November 25, 2013

November 25, 2013

It has been a great week, a few ups and downs and bumps along the way, and complete craziness all the time, but that is just how it goes sometimes. This week there was a training for the new missionaries, so I went ‘cause I’m so new. Just kidding, there were only two missionaries in the zone that went but they had to come from Quirihue and Dichato, the furthest out, so they just stayed with us for a few days. It was weird, a bunch of traveling, waiting for them to come, a few lousy days of plans falling through and stuff but that’s just what happens sometimes. They learned a lot, I think, and hopefully we can apply it all in the zone and get more prepared as missionaries for the success the Lord has prepared for us.

We had a great experience finding a family this week. The dad is a relative of  a family from Valle Hermoso; he wants to come back to church, and his family is looking for change in him. He closed with the prayer and started crying. We were able to help them recognize the Spirit they were feeling, and it was a great experience. 

I am trying very hard to be a servant and disciple that the Lord can always trust. I am esforzaring me (not sure how that is best said in English anymore) to always be worthy of receiving the Spirit´s guidance and help others see in me the Lord´s example. I have been studying Jesus the Christ, finishing it up, and time and time again, I have been struck by the requirements put on true disciples of Christ. There can be no halfway devotion, no wishy-washy whateverism; the Lord is looking for missionaries and followers that are in it forever and will never go back. We were able to share this with a menos activo in the ward, and it was a great lesson--he came to church on Sunday after a very long time. 

We also participated in a wedding. I played the piano. It was funny, each speaker shared the same example, and it’s one we have used before in talking about unity in companionship. As both partners come closer to the Lord in a triangle, they will come closer together. That’s the gist of the example, but the Stake President, former bishop, and branch president that all spoke all used the same example. I guess it’s kind of important.

We are having a lot of fun and seeing progress in the zone, as well. Today we ran, played some more tennis, which was awesome, and are just living it up here in Tomé! We got confused and celebrated Thanksgiving last week, woops. But still delicious--D made us turkey with homemade bbq sauce, not quite North Carolina but still delicious. 

I am so grateful to be out here helping others and seeing the changes in them and in myself. I am thankful for the time I have to internalize everything I have been learning. Hopefully all´s well at home and everyone is getting in the Thanksgiving spirit. Send my love to everyone and eat some good food for me!

Elder Brown