June 3, 2013

Everyone! HelloOO!!!!

It has been an excellent week, full of rain and cold and clouds. The people here are showing their nice sides now, though; they invite us in for a warm cafecito these days. Sometimes. Other times, they just tell us to “hit the road, Bucky,” but we are still having fun. I think Elder Durrant is really opening up and learning a lot. Very excited for him; he is a great companion and a great missionary. We are really trying to be SUPER obedient with everything, and I really am just trying to help him progress and feel confident with himself. It’s coming along.

We saw great blessings this week in the form of finding lots of new people to teach. We are very excited for the possibilities we have. We are really going to keep working hard to help these people really feel the love and importance of the gospel and progress in their understanding. Very excited.

We pulled off Felipe’s baptism this week--it was great, a very spiritual experience. As was Romina’s, in the end, but with this one I don’t think it gave me an ulcer. Elder Durrant has 2 for 2 with his weeks in Chile baptizing, so that is something for him to feel great about. He is a pleasure to work with, really making me push myself to try and be the example in every way.

Also being a lot more involved in all the reporting of the key indicators, thinking about the numbers, and really just focusing more on these people is helping me see a little more of what really goes on behind the work and it’s really a challenge sometimes to keep focused on these people for the right reasons. So we are thinking a lot about that-- our purpose as missionaries and what we are really doing here.

We are here to invite everyone to Christ, to help them receive His gospel through faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and persevering to the end. When that is really our sole motivation, I find the mission is a lot better--a lot happier, less stressful, and more good times. And that is what it is all about. I also think, as God’s purpose becomes our own, that is when we see conversion and really are changed as people.

So it has been a great week, and we are looking forward to another great week! This week is going to be absolutely crucial for us to find families so that we can keep seeing the fruits of our work this month, and we are super excited! Keep praying for us, especially Elder Durrant and his Spanish!

Have a great week everyone!
Zach

P.S. Pray for us to not get caught out in the rain a lot. And to be healthy and stuff. 

Felipe's baptism: