Whats up people, another week passed by and the work is going great. Got to meet a few more drunks on the streets, had to break into our house by doing some parkour because we locked our keys inside, saw a few miracles, and got to know some new areas!
Big Shout out to BYU Cougs beating Tennessee this last weekend, we aren't great but hey we are better than a team in the SEC. Also hope you all love Monday Night football with the Texans., Football season is back, and I'm excited even though I don't really get to watch.
This last week we found ourselves in a situation as leaders with the pressure to help the 10 other areas in our zone to have success, and it was pretty tough, but time after time, The lord helped us out :) We put 2 baptismal dates more for the end of this month, one with Marvin (16 years old) and one with Scarlet (13 years old ) Marvin is best friends with a recent convert, and started going to seminary before we started teaching him, so he was set before he started. Scarlet is the niece of an Ex missionary, and about half the family are members but all are inactive. We have been working so they can be reactivated by teaching all of them.
The way we started to teach Scarlet was unorthodox. We went to a house looking to teach a guy named Fernando, who had many questions about where we came from and where we go after this life. Seeing this as an opportunity as gold, and a blessing from God for sending us people who are ready for this gospel, we began to teach. We had a very spiritual lesson, and my Comp and I verified because we felt the same thing. In the middle of the lesson, entered scarlet into the lesson, and just sat and listened. The truth is, we were so focused, we didn't put much interest into her, but I noticed she just sat listening very intentfully. The lesson went very well.
We had another visit scheduled for the next day and it was pouring rain. We knocked on the door, after a long day of rejection. No one answered. with a little bit of frustration, but determined to get into this house, I knocked again and yelled, "HOLA BUENAS TARDES". No Answer. I looked through the window, saw some come to the door, but run away and hid back in the other room. The awkwardness was there, and it was clear that we were not wanted. At the point of giving up, and just accepting it wasn't going to happen, and standing for 15 minutes in the pouring rain, my comp gave me the look like "lets go man". I wanted to, but deep inside, I felt like I needed to try one more time. Finally the door was opened and we were let inside.
Awkwardly we entered and sat down and got the kid we were looking for come into the room. Feeling happily stubborn, the return missionary began to explain how Fernando had said "he was born a Catholic, and would die a Catholic" He didn't want to accept the message we gave him, and refused to pray and ask. A sharp change in progression, I felt like all our effort was in vain. But its funny how God works. As Fernando left, Scarlet came and sat down and told us she had listened and prayed to know if it were true, and felt very peaceful. A few lessons later, a little hesitation, she has accepted to be baptized the 28th of September.
God has a plan. This is undoubtedly his work. I cant really explain the joy it brings me to be in this work or the peace that it brings to the human soul. I know that God lives and hears us. We are never alone. I received a letter from a friend from college, who wrote this except of why she is serving a mission, and I would like to give her credit and share why I too, am in Honduras serving a mission:
"Why have I left my family and communication with them for a year and a half? Why have I given up sleep, "me time" and everything that the world considers "fun and happy"? Well to give others what has made me truly happy, and that is the teachings of Jesus Christ.
What do I teach when I finally find someone humble enough to learn more? I teach what I know to be the truth. That Jesus Christ's teachings were lost for hundreds of years, but because God loves us, he has restored them on the earth again today. Those teachings contain God's infinite love for us, and that He has created a plan for each of us. That we were with Him before and that we will be with Him and our families again after. That the purpose of this life is to find joy, true joy because God loves us. Where does that joy come from? Helping and loving others. Becoming better, changing, and refining ourselves, so that we can treat others better and with more love. This is ONLY possible in and through Jesus Christ. Because He died for us, He is a living being with a physical body that understands what we're going through. He knows exactly how it is to be you and suffer with the addiction you specifically are suffering with. Or to be you and know the loneliness you specifically feel." -Isabel Black I testify of the truthfulness of these words, and share the same beliefs. God is there and he loves you.
Love each and every one of y'all, stay chill always, and update me on life when you feel like it, and send pics!
Elder Butler
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.