I'm really trying to take more photos now and I even carry my camera around in my back pack now.
Things with Elder Xavier are going well. He really really likes to laugh and joke around and tells me I need to loosen up, but hey. I'm a serious kind of guy. It's okay though, because we're getting along and we teach well together. The bike riding was going great til about 3 hours ago. I got a flat.....
Luckily, we'll be gone most of tomorrow for district meeting and then I can pull out money on Wednesday and replace the tube. Until then, time to hoof it. My backside is getting there. Sometimes it's still a little tender but I think I've got a pretty calloused toosh by now. I hope so....and i'll let the photos I send tell you if I'm sporting a helmet or not k?
Everyone says that the Lord is putting his faith in my with this assignment. I just get stressed by it. Then I say a little prayer and just keep working. That's how I've made it through the first two weeks and it's worked out pretty well so far. As of right now since this branch technically does not have a branch president, but rather an acting elders quorum president, I have not been set apart or called to the position of 1st counselor. Regardless, I am acting 1st counselor. There is a missionary couple that is going to be called here in a couple of weeks that live in 'deo. If things work out the way that President Heaton wants, they will be called to our mission and he is going to assign them to our branch. They will move into the area and be offically called and set apart as branch president at which point, I will be called as 1st counselor. Because the Crawfords live in 'deo, anything that has to be done in the branch during the week is done by us.
Speaking of Montevideo, here is the picture I promised you of our Elder's quorum president. He is also a temple worker... thought you'd enjoy it.
Back to the branch work, take Wednesday for example. We had to sacrifice our entire morning because the branch finally got the computer back and I had to reactivate the MLS record system that the church uses, call Salt Lake and get permission and access to certain files and download the interface software for our printer. It was a hassle but I got it done. On top of that, I now handle to the tithing too....and we read the church administration manual 2 in our spare time....and we have a church clerk orientation dvd that I need to watch so I can figure out how some more of the stuff works. Basically because I am the only branch representative that lives in this town, it falls on us. That's okay though, because I'm learning about the infrastructure of the Lord's church.
As for elder Crawford, I translate everything. Interviews, conversations, all of it. He doesn't speak more than "hola" and "gracias". And yes, I conduct the sacrament meetings, but we do not have to speak every week. Although, I did have to speak for a half hour yesterday and we also taught the class....that was a trip.
As for the miracle finds, I've now dubbed it the Bordon Drop. They dropped us hardcore on Saturday. We were cleaning the church on Saturday and the mom sent us a text saying that we can't pass by anymore. I was crushed. I asked if we could at least talk with her face to face and she said no way. It was brutal. We went to the branch presidents office to pray because I really had no idea what to do. God said let her be. I thought of the sons of Mosiah. I wasn't sad that we couldn't baptize her daughters, I was wracked with agony at the thought of them missing out on the blessings of salvation...it hurts. A lot. But I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me, right?
Saturday was the second time that I've taught an english class in spanish and it's actually kind of fun. I'm learning more and more about teaching in this area and I'm really thankful for the chance to learn so much in a condensed amount of time. It worries me a little though because it means the Lord is prepping me for something even bigger just as soon as I get confident and comfortable in this situation.
As for this calling be normal, it's not. Every area in this zone is a branch and we just happen to have to one that's the worst off right now. It can really only happen in areas that are super super run down. A lot of things have happened in this are in the past in the leadership and as such, it's left a BAD taste in a lot of mouths which really hurts the church and the work. Other than that, our President just said to rely on the Lord and make sure to balance the work of the mission and the work of the Branch so that's what I'm trying to do for now. It eats up all of my time. But that's what I'm here for.
This last Tuesday, we went down to Colonia for a special orientation with the APs andPpresident. It really fired me up. They talked a lot (to the entire zone) about faith and hope and about how the zone is currently stacked and that it's in our hands to change the game. That's what I want to do. This area has so much potential it's ridiculous, I just gotta get people to move! I'm here to stir things up I guess, but I know we can baptize! The attendance at church in the last two weeks has been the highest in a while so I know we just gotta work the right areas and we're going to see good changes.
I'm working out spiritually and physically each day. I've never testified so much and I'm working at leaving meaningful commitments in each visit and following the spirit in all things. It's really hard, but I'm learning to listen to my heart and follow the guidance of the Lord. Everything goes a lot better when I do so. I feel the spirit a lot more during the lessons and I don't struggle to find the words that I need to help the people that I'm talking to. More than a couple of times we've walked away from talking to someone and Elder X has made some comment or another about my teaching and it's all the spirit, I know it is. I've been studying more from Preach my Gospel lately because I've recognized that I lack SO MUCH as a missionary and a teacher. I want to be the best that the Lord would have me be, but to do so, I have to understand what the best is. There's a profoundness to following the spirit that at times, I cannot fathom how much deeper I have to go, but it's okay. I feel the Lord's love around me all the time and I know that He is protecting and guiding us. Take this morning for example. We had to decide who we thought could be baptized this month. It took three prayers and a lot of thinking, but I know without a doubt that the Spirit answered me. I got that burning in my chest that they speak of in the scriptures. I'm so close to the Spirit and I know that it will only be this way for 13 more months. That scares me and makes me sad, but it also makes me appreciate how truly blessed the missionaries of the Lord's work really are.
Love
Elder Andy
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