Monday, June 20, 2011
hello to all!
This week, I completed 7 months now in the mission including the MTC, and 5 (more or less) out here in Paraguay. It is crazy to think in all that time, I am still in my first area, and only know a tiny portion of the country, but I like it that way because of the strong relationships I have been able to build with the members and people here. My District Leader and good friend Elder Morgan received a special change to go out to Limpio this week, so he is no longer in Bella Vista. He is awesome. I have been with him my entire mission, living with him for my first 3 changes, being in the same ward, and being my District Leader for this 4th change. He is a great guy, and I will miss having him around. This week we were able to find the first kid I baptized, Sebastian. We knew he moved into the other mission in Paraguay, but we passed by his house, and he was there! I guess there was some miscommunication, because we thought the whole family moved, but it was just him, his mom still lives in our ward boundaries. But I guess he visits a lot over the weekends, so we are going to try to get him back in church and also his family!
Well, this week my companion and I had another good talk...I wouldn't call it a talk, more of an attack, but we had another good little talk. In the morning he was just not in the best mood and things started out rough...I had a great conversation with my Zone Leader and just asked for advice on what I can do better to help our companionship. He told me to pray really hard, be humble, stand up when you need to, and "if you endure it well, God will exalt you on high" (D&C 121.7-8). In our next lesson, we visited a member who had a son that was really rebellious and was treating her badly for no reason, and that she did not know what do to. I felt spiritually prompted to share with her the same advice and scripture, and it brought her (and me) into tears. It has been a really difficult little while for me, and it was awesome to share that with her.
I now have an even stronger testimony of companionship study. It has been hard to get my companion to do it with me, but after the fight we had, the next day we were able to study together. We both shared some good thoughts with each other and finished our planning for the day. Then what followed was incredible. We had the best day of the change working wise. Practically none of our appointments fell, we taught a bunch of lessons and found many new people to teach. It was a great evidence of the power of a companionship working together.
I also had another cool experience of giving service. We have an investigator Alberto, who went to church 2 weeks ago and because of that, his wife left him for 4 days because she doesn't want anything to do with the church. We found him again this week, and on Saturday morning we went to his house and did service on his yard. Who knows if it softened the heart of his wife, but the next day he was able to go to church and loved it. I know that if we go around doing good, incredible things will follow.
Christian and Nelida went to church again. They are really progressing, and it has been cool to see them changing. They are planning on getting baptized and married on the 2nd of July. It would be soo incredible if they are able to make that date, it would be right before changes. It would mean that I could possibly go to the temple with them in a year and also with Christian (who we baptized) when he gets ready to serve a mission. This area is truly a blessed one, and I have been beyond blessed to be able to start here. I love the mission, my companion, my trainer, my mission president and the leaders of the mission, and my Savior Jesus Christ. Even when the trials come, I know that I am a Son of God, and that "if you endure it well, God will exalt you on high". Thanks for the prayers and support, keep praying for us here! Until next week!
-Elder Babcock
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