Well it sure has been pretty fast until P-Day again! I will catch up on a few things I missed the last couple of weeks and talk about what is new!
Recently we just had a bunch of missionary changes World Wide. Elder Johnson and I really like it. We have more freedom to do things when we want such as study, exercise and go to the gym, and proselyte. We use the extra freedom to our advantage and health, some of our investigators like it better when we come in the morning, and we usually return to study around lunch time when it is hottest and everyone is busy. We also found out this week that the numbers we report are changed too! From now on we don't keep track of lessons we teach, contacts, or references received. From now on the only numbers we keep track of and report are new investigators, investigators with a baptismal date, and how many attended church. It has changed our focus a little to really just focus on serving the people, looking and finding new people to teach, and helping them come to church and prepare for baptism. I like it a lot.
So this weekend was actually a little disappointing... We worked so hard this week trying to help and prepare a way for people to come to church and motivating them. Sunday morning, we went all over the place passing by for people, and calling them to verify. We even had some people tell us they were on their way but never showed up. We were really trying everything and expecting our investigators to come because we have a lot with baptism dates, but only two showed up... I am very grateful M showed up though with her two granddaughters, and when I saw them it made me super happy. We decided to move her baptism date back one more week to give her more time to stop smoking and drinking coffee, but she can do it, and we are going to have 3 baptisms for sure in 2 weeks on February 11th! Even with not very many investigators showing up, we still have 7 investigators with a baptism date (they need to attend church at least 5 times before getting baptized, so sometimes baptism dates fall and we have to reset them), and it really won't be very hard to reestablish the dates that fell. We did end up getting back up to 10 or 11 dates before Sunday, and hope to get even more than that this week. I was feeling a little down though after church, and kind of felt like a bad missionary. I had to remember though that we had worked hard, and did everything we could, and that people still have their own agency. I read in Jacob 5:41 where it said the Lord of the vineyard wept and asked "What more could I have done?" I guess even the Savior feels the same way for some of his children, and he was perfect, so I learned that sometimes I just have to accept people's agency, after all it is a gift from our Heavenly Father. I have also learned as missionaries, we really just have the privilege to be as clean and obedient as we possibly can, just so we can hold the Spirit so strongly always, and so we can invite the spirit to touch the hearts of those we teach. It really doesn't matter what we say, and that is why we are so excluded from the World and need to be so obedient so we can be clean vessels and hold the Spirit with us. That is what I have really been trying to focus on lately.
So we did end up going back with J and his family that speaks English (The G Family). We didn't put a baptism date yet, and just taught them some English and shared a scripture to gain their trust. I am excited to see how they will progress. We also found a new lady this week who was a little reluctant to let us in, and thought we were Jehovah's Witnesses at first, but when she found out we were here to help her, she let us in and we put a baptism date with her! Her name is Angelica. We also reestablished baptism dates with Felipe and his wife, Norma, and they have been reading the Book of Mormon too! We were excited to hear that. One morning this last week, one of our Zone Leaders, Elder Lara was feeling pretty sick and had a migraine. Elder Johnson went on splits with his companion, Elder Cherrington, and I stayed back for the morning with Lara. I ended up cleaning the house which really felt super good haha, and organized. I even took down my Nativity set... Finally... It was super sad, but it will be back up in 10 months! Then Elder Lara was feeling better so we went out and visited some people! It was super cool and a good experience for me, because we just talked Spanish the whole time like it was my best friend! I realized that by the end of this cycle, I will definitely be ready for a Latino companion! (I hope). Also, without Elder Johnson to rely on, the people we visited tried testing me on my Spanish on some of the streets around here. They said they were shocked that I knew Spanish already after two months, because one of the guys had lived in the U.S. for 40 years and didn't know even a little English...(Really not sure how that worked out haha). But it was cool, and we have a ton of really awesome investigators right now, just have to get them to come to church.
So the Temple Trip was pretty sweet. One the way there, we took the metro, which is basically like a scene from World War Z haha. In the morning especially it is just super packed. You wait like a bunch of sardines for the Metro or Subway to come by, when it does, people fight to get off and everyone fights to get on. If you are lucky enough to make your way one, you are literally packed tight and can't move haha, and the doors just close randomly too so sometimes people almost get stuck in the doors. It is kind of funny and a cool experience until everyone starts sweating and it gets really hot. When the metro stops again, literally everyone just runs to the next one or the exit... Not sure why it is always a rush but it is. There are even sirens playing in the background, yes, like real emergency sirens. I am not really sure why they are necessary or if they are really just trying to add to the whole World War Z/ Walking Dead experience. Nonetheless, we followed along, as we were running up the stairs, I looked back, and there was just a wave of zombies chasing after us, and if I didn't keep hustling, I probably would've been trampled. It was a neat experience for sure haha. Anyways, the Temple was amazing, and I always learn so much and feel so peaceful there. The spirit is always so strong, plus, the cherry scented temple soap is probably the best soap on Earth.... As I was in there, it really hit me that one day, I too would be taking my eternal companion into the temple to start an eternal family! I almost got overly excited about that and had to remind myself to focus on my mission for now haha. But there is just so much to look forward for in the future!! I truly have been so blessed. So we took the World War Z metro back, although it isn't as crowded in the afternoon, and got back to work. We stopped by Little Caesars to eat, and it was amazing. Also there was music playing, and a lot of 21 pilots songs which made me both really happy, but miss my friends too. Also we heard a new song, Castle on the Hill, we all loved it but it is probably super old and annoying in the US by now. We have been trying to sing it in the streets but have only heard it one time haha.
Anyways, I am doing great, and just keep chug a lugging along. Sometimes I wonder how I am still here or alive, and wonder how I will last 2 years, but everyday I survive and find tender mercies. One lady gave us Hamburgers and French Fries this week for lunch and they were amazing!!! I miss American food... Also I was talking to another little kid who was playing pokemon haha, I wonder if anyone still plays Pokemon Go back there. I got a sweet pick of Kawhi Leonard on my agenda to remind me of the best team in the NBA, and also a picture of Jesus of course. I hope everything is well back home, I miss and love you all so much. We are probably going to Buffalo Wild Wings next week so that is aweeeesome! I am finally starting to run out of my big heaping piles of Christmas candy though which is kind of sad haha. Cuidense mucho todos!!!!
Tu Amigo, Sobrino, Nieto, Hermano, y Hijo,
Elder T-Clark (out)
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