Wow, this has been a crazy week. For me, at least. For you guys, it looks like it was pretty slow.,.. oh well! Jaja I'm glad you enjoyed it so much! I can't wait to be able to go to the temples with you guys too! That's a good goal, to hit up all the temples in AZ. Not even I have done that! (Because one was dedicated while I was out here in the middle of Mars), but I will definitely be doing it when I return! I'm glad Darian enjoyed her trek experience, or at least, it seems like she did. I'm sure it's a lot like the mission, or anything hard. We don't really enjoy the working, but enjoy the results that come afterwards. Asà es la vida! I noticed she didn't send me any emails, so I won't know how it went for her. (HINT HINT, Darian, send me emails and fotos).
The week for me went really well, I must admit. However, it was very bittersweet. We received our cambios on Thursday, and I have been called to another place. I am now in Vallenar, the most southern city in my mission, and the most green place. I left today in the morning, and it only took a few hours to get here. I feel like I'm in Payson! It's so strange! Vallenar is smaller, not so much a city, rather a little town. There are not many missionaries here, and it's a district, not a stake, and thus it only has branches, not wards. My ward is called Torre Blanca (White Tower), and it's up top, the sector furthest south of the mission. I'm on the edge haha! I haven't exactly visited my sector yet, because our pension is in another sector. Vallenar is a hole, with a center down low and two different poblaciones (populations) up high, Torre Blanca being one of those. I am with an Elder from Mexico, Elder Flores! He seems pretty chill, and funny. It will be very different from Elder Carrasco, I feel. I feel like we are going to have fun together. Let's hope so!
The week, entonces, was a ton of saying goodbye. It was a little harder, I'll admit, to get things done, but I pushed through. It's harder after knowing you're not going to be there, because it stops mattering to you. The thoughts slip into your mind that say ''It doesn't matter if you contact this person, you'll never visit them.'' Or ''Why does it matter trying so much to get this investigator to church? You will never baptize them!'' They're awful thoughts, because it brings down the animo in the missionary work! But Elder Carrasco was always pushing me, and I had the determination to finish my time there strong. It wouldn't be fair to leave Elder Carrasco there with nothing, I've been in that situation before, and it's awful. I'm glad we pushed through, though, because we saw many good results. God blesses those who work, those who sacrifice. If we don't show God what we're made of, He won't show us what He's made of!
Sunday we saw those miracles coming. All of my time in El Palomar it's been really hard to get investigators to church. I don't think I've ever had more than 5 in church. However, this Sunday came, and people just started showing up! Jose Luis came, an awesome guy who's cleaning up his life major. So did a few family members of those who belong to the ward. In all, we had 8 invesigators in church, which was a major miracle! Elder Carrasco has a very big stock now to start working with. I'm happy for the sector. El Palomar has just begun doing ministering, and I feel like everything is going to pick up in the ward! Now I'm here, and I feel really excited to be able to help the Branch do the same.
Sunday and Saturday basically I said goodbye to all my friends I made there in El Palomar. I feel like I had a lot of success there, because I had both converts and members who will miss me. It kinda sucks, honestly! Because the way you can tell best if you've had success as a missionary is if it hurts when you leave, both for you and for the people you've been with. And this hurt. It was the first time that has happened to me. I said my goodbye in sacrament meeting, and I testified of the change the atonement works in people. I know that we can all change, it is our great privelage, our great opportunity. Through Christ, we are perfected. Sometimes that processs of perfecting ourselves is long, sometimes it's short. Sometimes it hurts, sometimes it's pure joy. But the end result is always the same. We become one step closer to where our Saviour and God are. I feel like with my time in El Palomar, I became a lot closer to my God, and I will forever be grateful for that. I hope that here I can have the same success.
But that's pretty much what is going on with me! Hope y'all have a great week!
Les amo a todos!
Elder Schmid
No comments:
Post a Comment