the missionaries from the zone. And then we have transfers the next day, so if one of us leaves, we will just bring everything with us down there. It´ll be fun to see a conference in the mission and get the chance to see it (some of it at least) in Spanish. They set it up in English for the elders who would like to listen in English.
We never actually went to Salta to do divisions (exchanges) because we were stuck in another cut in the route for 9 hours. (A cut in the route is when the Argentines get upset so they cut trees down and block the road. Usually, it only lasts for 30 or so minutes. This is their way of protesting.)
We got part way down there and then there was a cut in the route. So anyway, we were on the bus waiting for 9 hours before we decided it wasn't worth it. We were able to get our money back though which was good. So we are going down there this weekend instead.
So the work just keeps going on same old same old. We find so many really great investigators, but like I said, they just don´t go to church. And we can only do so much in going to look for them on Sundays because of the size of the area and having to walk. But it´s still going, yeah, it is frustrating sometimes, but you just have to remember that even though you can always be doing more, you can´t do everything. And if you are being righteous and doing what you should, you´ll be blessed sometime down the road for it.
I´m excited for the last week of this transfer because it is general conference. We will get to go down to Tartagal, a bigger city, and watch it down there with all the missionaries from the zone. And then we have transfers the next day, so if one of us leaves, we will just bring everything with us down there. It´ll be fun to see a conference in the mission and get the chance to see it (some of it at least) in Spanish. They set it up in English for the elders who would like to listen in English.
12 March 2009
Pictures from Pocitos
Elder Rose in Pocitos tracting from the district president´s home to a barrio (neighborhood) called Lujan
A view from the front window of our pension (apartment), you can see the aduana (customs) and into Bolivia
A big snail we found on the way home one night, this is small compared to the usual size
view of Pocitos from the Cristo at the top of barrio Lujan and Los Cerritos in our area
Elder Rose after a visit to Hermano Ovando, the first counselor in our branch
A Day in the Life of Elder Rose
So a day in the life of a missionary . . . we get up at 7, the rules are different for our mission. Get up at seven and shower to be able to stay awake while studying. Do an hour of personal study then companion study, a little exercise on the pull-up bar or something, then read while studying some Spanish. We usually get breakfast on the street cause if we don't keep food in our pension (apartment) because the ants get to it. So out the door by 10:00 a.m. after companion prayer. On the street depending when we have appointments we will find some people to talk to in centro (middle of town or business district) or knock some doors. Then comes the game of walking and walking to get to our citas (appointments) and see if people are there. We figured out in our area we walk about 6 miles a day. So citas all day long and then in the middle of the day we have lunch with a member. That is the big meal because it is during the siesta. Then back out to work until 9:30 or 10 p.m. if we are in a lesson. Sometimes we have noche de hogars (Family Home Evening) to go to or things we are asked to do like chopping the juju (vines) down behind the church with machetes :) but it is all fun. Back to the pension by the time we have to be there then we usually grab something to eat off the street again and get all of our companionship planning for the next day under way. Then we get ready for bed, figure out what we need for tomorrow, call the zone for their numbers and by that time it is 11 p.m. and time to go to sleep for the next run-around. I love it. It is so busy but so good. I would not have it any other way.
Speaking of all this, we are finding more success lately; we have been able to get some new investigators, revive some old ones and bring some less actives back to church. It has been great. The success is back! I love it.
It´s still raining a bunch here, but it´s cool. I love the rain. We had a cool p-day today. We went down to Aguaray and did an American style barbecue with the zone and then went out and played soccer in the rain. It was a blast.
Speaking of all this, we are finding more success lately; we have been able to get some new investigators, revive some old ones and bring some less actives back to church. It has been great. The success is back! I love it.
It´s still raining a bunch here, but it´s cool. I love the rain. We had a cool p-day today. We went down to Aguaray and did an American style barbecue with the zone and then went out and played soccer in the rain. It was a blast.
11 February 2009
The Work is Going Well
February 11, 2009
We have a bunch of investigators, some better than others of course, but there are a few that are just amazing. Last week we had 4 people in church and the week before we had one that was not there this last week, so we have five baptismal dates for the 28th so long as we keep them animated (excited) about coming to church and progressing. I would say the family I want to tell you about is the Familia DeVilla. They are amazing. They are a family made up of two grandparents, Francisco and Angelica, two daughters--Justina (and the other we have not met--and three grand kids, Daniel, Jorge, and Erica. The grandfather came to church with Daniel and Erica on Sunday. The kids are great. The grandpa has a bit of a drinking problem and a very common thing down here is chewing cocaine leaves, which he has a problem with as well. The great thing though is that in one of our lessons with them he stopped us and was like "I want help to stop drinking and to stop coceando" (they make verbs for everything here) so we were like of course and they came to church. Sitting in church, little Daniel was sitting next to a member´s son. This kid, Carlitos, came up to us after the meeting and he was like "¿Daniel told me he wants to get baptized, what do I do?" So we just told him to keep being his friend. This family is amazing we have to teach very simple so they can all understand, but if you could just feel the spirit that I have felt while teaching them the lessons you would know the church was true in that instant.
Another experience we had yesterday, was we went down to a city called Tartagal, where another set of missionaries lives and helped them out. Remember the cats and large dogs? Well apparently things got a little out of hand and they started pushing mud down the mountains and the city was inundated with water, mud, debris, houses were washed away, businesses destroyed, it was bad. So we spent yesterday helping out as much as we could down there. The missionaries´pension down there was flooded with mud and water and walls were knocked down and some of there stuff was ruined or lost (white shirts + mud = brown shirts) so we helped them move up to another pension up in Mosconi and cleaned that place up too. The others helped out in Villa Savedra, a barrio part of Tartagal and helped a member get all of the waist deep mud out of their home. It was bad and it was sad to see, but all in all it was a humbling experience to see all of that. It made me realize a lot of the things that I take for granted in my life in the states.
The work is going well; I’m trying hard, getting better and relying on the Lord for all the help I can get, and I can´t help but smile all the while.
We reopened the area here so there are members here, but the place is relatively untouched in the outskirts. We walked about 5k to an investigator´s home the other day, and the road keeps on going, so there is still a lot to do. I never thought that I would be the one who introduced someone to the gospel for the first time, but it´s happened, it´s a weird feeling to know that there are those who have never heard the name of Jesus Christ, even in this country. But like I said, the work is still going and it´s going well at that.
Happy Valentines Day!
Elder Rose
We have a bunch of investigators, some better than others of course, but there are a few that are just amazing. Last week we had 4 people in church and the week before we had one that was not there this last week, so we have five baptismal dates for the 28th so long as we keep them animated (excited) about coming to church and progressing. I would say the family I want to tell you about is the Familia DeVilla. They are amazing. They are a family made up of two grandparents, Francisco and Angelica, two daughters--Justina (and the other we have not met--and three grand kids, Daniel, Jorge, and Erica. The grandfather came to church with Daniel and Erica on Sunday. The kids are great. The grandpa has a bit of a drinking problem and a very common thing down here is chewing cocaine leaves, which he has a problem with as well. The great thing though is that in one of our lessons with them he stopped us and was like "I want help to stop drinking and to stop coceando" (they make verbs for everything here) so we were like of course and they came to church. Sitting in church, little Daniel was sitting next to a member´s son. This kid, Carlitos, came up to us after the meeting and he was like "¿Daniel told me he wants to get baptized, what do I do?" So we just told him to keep being his friend. This family is amazing we have to teach very simple so they can all understand, but if you could just feel the spirit that I have felt while teaching them the lessons you would know the church was true in that instant.
Another experience we had yesterday, was we went down to a city called Tartagal, where another set of missionaries lives and helped them out. Remember the cats and large dogs? Well apparently things got a little out of hand and they started pushing mud down the mountains and the city was inundated with water, mud, debris, houses were washed away, businesses destroyed, it was bad. So we spent yesterday helping out as much as we could down there. The missionaries´pension down there was flooded with mud and water and walls were knocked down and some of there stuff was ruined or lost (white shirts + mud = brown shirts) so we helped them move up to another pension up in Mosconi and cleaned that place up too. The others helped out in Villa Savedra, a barrio part of Tartagal and helped a member get all of the waist deep mud out of their home. It was bad and it was sad to see, but all in all it was a humbling experience to see all of that. It made me realize a lot of the things that I take for granted in my life in the states.
The work is going well; I’m trying hard, getting better and relying on the Lord for all the help I can get, and I can´t help but smile all the while.
We reopened the area here so there are members here, but the place is relatively untouched in the outskirts. We walked about 5k to an investigator´s home the other day, and the road keeps on going, so there is still a lot to do. I never thought that I would be the one who introduced someone to the gospel for the first time, but it´s happened, it´s a weird feeling to know that there are those who have never heard the name of Jesus Christ, even in this country. But like I said, the work is still going and it´s going well at that.
Happy Valentines Day!
Elder Rose
03 February 2009
February 3, 2009
This week was good. None of our investigators came to church because it was raining cats and rather large dogs but they are progressing well. When it rains here, it really rains. All of our investigators had there baptismal dates moved back a week because of that but we are teaching a ton and completing with all of our numbers. Pocitos is amazing; I love it. I am doing fantastically and could not ask for anything more than what I have here. I’m getting better in every way or at least I am trying.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
