So this week has been good. We have done lots of things. This last Tuesday the cambios happened. Not only that, but we took the missionaries that were going home to the airport. That is so sad when that happens. I get a sick feeling in my stomach every time, however, I was talking to a sister missionary who was waiting for her parents and I said something about the sick feeling and she said, 'I always had that sick feeling too. Even two weeks ago I had that sick feeling when I thought about going home, but now, I am very calm." On Wednesday we were up in Parral and Linares. We went to their Zone class and after we went to lunch. We ate at a place called Bakán. (Bah-cahn) Bakán in Chilean means cool. Oh my, they gave us so much food and it was so greasy and fatty. We shared a huge plate that starts with fries on the bottom, and then had chopped fried meat with fried onions, topped with 4 fried eggs! Needless to say, we didn't finish it. After that we worked with a trio of sister missionaries for some hours, and then we left and met up with the zone leaders and went to do some interviews. The lessons with the sisters were so awesome. There was one when we were teaching a woman that is about 37. The sisters were teaching when the lady started to tell us about a lot of problems and things that have happened in her life, including how she was a big time drug addict and how she felt that she couldn't be forgiven. Then one of the sisters was relating some personal experiences and she bore her testimony that through Christ anyone can receive the cleansing of their sins. Honestly, my companion and I just sat there... we didn't even teach... it was an incredibly strong experience, and one that may have changed that investigator's life forever. It was very neat to be able to feel the power in the words from that sister missionary. It was neat to feel the truthfulness as well.
After that I interviewed an 18 year old girl. She is being taught by her 1st cousin, whom she never even knew, who is from the States. How crazy would that be to be called to a mission where there were first cousins, then going to teach them? However, the interview I did was interesting. I was talking with her, and she told me she wasn't sure if Joseph Smith was a prophet. She told me she wasn't sure the Book of Mormon was true, because that would mean she would accept Joseph Smith. But she said she didn't know if she wanted to get baptized because she wasn't sure if he was a prophet. We talked about that for some time, and then I asked her "what is the real problem?" She looked at me for some time, then she started to talk, then she started to cry. She told me about how she has seen and heard what the people think about the Mormons. She listens to the things people yell at us in the street. She knows what her friends think about Mormons. She said, "I don't know if I can take all that." After listening to her say all that, and feeling her sincerity, I just felt sad. No, I think more than that I felt love for her, because I saw that she wanted to follow Christ, but that she lacked the faith to do it. We talked about Christ; we talked about what He went through and what He did. What mockery He supported and why He did it.
I admire and look up to those who give all to follow Christ. I even think of some of the other converts I have had, actually all of them, and the things they went through before their baptism, and how much faith in Christ they have shown. I am grateful for them, and I love them.
We stayed that night in Parral......... We had a 6 hour meeting in the Mission President's house yesterday. We are going to train the zone leaders on Monday and Tuesday, but we are changing some things. We are not inventing anything new, it is all from Preach My Gospel, but we are hitting home on some things. We also revised the rules of the mission that have been here for several years. After changing some, after taking some away and listening to 'well that rule was for ten years ago' and 'that just doesn't make sense in my head' I know how the Bible was so easily changed - ha.
i love you all
