Monday: We had two lessons both with members. First lesson was the first lesson with an investigator and right before we were going to invite him to be baptized he asked us the question "So Jesus was baptized so I need to be baptized as well so will you baptize me?" We were so thrown we just sat there for a while. But then finally the member said yes yes of course! Our next lesson was with a family of 4 who have kind of been wasting our time. So we talked with them about why we are here and why they want us here and he said, "Oh we like you guys oh it's fun when you're here." So we sat there for 5 minutes in complete silence. And I was looking down the whole time and all of a sudden I started to cry and I just stared at them and asked a few questions like: Do you want to live with your family FOREVER? Why? How can you live with your family forever? (Remember this is all in Spanish and I am crying so it was hard) and I just waited for an answer to the last question. And they said they didn't know how, so I bore with all of my heart that I know how families can live together forever. And that I can't wait to get married and have a family and spend eternity with them. And I know they all felt the spirit but the one who felt it the most was their daughter who was only listening to us because her mom told her to and she started to ball and hugged her mom and dad and said I don't want to leave you. And then I asked the question. “¿Seguirá el ejemplo de Jesucristo al ser bautizado(a) por alguien que posea la autoridad del sacerdocio de Dios?" All four of them said yes!
Tuesday: Long day! All four lessons canceled on us but we received a testimony that our members love us and want to support us and for me that is great because I can't speak Spanish so when they come with us it is really easy! The most common phrase I have heard from the members is "Wow now that you are here Elder Manzano isn't late anymore!" Bam, first missionary who isn't late to appointments! #SST (Studyvin standard time)
Wednesday: Everyone canceled on us and we had to go to LDS Family services today. It was an eh day. I got to talk with the first councilor of the mission. He is awesome and is a lot like me. Sorry this day isn't so long..
Thursday: The longest day of the week! Weekly planning was effective! And we had a great lesson with a recent convert family about every member a missionary! And then we had a great lesson with a family of four and they are on date for October 17. The ZLs are spending the night again because DL companion is going home tomorrow.
Friday: Solid 45 minute workout! #gettingshredded Bad day: 1 less active member and they said "Wow you have been learning Spanish for 2 months and you still can't speak the language." My first thought and, yes I repented after I thought it, but my first thought was "Yes I can't speak Spanish but I've only been learning Spanish for 2 months. You have lived in America for 20 years and you still can't speak English. Who is the one who is really the unintelligent one here?" I felt so bad after I thought that. I am glad I didn't say it. I understand almost everything people say to me in Spanish I just can't speak it very well so I am sorry that two months isn't enough to learn Spanish. #notverysmart #nevergonnalearnspanish
Saturday: Great work out! But no lessons today. No one would let us in the door! We did a lot of driving around.
Sunday: Normal Sunday. We worked nobody would let us in the door but we had 6 investigators come to church!!!
Monday: Today is not P-Day tomorrow is P-Day because it is transfer P-Day so I know my companion and I are staying in the Agua Fria ward. I just walked the 45 minute workout. We only has one lesson with a less active and he is super awesome! He is "less active" because he is moving to Utah so he is really not less active! He is awesome though! His story is sad and it relates really close to me.
This paragraph that I am writing is from Tuesday September 8, 2015 at 7:30am. I am writing this because I found out some amazing news! So when my comp and I got inside from working out we received a phone call from our mission president. And my first thought was, "Oh no! What did we do this time!" But he was calling us to tell us that we had the best numbers in the whole mission for this past week! #icantspeakspanish #newmissionary #hashtag #SS #
So the zone I am in is the slowest zone in the mission... And when I got interviewed by president he said "So your bishop and your stake president have both said you are a very positive young man and that's awesome. But I want to test how positive you are by putting you in the slowest zone in the mission." It has been five weeks and we are now, in my area, my ward is hitting standards of excellence for the mission, which means our key indicators are what the mission wants them to be. Key indicators are like, for a week, people with a baptismal date, people who come to sacrament, new investigators, lessons with a member present, and then less active/recent convert lessons, and then just total lessons for the week.
So the column on the left is the standards and the column on the right is what my comp and I get:
With date : 2 4
@ sacrament 4 4
Member present: 4 6
New investigators 2 2
All of these numbers are by week.
Love Elder Studs
LETTER TO MOM:
Dear Momma,
Thank you so much for everything you have done for me!
We met a less active but we couldn't count it as a lesson. It was more of a hey we're the missionaries and we want to get to know you! He is living alone. He is a father of 4 and his youngest boy is on a mission. He was super friendly and he started asking us really personal questions like about our families and I answered but after I did I asked if I could ask personal questions as well. And he said yes right away. My first question was, "Why are you less active." "Oh I just don't love the church anymore." Okay, why? He said, "Just wasn't fun or interesting anymore." (That killed me I started to cry) Then I asked, "Why did you divorce your wife?" He said, "Oh I just didn't love her anymore?" What!? Why!? "Oh she just wasn't fun or interesting anymore" (I am now literally dead now) I asked, "How do you feel about that?" "Oh I don't really care." I said, "Do you know how much that is affecting your wife and your kids?" He said, "Oh I don't know probably a little but they'll be fine. I still buy them toys."
I literally could not look at him the rest of the time we were there. And I was crying the whole time. I have never been mad at someone or wanted to hit someone so bad before, but it just strengthens my testimony on how to be a good father and husband. I want to be there for my wife and kids 300% of the time!
~~Elder Studs
No comments:
Post a Comment