Hola Family!
What a week! The best way to describe this week is a roller coaster. There were days that were awesome, there were days that were hard. One minute I was happy, they next minute annoyed. It was as roller coaster. But it was a good week for 3 reasons. 1) we reached our goals. We taught 36 lessons and contacted 100 people. 2) we had both of our fechas go to church this week and 3) I learned a lot about myself.
Reason 1) We reached our goals. We always have the goal of at least 32 lessons and 100 contacts. Well, since I`ve been here in Canto Grande, we haven`t reached the goal. We`ve gotten close, but we haven`t reached it. But this week we did! We worked hard, did divisions, and reached the goal! We had to do a few contacts on the way home Sunday night, but we reached it! I was super happy for reaching the goals. It felt good to know that I`ve reached the goal we have as a mission.
Reason 2) We had both of our fechas go to church. We have 2 fechas right now. Joel Sanchez and Moises Calle. They both have gone to church two weeks in a row. Moises is going to be baptized the 7th of March and Joel the 14th. They are both great investigators. Moises is an example of the importance of contacting. One day, my comp just randomly knocked a door, Moises opened the door, let us in, and accepted baptism. Now, he should get baptized 7th of March! He`s a great kid. He`s 16. He truly has the desire to be baptized. We told him to be baptized the 7th, he has to go to church every week, so that he has his 3 attendances. But his entire extended family rented a bus to go to the beach on Sunday, and his mom told him that he had to go. We found him in the street Saturday night and he told us. So we taught him the Sabbath day. We taught it super simply in the street outside of his aunt`s house and when we finished teaching, I said "so the question is...what are you going to do?" He thought for a minute, and then said "I`m gunna go to church" He blew of his family trip to the beach to go to church. That truly shows me that he wants to be baptized. He wants to learn. He wants to come unto Christ.
Reason 3) I learned a lot about myself. Like I said, this week, for the numbers, was really good. We reached out goals. But my emontional/spiritual/physical state was not good. I just felt bad the second half of the week. Like Saturday was one of the hardest days of my mission. I was sick, my entire body hurt, I felt spiritually empty, and it was just a hard day. I just felt...empty. That is the best way to describe it. Empty. I don`t know why it was so hard. But Saturday night, when I said my prayer, I started with thanks, like always. And my first thought was "today was crap. What do I have to be grateful for?" But then, I just thought, I went through my day, and I realized that a lot of good things had happened. I remembered how I had a great personal study and had learned something and felt the spirit. Then I remembered how we were blessed with many chances to teach. I realized during my prayer that Saturday was a great day. A lot of good things happened, but I was just focusing on the bad stuff. I realized that it all depends on how you look at your day. I realized that when I felt bad, when I felt empty, I wasn`t doing what I was supposed to do. I was out working, but I wasn`t giving my heart. And because I didn`t give my heart, I didn`t give all my strength, and that`s why I felt bad. But I realized what I had to do to be happy. I realized Saturday wasn`t a crap day, it was a good day, I just had a crap attitude. But during my prayer I was able to see the good side of things.
But I am a natural man. Those feelings from Saturday night`s prayer were gone Sunday morning. The bad feelings were back. I felt empty again. And I realized why during priesthood meeting in church. The elder`s quorum president taught about Pres. Utchdorf`s talk from the last priesthood meeting "Lord, is it I?" That talk hit my like a rock. Or maybe like a sledgehammer. It hit me hard. In the talk, Pres. Utchdorf talks about how many of us, when things happen in life, point fingers. We think, "hmm...it`s his fault." But the apostles, when Christ said someone would betray him, said "Lord, is it I?" they didn`t point fingers. They accepted it. They asked themselves. They didn`t blame anyone else, they just looked inside themselves. I realized that lately, I am trying to blame everyone else for my problems. I think, "it`s my comp`s fault" or "if the recient converts would`ve come to church, I`d be happy" I realized from that talk that I was so wrong!!!!!! Maybe sometimes my comp get`s tired, maybe sometimes people don`t go to church, but that doesn`t change my happiness. I am the master of my fate. I choose. And I can`t look at the tiny problems that everyone else has, if I am way more messed up than them! I have to correct myself and worry about myself and give an example. Nothing else. If someone needs help, yes, I can help, but I can`t think that I am better than them. I need to just keep going and keep worrying about myself. I just need to ask "Lord, is it I?" Nothing else. The question is not "Lord, who`s fault is it?" The question is "Lord, is it I?" I read the talk again this morning and it really helped me realize that I need to be more humble and choose my own fate and happiness.
Mom - above I wrote the answer to your question. The baptism wasn`t for this week, it`s for the 7th and the 14th. And as for that package, I don`t know if I`ll see it, because I`m not in that area anymore. But one of my good friends for the mission is there now, so he might help me out...I don`t know. we`ll find out. If I don`t ever see it...piña. Oh well.
Dad - I always forget you have a rabbit...that`s so weird. I always tell everyone that we don`t have any pets, but technically we do...how far do you run every day?
John - that is very true what you said about a testimony. Testimony is the same as faith. There has to be action. If there is no action, there is no testimony. I can`t say that I know the church is true if I don`t do to church. Well, I can say it, but I can`t say it with power because I`m now living what I know.
Jordan - thanks for the letter. I`m glad all is good. What are you studying? I can`t remember. Before my mission, I could never understand why you said that you would trade me. That I had the greatest life. But now I do. I understand now. This week, I thought about how I will feel when I`m not a missionary and I`m not teaching everyday, when i have to worry about my life...and I didn`t like the thought. It was a sad thought. I like the mission.
Tashita - you`re a sophmore right? Do you drive to school? And thanks for the love...seeing as you love writing me so much...
Shaylee - thanks for the letter! You sounded super excited to write me. Thank you. What grade are you in?
Love you all
Love
Elder schouten
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