My week was great, as always! My big focus for the past week has been learning
how to be a lot more direct, especially with baptism invitations. My
teacher/practice investigator Daren/Alberto is always telling us about
how important it is to invite people to baptism early on, from the
very first lesson or often even in the very first contact, so that
people know that what we are teaching isn’t just nice information, but
it is actually vital to their salvation and it is heading to an end
point that will change their lives. I have been practicing a lot, and
although it felt awkward at first, I think its working, at least in
the practice contacts and lessons we do. I’m excited to use it when we
go proselyting again, which we were supposed to do this past Saturday
but we couldn’t for two reasons. First, because it was a huge
Catholic holiday with potential for danger. Second reason, because it
was also the weekend of a huge Mormon celebration, of the creation of
the 100th stake in Peru! It was super cool that that happened,
especially because Elder Christofferson came to Lima for the
celebration. We found out that he was coming, but he was going to be
really busy with the festivities and calling a new stake president and
everything, so he wasn’t going to be able to come to the CCM and we
were all pretty bumming. I was disappointed, and I especially felt bad
for the people, like the Latino missionaries, who have never had the
chance to meet an apostle of the Lord before. And then we found out
that he was actually coming to the CCM, but he wasn’t going to be able
to meet the missionaries, he was just coming to have a giant lunch
with a bunch of area seventies and all the new mission presidents for
the area included in the Peru CCM. So then we were even more bumming
that he would be so close and we wouldn’t see him, and they made us all
stay in our classrooms so we wouldn’t be out and about trying to get
autographs or anything ha-ha. But we hung out right by the window and
tried to see him, and tried to find him and didn’t. But THEN, right at
the last second he announced that he actually did want to meet with
all the missionaries after all! He took an hour to speak to us and
answer some questions from the missionaries, and then he shook all of
our hands and it was such a sweet experience. I could truly feel that
this was one of the fifteen men specially called as prophets, seers,
and revelators on this earth today. The Spirit was powerful and I was
so grateful for the opportunity, especially when our teachers said
that they knew that he really wasn’t planning on coming, but it was the
faith of the all of us missionaries and our prayers that he would come
that made it happen, that inspired him to squeeze the time into his
tiny window. What a testimony of the power of prayer.
how to be a lot more direct, especially with baptism invitations. My
teacher/practice investigator Daren/Alberto is always telling us about
how important it is to invite people to baptism early on, from the
very first lesson or often even in the very first contact, so that
people know that what we are teaching isn’t just nice information, but
it is actually vital to their salvation and it is heading to an end
point that will change their lives. I have been practicing a lot, and
although it felt awkward at first, I think its working, at least in
the practice contacts and lessons we do. I’m excited to use it when we
go proselyting again, which we were supposed to do this past Saturday
but we couldn’t for two reasons. First, because it was a huge
Catholic holiday with potential for danger. Second reason, because it
was also the weekend of a huge Mormon celebration, of the creation of
the 100th stake in Peru! It was super cool that that happened,
especially because Elder Christofferson came to Lima for the
celebration. We found out that he was coming, but he was going to be
really busy with the festivities and calling a new stake president and
everything, so he wasn’t going to be able to come to the CCM and we
were all pretty bumming. I was disappointed, and I especially felt bad
for the people, like the Latino missionaries, who have never had the
chance to meet an apostle of the Lord before. And then we found out
that he was actually coming to the CCM, but he wasn’t going to be able
to meet the missionaries, he was just coming to have a giant lunch
with a bunch of area seventies and all the new mission presidents for
the area included in the Peru CCM. So then we were even more bumming
that he would be so close and we wouldn’t see him, and they made us all
stay in our classrooms so we wouldn’t be out and about trying to get
autographs or anything ha-ha. But we hung out right by the window and
tried to see him, and tried to find him and didn’t. But THEN, right at
the last second he announced that he actually did want to meet with
all the missionaries after all! He took an hour to speak to us and
answer some questions from the missionaries, and then he shook all of
our hands and it was such a sweet experience. I could truly feel that
this was one of the fifteen men specially called as prophets, seers,
and revelators on this earth today. The Spirit was powerful and I was
so grateful for the opportunity, especially when our teachers said
that they knew that he really wasn’t planning on coming, but it was the
faith of the all of us missionaries and our prayers that he would come
that made it happen, that inspired him to squeeze the time into his
tiny window. What a testimony of the power of prayer.
And one other really cool thing happened along with that
experience. When all the
mission presidents came for the lunch, they walked through all the
classrooms, and we got to meet our mission president and his wife for
just a few minutes! That too was an extremely powerful experience. As
soon as we figured out that we belonged to them we ran right up to
them and all started talking excitedly, the mission president’s wife
hugged us all really happily and it was just so cool. They’re brand
new, so we will be their first new batch of missionaries, the first
ones they ever get to see through a whole mission. I can already tell
that they are so kind and full of love. The wife got all choked up and
actually started to cry a little, she said, "We have been waiting SO
long to meet you, and it was just so incredible." They already love
their missionaries so much and all of us could feel that and feel
that that love came from God and so all us girls got all choked up
too. I don’t know about the elders ha-ha. But really, I know that we
will all be in wonderful hands with them as our mission
president/wife.
mission presidents came for the lunch, they walked through all the
classrooms, and we got to meet our mission president and his wife for
just a few minutes! That too was an extremely powerful experience. As
soon as we figured out that we belonged to them we ran right up to
them and all started talking excitedly, the mission president’s wife
hugged us all really happily and it was just so cool. They’re brand
new, so we will be their first new batch of missionaries, the first
ones they ever get to see through a whole mission. I can already tell
that they are so kind and full of love. The wife got all choked up and
actually started to cry a little, she said, "We have been waiting SO
long to meet you, and it was just so incredible." They already love
their missionaries so much and all of us could feel that and feel
that that love came from God and so all us girls got all choked up
too. I don’t know about the elders ha-ha. But really, I know that we
will all be in wonderful hands with them as our mission
president/wife.
We’ll be getting two more roommates tonight. Hopefully they’re
Latinas so we can practice our Spanish more! Anyway, love you all!
No comments:
Post a Comment