Buenos Dias a Todos!
This
week was a really busy week! We had to do a bunch of busy work and
didn't have much time to work in the streets or teach people, but it was
still a pretty good week!
This
week we had to close an apartment because a pair of missionaries was
getting taken out of the zone. Now instead of 14 missionaries we are 12.
So while they were packing their suitcases we had to go start cleaning
the apartment to be able to turn it in to the owner. It was really dirty
and we spent 4 hours cleaning the kitchen and the bathroom. It stunk
(pun intended). But it was worth it because the elders couldn't take
their food with them on changes so they gave it all to us! It was great
because they had a ton of food and we had nothing so it was like heaven!
I don't think I have had so much food in the house since I became a zone
leader (because we don't have as much money for food because we have to
travel a lot and buy stuff for the zone) so it made us super happy.
This
week we had changes!! And nothing changed! I am here in Valparaíso
Oeste with Elder "D" still! He is the first companion that I will have
had for more than 2 changes. And come to find out that I am his first
companion that he has had for more than 2 changes. So he is going to be
with me almost until the end! But I think it will be a good change.
Miracles
and confusion with the guy who works in the hotel! This week we were
working in the street at night close to where he lives and we ran into
him! I started talking to him and asked him how he was doing. He told me
that he wasn't doing well because his aunt died recently and was sad. We
talked to him a little bit about the plan of Salvation and made an
appointment for Saturday. When we asked him if there was anything we
could do for him he said "Show up for the appointment on Saturday, It
will be good to talk". We said goodbye and we were super excited. On
Saturday when we were going to his house he was walking in the street
with his wife and we stopped to say Hi to him and ask if we should pass
by later but he acted like he didn't even know us.. We didn't know if he
didn't recognize us because he had already passed a little bit or what
but we decided to pass by on Sunday. On Sunday we went to his house and
knocked and he talked to us through his doorbell speaker and said that
Sebastian didn't live there and wasn't interested. Basically I don't
understand if he wants us to pass by and we passed by the wrong house or
if he just says yes so that we go away. But we will see what happens.
After
having all of our baptisms we are now on the search for new
investigators because we have diddly squat. Yesterday we spent all day
passing by people we had talked with in the street and talking to more
people in the street. I think everyone was having a bad day because
everyone yelled at us, slammed their doors in our faces, said mean stuff
as they were walking by, or were just plain rude. After spending the
whole day contacting we didn't even get 1 name or direction of someone
who lives in our sector. It was tough, not going to lie, but we are
going to keep looking. You cant find someone who will say yes unless you
find some who say no! :)
I
just want to thank you mom and dad for being such great examples. As a
missionary we see a little bit of everything, loving families, not so
loving families, healthy people, drug addicts, drug dealers, people with
AIDS, people who have been abused physically or sexually, people who
abuse, prostitutes, and everything. But the thing that has really marked
me hasn't been all the bad stuff that I have seen in the street but
instead the things I see in the houses of the members. I always thought
that our family was a normal family, that everyone did their family home
evening every week, that every family read their scriptures together,
that every family lived the Sabbath day, that every family did their
prayers together, that every family, went to church each Sunday. But
here in the mission I have learned how few families actually do all of
that. Very few families read the scriptures together daily, very few go
to church each Sunday and do their visits, very few have a family home
evening every week. So I want to thank you for your example and teaching
me that living the gospel is something normal. Thank you for helping me
realize the importance of doing the small things to have the big
changes. Thank you for teaching me how to work, how to lead, how to ask,
how to fight for what is right, and that there aren't exceptions to
living the gospel or breaking commandments. Thank you for treating me
with love and respect, with patience and kindness, with diligence and
strictness. I really am so grateful.
That was basically my week! I am a little bit sick with a cold but everything is alright here :)
I love you all! Stay golden!
Love,
Elder Nielson :)  |
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