Monday, March 24, 2014

Like workin in a gold mine (Tavararo week #3)

Ia ora na tatou!
Another quick, hardworking week for me and Elder Twede here in Tavararo. Time is flying by super fast, it's nuts! Just another month and I'll have been out for a year already. Still feel like a newbie inside.
This week was a pretty solid week. Honestly, this area is just about the equivalent of a gold mine. There are seriously so many people who are down to take the lessons with us. This week we've had two cases where investigators have come up to us asking for lessons. One was just yesterday at church, a woman named H--- who's son was baptized not too long ago. She said she was interested so she came to church yesterday, we met her and introduced her to the Relief Society president, and made an appointment with her for later this week. She says shes not yet sure if she wants to be baptized, but we'll see if she says that again after feeling the Spirit! Shes nice and sincere, we'll see how it goes down.
The other case was while Elder Twede and I were eating lunch Tuesday. We decided to eat lunch at a nice bakery, a little more expensive than we like but we decided to change it up a little bit. Its a good thing we did eat there because not too long after buying our food, this pickup rolls up to us and a guy inside yells out "Hey, you guys the missionaries? I've been looking for you forever!" We then talk to the guy, his name is I--- and hes an inactive member. Hes a pretty young police officer who said that a while ago he called for the missionaries and fixed an appointment, but they never came. Hes been feeling that he needs to come back into the church because he and his nonmember girlfriend want the gospel principles in their home. So later during the week, we visited their home and met his girlfriend H----. She and I--- live together and have recently had a baby. Together they said that they need the gospel in their lives to raise their family, and they realize that they need to get married as well. Its too bad because we were seriously short on time that day so we couldn't stay too long, so we shared a message and fixed another day when we could come. We could see that this family is well prepared by the Lord, and its such a blessing to be a part of this change that they want to make. I'm definitely excited to work with them, really cool and humble people!
In spite of the new investigators we've had, we've also had plenty or lessons cancelled on us this week... That is the worst! We always have a good backup plan to go visit a member or find new areas to do contacting. But still, we'd really like to see our new investigators start to progress. There's just not much you can do when people use their free agency!
Baptism is still good for Nadine! She had her interview and it was good, so it'll be happening on Saturday. Ill be giving one of the talks, and I'm excited for it. All in all we are super happy for Nadine's decision, and were looking forward to this experience!

Just thought Id share a nice experience that I had this week too. I'm pretty sure that in an earlier email I mentioned crazy dreadlocked dudes who pretend to have visions. Yeah, this week we were heading out to the store with the zone leaders to get some lunch, and as we passed I saw the dude with the tattooed face and dreadlocks, and I was like "man, id like to get a picture with him!" But we passed and went into the store to buy our food. When we came out, sure enough there's the dreadlocked guy waiting our by our car, and when he sees us he looks up into the sky and starts having visions. At least that's what it looks like. Elder Twede just says "keep walking, keep walking" and when we get to our car, he says to bow down to him because hes king Leroy, then he says other stuff that I actually didn't understand very well. I was impressed. The dude is pretty huge, tattooed from head to toe with a nice beard to add to that. Sadly, I didn't get my picture with him because I could feel the Spirit saying "get in the dang car and go" so we got outta there pretty quickly. Very strange guy, king Leroy. Just one instance of life in Tavararo.
With that, ill end with a little spiritual thought. I've started over the Book of Mormon once again, and I've been trying extra hard to apply everything that I read into my life, and how what I read every morning relates to what's happening to me during the week. I read 1 Nephi 7, when Nephi's brothers start to complain again for their problems and circumstances, when Nephi says in verse 11 and 12, "How is it that ye have forgotten what great things the Lord hath done for us?... Yea, and how is it that ye have forgotten that the Lord is able to do all athings according to his will, for the children of men, if it so be that they exercise bfaith in him? Wherefore, let us be faithful to him." Because of our lessons cancelled, I've found myself complaining and murmuring from time to time. And sadly, when I read this scripture, I definitely felt like Nephi was chastising me a little bit. The Lord is honestly blessing us in so many ways, there are miracles all around us. So why the heck should I be complaining? Sometimes life is tough. In fact, life is always tough! But we cant let the bad things get us down, when we can be grateful for the good things the Lord has given us and that he can give us even more if we are faithful and don't complain. Simply put, don't complain!
That's it for this week. Love you all, and a faaitoito!
Elder Ball


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