Attempt to focus

Am I this selfish? I want my son home...right now! Not in 10 months. I feel very selfish saying this. I just want to make him some cookies or his favorite cake or something and deal with stuff that I can actually deal with. And at the time he needs them dealt with. Like the no money thing. I have some cash in my pocket I want to give him. Make sure he has a cold drink and doesn't get too much sun. Why? Why is this getting harder and not easier? Will it get easier? Will it be like this until he actually is home? Am I just too weak to have him gone so long? I shouldn't be complaining, I know that. Other people have it harder than I have ever had it but I want him to be happy and fulfilled and loving his mission and companions and everything. I think if he was, I would be happy for him and this would be easier. I don't know, I don't want to be negative or anything, I just want him happy!



As I have said, this internet place is kind of sub-standard. I suppose it's cheap, but beside that nothing much. I am pretty sure I do not like windows. And there's a kid playing Grand Theft Auto behind me really loud.

But hey, let's attempt to focus.

Weekly Report to President to save some time:

"Fernando and Natalia have reached the point wherein they must choose to pray or stop. Out lesson ended very clearly. What we claim is that the Church is the only church. They understand now that they can only know from God. My only fear is that they don't perform the prayer with enough effort. We will only know next time we go.

We are working on MAC right now. Our zone is coming out with an initiative to raise MAC and Asistencia that I will be teaching this Wednesday. One part is seeking MAC in the Sunday Meetings, and the other is passing by or at least calling and teaching the doctrine of the Sabbath Day. We figured that if we get MAC, it will show the members that missionary work actually works. I think the opinion has drifted that way in our ward. I'm seeing it a little in the whole zone La Cisterna. We just need a little success, and the members need to see it.

I'm starting to think that the attitude is seeping into the missionaries. I'm not sure what we can do about that. Elder Van Dyke says the same, and Elder Christensen has noted it as well. What more can we do? How can we raise the animo so that we can have more success?

We'll keep doing our best.

Elder AC Crist"

*MAC means lessons with members, and asistencia is church attendence

Beside kind of being in a psychological low as a zone, we are doing okay. My companion was bitten by a dog. We were going out of a house and their normally normal mutt went nuts and came for me. He ultimately bit my companion because I already had left. We even got to call the doctor to see if he had rabies. There was not rabies. Lame.

I'm not gonna lie (as the trite expression goes that was just starting up when I left), I'm kind of disanimated. I'm kind of bored with this place. Nothing has been super amazing for a while, especially the week. We found a place in which one can buy "mayor" quantities of ice cream products - so I bought ten ice cream bar-on-a-stick things. For three dollars. Then I got a box of thirty candy bars for three dollars. I like wholesalers.

On the unfortunate side it seems that an ATM charged my account and gave me no money so I have one dollar in my church account. I do certainly hope they can figure this out, because there's no way to prove it was my money or anything. I may have no money this month. That could be bad-ish.

I just called the financer and he said, "Well. I have no idea what to do. I'm going to call President." I might be in trouble. I already used the home card for groceries once on the 31, plus got out more money. It seems the ATM misfired, charged me, and kept the money. I didn't suspect it had done this, so I continued on normally, no I couldn't make the employees get me my money. Perfect storm of terrible things. Well.

Oaky. Okay. Because your same hand types the word okay, it's easy to misspell.
It's so hot in here. And I have no money. Blast.

In our lesson with Fernando and Natalia I had something happen to me that I've never experienced before. I felt like a prophet. I felt like they weren't going to actually do the challenge - pray about the Restoration. I said, uncharacteristically boldly, "I cannot leave here without leaving it clear that you have to do this. I can't imagine a life without the understanding you can have." Fernando, tending always to be pensive, thought for several minutes before saying he would do it. That is my only hope.

Cool, I do care.

Well, that's a depressive email. Good. See you.

Elder A Conrad Crist