Vivaceta #17

11.7.11

26 NUEVOS!!!!

This last week we found.....26 NEW INVESTIGATORS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I really dont know how we found so many, but everyday we got into houses like crazy.  We were able to find some very good investigators and invite them to be baptized.  Of course, they all have their doubts but through the teachings and their commitments, they will get baptized.

 

Other than those new investigators we had a great week.  Michel and Tomas are doing really well.  They werent able to go to church because Tomas is struggling in school and might have to repeat a year so they were doing homework all day.  Marcelo and his family arent doing too good.  We went over friday afternoon and he told us that his wife told Camila that if she gets baptized then she will get really upset with her.  SO Camila was pretty upset and down about that. Ive been doing a lot of studies especially for this lesson.  We decided that we are going to play a game.  We are going to draw 5 stepping stones on the ground with chalk.  At the end is the Celestial Kingdom and all of them are going to write things in there that they want for after this life.  Of course they will all write family because it is the most important thing to them.  We will then go on to explain that Jesus Christ taught us that there are 5 steps to reach eternal life with our families.  We will start with Victoria, who is already baptized, and we will say that the first step is faith.  Faith requires action which is going to church, praying, and reading.  We will ask if she has shown her faith by doing these things.  She will take the first step.  After, we are going to describe repentance and that whole process.  We will then ask if Victoria has repented of her sins and she will say yes then take the next step.  THEN comes baptism and shes been baptized and then she will move on to the gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end and then arrive to the end.  NEXT we will ask Marcelo, Camila and the mom the same questions.  Of course Marcelo and Camila will take the first step and the mom wont because they are going to church, reading and praying.  Then they will move on to the repentance step but then be stuck because the mom is holding them back from baptism and eventually being with Victoria.  Basically we want the mom to realize how much she is holding her own family back from following Jesus Christ. We are hoping the mom finally realizes whats going on with the family and that she will let them get baptized.  THe bishop is also going to help us in other appointment with them wednesday night and he will probably just talk to her about doctrine haha.  Hes pretty hard on people but he knows how to get it done.  He has help us a lot with investigators and helping them get married.

 

In my studies recently, I have been reading in chapter 10 of Preach My Gospel.  Its basically a chapter about how we can teach better so that the people understand and progres better.  Our lessons have been getting really really good lately and its all thanks to Preach My Gospel. 

 

Elder Quentin L. Cook came and spoke to our mission and the east mission saturday morning.  It was awesome to see an Apostle walk into the room.  He greeted all of us with a handshake and then we heard him speak.  He talked a lot about how we can teach better and be better missioaries.  He said the first thing we should always do is love the people.  He spoke of Dan Jones and how when he was a missionary wayyy back in the day, he would teach people sitting on the ground because he didnt want them to give up their seats for him.  He had so much success because of the love he really showed the people he taught.  He also told us that we should go out of our personality or our personal bubble to really reach out to the people we teach and the members in our ward. 

 

Im having an awesome time with Elder Donohoo right now.  THe ward loves us sooo much and it is soo much fun seeing the members and messing around with them.  We have a great relationship with the bishop.  The bishop has really loved working with us and sees the results of our work with him.  President Essig actually called us the other night to see how things were going with the ward.  The stake president had expressed some concerns because the missionaries before us didnt have a great relationship with the ward or the bishop.  I explained to President that we have been working really well wth the bishop and that he is one of the best bishops I have seen in Chile so far.  Missionaries usually just dont understand how to work well with the leaders and especially how to work well with the bishops.  I have seen many blessings from working really close with him and his counselers.  I love this ward and I hope I never get changed out of it but I know it will probably happen soon. 

 

Have a great week everybody!

Love Elder Peck