Dear Family!
Yesterday a ton of people bought crosses made of palm fronds and little palm bouquets. That was a good business to be in yesterday, apart from the whole breaking the sabbath thing.
This week I went in divisions [splits] with the Zone Leaders! I went to the area Granados with Elder Hunsaker and it was quite awesome. I learned a lot, a lot, and have been working in accordance with these things. The zone leaders are pretty great. Elder Hunsaker and Elder Huaccaychuco have been zone leaders now 8 months! They started when they had 1 year and now are just short of going home. Speaking of which, I feel like I am almost about to complete a year. Sooo crazy that I feel that way. It feels like I don't have any time to learn and do all I want to be able to! To the future missionaries: Prepare yourselves all you can before [your mission], starting months before!
Well, one thing that we struggled with this week was contacts. For the first time since Christmas (I think), we went though a week without talking with more than 200 new people. 196 was the final sum, and it was a great coincidence. Right after all the mission had reported all their numbers of the week, the mission offices called the zone
leaders, and they [called] the distric leaders, and they [called the members of] the districts, to comunicate that all those who had talked with fewer than 200 new people, would be spending their preparation day talking with people and looking for new investigators. So by a margin of 4 we lost P day. But it's fine. There really should be something to see for a week spent almost dragging our feet. So the goal for today is to talk to 125 people! We will have a ton of extra time since the first planned appointments are at 6, when preparation day normally ends and normal proceedings proceed.
Sunday I felt really, really great leaving the chapel! We definitely were tools in the hands of the Lord to work His work in those hours. First, I prepared myself to take the sacrament in the morning before leaving. I think it was the reason for the awesomeness of the time. So getting there we met a friend of a member who was a full of desires to learn more and really enjoyed the proceedings. We also found Silvana, and young investigator who was completely, completely inspired by the excellent Young Women's secretary. Go Young Women's secretary of Leguía! Later we met a woman who told us she wanted to reactivate herself and always come [to church]. She has a son who wants to be baptized. After the meetings we were able to coordinate with the ward leaders for visits of the recent converts, which is going to help them so much.
A checkup: Ximenna and Maritsa are doing great! The are coming every Sunday. They even went out to buy dresses to wear to church in (which is a big thing here, we are not rich) Ivan also is doing well. He went to conference and enjoyed it but did not go to church yesterday (noooo!) Junior also didn't... I am a little worried he is planning on just going to church with his girlfriend....
We met a lady named Marta Castro. She is Catholic, like almost all, but hasn't gone in forever, and wants to reform her relation with God. When we knocked on her gigantic door, she just let us in! (if y'all haven't noticed, it is my favorite when they do that, always makes me happy) Even though her children were playing poker, and listening to loud music, she wanted to listen, so she turned off the music, and unfortunately the children dispersed instead of listening. She and her husband paid a ton of attention and learned until something mysteriously grave happened in the other room and they had to attend to that. We had to leave without finishing but she did comment that she felt that she had been prepared to receive us and that no way would she normally invite us in. That was the best part!
Cindy is struggling. She isn't coming to church, and not reading, but she DID start to pray! She also said that she will only progress and do the commitments if I come to the lessons. That was a result of the companion interchange. When Elder Huaccaychuco went with Elder Mateus, she thought I had gone back to the States and she freaked out a little... but basically that wants to say [means] that although [its] heartbreaking and she feels bad and wants to repent of all the sins she frequently does, and become good and clean, she might not be able to at the moment. We shall see.
The April Liahona [http://lds.org/liahona/2011/04?lang=eng] is absolutely the best. It has completely changed a part of my mentality and this change has helped me a TON. I don't know if the Liahona has the same articles as the Ensign, but I hope y'all can read what I got to. It should right?
Well folks. that's about all I have time for. Till next week!
Love Elder Johnson
No comments:
Post a Comment