Monday, February 8, 2016

2nd World Problems: In which I almost lose my companion to the north winds.

But it's ok, we put the Bible in his backpack so he didn't float away.

This week was really good. Every day there were soaringly fast winds that tore through Sonsonate. It was really awesome but made it really hard to sweep the house. In the morning you sweep and at night there is a layer of dust on everything.

Have you ever heard of 1st or 3rd World problems. Like having to walk 5 miles to get water for the week or losing your iPhone for a day? 

Well, last pDay we were joking around and created a list of funny(but painfully true) 2nd World Problems. What is a 2nd world problem, you may ask. It is the fun struggle you go through living in a developing country. For example, when a large spider crawls on your computer screen or your toilet fights with your shower(do you remember that one from the life of Elder McFarland) I will try to keep you updated as I find more and more of these 2nd world problems. 

Our investigators are doing really well. Oscar straight up told us that if it weren't for his wife he would have been baptized a long time ago. that is so true. He is so ready and has such a great desire but she just doesn`t want to go to church or get married or anything! We having been working hard with them and she is slowly and surely progressing.

Luis and Norma are still having problems(the 16 year old couple) they know what they have to do, they have received various spiritual answers, but the hard part is putting it in practice. 

The Sosa family is waiting for their answer. We have been visiting them more frequently and they finally accepted the invitation to pray to know if the Church is true. I know that God will answer their prayers and that we will see a miracle there.

Juana still comes to church every week. Still waiting on her husband to accept the decision of marriage(as you remember he is a member and comes every week with Juana now) When the time is right the coin will flip and they will be active faithful members. Just waiting for a miracle now. God is a God of miracles.

We have been finding a lot of new investigators this week. The hardest part is just getting them to church! as soon as they start coming to church everything changes and they start to progress more and more. We have been focusing on trying to get the members involved to help us get them there!

I`ve learned a lot this week about prayer. Its hard to explain what I`ve learned because its been really personal. I think intellectually I already knew quite a bit about prayer. But I have really been growing here in the mission. I`m starting to understand what it means to meditate and to ponder. I feel like my prayers are more and more personally with God.

One thing I have been focusing on this week is Teaching Repentance. the week that my group email failed because of technological problems, there was a world wide broadcast for missionaries(I`m sure you heard about it.) Then later that Saturday Elder Cook came and visited the mission! The topics were the same: Teach Repentance and Baptize Converts. 

Really that is inspired doctrine. I have been teaching(and learning much more than I teach) this week about doing a personal interview every night with God. Tell Him what went good that day. Tell Him what your grateful for. Tell Him what didn`t go so good that day. Tell Him what you need to improve on. Ask for forgiveness. I`ve found that prayer becomes more and more personal as I apply this and that my repentance becomes more sincere.

My invitation to you all today is to have a personal interview with God tonight. And every night. To plead for knowledge, strength, and forgiveness. I promise you that there is no darkness so dark that His light can not break through. I promise there is no joy other than the joy He gives. And He gives it freely to those who obey Him.

I love you all.

Have the greatest of weeks.

Elder David O.

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