This week has been a week of miracles and disappointments,
but that is the life of a missionary and I am learning to deal with that and to
accept it. This week Frank and Giselle (solid progressing gators for
this week) went to the temple with us for a tour together, they loved it1
we taught them again Thursday and they sucked up the doctrine we gave them and
then we set them up with a baptismal interview for Friday. Elder Taylor and I
could not make it to the interview because we were going up to the temple with
another investigator, but we arranged for the district leader to go and do it.
Unfortunately, even after all of the positivity and happiness they had felt,
Frank, in his interview shut down and decided that this is not what he wanted
to do. I really felt disappointed because he and his wife had been one of
the coolest miracles of my mission, the fact that they were willing to take time
off work and drive us all up to the temple, and the fact that they kept EVERY
commitment that we left them, and now wants nothing to do with it. But, like
Elder Kopishke said 2 months ago, "you can't take the blame for failure,
nor the credit for success" and that has been a source of strength for me
these last couple of days. I know that the Lord does things in his own way and
time that we just need to accept it and do our best and move forward.
Speaking of Elder Kopishke, this week he, Elder Quintin L.
Cook, the Presiding Bishop, and Elder Thompson all came and we had a mission
conference that was amazing! We talked not only on the importance of the Easter
season but also on the importance of the First Vision and the Plan of
Salvation. A great part of this conference was seeing the miracle of seeing the
spirit answer every bodies questions. It was a huge builder of my testimony to
see how perfect the Spirit is at planning and coordination, EVERYONE can come
to a meeting like that or any church meeting with a heart felt question
and the Spirit will answer it as you seek for your answer! whether it be by the
words that are said, a different interpretation of a story or just he feelings
that you feel as you listen. I saw my question answered right before my eyes in
a combination of all three of those things and even more. It was a truly
inspired event. And then we had a special Stake Conference because while all
that Priesthood authority and leadership was down here in the FFLM why
not? And so that's what they did and guess who spoke to the Miami
South Stake that I am in? Elder Kopishke. I truly think that this man is
amazing. He speaks in such a way that the scriptures and words of the prophet fall
open in front of your eyes making clear perfect sense leaving you empowered and
excited! I truly recommend not only finding and reading something of his
on the internet but trying to find him speaking, he has changed the way that I
read the scriptures. But while he was at the stake conference he spoke about
obviously the Easter holiday, but he spoke about the tasks that Christ gave as
part of his Resurrection.
- Being the command to preach
the gospel, he gave this task the DAY OF HIS RESURRECTION and Elder
Kopishke talked about how important that event was to the spreading of the
Gospel, with out the resurrection there would be no reason to preach the
gospel because there would be the lack of hope and the promise of a new
life.
- Feed my sheep or retention
work. What point is there to spread the gospel if you can't help people
continue and stay strong to the promises that they made.
- Baptisms for the dead and
other proxy work. through revelation in the Doctrine and Covenants we know
that during Christ's time in the Spirit World he was teaching those that
needed the Gospel in that life. And we need to give them the opportunity
to accept that and move forward in the gospel
After the Stake conference we went to a member's house for
dinner... it was a "Passover meal" she is a converted Jew and as a
way of remembering their families heritage they have a Passover meal that
includes, unleavened bread, bitter herbs, salt water, Wine (grape juice) and
other things all of which have symbolic meaning and whatnot and there were a lot
of rituals, but it was interesting to see the symbolism that even that ancient
and long since fulfilled ritual had that pointed to the Savior, but the Jewish
people can't see that!
I
am fine I have NEVER before felt that I have been a bigger part of anything, I
am learning a lot about who I really am and more importantly who I want to
become. I suffer from disappointments, but that is expected in a work that
involves other people's agency and I am learning to accept that in my life. I
have become a new person. I am not the same, I will not be the same tomorrow,
and I will NEVER go back this life is for my progression and to prepare me for
the next life. I WANT YOU ALL TO KNOW THAT I AM HAPPY! I love this place and
the people I really do!
2. Will you do me a big favor. I want
you to walk around your house, inside and out and take some pictures of it for
me. Even some from inside looking out your window. It would be nice if you were
in some of them, too. I just would like to see where and what you are living
in.
This
is just silly, I will do it but I want you to know that it is FINE. I am going
to send you a few pictures next week and I will send you the thumb drive soon
too. There will be plenty of pictures, the ones that matter are the pictures of
recent converts dressed in white, The real memories that matter on a mission
are the ones that get written in the Journal, or the spiritual experienced that
get engraved on your heart. BUT there will be plenty of other pictures that add
icing on the cake!
3. What is your favorite food that you
have found you like down there, that you didn’t know about at home?
Baleadas,
Maduros, tostones, Ropa Vieja, Curry Goat, TRES LECHES, ros con gris, and much
much more. everytime there tends to be another
4. What do you love about the
area that you are in? What is different than here at home? The people, specifically I love my Richmond Heights peeps and the comfortableness they have in who they are, you ride your bike through a neighborhood and the kids be axin (ask) "wanna trade rides?" they are the best! I also love the fact that there are 3 distinct people in my area that live in 3 different areas.
5. How far away from the beach are you? Do you ever get to see the water? Ocean? Waterways? Canals?
Yes and there will be pictures! I have seen all three in this area!
LOVE YOU ALL
STAY STRONG PUSH ON
ELDER PARK
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