well, this week was an interesting one. We worked our tails off, but our numbers were terrible. The worst of my entire mission. But it was weird because usually i get a little bumbed out or frustrated when we work really hard and don´t have much success. But i never got bumbed out last week. It was a really positive week for me, even though the numbers were terrible.
Well, my companion is really opening up and he´s a lot more talkitive with me now. The first few days, I thought he was pretty weird. But He´s really normaled out and we started talking a lot more, and now, in just one week, I feel like i´m way better friends with him than with my trainer, and i was with my trainer for 4.5 months. Maybe its just because we´re two americans, and we relate a little better, because our culture from our whole lives is the same, and my trainer was a latin, so we had a lot of culture differences. But i don´t really know. But i really like my new comp. a lot.
This week, in one of the few lessons that we taught, i had an AMAZING experience. We´re teaching this older man, about 75 or 80 yrs. old, and he´s pretty stubborn. He doesn´t want to change his religion and his traditions that he has. He´s a catholic, by the way. He says he doesn´t see the point in changing his ways this late in his life. But so we went to teach him and i was thinking, this is the last lesson, we´ll see if he wants to change and read the BoM or not, but I also felt that we should teach lesson 2, the plan of salvation. So we started teaching it, and we got to our life on earth, and what is our purpose and what we should do. And there is a pamphlet for lesson 2 that says very simply that we´re supposed to have faith, repent, get baptized, recieve the Holy Ghost, and endure to the end. So we had him read that. and then, the lesson turned into a lesson about baptism and the Restoration. Because he always says he doesn´t see the point in getting baptized again. So we taught the restoration. And i taught the part about Joseph Smith and the 1st Vision. I´ve never felt the Spirit stronger in my life. It was one of, if not the best, experiences of my entire life. I didn´t have any doubts before the lesson that Joseph Smith was a prophet, but when i was testifying of Joseph Smith, I recieved a testimony of him that can NEVER be broken. After the lesson, I walked out and felt as though I had a perfect, 100% knowledge of the Restoration; like i don´t have faith anymore, that it literally is a perfect knowledge, like from seeing a vision. I didn´t have a vision, and before the lesson i knew Joseph Smith was a prophet, but know, my testimony is just 1009 times stronger than it was. That was an awesome experience. I´ll never forget that one.
Other than that awesome lesson, nothin much happened here. A lot of work that doesn´t really have any results or stories to tell. Just a lot of talking to people in the streets, setting appointments with them, going to their houses, to not find them there. But it was a good week. I felt the spirit stronger than i ever have in my misison. this week really probably was the best week of my mission.
Dad- sounds like you´re doing a lot of work at centerpoint. Sounds like fun, sorta
Mom- your story about the temple, with you aunt or whoever she is, was amazing. That would´ve been an amazing experience. I would´ve liked to see that. And the comment from her son about it does matter what decisions we make is so true. Here in my area, I´m the example to the whole branch. Before, it was my companion, but he went home. Now, i´m training my new comp, and he´s like my shadow, he´ll do whatever i do, and then the members always look for me for advice and everything. I feel like a bishop, other than I don´t listen to people´s sins. But they´re always asking me for advice. Like the 1st counselor in the branch presidency, had the chance to change his work to a job that pays less, but that would allow him to come to church every sunday. and he asked me what to do. So i told him to fast, and i read 3 Ne. 13:32-34 with him (i think) which talks about search first the kingdom of god and his righteousness, and all things will work out for your good. ( he made the right choice and changed his job). but if I hadn´t been living right, I couldn´t have given him that advice. So yes, being worthy is so important.
Austin- what´s up? (I don´t know if i can say What´s up as a missionary, but we´ll see. It doesn´t exist in spanish)
Natasha- did you really cut up your hand or not. I didn´t understand
Shaylee- I loved your description for what happended thursday: "big winds" Priceless
John- thanks for the advice about training.
Well, the church is true. Christ lives and loves us. He died for us, so that we can live again. The Atonement is real and is the greatest gift that we´ve been given in this life. Nothing is possible without the Atonement. We can be healed and cleaned. I love you all. Thomas S. Monson is a real prophet of God. The Book of Mormon is true. I have no doubt of that. It´s the greatest book in the world. I love it so much. Going on a mission was and is the best decision of my life. I can see the Lord in my life everyday. Before my mission, I didn´t always see His hand. Now, Everyday, and every minute, I see Him there, helping me get through the trials of every day.
Love,
Elder Jordan Schouten
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