Well, Angel Gabriel was baptized on Saturday and confirmed on
Sunday. It was quite interesting trying to get him baptized with 5 other
people, especially when one of those to be baptized cut open her foot
and then had to go to the hospital. It set back the program about an
hour. We were really running because the next ward
had a baptism programmed at 6 pm
and we had originally planned on starting at 4. Despite the chaos, Angel was able to overcome his fear
of water and was baptized. The girl who cut open her foot was also
baptized...just in case you were wondering. =P
This
week we received a reference from a member for a new investigator that
he claimed to be "golden". Well, she's pretty amazing alright. Her name is Elizabeth. She
has...4 kids I think and lots and lots of questions. She says that
she's catholic but mainly for tradition and has quite a bit of time
searching for the truth. We're really excited to start teaching her and
as she's had a little bit of experience with the Church, we're hoping
that she will progress well. =)
I
recently had the experience of having someone use on me the "Listen,
Ask, Reflect" process, that which we use with our investigators to help
them overcome doubts. About a week ago on Sunday night, we reported our
numbers to our district leader and the contacts were not good at all. We
had felt bad about them because we had hoped for a better week. Our district
leader called, he
then asked directly about our contacts, what had happened, and why we
had hardly contacted. We told him it was for laziness and whatever
excuse we could think of, however, we knew that it came down to just
that...laziness. Well, I think that he did not believe our excuse, because he said that he could not let our laziness keep people
from coming to know of the gospel and then began to ask more questions.
He asked me how I felt about contacting. I told him that I knew it was
something we had to do, that people weren't going to come unto Christ if
we didn't do our part, etc. Then he asked the question again and
realizing that I had not taken the question in the way that he had
intended, I thought a little deeper. How did I feel about contacting?
Then I told him the truth...fear.
We then had a conversation
of him simply asking me questions and reflecting. Little by little, my
actual thoughts about contacting, that I didn't even know I had, came to
light, along with my doubts and other feelings that I had shoved into
the back of my mind. After the conversation, I didn't change completely
or instantly. However, the process of being changed and choosing to
change began and I began to feel a difference.
I don't think
that he exactly knows what he did nor the effect that it had but I'm
very grateful that he took the time to listen to the Spirit and to help
me find my doubt that was keeping me from progressing and helping others
progress. The part that makes me smile a little, is that although I'm
grateful to the Lord for this experience and for the effect it had in
me, I'm not so sure that I enjoyed the process. I can't imagine how our
investigators must feel.
Two quick funny stories for ya.
1)
I received a request to be the girlfriend of our drunk next door
neighbor. His name is Carnelitos...well nickname, and seems very taken
with me. He approached us, very drunk, and began to talk with us. He's
an inactive member and knows full well who we are and what we do, which
is why he told us with some sadness that he knew I couldn't be his
girlfriend. In spite of this however, he still wants us to visit him. I
very frankly told him that we would love to, when he wasn't drunk. I
don't know how well that entered into his foggy brain but maybe
something got through. He really scares my companion...but seeing as how I'm almost twice his height and
probably twice as strong as he is, he didn't do anything more than shake
my hand. She now feels very protected with me and very grateful that
I'm her companion. =P
2) Do you remember the aflac duck?
On
Saturday, we went to lunch with a sister who has a duck just like this
one. My companion warned me that he's basically a guard duck and is not
that nice. I totally didn't believe her and just laughed. I saw the duck
when we entered her yard and he seemed pretty harmless just wandering
here and there. While we were waiting for food, I began to hear the call
of nature and asked to go to the bathroom. Here in the little towns,
the bathrooms are usually outside like little port-potties and usually
have a curtain for a door. This is especially dangerous when there is
wind because the make-shift door decides to open by itself and allow the
whole world to see what's happening inside.
Anyway, I went
out to the bathroom and passed the duck on the way. I entered into the
bathroom and began to make everything ready to get comfortable when the
duck pokes it's head through the curtain and just looks at me. "Hello." I
said, and it decided that it was an invitation to join me completely in
the bathroom. I then tried to push it out saying, "Do you mind?". It
didn't appreciate that too much and began to advance farther into the
bathroom towards me. I then got a little scared and backed into the wall
saying "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." It bent down and nibbled my foot right
before I jumped over it and ran out of the bathroom yelling, "PATO!!
PATO EN EL BAÑO!!" Which translated means, "DUCK!!! DUCK IN THE
BATHROOM!!" I then ran around the yard, laughing while being chased by
this duck until the sister came and saved me from him.
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