Merry Christmas! I hope everyone had a good time, and enjoyed the cooler weather. It was way hot here, and Im scared for what january and february hold, because summer is just now starting here.
This past week was actually a little harder than normal with all the people running around crazy for navidad. I was feeling a little bit bad about the week because our numbers weren't as good as the week before, but just now I looked at the numbers for the zone and they were all way down, so at least I don't feel like we are the only ones now. I can also report that we had 2 baptisms this week!
The baptisms were on Wednesday, we had the wedding ceremony in the morning, in the civil office in the city center, and the morning was a little bit frustrating because the sister missionaries had borrowed our baptismal clothes because they had a baptism last weekend, and we told them we needed them back before Wednesday but they didn't return them, and when we called them in the morning to see when they could bring the clothes by, they told us they were 3 hrs away doing exchanges or something. Plus they didn't even have the baptism..so that put us in a real situation, but thankfully the zone leaders were able to lend us some baptismal clothes. So the wedding ceremony was the first one Ive actually seen in real life, it was just like the movies, the person doing to ceremony talked a ton and went on and on but finally they were married and ready to get baptized. That afternoon we had the baptism all set up for 5, and the mission president came, he had to talk with the sister who was going to get baptized about something. He got there an hour late though, the whole baptism was held up for him. Not exactly setting a good example for his missionaries eh. But it was cool to have him there. After the baptism it was about 7:30, and I didn't feel like working, because I was tired, and we had already had so much success that day I thought I could rest and be content with that...but something just keep telling me that if I got myself out there to work and visit at least one person, it would be worth it. I decided to go for it, and we found this guy named "Domingo", (that translates as sunday, I felt weird inviting him to church this Domingo) and we were able to teach him a great lesson, he had a ton of questions, he also has a ton of kids. We invited him to be baptized in the second sunday of january and he said yes!
On thursday we had our zone meeting, they told us that we have half of the zones baptisms for the month, it feels really good to finally be having a lot of success and it just motivates me to want more and more. In the afternoon We did a practice baptismal interview for this kid Emiliano to make sure that he is ready for his interview this Wednesday, and his baptism is set up for Jan. 2. After that we had a soccer activity with the young men but I didn't play because my toe kills.
On friday the best part of the day was a lesson that we had in the morning with Adriana, we talked all about the doctrine of Christ and she wants to get baptized but she can't yet because she's not married...if you find someone in this country that is already married when you knock on this door its basically a miracle. So we brought up that subject with her, and asked her to think and pray about whether or not she should get married. In the afternoon we walked for almost an hour to get to the house of a reference that someone gave us, but I think it was a fake address because they said nobody with that name lived there. At 8 pm we went to the church to have a fiesta for the people who got married on wednesday, it was really fun but it was supposed to start at 8 pm, and what time did it actually start? 10:15. The people here are unbelievably bad at showing up on time, you guys wouldn't believe it. So we could only stay in the party for 15 mins before we had to leave to go home.
Saturday was Christmas Eve, I can't really remember what we did during the day because I haven't written in my journal since friday because I haven't had time, but we just bought a few gifts for the family that we were going to spend christmas eve with. The night was fun, we ate a ton of food and then at midnight everyone shot off fireworks! It was hard to see because all the streets were clouded with smoke. We had permission to stay out until 12, and it started raining while we were walking back it was great.
On sunday we had church at 11:30, just one hour. We had told adriana and Jorge (her "husband") that we would pick them up to take them to church, no one was answering their phones the night before because it was christmas eve, so we had to go early to church to try and ask someone to help. We asked a ton of people, no one could help us then finally I asked the bishop if he could help us and he said "no elder its too late you should have told me last night. Why don't you go play some prelude music". So I just told him that Id pay for a taxi if he didn't want to help. So we went out and tried to catch a taxi, it was really difficult because the streets were abandoned as it was Christmas day, but by some miracle we got one and arrived just before the sacrament was blest, I used the last of my money for the month to do it. Im just happy that Adriana and Jorge came to church!
On monday we spent almost the whole day waiting around in the hospital, I was trying to get my toe looked at. They finally looked at it, and I have to come back next monday and they are going to decide if they want to operate on it or not, but they gave me some antibiotics. I hope they work because I do not want them ripping my toenail off...Ive seen that operation live here in argentina when my trainer had an ingrown toenail. It looks like the most painful thing ever, so Im just hoping that doesn't happen to me. (feel free to pray for Ethan :)
John 3:
16 ¶For God so loved the worl
Remember the True meaning of christmas! We aren't celebrating the gifts that the wise men gave baby Jesus, we are celebrating his birth and all that means to us! Because he came to the world, we can all be saved, if we believe and have faith in him. Remember that Faith = Action. By grace we are saved, after all we can do. We have to try our absolute best...then christ and his sacrifice do the rest. Remember that faith without works is dead!
I love you all..and I hope that you had a good Christmas!
Enjoy the last few days of 2016...
Love, Elder Christensen
PS: the pictures are: Christmas dinner, and then our baptism. The guy with the suit is our mission president, President Correa from chile. And then the hymnbook is the song called to serve, it has exactly 24 measures so its a good way to keep time in the mission.
Love this!!
No comments:
Post a Comment