Well, this week was pretty awesome!! Things are still pretty crazy out here in
Bolivia, but we were able to work all week pretty much normal. We aren’t really
sure what’s going to happen with the government and all, but we were super
happy to be able to work and help people. We worked super well this week.
I really learned the
importance of the Ven Sigueme (Come Follow Me) lessons. Before, I’ve studied
them a little bit but not super much. This week, we worked a ton with members,
trying to get more references and part member families to visit. The ward here
is awesome and has been giving us tons of less active and part-member families to
visit as well as old investigators. So each visit with members, we tried to
share something from Ven Sigueme. So obviously we had to study it pretty well,
and then we had some awesome conversations with members. I know the Bible is
true, and we really need to study it more. Ven Sigueme is the perfect way to do
so because it helps one study alone but also with families and other people.
Also this week we have
been teaching the Restoration a little differently but a ton better. We have
been using the scriptures a lot more. We have been using the Bible to teach and
show how prophets were called and what they did and how important they are. And
then teach about what Christ did during His life using the Bible, and then it
all leads perfectly into Joseph Smith. After doing it several times with a few
different investigators, we’ve got it down pretty well, and it’s amazing to see
how much it helps people understand and learn.
We found a bunch of
new investigators and people to teach this week. We found the families of 2
recent converts (from like a year ago they got baptized). We also have found
several awesome part-member families. We feel super blessed to be in an awesome
ward. We have contacted a ton here and worked really hard, but we never seemed
to be finding the elect people that God is preparing to be baptized before we
get there. This week, I believe we’ve finally found some of those people.
AWESOME!! God is sooo good.
Also this week, we
went to an area that we don’t normally visit in our area (because it’s kind
of far), haha, but while we were there, this guy came up and contacted us!! Hahaha,
super rare. It’s only happened like 3 times to me during my mission. Well turns
out he is a member, and his wife is too, but they moved like 2 years ago and don’t
know where the church is or members are and such. We know we were led by the
Spirit to be there in that place at that time. It was super awesome.
Church Sunday was
super, super awesome!! Seven of our investigators came to church and several of
the less active members that we’ve been visiting all came to church!!! We were soooo
happy.
This week for district
classes, my comp (Elder Norton) and I were trying to figure out what we can do
to help the zone. We talked a bit about what is success as a missionary, what
is our purpose and why are we really here. We decided that we can all be really
good missionaries and work hard and do a lot of good, however, we really need
to take in and apply the things we are teaching to people. My comp and I have
been talking a lot about being really, truly converted and doing what God
commands-- not because it’s our duty or cuz we should, BUT because we really,
truly want to. We need to do more than just sacrifice (doing what we should
because we should). We need to consecrate our lives (do what we should be because
we really want to). We need to give up everything, all of us. “It is vain to
think that we will receive exaltation, equal to other people and prophets that
gave their all to God.” -Joseph Smith (from Lectures on Faith). God ya tiene
todo (already has everything). He is the one who gave us our strength and
might, our talents, and our lives and another day of life. The only thing He doesn’t
have is our heart and mind. I feel that a lot of people just want to be in the
church and go to church because it’s good and the right thing to do. But maybe
they don’t really realize the necessity to literally give all we are and
have and can give to God. And when we do that, then Christ through His
Atonement, can transform us into the great potential that we have to
become like God. So as missionaries here, first we need to understand that, and
then we have an awesome opportunity to live that way and change our lives right
now. We need to be truly converted and consagrados (consecrated).
This week was awesome.
It’s pretty warm down here, which I love; it’s way better than being cold :)
hahaha. My comp got attacked by a dog, but he pulled some cool ninja stuff
and blocked it from biting him. Hahaha. It was pretty awesome and super funny.
Being a missionary is awesome.
Les amo mucho!!
Elder Sorensen