Well, Happy Birthday to all once
again, ShayLynn and Mom! It looks like you were able to have some fun surprises.
I love the Sombrero and the Minion sweatshirt :) and the snickers cake looked
delicious as well!
I wish Amanda Good Luck on her
Mission!
I hope that everything goes well
with Aunt Donna and her elbow! That is a ton of screws (15)!
This week we had out Zone Conference
with President Bird. It was good :) I got called on to give a talk on being a Consecrated
Missionary. We talked about the Atonement, and Repentance, and he did an
activity that I liked a lot. He had us think about and write down the things
that bring us joy and happiness on the mission, and then after a little while,
asked, 'how many wrote soccer? How many wrote going the mall (Citadel) on
P-day?' And then asked a good question: Why do we focus so much on the things
that don’t bring us true happiness?
I think that that applies to both
missionaries as well as people; sometimes we worry way too much about insignificant
things, or sometimes we put the things really are important and that bring us
true happiness, like the family, like God, like helping others, like reading
scriptures, like going to church, as second to worldly things. We need to be
careful of that. The Devil is really good at trying to trick us, and that is
how he keeps us from reaching our potential. He distracts us, and makes us
think that what isn’t important is. So if he's tricking you, smack him upside
the head, and get back on track! We have been sharing a similar message with
people this week, about the Rich Young Man in Mathew 19:16-19, who asked Jesus
what he had to do to have Eternal Life. Jesus said, keep the commandments. He
said, well, I always have. And then asked a great question. What lack I yet? In
other words, what more can I do than I am already doing? We have been inviting
them to ask that question to themselves, to see what more they can do, and then
do it :)
This week was a little tough,
in the sense of finding people to teach, and getting people to church. But we
are working on it.
We have some closed off communities
called Privadas in our area, and we got some invitations from other
missionaries (who had contacted them), to visit a few houses in there. They are
super nice house; we didn’t find anyone home, but we plan to go back and look
for them later. I felt really on guard while in there, with all the cameras and
guards at the gate :) Something that our President wants us to do is put a
'Porque' or a Why for the day. The reason why we are going to work that day of
something we want to focus on. (for example, Invite everyone to Church one day,
or Contact Everyone! for another. kind of like a focus). That day that we went to
the privadas, we put 'Find a Small Camel' as our focus for the day. You will
see why if you read a little further in Mathew 19 after the Rich guy. (in the
privadas are the rich people :).
I also had companion exchanges with
Elder Bravo (in my district) on Friday, I a learned a lot from him. It was
really refreshing and a fun change to work with someone different for a day. We
got less weird reactions with one of us being Mexican, instead of having two
Americans :) We talked with a ton of people that day, and I earned a lot of
respect for that Elder.
On Sunday I was able to interview 3
investigators of our Zone Leaders for Baptism! I Understand what it feels like
to be a bishop, Interview after Interview. No, just kidding :) It was a
family, a mom and two kids, who were twins actually. Their sister had just
gotten baptized, and seeing her example, they too wanted to be baptized. They
two kids are ready, but it seems the mom needs to live the Word of Wisdom
first. It was a good experience.
Well, that was my week basically. I
am hoping to have a good week this week, and find lots of great people to
teach!
Love you all!
Elder Hayden Redford
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