Weekly Ramblings # 87
Howdy all y'alls!
830AM here, deffinately getting an early start. we finished comp study early today (as in I put in one of the General Conferance CDs right at 630) and at about 800 neither of us could/wanted to really go back to sleep, but had nothing else to do in the pench, so, here we are.
this past week has been another one of ups and downs. we met 5 of the 9 mission standards(goals) by thursday or friday (A. 5 is the minimum number of the 9 president wants us to get every week, and B. getting it all by thursday or friday is really good). it's especially good because this week we're only going to have until thursday or friday to do it all, because from saturday morning to either monday night or tuesday afternoon, we arent going to be in our own area, so we'll only have the first 5 days in which to work and get these goals.
Graciela and Vanesa have more or less dropped us. we went by for our lesson on tuesday and they were afraid that we'd be mad that they wanted to keep the book of mormon even though they hadnt read past the 3 chapters we asked them to read. I had to re-emphasize various times that the fact that they read all 3 of those chapters at all in one week is way excellent and that if they wanted to keep the book that it was theirs. they love reading in it and all, but Graciela has a 9 year old son about to get confirmed in the catholic church and she realizes she should only go to one church...but until the end of the year when her son gets confirmed, she's gonna support him, and then see what happens from there. they are both still way cool and I know they're gonna keep reading in the book of mormon...Im just hoping that as they read they'll have the realization of the truthfulness of the gospel sometime before november. they were also worried that if we werent actively teaching them that they werent allowed to go to church, but I let them know that anyone and everyone is invited whenever they want. we've been trying to go by to teach the plan of salvation to this son that is getting confirmed, because the mom had said that he was having lots of questions about after this life. so they are still way cool...but the prospects of their baptism has kind of been put on haitus(sp?) for a bit.
We taught Marina's older sister the other day as well (Marina is the 13 year old we baptized). Natalia (her sister) and her husband-guy-thingy would be baptized already...except they arent married. now usually in this country it's hard to get married because you need to find lost documents that are in provinces on the other side of the country that have probably been burned in some freak accident, but apparently they have all the documents they need, they just need to get a few things from the bank and a blood test...the only problem with that is they dont have much money with which to do it, and the husband-guy-thingy cant get off of work to be able to take care of such things anyway. but we're gonna be trying to help them as much as possible, because after they're married, they are pretty much in the water...well, and as soon as they start going to church again...
Remember that lady I said we had programmed at her door just by doing the contact? we ended up going by her yesterday. we taught her and 2 of her (grand?)daughters. it was a pretty good lesson and they all this time accepted to be baptized when they know the church is true. it kind of depends a lot on the older of the 2 girls, because the (grand)mom cant read, so the girl will have to read to her, but she seemed accepting/willing enough.
we also found the other day another older couple that accepted baptism...the only problem is that to get baptized ya gotta go to church, and they didnt come yesterday, and already told us they wont be able to go to general conferance next week (as you do have to travel to get there, even though it's free), so we'll see what happens with them. they also cant read, but they live right by (and are the parents of) a huge inactive family, and apparently the kids go over and read from the book of mormon with them. the family told us they'd go to church yesterday too, but they also didnt show up. but we're still pullin' for them, it would bust up the attendance a lot if they all went.
there is one other lady we've kind of been teaching. she's hard core catholic, but we got the wheels turnin' the other day. she was onna those that kept sayin all churches were pretty much the same and that she was fine where she was. I reiterized...or rather, reiterated prayer a lot and asked how if God told us we should do something we wouldnt otherwise do whether or not we'd do it...a lot of people are really reluctant of the idea of change, and rightly so, theyve grown up the religion they are usually their entire life...that's why I always these days have to emphasize the importance of how if God really answers prayers he can tell us whether or not we really need to change. she finally in the end kinda got quiet and more pensive, we're hopin' we got the wheels turnin' in there and that she actually has prayed with faith since then...but we havent been able to go back since, either.
that's about it on the working front. with the couple and the small family we do have 5 people with baptism dates again, which is good. Im way excited for this week, it should go by super fast as fridays are short days anyway (district meeting and branch FHE) and then saturday and sunday is general conferance! Im way stoked for that as well...and its my last conferance of the mission, wierd, eh?
I think that's about it. only 9 more of these emails. I cant believe the time has gone by like this...I cant really say that it has gone by "so fast" because there were deffinately some pretty slow times...but everything I do in life always becomes like the "next step" and becomes normal. college just became the "norm" and it eventually ended for a while...the mission just became the normal way of life, its just what I do, and now it is actually going to end one of these days...I mean, you know...we never really stop being missionaries, especially according to Elder Bednar in October 2005, but this actual 2 year mission will in fact come to a close and it's just a wierd thought.
oh well, enough of that mushy emotional stuff, that's not my style. we got another great week ahead of us. or at least it will be if we so make it. hope everything there in the northern countries is goin' ok. say hi to everyone for me, whether they know me or not. until next week, I love you all!
Love,
Elder Casey Adams
"Smile, the Gospel is true"
"Sonriensen, el Evangelio es verdadero"
-Me
~edited and posted by anne :o)
830AM here, deffinately getting an early start. we finished comp study early today (as in I put in one of the General Conferance CDs right at 630) and at about 800 neither of us could/wanted to really go back to sleep, but had nothing else to do in the pench, so, here we are.
this past week has been another one of ups and downs. we met 5 of the 9 mission standards(goals) by thursday or friday (A. 5 is the minimum number of the 9 president wants us to get every week, and B. getting it all by thursday or friday is really good). it's especially good because this week we're only going to have until thursday or friday to do it all, because from saturday morning to either monday night or tuesday afternoon, we arent going to be in our own area, so we'll only have the first 5 days in which to work and get these goals.
Graciela and Vanesa have more or less dropped us. we went by for our lesson on tuesday and they were afraid that we'd be mad that they wanted to keep the book of mormon even though they hadnt read past the 3 chapters we asked them to read. I had to re-emphasize various times that the fact that they read all 3 of those chapters at all in one week is way excellent and that if they wanted to keep the book that it was theirs. they love reading in it and all, but Graciela has a 9 year old son about to get confirmed in the catholic church and she realizes she should only go to one church...but until the end of the year when her son gets confirmed, she's gonna support him, and then see what happens from there. they are both still way cool and I know they're gonna keep reading in the book of mormon...Im just hoping that as they read they'll have the realization of the truthfulness of the gospel sometime before november. they were also worried that if we werent actively teaching them that they werent allowed to go to church, but I let them know that anyone and everyone is invited whenever they want. we've been trying to go by to teach the plan of salvation to this son that is getting confirmed, because the mom had said that he was having lots of questions about after this life. so they are still way cool...but the prospects of their baptism has kind of been put on haitus(sp?) for a bit.
We taught Marina's older sister the other day as well (Marina is the 13 year old we baptized). Natalia (her sister) and her husband-guy-thingy would be baptized already...except they arent married. now usually in this country it's hard to get married because you need to find lost documents that are in provinces on the other side of the country that have probably been burned in some freak accident, but apparently they have all the documents they need, they just need to get a few things from the bank and a blood test...the only problem with that is they dont have much money with which to do it, and the husband-guy-thingy cant get off of work to be able to take care of such things anyway. but we're gonna be trying to help them as much as possible, because after they're married, they are pretty much in the water...well, and as soon as they start going to church again...
Remember that lady I said we had programmed at her door just by doing the contact? we ended up going by her yesterday. we taught her and 2 of her (grand?)daughters. it was a pretty good lesson and they all this time accepted to be baptized when they know the church is true. it kind of depends a lot on the older of the 2 girls, because the (grand)mom cant read, so the girl will have to read to her, but she seemed accepting/willing enough.
we also found the other day another older couple that accepted baptism...the only problem is that to get baptized ya gotta go to church, and they didnt come yesterday, and already told us they wont be able to go to general conferance next week (as you do have to travel to get there, even though it's free), so we'll see what happens with them. they also cant read, but they live right by (and are the parents of) a huge inactive family, and apparently the kids go over and read from the book of mormon with them. the family told us they'd go to church yesterday too, but they also didnt show up. but we're still pullin' for them, it would bust up the attendance a lot if they all went.
there is one other lady we've kind of been teaching. she's hard core catholic, but we got the wheels turnin' the other day. she was onna those that kept sayin all churches were pretty much the same and that she was fine where she was. I reiterized...or rather, reiterated prayer a lot and asked how if God told us we should do something we wouldnt otherwise do whether or not we'd do it...a lot of people are really reluctant of the idea of change, and rightly so, theyve grown up the religion they are usually their entire life...that's why I always these days have to emphasize the importance of how if God really answers prayers he can tell us whether or not we really need to change. she finally in the end kinda got quiet and more pensive, we're hopin' we got the wheels turnin' in there and that she actually has prayed with faith since then...but we havent been able to go back since, either.
that's about it on the working front. with the couple and the small family we do have 5 people with baptism dates again, which is good. Im way excited for this week, it should go by super fast as fridays are short days anyway (district meeting and branch FHE) and then saturday and sunday is general conferance! Im way stoked for that as well...and its my last conferance of the mission, wierd, eh?
I think that's about it. only 9 more of these emails. I cant believe the time has gone by like this...I cant really say that it has gone by "so fast" because there were deffinately some pretty slow times...but everything I do in life always becomes like the "next step" and becomes normal. college just became the "norm" and it eventually ended for a while...the mission just became the normal way of life, its just what I do, and now it is actually going to end one of these days...I mean, you know...we never really stop being missionaries, especially according to Elder Bednar in October 2005, but this actual 2 year mission will in fact come to a close and it's just a wierd thought.
oh well, enough of that mushy emotional stuff, that's not my style. we got another great week ahead of us. or at least it will be if we so make it. hope everything there in the northern countries is goin' ok. say hi to everyone for me, whether they know me or not. until next week, I love you all!
Love,
Elder Casey Adams
"Smile, the Gospel is true"
"Sonriensen, el Evangelio es verdadero"
-Me
~edited and posted by anne :o)