Alright
so Tuesday morning we had to leave at 7:50 to go get Elder Bullocks
criminal record. After that we went and got haircuts and then we didn´t
get back until around 10. After that we needed study time so personal
study was from 10 to 11 and companionship study time was from 11 to 12.
After that we realized we had to take our laundry over to the lady that
does that for us and she lives super far away. By the time we finished
all of that it was already 1 and it was time for lunch. Lunch was from 1
to 2 and then we have language study from 2 to 3. It wasn´t until 3
that we did anything proselyting related. I did a lot better with
speaking Spanish on Tuesday though so that was good. We also went to see
one of our contacts Sebastian and he was there! We got to teach him and
just really give him a brief of synopsis of the Plan of Salvation. He´s
feels pretty lonely so hopefully we can keep meeting with him and help
him out. That was about it for Tuesday cause nobody else was home. That
night we did have a super cool lesson about Eternal Families with Alex
and Carola and they are getting closer and closer for our marriage
commitment lesson!
Alright Wednesday we had
district class in the morning. WE had a super fun activity about working
together. We had all these different activities like a three legged
race and standing up with your companion with arms linked back to back
and then running together and you had to get up on the stage. The latter
is what Elder Bullock and I did. We got way behind because Elder Keller
and Elder Ecan dropped the egg in the egg toss so we had to wait five
seconds. Then the hermanas fell down laughing in the three legged race.
The leap frog leg was fine but by the time we got to Elder Bullock and I
the other team was on the stage trying to stand up. He and I got up in a
hurry back to back with our arms linked. He just ran and I ran
backwards as we got to the stage I continued to run backwards as I
leaned forward and Elder Bullock lifted up his legs (like in the
picture) and then I jumped up backwards onto the stage! We quickly stood
up and as soon as we did the other district touched there cone! We were
so close to making a comeback... But hey it was still fun! This was all
to demostrate that we have to work together with members. After that we
had a testimony meeting and talked about how the atonement has affected
our mission. It was an awesome meeting and the spirit was strong. To
end the district class I finally got my packages in the caja feliz and
that was awesome! Thanks mom for everything you´re the best! After that
it was back to the grind. WE taught the recent convert Juan Sepulvida
and he is doing really well. Other than that we tried to get Brandon to
go to seminary but he didn´t :( But besides those two things it was just
a lot of walking. Still though the morning really carried me through
the day.
So on Thursday morning I had an
awesome personal study in Alma 48. This is the chapter talking about
Captain Moroni. This was kind of interesting that I was there in my
reading because Hermana Thomas talked a little bit about this chapter in
District class. I love verses 11-13 and 17. It describes the kind of
man that Moroni was. Every man should try to be a Moroni man. I can
think of many men in my life that I consider to be Moroni men. I want to
pattern my life and be the kind of priesthood holder and the kind of
man that they are and that Moroni was. My future wife and family deserve
a Moroni man in their household. Every household needs a Moroni man.
That morning Elder Bullock and I also were talking about college and I
went to say "School starts two weeks into January" but for some reason
it came out "School starts two weeks into Germany." I couldn´t believe
what I had just said and we both just started cracking up. I don´t
Spanish but I am forgetting English as well... I don´t really know what
language I can speak right now lol...Also that morning we got to help a
family in the ward move. The husband was in a rough motorcycle accident
and they are moving in with his dad so that he can be taken care of.
During the move we saw a HUGE spider! That was kind of scary. I´m just
lucky I choked down the scream that almost came out of my mouth... That
afternoon we got a phonecall and found out that Elder Prince got bit by a
dog and had to get shots and what not. Poor dude had a rough day
really. That night we had a lesson with Alex and Carola and it we just
shared a scripture and just tried to get a read on how they are doing.
It was cool to serve in the morning and overall I felt better about
Thursday because I felt like i did better despite all of the lessons
that fell through that day. I won´t even last them because there were
quite a few.
Friday we had to go to the Zone
leaders house so they could meet with Elder Bullock and the other
district leader. We were over there all morning again. We didn´t get to
work a single morning during the week. It was kind of frustrating. But
in the lesson they talked about how we are shifting our focus to trying
to focus on strengthen the ward and focus a lot on less actives and
retention. That night at dinner I made a checklist of all the stuff we
need to do with the members and how to get some projects that will get
us more involved with them. I´m sure I´ll start talking about them more
in depth as they start happening. We really are in desperate need of
investigators we can visit consistently. Our sector is so so so slow
right now. Yet another day of a lot of walking and no teaching.
Saturday
was more walking and we started our fast after lunch. I really felt
like I was fasting with a purpose this week. Thtat night during dinner
(even though we didn´t eat we have to take an hour for rest) we really
got moving on some stuff. WE cleaned out the area book and our map and
wrote down all of the names of people that live in our sector that we
don´t know. We did a lot of productive things and I felt good. That
night we met with Patricio and Fallon and read 2nd Nephi 4 with them. I
love that chapter. It´s really beautifully written. It was definitely
something I needed to read right then. After that, we talked about our
youth family history project. We want all the youth and new converts and
less actives to get involved in a family history project. Find names of
their ancestors to take them on there next youth trip to the temple. We
want Patricio and Fallon to start a bit early to help the youth and be
able to bear their testimony on it. That lesson was super awesome and
Fallon says she wants to help us with Alex and Carola the following
Tuesday.
So Sunday was amazing. I felt like I
had the most productive fast in my life. I truly feel that if we fast
with a purpose and do it the right way of starting and ending with a
prayer that Heavenly Father will bless us. We talked with everyone that
we needed to talk to in the ward including the secretary, and the
Bishop. After church we had a fun lunch with the most fun mini golden
retreiver in the world Perry! He´s a blast. That night we had another
member lesson with Alex and Carola with Hermano Paraguez. It was on the
Law of Chastity. It went super super well and the spirit was so strong.
When we asked them if they could get married, we found a little bump in
the road... Carola has to get divorced from her old husband still. They
have been separated for a long time but never got an official divorce.
However, they said that they are willing to work on it so that they can
get married! THEY ARE GOLDEN. Seriously it was an amazing lesson. Week
ended great.
Today we had a zone activity and
we played fútbol (soccer), basketball, and football. It was a ton of fun
and a bit exhausting. We got to eat hamburgers though and that was
pretty sweet.
I read a talk this week that is
called "Grateful in Any Circumstances" by President Uchtdorf. It was
absolutely AMAZING! I encourage all of you to reread it because it has
some great stuff. Here are some of the quotes that I really liked from
it
"Could I suggest that we see gratitude as a
disposition, a way of life that stands independent of our current
situation? In other words, I am suggesting that instead of being
thankful for things, we focus on being thankful in our circumstances"
"How much of life do we miss by waiting to see the rainbow before thanking God that there is rain?"
"Being
grateful in times of distress does not mean that we are pleased with
our circumstances. It does mean that through the eyes of faith we look
beyond our present-day challenges."
"True
gratitude is an expression of hope and testimony. It comes from
acknowledging that we do not always understand the trials of life but
trusting that one day we will."
"Endings are not our destiny!"
"Gratitude is a catalyst to all Christlike attributes! A thankful heart is the parent of all virtues."
I
really needed to read that talk this week and I absolutely loved it. We
all need to work on not just being grateful but on making gratitude
part of our nature. I also had a huge testimony builder of fasting this
week. As we humble ourselves through fasting we are blessed. The Lord
blesses those with humble hearts I know that to be true. I love you all!
Elder Shell
Pictures aren't working for this week...
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