Email from November 11, 2013: "Elder Amaro always finds the weirdest people!"

The title of this week is "Elder Amaro always finds the weirdest people."  But I'll get to that story in a little bit.  

MONDAY:

I can't remember much about this day. Had to consolidate pages in my journal hahaha. 

TUESDAY:

We went over and taught a lesson to R and A and all we did was read the scriptures with them and talk about the principles and doctrines. We then just invited them to keep reading. We brought along the other ward missionaries, Familia Soto. Hermana Soto is really getting into missionary work so she tries to come with us as much as she can. She reminds me a lot of you actually mom! It was a really good lesson and R told us she felt much more of the Spirit and happy after we left. She told us that usually when we come she feels the Spirit, but overwhelmed and a little angry every time. We realized that we've been focusing too much on getting the numbers of our baptisms and not focusing on our love for our investigators.

WEDNESDAY:

We had a lesson with Y, R's sister who's really close to baptism. We again, read out of the Book of Mormon and talked about faith and receiving answers to our prayers. Her sister a member named Hermana Abila, bore such a strong testimony.  My favorite line was, "Look, do you really think Jesus is just going to come down and say 'Yup, it's true'? NO! He's going to tell you by the Holy Ghost, so just listen!"  Y then looked at us and said "Ok, Elders the 23rd." Y and her daughter V are going to be baptized on the 23rd of this month.

THRUSDAY:

We had Zone Conference with the Roswell Zone and the Merrieta Zone. President Wolfert and his wife were there and we did trainings about talking WITH people, not talking TOO people. Since then we've really focused on making our contacts with people more happy and meaningful--really listening to everything they say (and for me trying to understand) and then really listening to the Spirit as well.  Our contacts have been really great since we started doing this.

FRIDAY:

I did an exchange with Elder Amaro from John's Creek. He's been out 20 months and is from Mexico. HE actually went to the CCM when it was a school and lived in my same apartment haha!  Really this was an interesting experience. 5 minutes into tracting we talked to these two guys. And one was just....well crazy as they come. He started talking about how these gang members he knows have put some sort of shield or force field around him to keep him controlled. Then he explained how they pray to the grim reaper. In mid conversation he would stop and stare squinty eyed at everyone that passed by. We were there about half an hour trying to say anything. Elder Amaro has lots of stories about people like that.  He finds the weirdest people!  Kind of entertaining though.

SATURDAY:
We kept up with the exchange.  Elder Galvez likes to spend a whole day and some extra time with the missionaries in the district to get to know them better. Elder Amaro and I ate with Y again and taught her about the Law of the Fast. She told us she needs more of an answer, but is ready to be baptized. We read out of Alma 17 and then talked about the power that fasting brings. I told her that I would fast on Sunday for her and asked if she and V would as well. She agreed.

SUNDAY:
Probably the most blessed day of my mission. We started out talking to a family we'd tried to get in with but always cancels on us. The wife’s sister is joining the church in Utah and she told our investigator to really listen to us and to hear what we have to say. She told us she wants to read the Book of Mormon and when we mentioned temples, she started looking us in the eye and telling about her son who we've been trying to teach as well. She really fears for him and believes that this church can help her family. She just needs to fulfill her commitments. Then when we got to church we had two more investigators there that we hadn't talked to in 3 or 4 days! We couldn't believe it. The Lord really blesses us when we fast for righteous things. The fast is so powerful and I know that the Lord blesses us with the help we need when we show our desires to him. I just hope Y gets an answer.

This has been a great week! We have two more weeks until I or Elder Galvez leaves this area and starts a new companionship. To be honest I'm a little scared, but I'm getting ready and trying to get to know more of Elder Galvez's responsibilities so I can do things when he leaves. He says I going to train a new missionary.... but I don't think I will.

Sincerely,

Elder Rodabough the second