Well, this is my last week with my comp. He´s going home next wednesday, so this is our last full week together. Transfers are next week, so i´ll be staying in my area, but i´ll be with a new companion.... So... Crazy fact that i realized earlier today.... This Friday, I´ll have exactly 6 months in my mission. Crazy how fast the time goes. I feel like I got to paraguay yesterday, and that I was sitting in the MTC for the first time about 2 weeks ago, and my mission is 1/4 over. Crazy how fast time flies. 6 months and i´ve only had 1 area, and 1 companion. Weird.
Well, I´m not going to lie, this week was the hardest of my mission. I feel like we worked harder than any other week in my mission, but we taught a total of 10 lessons. 4 with member, and 6 others. (oh and 14 less active/recent converts). We walked around so much and worked so hard, but we didn´t teach at all. It was terrible. But it was kind of funny.... I was super bummed out Sunday morning before church, and was just wondering why everything was so hard. And then i remembered something that Brother Bott taught in Mission Prep at BYU. He said when he was a mission pres. almost every missionary had something happen at their 6 month point that was a huge trial for them. I realized that i´m in my "6 month bump" as Bro. Bott calls it. We´re working hard, but we´re not teaching, and not finding people to teach. Me and my comp. have been pretty frustrated with the members here, because they won´t help us at all in the work, and whenever we have meetings like ward council, or ward missionary coordination meeting, nobody shows up. We´ve just been super frustrated with the lack of member support. and last night we told all of our problems to the Zone Leaders. And they just told us we have to love the members. The Lord is trying our patience, but we have to show Him first that we´re willing to love, even though the members don´t give us any reason to love them. We basically spent 2/3 of our comp study this morning talking about our problems with the members and what we´re going to do to try to love the members more and help them help in the work here. It was pretty good. We realized that we were juding the members unrighteously and that we have to fix that and work harder and do more to animate them.
This week we had a zone conference with Pres. Callan. He truly is called of God. He´s amazing. The conf. was like 6 or 7 hours but it felt like 2 hours. We talked so much about the Doctine of Christ. You all should read 2 Nephi 31. It really is one of the most amazing chapters of scripture in the Book of Mormon. It´s so simple, but teaches such a powerful lesson. The gospel really is simple. Have faith, repent, get baptized, recieve the Holy Ghost, and Endure to the End. Easy, but how often do we forget to do the small things that increase our faith.
Well, i was thinking about Kyle Shegrud and things he should bring. First off, When does he go into the MTC? You all told me he´s coming, but nobody told me a date. But things to bring... Rain boots like i have. They´re awesome when there´s 6 inches of rain. also, for a raincoat. The coat from mr. Mac is rather lousy. It doesn´t keep out rain 100 % and it´s super hot, and when it rains here, it´s still really hot. So if he can find a really really lightweight raincoat that keeps out water 100% that would probably be better. Also, only bring Dri-Lux garments. Mesh is the worst in this heat. and bring about 14 pairs of garments and about 12 white shirts- short sleeve. I usually wear every white shirt 2 times every week, cuz the lady that washes our clothes takes forever to clean them. So bring extra everything.
also, how much money to i have in my bank account? also, I think that my package is here and i should get it tomorrow I think
Also, the phone call for christmas. Me and john figured out that I´m 2 hours ahead of him, and that he´s two hours ahead of you, so when its 3 pm here, it´s 1 pm in phili and 11 am in utah. So we need to get everything worked out for the phone call. and christmas is on sunday. my church is at 9 am, so i can call you at what ever time after that, because that will be 5 am in utah, so tell me what time your church is at and well work something out.
John- so, i heard something about tyler brown. He´s a district leader on the other side of my mission. apparently he called my mission pres. a lot at the beginning of his mission to go home, but my pres. always convinced him to stay. and now, he´s doing well, and is a district leader. Also, question... what time do you do your weekly planning? Just a random question. Also, this 8 yr old girl. Does she have a SUPER 100% faithful member that´s always going to bring her to church? Because I baptized a nine year old girl who´s mom was less active, but said she wants to come back to church and was just waiting for someone to invite her back. The 9 yr old girl hasn´t come to church for 3 or 4 weeks now, and the mom is 100% inactive again. So be careful. Good luck training and being the district leader. You´ll do awesome.
mom- that sentence- "he keeps his covenants" is amazing. If everyone in the church kept their covenants, my life would be so much easier, cuz i´d have 125 members to work with, helping in the missionary work, instead of 35 faithful members, that only 4 or 5 will help with misisonary work. Sounds like a good crazy week.
Austin- sounds like your play tryout was awesome. I hope all goes well. the power of the Priesthood is amazing. Smile and work hard.
Tasha- Sounds like you had a fun week. Work hard and enjoy life. enjoy Jr. high. I didn´t and I wish i had.
Shaylee- you letters always make me laugh. i don´t know why, but they do. work hard in school and do your homework.
Dad- how goes centerpoint?
Well, the church is true. Read the Book of Mormon and ask if it´s true. I wish i had done that a lot earlier in my life. It would´ve saved me from a lot of problems. Get a testimony of that book. Even you shaylee. I know you´re only 9, but you need a testimony of the Book of Mormon. I love the church. I love being a missionary, even when i have weeks like this last one. The Savior died not only for our sins, but for our pains that we suffer for the unrighteous acts of others and pains of every day. He is there to help us 24/7. He love us. He´s our Redeemer. Joseph Smith saw God. He was a prophet.
happy thanksgiving. (weird how nobody talks about thanksgiving here in Paraguay.)
Love,
Elder Jordan Schouten
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