11-29-10

Tuesday: We got to the Distrizona meeting on time this week. And our numbers were really happy with us. I don`t know why, but with Elder Oversby, I`ve had to do a lot of the work. So it felt good to receive praise for the work that I got to direct. We talked a lot about self-consciousness today. I tried to encourage Elder Oversby to be more confident, and encouraged him to set down strong habits to display confidence and feel good about himself. It felt really good to be at peace with who I am, and help someone else. Especially with how low my self-esteem was last year exactly. Elder Oversby was really sick today, so we got to talk. We also visited the Millahual`s. They were talking about an Elder who just got married. Suddenly all my confidence flew out the window. I was worried by the experiences (or lack of) before the mission. Nothing has happened yet, why would it? So elder Oversby girded his loins and started working on MY fears. So I got to see an almost instant reward for my act of love to him. The whole Millahual family helped me feel like a great person, with someone waiting for me.

Wednesday: Today I had a bit of a scare when I found my passport to be moved from the place it had been for the past month or so. Worse, was the fact I hadn`t noticed until today: I looked everywhere, for about 20 min. Oversby told me to pray. My first (admittedly sinful) thought was that I could find it eventually by myself. But I know that`s not the spirit of God. So I prayed. I re-searched my suitcases. Not only had I looked at my passport, but I had touched it in the solitary pocket. Amazing how the lord opens our eyes for us. We were walking and Oversby said, "I don`t know where wew`re going." He had been dragging his feet, walking slowly. And I knew full well that he knows the sector now. So I told him to "walk with purpose and decide!" It`s his decision, and he has all the preparation he needs to act. Sometimes, as the examples to others, simply the way we walk can bring others to us. A brisk walk will make them think, "I wonder where they`re going in such a hurry?" Acting decisively is second nature when we`re working with the Spirit. We need to have confidence in the decisions we make, and trust that the lord is guiding us. We taught Franco. He`s not as much of a psycopath when you think that he just needs help. Robin was tinkering with our phone, and erased all the contacts on our phone, as well as rendering our charger for it useless.

Thursday: So I thought the interviews started at 01, l ike always. But it started at 9. I got there at 9:30, thinking I was a half-hour early, but I was late. We went through our individual interviews. when it was my turnn, I asked the President how to find a love for work. I think he heard "the work" instead of "work," and gave me advice on mission work, which was appreciated. He said that between 4 and 12 months, the missionaries decide what their second year will be like. We`re nothing at the beginning, next to our awesome comps. Then they lower, and we rise in ability. When we got to the higher point, and have to drag our comps, we should keep on dragging them to higher ground. It was only after the interview, that I realized he hadn`t told me how to get up to that higher point of a good work ethic. Maybe he was trying to tell me "good job." I`d like to think that. As we walked home, I felt tired, and decided to take a side road. There, a man ran up and introduced himself as a brother from Santiago. He had a co-worker who had depression he wanted us to visit. We went, and saw he had been dumped. Empty bottles and wasted cigarettes littered his table. He didn`t want to talk, so we just listened for 2 hours before his mom and dad came. He had had a suicide note ready, cut wrists too. We helped save him. We couldn`t have done that if I hadn`t taken that side road.

Friday: Today, our leaders called for our numbers. That sucked. I have no idea how it happened, but We`d only done 6 contacts, and two of each lesson--and the week`s almost over. It has just been one random thing after another, and even though we were outside, we hadn`t had much success. But when they asked for our numbers, they asked to speak with me, the junior comp. It sucked. Elder Moreno acted friendly, then asked, "What do you think you`re doing?" It was such a quick change, that I wondered if I had misheard. I couldn`t remember what had been stopping us from teaching or contacting. But we had been out working. I guess I had been following Elder Oversby a little too blindly. I told him I would do better, and asked for any suggestions he had. I could tell he wanted to help. But when Oversby heard, he felt insulted and angry. But I had never felt better. I talked with EVERYONE. Even a Catholic pastor. He told us that God would smite us. I directed our work, and we had David`s baptisimal interview for tomorrow. Then we had the ward English class. Only four people came. franco came with a hat that said "FBI: female body inspector." The sisters weren`t happy with that.

Saturday: Today I had a good time, and a bad time, and a "meh" time. The good time was in Personal study. Well, it started in the shower. I was thinking of what I read in Alma 27 Yesterday. Alma and Ammon met up in a desert, and it says that was the full joy of life. Today, I wanted to know what the opposite of that would be: What is the source of greatest grief? Then, as I continued reading today, I got my answerf! It said that death is that sorrow. I also think it might be trading what you want most for what you want in the moment. Interesting. we had David`s baptism today... or tried to. It was great, until the font. He started saying it was too cold and started shiving violently after getting one foot wet. He wouldn`t go further. His Grandma came in, coaxing at first, then starting pushing or trying to carry him. He said he was scared and started screaming and crying. So we didn`t make him. His violent reaction scared me. Maybe I messed up. maybe I was nervous for my leaders reproach. I felt awful. We eventually found out he had a family member die in water recently. After that, I was numb and apathetic. I had been shaken. But I`m better now.

Sunday: Today was the end of our rather odd week. We went to Church and, conveniently, had a lesson on work. I thought it was a little wake-up call from Heavenly Father in letting me know how in-tune he is in my life. We had lunch with Bilha, before going to work. Nobody opened up because of a soccer game. We got to visit with Nestor. He actually had to go and find another house to buy because some guy cancelled the other deal. His neices stayed in their rooms rather conspicuously. But Guillermo, without being asked, went and got his little book of Mormon we had given him. He brought it back, witha bookmark on 1 Nephi 4. He told us, excitedly, that he had been reading. He told us of a mislead childhood, full of errors and mistakes. He told us he wanted to change, and he believed he could accomplish that through the Book of Mormon. He feels different when he reads that book. He feels different when he reads that book. He feels like he`s doing the right thing. Change is a big thing. It`s my favorite miracle--to see someone leave behind a life of sinds to come see the light. Guillermo might not be ready to do something as big as baptism yet, but his time will come, little by little. I knew Heavenly Father would take care of them!