Sunday, June 7, 2015

Coming to you from the "Polly Pocket" state

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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