First of all, what is the deal with the soup stuff?
Also, who had mate? They must be argentines or something.
This week was really wet. It rained like Barack every day. There's paved roads in most places where I am, but there's still some good shoulder that is made of dirt. Or rather, at this moment, mud. I have to clean and reshine my shoes every day. And my clothes never dry. Never. (I have only ever seen one drying in this country - it was in the office's apartment.) So we basically hang it (get this) on open cabinets all throughout the house. The whole house gets kind of moldy if we don't open all the doors. The good news, of course, is that we are leaving on the second or third of July to a super nice house a few hundred meters down the street. The ward members have actually said to me, "You should really get out of that apartment because Rodrigo (drug dealer below us) is probably going to get into a gunfight with the cops and you're not going to want to be there when that happens." So we're out. The new house is super sick.
President called me last night to say that my companion is leaving, and I'll be training a new latin missionary. Cool. I get to go to the temple again and enjoy a fun day picking him up. President says he's "an excellent missionary" and that "you (I) are perfect for him." I have found that my favorite country here is probably Argentina. They're the most classy, the most intelligent, the most educated, the most reasonable, and the most interesting people around. I think in the future we have to do a vacation here, maybe to Santiago and Mendoza which is in Argentina. You can take a bus from one to the other very easily. They say in Mendoza you can go to a meat buffet that is one of the best in the continent for twelve dollars. Not to mention practically unlimited variety of mate. (They are the original materos. (a matero is a person who likes mate))
The missionary work didn't go to well, though one day we did seven lessons in one day, which is a record for me. We went in and out and in and out all day without a single failure. The next day, oddly enough, we didn't do a single lesson. Possibly because it was Father's Day basically no one came to church. Everyone's sick too. The Bishop barely made it. We were missing thirty people from normal. Not a single investigator.
It's okay though. I'll just keep doing what I always do. I want to work more with members this change. It works more, and, paradoxically enough, is more enjoyable. I had this wierd idea that if something is enjoyable it isn't hard work. Perish the thought!
This brings me to my thoughts this week generally speaking about the gospel. I read a talk I think you'd like about the Atonement. The speaker, in a BYU devotional, says in his religion classes he teaches he gets up and says "Do we believe in being saved?, and if he says it just right, most of the class will kind of shake their heads and say, "No... no, that's those other guys who believe in that."
How sad that is! Of course we believe in being saved! Do you think we can do anything else? Those evangelical people have that part right. Not only do we rely on being saved but the Plan is stacked so that we are saved! Do you think God sad there and looked out at all His children and said, "Well, 3% sounds good enough to me. We'll just have to make a super-big telestial bin for the rest."? That is not my God.
We have a unique dispensation here. The people before Christ had to believe He'd be able to do everything He promised. For us it's a done deal. It's over. His Victory is accomplished and set in eternal stone. Nothing can change that. We are the only changing factor.
So He asks, "How many times have I offered to gather you as a hen gathereth her chickens -and you would not?"
I imagine you don't have a big problem with this, but my people here do. I teach doctrine, I extend commitments, I try to fellowship them with my great ward - and they will not.
How can I make them understand? How can I make them act and not just bob their heads? How can I make them act and not be acted upon? What do you mean you couldn't go to church because there was mud on the ground? You've only said you'd go four weeks in a row! What does remission of sins mean to you?! Are you okay without it?
Is this what it feels like be a prophet? I have recently become extremely... not impatient... let's say "bold." Oddly it comes out of love, not annoyance. I love these people like family and when they won't progress it frustrates me terribly. But the joy when one single person progresses!
Well, in terms of trunkiness, I don't have a problem until my mind becomes unoccupied, like at night. I think having a new missionary around will help. Sometimes I get something stuck in my head like Apple computers or big soft drinks and I have to really get after getting focused. But it always works and I always keep going. I'm in a good ward. I'm about to be in one of the nicest pensions in the mission. I have a ton of good investigators, including four who are sure baptisms, three before I leave. We just found another guy and his son. The guy is addicted to marijuana but wants to get off. Perfect situation.
I'll do an audio that's a little more light-hearted.
Love you,
Elder A Conrad Crist
No comments:
Post a Comment