16 Noviembre 2015

16 Noviembre 2015

Dia del pavo se nos aproxima, pero no se ni cuando sea. Me supongo que esta semana...

This week was super tiring. On Sunday, we passed around a list for the members to write down their information: Name, Phone Number, Schedule of when they could come with us, and if they have a car. So we completely changed our rhythm of working this week. Every night, we call the member they said they could come the next day and we schedule with them for them to come with us for certain hours, not necessarily for certain appointments as is custom. So if we get to the appointment that we have set and the person isn't there (which is really normal in a culture where the hour simply is not material) we go and knock doors and get in houses that way, or the members can take us with their less-active friends or just with their friends. We got 21 lessons with member present this way this week. And it's not just about numbers. The members can testify in a way that we can't. Example: We get to the house of a young man who almost lost his hand when he punched through a glass window in a fit of anger with his family. Obviously, this family is having tough family problems. The hermana that's with us talks about how when she met the missionaries when she was passing through divorce and starvation and literally had the noose around her neck when the missionaries knocked on her door. The spirit was so strong, and there's no way that we could have possibly done a lesson like that on our own. And then she personally invited him to come to church. When we invite, often it comes off as a sale for an attractive church just because of the way the people see us. When a member invites, it comes off as a personal invitation from someone that's willing to help you.

We had a great lesson with Jocelin and Mayte and committed them to rethink the deal about a baptismal date. Jocelin can be baptized any day now. If she decides, she could be baptized this Saturday. Mayte will have to wait BECAUSE SHE STILL HASN?T COME TO CHURCH! We invited her to church to get to know that this is the truth and she responded, "I know it's the truth. I know I have to go. I know I have to get baptized. I'm even thinking about getting divorced because my husband made fun of me when I told him I wanna go." So we read 1 Corintios where is says, "don't leave your incredulous husband" and I told her "don't quit your husband like jocelin quit her job." And I think she decided it was better to stay with him. But she didn't come to church this weekend. Which means that she's going to miss the Temple Dedication of Tijuana.

LOOK OF PHOTOS FOR THAT TEMPLE! IT'S SO PRETTY!

We got back with Juan Valentin this week, a young man we were teaching a while ago. He told us he's been studying everything and knows it's all true. Now he just needs a baptismal date AND TO COME TO CHURCH! AH! That’s the most frustrating thing about it all. He's SO ready; he just doesn't come to church!

Ana Maria, we're still working with her. We went to her house and she straight up invited a young guy there who came to get his hair cut to come with her to church. His response: "I was going to a christian church before." Her response: "These aren't just Christians, they're Mormons." But she as well didn't come to church. We'll have to see why...

But we started teaching Mayra Rocha. She is a mom of an active priest in the ward who was baptized a year and a half ago because his girlfriend invited him. We sat down with Mayra and talked about Eternal Families and asked her what she'd be willing to do to have an Eternal Family. "Well, go to church, for one. Get baptized. And then continue faithfully until I die." Well, that sure made it easy. And she came on Sunday. We're going to go with her tonight to set a date for her baptism.

Leopoldo didn't come this week, but I have a sneaking suspicion it's because it was super cold this weekend.

Gilberto went to Monclova this weekend, so he didn't come either, but he is just SO excited to be able to be baptized. I hope we can do it in time for him to get to the temple dedication. We're praying super hard and he has the goal to stop smoking COMPLETELY by Friday. This guy was smokingup to 30 cigarrettes a day 3 weeks ago and had 50 years smoking.

It's an exciting time to be working here. Even if it's super cold and we're getting sick and getting better and getting sick again every couple days.

Well, I'll see you all later! We've got a little more than a month until I'll see your more or less pretty faces, some more, some less!

Con amor!

Elder Taylor

The baptism of Maria Esther. Jocelin is on the Left, Mayte with Isaac on the right. Alejandra's comment to Maria Esther after the baptism: "And you wanted to wait till February." She just laughed in response.