This week was fast and good. Here is the update -
Dia de la Madre
Yesterday was mothers day for Dominicans and they were super crazy. Just another excuse for people to get drunk.
Church RIP
Because of mothers day church attendance yesterday was really rough so that was depressing. Every Sunday morning we go out to confirm that everyone is going who said they would and it was kinda heartbreaking to hear the last minute excuses that came up.
One of them was super funny though. Our friend Noelia said she couldn’t go because her sister Sarah’s baby was sick. We asked Noelia if Sarah could stay with the baby while she went to church, and she said that the baby needs extra help from her too. We looked at the patio and saw Sarah on her phone with two other adults sitting next to her on their phones. We asked Noelia if one of them could help watch the baby while she went to church, and she said that the baby is crazy and needs extra reinforcement to take care of. I was like, “all four of you to take care of one baby?”. We tried to convince her to come to church but she was throwing out so many excuses that we just left. As I was walking away though I was even more confused because they were talking about having to take care of the one baby (who is like 8 months old), but literally everyone in the house was outside on their phones while the baby was inside being unsupervised. Haha it was kinda lame but whatever.
Also during sacrament meeting one of the guys talking asked all the mothers to stand up. I wasn’t paying a lot of attention and saw people standing up so I figured it was a stretch break. So I stood up and started to stretch for half a second but then some people around me started laughing so I sat down really quick. But there is a member there who is super old and doesn’t understand much who stood up with me and stayed standing. It was super funny as the guy speaking looked around and thanked all the mothers and the old guy just stayed standing without any clue of what was happening haha.
Gloria
I’ve mentioned her a couple times, but Gloria is someone that me and Elder Opheikens contacted while waiting for a bus in Santiago a few months ago, who got baptized in another area. Although I’ve helped with the process just over text, I haven’t seen her in person since the day we contacted her. Anyways, this week we had a meeting in Santiago and ended up waiting at the same bus station that we had contacted her at several months ago. So I texted her and told her I was there if she wanted to come and say hi. She wanted to but needed to go to her house first to get money to take a taxi here and if she did that she wouldn’t get here in time. After praying about it for a sec I decided to use the rest of the money I had to pay for her to take a trip to the bus station and back.
Even then, she barely made it to the station on time for us to talk. It was a sweet conversation. We talked for like 7 minutes about the gospel, and I talked to her about the importance of taking the sacrament. It was all super fast though and next thing I knew I was on the bus heading away.
I sat on the bus feeling really sad. I only have had like a total of a 10 minute conversation with her in person and I want so much for her to be happy. She seemed like a good friend who I hadn’t talked to for a long long time and then I had to go again too soon. Then I started thinking about my whole mission, how fast it’s gone by, all the lifelong friends I’ve made, and how fast they’ve come in and back out of my life. I want to be with everyone forever haha. Families can be together forever, but I also think part of the plan is that we be with friends forever too, that are basically family.
But it was nice to talk to Gloria even if it was only for a few minutes. She’s going to try to visit Utah in the next couple of months so I’ll try to see if me and Elder Opheikens can give her a tour of temple square or something.
Also Gloria took a selfie of us but with some super weird filter on it. I look super ugly and like I’m wearing makeup, which I wasn’t. Just FYI.
Also with the way the trip to Santiago worked out me and Elder Killpack (my comp) were in an unofficial trio with an hermana for the day haha so that was weird.
Marisol
Speaking of Elder Opheikens, he shared a story in our meeting in Santiago about Marisol who I talked about last week. She’s the one who is paralyzed. I also forgot to attach a picture of her baptism last week so I’ll attach it here. But the Sunday before her baptism she was in so much pain and she told the Elders that she wasn’t going to be able to go to church. Then they gave her a blessing, and Elder Opheikens said the spirit was insanely strong. The next day she was at church. Marisol later told them that that night she was praying to God to tell her if this church was really true and if it was to help her go to church. While sharing the story Elder Opheikens was bawling and I was getting teary eyed too. The Lord has done a lot of great stuff for us.
Para Terminar
But overall, this week was great. I love the people here. We went out and talked to a really old lady who is missing a leg. She told us that it’s better to go to heaven with one leg than to hell with two jaja. Then we taught her about the resurrection, and gave her the assurance that she will have both of her legs someday.
But anywho, in my personal study this week I read some verses from 3 Nefi 6:14-18 that I really liked. They are intense but great.
14 And thus there became a great inequality in all the land, insomuch that the church began to be broken up; yea, insomuch that in the thirtieth year the church was broken up in all the land save it were among a few of the Lamanites who were converted unto the true faith; and they would not depart from it, for they were firm, and steadfast, and immovable, willing with all diligence to keep the commandments of the Lord.
15 Now the cause of this iniquity of the people was this—Satan had great power, unto the stirring up of the people to do all manner of iniquity, and to the puffing them up with pride, tempting them to seek for power, and authority, and riches, and the vain things of the world.
16 And thus Satan did lead away the hearts of the people to do all manner of iniquity; therefore they had enjoyed peace but a few years.
17 And thus, in the commencement of the thirtieth year—the people having been delivered up for the space of a long time to be carried about by the temptations of the devil whithersoever he desired to carry them, and to do whatsoever iniquity he desired they should—and thus in the commencement of this, the thirtieth year, they were in a state of awful wickedness.
18 Now they did not sin ignorantly, for they knew the will of God concerning them, for it had been taught unto them; therefore they did wilfully rebel against God.
I hope we can all always know the will of God and do it. There have been times on my mission where I wished I could just leave, but I’ve always known that God wanted and expected me to serve. So I’ve been trying to do it.
Also I made homemade Pica Pollo this week! I was super proud of myself. I’ll attach a picture of that too.
Bye!
- Elder Wride
No comments:
Post a Comment