Week 94 - Seeking Investigators

Not a lot has happened this week.  We spent most of the week walking around trying to find people.

This week our district meeting was changed to another day.  I forgot to tell the sister missionaries of the change but the zone leaders said they mentioned it to them.  I called them after waiting ten minutes and they asked: "What do you mean the district meeting is right now?"  They said they didn't know about the change.  In the end, the district meeting was held without the sister missionaries this week.

My bike broke again so I had to have it fixed.  This used the last of my personal money. Hopefully, this will be the end of the infamous bike repairs.

We´re also about to have the missionary in charge of housing come by and I'm going to talk to him before he gets here.   There are two broken windows in the house (I didn't break any by the way. They've been broken for a long time now).

Yesterday we taught a super good investigator.  He's cried in front of us.  I think the only thing we may have a hard time helping him see is that living with someone outside of marriage isn't okay.  The Chilean system is messed up and it's hard for couples to want to become legally married.  It's often a hardship on the family.

We're not going to do anything too crazy for p-day today.  We're just going to play ping pong.

Week 93 - A Humble Investigator.

This week has been pretty good.

We had one of our investigators go to church.  He is one of the most humble people that I have met.  He has excepted pretty much everything and he's seeing the blessings of the gospel in his life.  He says his family is coming together and we've got them to pray with us!  I hope we can help the entire family.

I went to Cabildo.  It was nice.

We found six new people to teach.  It's always nice to find new people.

Today I went to Viña to get my Chilean license again.  I look way too skinny in the new picture.  I also got a haircut.  Then we made up and played a game similar to handball.

Week 92 - Transfer Week and Good Friends.

This week there were transfers Monday.  Usually, they would be on Wednesday but our mission president needed to be in Buenos Aires for a Tuesday conference.  To have interviews and oversee the transfers he changed transfer day to Monday.  P-day this week is Wednesday. This explains my late email.  This past week literally feels long with the extra days between p-day.

"D" got baptized this week!!! It was really spiritual and his dad started crying during the baptismal prayer.  It made me realize how much he has probably been praying and fasting for this moment to happen.  "D"'s mother initially didn't want him to be baptised but she finally gave him permision.

This week I was with Elder Brooks on his last day.  Elder Larsen had the interview with "D".  I felt sad that Elder Brooks was leaving.  I went around with him as he said goodbye to everyone.  I realized yesterday that Elder Braithwaite left too.

Elder Brown and I are staying together.  I'm happy about this.   It will be good and he is a great help to me.  Some of the changes that were made in the district could keep us busy.  One missionary was transferred in that is notorious for having problems with his companions.  Another is training.  Hopefully,  all goes smoothly.

Saturday night we received a random call from someone that Elder Brown didn't know.  Elder Brown said the man just asked: "Where is Elder Hammond?"  He told him where we were and the man told us to wait.  We were kind of confused and then I see Brother and Sister Muñoz and their daughter get out of a car.  They are from my old Las Maravillas area.  It made me very happy.  I love that family so much!!!  They told me about some of the things that have happened in Las Maravillas since I was transferred.  My investigator, "F",  goes to seminary every day.  "A" is going to church even if she has to walk and walking is very difficult for her.  "C" continues to attend church.  It was wonderful to see and talk with them!

Week 91 - Searching for Investigators

This week I got really tan.  We are mostly starting from scratch to find new people to teach.  I have been getting tanned while walking around.  All is well.  We are finding new people to teach.

We had to drop one of our investigators this week.  We went to her house and she said that she wouldn't live a commandment.  It became really uncomfortable.  Her boyfriend came out and starting yelling at us and then she started saying some negative things about the church.

While disappointing, it's okay.  We all have our free agency.  The Lord never compels anyone.  It is our choice if we want to follow Him.

We also have "D".   He's the son of a member.  Originally, his mother didn't want him to get baptized. Now she's given him permission and he has set a date for this next Sunday!

This next week is going to be crazy good!!!  If everything works out I have six interviews to give and then the baptismal interview for "D".

My second to last transfer possibility will be this next Monday.  We will see if they change me or not. I hope to stay with Elder Brown.  Many people think I will be leaving which would be interesting.

Today we played soccer in the morning and I made seven goals.

Week 90 - "I give unto men weakness that they may be humble..."

So this week was better.  I still was pretty sick last Monday. Tuesday after eating dinner I started to feel a little better but continued to need to visit the restroom often.  At least I wasn't dying from pain. My state remained the same going into Wednesday so we went to the doctor.  He asked, "you were going to the bathroom 30 times a day and you didn't go to the doctor?"  He then prescribed for me something that turns out to be the same pill I had already been taking for the last four days. There really wasn't anything else he could give me but he prescribed a powder to help with my stomach.

Something interesting about this story is that I had withdrawn personal money from the bank, but wasn't able to spend any of it because I didn't find the cool stuff I had wanted. The sister in my ward that was going to help me said that she couldn't find anything either. The cool thing about this is that with all the expenses I had with the doctor, medications, and the trips to Viña I wouldn't have had enough. Thanks to the fact that I didn't spend anything on gifts I got by.

Oh, my bike broke too.  Now I have a flat tire.  I don't think it's worth it to bike anymore.

This week I taught my first Haitian investigator.  Her name is "L."  I worry about how much she understands but she said after teaching her this week she wanted to be baptized.

I loved General Conference.  We got to watch it in English.  I teared up a little bit with President Uchtdorf.  I honestly don't remember exactly the words he used but it was what I needed to hear. I didn't even go into conference with the question he answered for me.  (See President Uchtdorf's Talk)

He talked about how we all have disabilities and weaknesses and that even with these God uses us.
I don't know if I've told you but I've been trying to be more positive with my emails.  I think I have focused too much on my shortcomings.

Speaking of my weaknesses, this sector has been the hardest on my Spanish. I've had so many people destroy my confidence in speaking.  Many are members and investigators.  Even some of the sisters in my district have put me down.  Yesterday, one made the comment "You know elder, sometimes I really don't understand you."  I wonder if maybe this just makes me stronger after President Uchtdorf's talk. Perhaps it's my trial and I literally need to open my mouth more.  Maybe I need this to help me increase my faith and develop spiritual gifts.

I definitely felt better afterward.  I know that God has his representatives on the earth and that they receive revelation specifically for us.  

I guess Conner is in good company.  Enoch and Moses both stated they weren't good at speaking. Moroni stated he was poor in writing.  These are just a few thoughts that come to mind.  Look at how the Lord used each and what was accomplished.  (See Ether 12:23-29, Moses 6:31, Exodus 6:12) -- Conner's dad