oh. oh here we go again.
I'm staying here in Pitrufquen! Why not stay 6 months? I'm down. I'm happy to be staying. I know there is still work to be done here and a lot more I can learn from Hermana Godinez. So it will be good. A lot of work. But good.
So we've had a change in the game plan for the mission. We will no longer be working so much with the less actives. Or "returning members" as I just found out is the new correct term in English... I don't think they care as much in Spanish so we’ll just stick to inactive and less active. It's going to be good because we can focus more on our role as missionaries to find teach and baptize. We tried hard to do that through the less actives as well as include the members in helping us reactivate.
It's funny because when we first started plan Alma I was a little upset because I didn't understand why we were doing the work of the members. We’ve tried hard to help them help us but the fact of the matter is we reactivate. They come to church. But what they need is a friend and to be nourished by the good word of God. So the new plan is that we are going to work with 2 families only for each companionship. It stresses me out a little bit because I know how the members work and I have really grown a love for these people so it will be hard to just stop visiting them and hope that the members really understand the importance of this work. We'll try to do it gradually of course and the members really aren't that bad. I know they can do it if they make it a priority. I am putting my full faith in them as I hand over the list of people we are working with, who have progressed, and have so much potential and who I love. All into their hands. Praying that no one will slip through the cracks. But through all this I know I have experienced a miniscule part of the faith that God has in me as a missionary. For all the souls that I have in my hands who he has given me to help nourish and grow. Though I am far from perfect he has trusted me with his children who he loves and hopes that I can do for them what he would do.
This week i have learned how to love Jacob 5 as I take the pledge for this "ultimo vez" (last time?) New year and I'm half way through. Nope. I can't believe it. We didn't do much. But we took pictures with "pregnant bellies" for 9 months... Sister tradition apparently. I still have SO much to learn and to change and no. I am definitely not counting down.
My new camera is a sony cybershot. It’s pretty sweet. I'll send some pics soon!
I love genealogy! It's kind of something you have to have a reason to do it or be taught how to do it in order to love it. But once you understand how it's a lot of fun. I'm thankful that I had that calling before the mission to get me in the spirit of the temple and the importance of family. Keep it up!
I love you!
Hermana VandeMerwe
Oh ps. today we had our last activity as this zone because some people are leaving. It was fun. We played soccer and ate lunch and then... we found out that the elders had water balloons... oh geeze. So they gave us some of our own and we filled them up but our little hand grenades were nothing compared to their bowling ball sized bombs... needless to say we got wet..
Wednesday, January 22, 2003
January 6, 2014
I’m trying to be like Jesus.. I'm following in his ways.
Whew another week of devotion and fun. For New Year’s we were able to have cena with a member so we (as in the 7 missionaries of Pitrufquen) went to a converso reciente house. It was fun. Kind of a disaster but everything is when you do it with Elders. So we ate super late but super yummy and gave a toast or two. (We gave more at Christmas) then when we were already late we all got sprayed right in the face with silly spray and string. We shouted a few feliz ano nuevos and soaked in the mess then rode away to celebrate the 12:00 hour at home. We gave a few more shouts and hugs and pictures. Speaking of which. I bought a new camera today! Yay! I hope it's awesome! It looks pretty awesome. So New Year’s Day was our p-day and there was not a single thing open or a single person in the street. So we did our studies like normal and then went to Presidente Volpi's house. The same place we went for Christmas and ate and played some more volleyball and climbed some trees to eat fresh cherries all while the rest of the world slept. But when they awoke we were there to catch them!
We found the house of that little boy I was telling you about that wanted to come to church and his mom didn't want to take him so his uncle took him one Sunday. Well I must say those angels are working a little harder than we are because when we found her she had totally changed. We went to her house like 3 days in a row because she just kept saying, ya come back tomorrow. And ya (speaking of the libro de mormon) I'm going to read it because it draws my attention. The problem is that her spouse is very opposite and she doesn't let him know that we come over so... we'll see how it goes.
I've learned this week that really we are the only group of people that can say we live in the world and not of the world. That there is really only one church of God and though there are many others that look and act the same, they do not have the truth.
I also learned a lot about leaders and the importance of a good leader. Throughout the Book of Mormon the group of people are always explained by the leader... "And so and so walked uprightly in the ways of God" (or something like that in English?) and from that sentence we know what type of people all the rest were. I have seen this week how people become like their leaders or how if the leader is sad the rest are sad or if the leader is happy the rest are happy. Simple. But interesting the influence.
Next week are cambios! I really don't want to leave Pitrufquen because I love it but at the same time there is a time for everything. You just never ever know with cambios!
So regarding all of those big macs- gross. But yes they do have a McDonalds here and a subway. And to think I gave my subway gift card to dad before my mission... oh the mistakes of life... ha-ha I’m totally kidding. I eat at Pedro, Juan & Diego.
No one has cars here. I think the assistants to the president and that's it. Not even the traveling missionaries. Ha-ha. It will be weird to drive again, but I just don't really see why everyone needs a car anyway..
I love you all so much and hope that you all have New Year’s resolutions that you can fulfil and that will help you reach your potential. I know that you all have a potential so much more grande than you will ever know. Stretch yourself to be the person that God wants you to be.
Until next time,
Hermana VandeMerwe
Whew another week of devotion and fun. For New Year’s we were able to have cena with a member so we (as in the 7 missionaries of Pitrufquen) went to a converso reciente house. It was fun. Kind of a disaster but everything is when you do it with Elders. So we ate super late but super yummy and gave a toast or two. (We gave more at Christmas) then when we were already late we all got sprayed right in the face with silly spray and string. We shouted a few feliz ano nuevos and soaked in the mess then rode away to celebrate the 12:00 hour at home. We gave a few more shouts and hugs and pictures. Speaking of which. I bought a new camera today! Yay! I hope it's awesome! It looks pretty awesome. So New Year’s Day was our p-day and there was not a single thing open or a single person in the street. So we did our studies like normal and then went to Presidente Volpi's house. The same place we went for Christmas and ate and played some more volleyball and climbed some trees to eat fresh cherries all while the rest of the world slept. But when they awoke we were there to catch them!
We found the house of that little boy I was telling you about that wanted to come to church and his mom didn't want to take him so his uncle took him one Sunday. Well I must say those angels are working a little harder than we are because when we found her she had totally changed. We went to her house like 3 days in a row because she just kept saying, ya come back tomorrow. And ya (speaking of the libro de mormon) I'm going to read it because it draws my attention. The problem is that her spouse is very opposite and she doesn't let him know that we come over so... we'll see how it goes.
I've learned this week that really we are the only group of people that can say we live in the world and not of the world. That there is really only one church of God and though there are many others that look and act the same, they do not have the truth.
I also learned a lot about leaders and the importance of a good leader. Throughout the Book of Mormon the group of people are always explained by the leader... "And so and so walked uprightly in the ways of God" (or something like that in English?) and from that sentence we know what type of people all the rest were. I have seen this week how people become like their leaders or how if the leader is sad the rest are sad or if the leader is happy the rest are happy. Simple. But interesting the influence.
Next week are cambios! I really don't want to leave Pitrufquen because I love it but at the same time there is a time for everything. You just never ever know with cambios!
So regarding all of those big macs- gross. But yes they do have a McDonalds here and a subway. And to think I gave my subway gift card to dad before my mission... oh the mistakes of life... ha-ha I’m totally kidding. I eat at Pedro, Juan & Diego.
No one has cars here. I think the assistants to the president and that's it. Not even the traveling missionaries. Ha-ha. It will be weird to drive again, but I just don't really see why everyone needs a car anyway..
I love you all so much and hope that you all have New Year’s resolutions that you can fulfil and that will help you reach your potential. I know that you all have a potential so much more grande than you will ever know. Stretch yourself to be the person that God wants you to be.
Until next time,
Hermana VandeMerwe
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)