Renca 1 #17

7.4.11

So....this last week was probably the hardest week for me in the mission so far.  To start off, we walked the whole week.  We didn't enter a single house.  It was a very unmotivating week for us.

We started the week off very weel with a couple good lessons with investigators. Starting wednesday EVERYTHING went downhill.  We sat down for lunch with our ward mission leader and he basically told us that we dont have empathy for our investigators because we are OBLIGATING them to be baptized.  We tried to explain to him that the 1st Presidency has taught us to extend the baptismal INVITATION in the first or second lesson with investigators.  For some reason he couldn't understand that the Prophet is telling us to work that way.  We also tried explaining to him that we dont obligate people we invite people.  He didn't really understand anything we were telling him so we asked if we could have a meeting with all the leadership in the ward.  We sat down in the meeting and basically told the bishop how we have been feeling the last few weeks.  The ward hasnt been supporting us at all and everybody avoids the obligation of going out with us to work. There were also members who had been talking garbage behind our backs saying we are lazy.  We expressed all this to the bishop in a very formal and professional way and he excused everybody from his office.  He told us basically that the ward doesn't like us because we are too serious.  But then he goes on to get mad at us because one time I was playing with a football in a house and he didn't think I was taking my calling seriously.  He continued saying all these things about us and basically said we suck.  We left his office very angry and frustrated.  He has always been pretty stubborn and not interested in us but he finally lost all of our support and trust. 
So basically thats how the ward sees us.  We talked to other missionaries who were here before and they all said the same things that nobody appreciated the missionaries and nobody helps.  There are a few families that are really cool and helpful but the majority of the ward doesn't want anything to do with us.  After that meeting we basically walked all day everyday knocking doors because we have no investigators.  DUring the week we didnt enter a single house.  If anything I would say the people we talked to this week were some of the hardest people I have ever talked to here.  We got doors slammed in our faces, people getting mad at us for all the garbage in the streets (not sure why), and people literally running away from us.  The week was definately a trial of my patience, diligence, and charity.  Its one thing when people dont want to help but when they start assuming things about us or critcize us is when I get the most mad.  I know before the mission that was the thing that always mad me the most mad.  When I worked at Wendys and people told me I didnt do a good enough job I usually got pretty frustrated and angry.  Now as a missionary, the members should be concerned about our success and want to help us but they are telling me Im lazy and that Im not good enough.  Im trying to take all this in with as much patience as I can but its extremly hard.  This has probably been one of the hardest trials in my mission so far but we are trying to take it and make the situation better.

Anyways,.so our new mission president got here this week!  His name is Pres. Essig and we had a conference with him saturday.  He said his vision for the mission is to help all of us become more and more like Christ.  In my studies, I have been trying to learn more about Christ and what I can do to be more like Him. 

Well have a great week everybody!  I challenge you all to be nice to the missionaries!!!
Love Elder Peck