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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