Monday, August 4, 2014

Santos Lugares

Hola and welcome to my new mission experience.

Seriously I feel like I am now serving my third mission.  I came back to city expecting my new area to be like Haedo, It is so far from it. I guess that is a really good thing as I am looking for different not the same. But wow did I just jump on the magic carpet with jasmine as this is seriously a whole new world.  I am in an area that is on the outskirts of BA, therefore it isnt wealthy at all and it is a lot of people tucked away in little space.  Santos lugares is my exact area in casseros.  The spanish is very different as most of the people arent actually argentinos. We have a lot from peru, paraguay, and bolvia.  They look different, cook different, and it is just throwing me off. haha I felt for the first couple of days a little like I was just taking a few days trip to mexico.  But all is well now, I am getting used to it, and I about died when I saw the size of our church... IT IS HUGE.  We could say that president called me for a special mission here, as this past month we will say there as been a ¨crisis¨ between the misisonaries and the members.  In this ward it is split between two sets of missionaries. us and the elders. My comp and I took a look at our members today in just our area alone and we found about 54 less actives or completely inactives and 11 active members.  Therefore the whole ward has such down to looking for news and focusing on the old and lost.  There has been a lot of baptisms in the past that we call only numbers.  people that are baptized to get a fast key indicator but that arent actaully ready and fully repented.  Therefore they fell away fast and we are left with that missing principle of the gosple... enduring to the end.  My comp and I have lots of love for the members and are strengthing their desire to help with missionary work and reactivation. We are doing something in ithe zone here that is called family misiionaries.  Every week a family is chosen tobecome misisonaries.  This family gets a huge plack, their picutre taken, and get to work hand and hand with us.  we have family home evenings together and they are incharge of referencias and leaving with us for lessons. It starts this upcoming week and I will let you know how it goes. We are trying to get creative as the normal misisonary style isnt working here.  

i came into this area really strong, I decided that whatever it was going to bring I would take it and move forward happily. Although my mind wanders back to my beloved 25 de mayo sometimes I am focused on here now. I trust that president knows what is best for me.  One difficult thing this week was actually obedience. I didnt expect that, but sometimes Missionaries get into the habit and when a new one comes along there are changes that need to be made.  I am determined with the tiem I have in the mission to not have any back peddling. I only want to go up from here, no time to relearn any old lessons. I have such a strong testimony that it is easier to be exactly obedient always rather than picking and choosing and going with the wind.  Really if you want to win the prize at the end of the race, you have to keep up a constant pace.  

We started off this week with a zone activity.. the first thing I did in my area, so that was a bonus. The first of my misison, and ate food from peru and we played soccer. It was such a blast.  Oh how I miss that jolly old pass time. since I didnt know when the next opportunity would come up I went all out, I still love being so close to the ocean as I didnt die of being out of shape. WOOT WOOT: Sea level really makes you feel good sometimes. however I was slightly sore the next day. haha  I like my new zone but it lacks in some excitement. aka it is kindof bland... I have set a personal goal to give it some spice. VAMOS!  Everyone has been putting excuses for this area for quite some time, saying if we arent having success ¨thats just the way it is¨.  Well comp and I have talked about the different approach.  We arent going to let that get us down. I know that we are together for some reason, that president trusts we can make a change here, and that gives us the determination and drive.    The weather has completely changed upside down. it went from freezing cold weather to summer overnight.  Today there isnt a cloud in the sky and I have a short sleeve shirt on... Is this global warming or what?  

My comp is hermana Davis, she is from manti utah.  She goes home with christine next the end of next transfer. From day one I promised myself to keep speaking spanish and oh man it is very dificult as she loves speaking english.  Do you know that I dont like english anymore? haha I cant read in english... it just bores me. But I just have this fear that my spanish is going to go out the window this transfer as we both arent the best spanish speakers and we have the constant temptation. I love her to death and we once had spits together so we were already friends before we were put together. She is great with loving the people, who ever it is, and loving them with all her heart. 

We had a lesson this week that just hit me so hard.  We we were teaching about the sacrament. I have taught this lesson a million times but this lady just wasnt getting it.  We asked her some questions about her testimony. she knows this is tihe true church yet she doesnt want to make the commitment of always going to churhc sunday.  We talked all about Christ and his sacfice how it is tied with sundays and how it is so very important. When I read the sacrament prayer to her, I felt the spirit stronger than ever, and I found myself tearing up.  I ihave never realized how much meaning is behind every word and why it is so important that its always said perfectly.  A small piece of bread and a small spit of water has so much symbolizim than we can understand.  It broke my heart to see this lady directly denying the tesimony she has because she is lazy. To see her directly deny Jesus Christ. She didnt end up coming to church the next day, and who knows when her time to be baptized is, all I know is that this lesson wasnt just for her but for me. And that I know understand more fully why I go to church, and why I am here in the mission. Why I am trying everyday to become more like Christ.  

Well Not much excitement but equal I am happy person.  There isnt much giong on in the area... it is kindof dead, until this up coming week!  I believe there are some miracles just around the corner... we just have to search them out and recognize them.  Love you and thanks for your support. 


Hermana alley 

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