Catching up

Seems like the days get away from me ... I'm a little behind on my posts :)

From July 18, 2012

I had a fantastic week this week. Nothing really out-of the ordinary happened - it was a pretty standard week of missionary week. But, I am beginning to really enjoy being a missionary. It´s a good work I´m involved in.

Transfers are this week, but I am staying put here in Bragado. Same goes for my companion, Elder Correa. We´re looking forward for another opportunity to work and build up the branch here. I am also looking forward to learning more new recipes from my comp.

The work progresses; Andrew & his companion have had some wonderful opportunities, but also experience some disappointments. 

Some good days, good experiences. The other day we decided to go and work in a part of the city that we had never visited. When we arrived and started knocking doors, we found a whole lot of inactive members, with testimonies, waiting to be reactivated. We also found that the people there seem to be very willing to listen. In the whole street that we knocked (about 25 houses), only 2 people told us that they weren´t interested. We could have lots of success there in the future! Stay tuned.

From July 22, 2012

I woke up this morning and thought about each one of you and how much I love you. We are a very blessed family! I imagine Jacob will be at OYA by now (fun!) and Mom and Dad will be visiting Grandma and Krista and the other Utah folks. Have a great visit! Give hugs to everyone for me. 

We had a good week here in Bragado. No baptisms, still, and none really close, but we found some more people to teach and had some good lessons.

There´s a less-active family here. The missionaries have passed by to visit the family every so often, but have never been invited in. Until now, that is! It seems that the parents are once again ready to receive visits from members of the church! They let us in and we got to meet the family and have a lesson. They´re awesome! The kids have a very clean, healthy, wholesome look about them. The oldest son seems like he should be a missionary. We gained the confidence of the family through asking about and talking about their various talents - drawing, dancing, and playing the piano. Now we´ve set up a time every Monday for the kids to come to the chapel, to learn to play the piano (whee!) and play soccer, and afterward to have a lesson.

Last Sunday, we were expecting a family to come to church. The day before we had gone by to have a lesson and specially invite them - they were excited and ready to go! But, as so often happens, Sunday came and they didn´t show up. We tried calling them and even walked to their house to see if we could find out what happened, but no answer - they were still asleep! Well... it happens. Next week. But it seems that the mom is so ashamed that she didn´t come, that she´s been avoiding us all week! We haven´t been able to go back and teach them! Rats! I hope we don´t lose them because of something small like that!

The weather has been surprisingly warm for the past few days. I even went out with short sleeves one afternoon! Kind of weird considering that it´s the middle of winter. But supposedly, the real cold begins in August, when the wind starts. I can´t wait!

Elder Correa has recently started studying English! What fun! Did you know that there are a lot of things about the English language that don´t make any sense? It´s easy for us because it´s the first language we learn, but they tell me that it´s pretty hard to learn English as a second language. I had never thought about it before, but I realized that the way we pronounce words is drastically different from the way we spell them. 

Elder Correa & evening Bible study

We´re having to live a little frugally these last days of the month. Owing to mission-related expenses this transfer for which we haven´t yet been reimbursed, my companion and I have $40 pesos (a little less than $10 US dollars) to get us through to the end of the month, or until the reimbursement comes - whichever happens first. Looks like we´ll be eating lots of pasta! Fortunately, I´ve now learned how to make super-delicious spaghetti, which I can eat for every meal and not complain.

Slurp!

Eggs on the menu

A beautiful day in the beautiful patio

 We finally fixed Elder Correa´s bike last week, and enjoyed being on bikes again for the better part of a week before mine broke. The bikes are becoming quite expensive. Fortunately... we´re getting new ones! Hurrah! The mission has decided to invest in bikes that won´t require repairs quite so frequently. That will be nice! (Maybe I´ll even be able to adjust the seat!) I´m not sure how they´re going to get them down here, but I guess they´ll find a way.


I´ve been thinking recently about my progress as a missionary and as a person since the beginning of my mission, as well as my current challenges and what I need to do to become a better servant of the Lord. As I read this morning through some of my journal entries from earlier in the mission, I remembered how I was then. I can see that I have grown and become a better missionary and a better person.

I've learned that God works miracles, and that there are people prepared to receive the Gospel - when I go out with my best attitude to work with all my strength, the Lord blesses my efforts and I see miracles.

I've learned better how to contact people and present a message, and how to teach according to their level and understanding. I also learned how to deal with change and live and teach with a person completely different from me. My Spanish improved a lot.

I've learned how to plan and manage information better. I've learned patience and having Christlike love for people even when it´s not easy. I've also learned to assert myself more. I've gained confidence and power as a missionary.

I'm learning how to manage time wisely, the value of doing practices, and that the members are vital in missionary work. I've also learned to study better. Recently, I have learned that I need to pay more attention to what my leaders tell me. If I really want the guidance of the Lord, I should study and implement the instructions I receive from His representatives.

I am in the process of overcoming my personal challenges. I´ve gotten a lot better at focusing on what I´m doing and give every activity the attention it needs. I am also managing my time better - using every hour as it is meant to be used. Doing these things, I have felt the Lord´s help and his satisfaction. He´s helping me become more than I am currently. What I really want is to have a vision of what I can/should become. I want to have a goal for myself that I know I can reach if I put in my best effort. That´s what I´ll try to come up with this week.


Well! That´s all for this week, I think! I love you all! I hope you are each enjoying your various stages of life. I´m enjoying mine as a missionary. Have a fantastic week!


Love,
Elder Stockton