Week 15... Bring on 2015...Happy New Year!!!

Yumbel, Chile sunset

I can’t believe it is 2015!!!! That is so crazy that it is the New Year already. I hope all of you had a great New Years and were able to look back on 2014 that flew by. I am so grateful for all the events that happened in 2014!! 2014 for me was probably the hardest year I have ever had in my life. I am so grateful for all the ups and downs of 2014 because now I am here and I have changed so much. I hope all of you were able to make New Years Goals. I made so many goals for this New Year. I hope I can accomplish them. I realized that I am going to spend all of 2015 in the mission. That is super crazy. This whole year will be missionary work, and I cannot be more excited for this year. 

So this last week was a blast. We got to have New Year’s parties. We actually went to another missionary’s house and spent the night. Elder Loefke(California) and Elder Miranda(Chile) invited us over to their house, so we spent the night there. It was honestly so much fun.

We all pitched in on buying food and we had a feast!!!! We had a grill and we cooked up all sorts of meat!!! We had ribs, chicken breasts, pork, and we had a lot of it. We also had potatoes, rice, and salad!!! We all ate until we were dying!!! When I finished, I just layed on the ground and stretched out for a half hour. It was a super good New Years!!!! After we finished our feast, we chilled until it was midnight. When it was close to 12, we counted down. When it hit the New Year we all started screaming and went outside. The town siren went off and a bunch of people were in the street. They were all shooting off fireworks, so we watched them for a minute!!!! It was a really good New Years!!!! How was all of yours?? I hope they all went great :) 

So, about my investigators…This week was really hard for me, but also really good too. So at the first of the week, our investigator Scarlett really had a mishap. She was supposed to be baptized on the 17 of this month. She probably won’t be getting baptized now. I was so disappointed in myself. It was so hard for me. I honestly have not spent so much time thinking about someone else, than I have this investigator. She is literally always in my mind. I am always looking for things to help her. I was so excited to have her baptized. I spent a whole day studying for the lesson we had with her. I did practice lessons with my companions and thought it was going to go great. When we got to the lesson I was so nervous. I was like this is the lesson that will determine if she is getting baptized or not. And honestly, the lesson couldn’t have gone any more opposite than I thought. She had not been doing the right things, and she was not willing to change. After that lesson it really made me question if I was making a difference here. I see all my friends from the CCM and all of them are having baptisms, and I ask myself, “what am I doing wrong?” I spent that whole night praying, to know if I was making a difference!!! 

At that moment, I realized that I AM making a difference!! As long as I give it my all and work hard, I will make a difference. Maybe I am just planting seeds!!! It was honestly one of the most spiritual moments in my mission. I felt so good after that prayer. 

After that day, everything turned around!!!! Elder Sotomayor and I started inviting everyone to be baptized. Right now we have 17 people with baptismal dates. It is so crazy. I felt like every lesson we had, everyone accepted. This week was so amazing!!! All we need to do is get all these investigators to progress!!! It is crazy how God closes one door, but opens up so many more doors! :) 

I actually had a funny experience yesterday!!! So we went to this door to contact, and a lady opened the door. She invited us in. When we got in, there were 3 Evangelical Preachers and they just looked like they wanted to battle with us. I was like, oh crap, I don’t want to battle. But we sat down and started to talk with them. At first they started asking a ton of questions that I had no clue how to answer. My companion was trying all he could to answer these preacher’s questions. Then all of a sudden I got this impression to just stay simple and explain to them lesson 1. So I pulled out my pamphlet of lesson 1. I started to teach lesson 1. All of them looked at me and were so into what I was teaching. At the end of teaching lesson 1, I said this. "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the only church that has the power and Authority to baptize in the name of God, "Will you follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized by someone that holds that Power?" Right then and there, the whole mood changed. They looked at us and they had no clue what to say. They lady whose house it was invited us to come back another day. It was so awesome. At first I was scared to say it because it was so bold and I didn’t want to look like I was trying to argue, but I got the prompting, so I followed it and it worked out. By far the coolest contact I have ever had on my mission. It was such a great experience.

So this week for my spiritual thought, I want to share a quote!!! This quote my mom sent to me in my Christmas package. So the picture is of this huge wave and storm…and has the quote that says, "Will you complain to God about the size of the storm...Or will you go and tell the storm about the strength of your God?"
I love this quote so much. All of us will have trials and afflictions in this life. We have the 2 options when these things happen. 1. We could go to God and complain, and say why me? Why do bad things always happen to me? Or, 2. We can face the storm head on with God on our side and blow through the storm. If you chose number 2, you will be able to accomplish your storm. With God on your side, you can accomplish anything. I hope all of you can remember to go to the “storm” with God by your side and face it head on, because you will not fall with God on your side.

I love you guys have a great week!!!

 

Dart gun war!!

Happy New Year!!!