Sunday, July 1, 2018

April 30, 2018 ~ Transfer 15, Week 4

Hi everyone!

We saw some progress with some of the people we are working with. We had someone we are working with named Angel And he usually doesn't participate much in lessons. But we've gotten him to open up more. And this week he was super open to talking and he has opened up a ton more than the first visit. We asked him about how his week was and what he was up to and he's telling us a lot more stuff. And we talked a lot about their daughter who is about to go on a mission and what the mission really is. And we told them that next time we will answer whatever questions they have so that they can feel comfortable with what she's doing and what a mission really is. But wow, that was such a great visit and a blessing that Angel and us are friends :)

Then the miracles started. We got out an English class announcement on Facebook. And we met with Maria who is a former investagator of the hermanas I think. We went to a bench near the mall and talked briefly. It was nice to teach a little bit but she didn't understand any of it haha. Or at least it was very little. And we finished the Facebook post. Then we decided to do some pass bys. (We were in Adeje). We contacted one guy who led us the wrong way to a street and took us all the way down hill and then found us and corrected us and told us it was actually up the hill again. That seems like nothing but wait. We continued doing pass bys and we actually got to set up some return visits with Antiguos (former investagators). We got up to the door on one or two of them. And we turned up the street Mildre lives on and we silently prayed that if God wanted us to keep trying with Mildre, that we could find her in the street today andnthat we could get her number. (We haven't been able to get ahold of her forever because we only have her cousin's number). And I'm not sure how much faith (effort?) was put in that prayer but it was answered 2 mins later when we found her. We didn't get her number but we got her a card directly and she said she would have her cousin text us her number. So that's good enough for now. But if the one guy didn't lead us back down the hill in the wrong direction, we wouldn't have been able to see Mildre and talk with her. So that was super cool.

On Friday we did English. It was the best English conversations I've been to on my mission! Hermana Villalobos taught it haha (she teaches English at a school here). She came really prepared haha. But she definitely was prepared to help us out. And she did so much to help us out! She taught it just like school and I learned some things about English, patterns that I hadn't recognized haha. And the miracle of today is that 5 people came (and today was the first English class/conversations we've done here). That's more than in Ponferrada! And with a lot less effort to get them there! And then after we did a quick noche de hogar with everyone. We sung a song and then a prayer (and we also started and ended English class with a prayer which was new for me) and then we shared a quick message and that was that. It was cool that the 3 non-members stayed to listen for the little message.

Friday:
Then we went and did some Pass bys here in Los Cristianos. I'm more familiar with the pueblos than with my own city that I live in haha. But the language barrier is real here in Los Cristianos. And there were some chavales (young men) who were shouting at us so I went back and talked to them hahaha. And we invited them to play soccer with us tomorrow. But they asked us a bunch of questions about what we are doing here haha. But wow, los cristianos is very quiet for a Friday night. And not many people were out. But there were a ton of tourists haha. And people that didn't speak English.

We had some cool experiences where we got someone who come up to us while doing a lesson outside asking to meet with us which rarely if ever happens. So that was cool. And someone on Sunday came up to us at the bus stop too haha. And I got an arepa given to me :)

A quick little spiritual thought about growth, trials and weaknesses...
I was read a talk called "Until Seventy Times Seven".
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2018/04/until-seventy-times-seven?lang=eng

Growth:
"Only with time-lapse photography or growth charts can we discern our physical growth. Likewise, our spiritual growth is usually imperceptible except through the rearview lens of time. It would be wise to regularly take an introspective look through that lens to recognize our progress and inspire us to “press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope.'”
-It's hard to see our growth in the moment but when looking back we can see it better.

Trials and the Savior's grace:
"To keep our hope resilient as we face life’s trials, the Savior’s grace is ever ready and ever present. His grace is a “divine means of help or strength, … an enabling power that allows men and women to lay hold on eternal life and exaltation after they have expended their own best efforts.” His grace and His loving eye are upon us throughout our entire journey as He inspires, lightens burdens, strengthens, delivers, protects, heals, and otherwise “succor[s] his people,” even as they stumble along the strait and narrow path."

-Christ can help us be resilient in life's trials but we have to do our part too. He helps after all we can do. If He helped right away, we wouldn't learn as much

Two scriptures on weakness and strengths:
2 Corinthians 12:9: "My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness"
Ether 12:27: "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them."

-Heavenly Father shows us our weaknesses so that He can strengthen us and help us become better than we were.

I know that Heavenly Father loves us and that He wants us to succeed. Sometimes it's hard to see our progress but He is there for us and wants to help us. We can stay close to Him through prayer and reading the scriptures.

Have an awesome week!
Elder Openshaw

1)arepa!
2)in Puerto de la cruz (up north)
3)waiting for a lesson
4)it says "no clowns" I thought dad would enjoy it :)









No comments:

Post a Comment