Week 74: Invasion of the Crickets
Hola todos! I hope you're all well!
On Tuesday we went to visit our friend Eduardo who came to church on Sunday, but unfortunately he lives in the other ward in Casa Grande. We went with hermano Larry, the 1st counselor in the stake presidency. Eduardo received the lessons in the past but had some mental problems. Now he's better and wants to learn. We put him on date for baptism for the 24th and passed his reference to the other elders in a lesson we had with all 4 of us later in the week. He was calling me an angel and Ai think he formed a special connection with me. Hopefully he'll do well with the other elders. We
On Wednesday we drove up to Ascope for district council and Elder Elzinga did pretty well with his first one. Afterwards I went on exchanges with him and man the apartment in Ascope is tiny. We went to a few lessons, including a man with Parkinson's Syndrome. Elder Elzinga's comp is Elder Huaman, which makes it so that me and Elder Huaman have been in the same district 6 out of the last 7 transfers. But we went to the birthday party of the mom of a few recently converts and tried talking with the other people who were invited but they weren't interested. We finished the night with a family home evening with the lady who does their laundry.
On Thursday we found a lady name Fatima who had been taught before and had gone to church, so well see what we can do this week. After that we visited a member named Anita. She's only 58 years old but almost completely blind and has severe asthma. She feels very lonely because barely anyone, not even her own family, talk to her all that much. I was able to give her a blessing of health and we talked to her for a moment. Seeing her made me think a lot about God's love and trial. Some people really do struggle in this life and I personally feel it's impossible for me to understand completely how they feel. I really am blessed with many things. That is why I must give what I can.
On Friday we went out to Chocope to visit Elder Yola and his son Elder Perez. To travel between cities in the valley you have to go to a station of sorts and get into the right cars. Sometimes they're buses but often they're just rickety old cars. On Saturday we did the same and visited Cartavio and talked to Elder Thomas and Elder Geisler. We got to know them and had a great time talking and learning.
We had a lot of success on Saturday and were able to find a bunch of new people. There practically wasn't anyone to teach when we arrived so we're slowly working our way up. Now our next step is to help them come to church so they can continue progressing.
We had a cool experience on Sunday. We planned out the different streets we were going to visit to knock on the doors of members by using the ward member list. We hadn't found any active members yet when we knocked on one door and an old lady answered. She and her husband are really old so they can't come to church, although they would if they could. Hermano Pedro hermana Fidencia. Normally members of the Elders quorum come to bless and give them the sacrament around 12, but it was already 5 and they told us that no one had come yet. They had the bread and the water set out, so we blessed and gave them the sacrament. Hermano Pedro can't hold things in his hands so I had to put the bread in his mouth. But that was a cool experience because we happened to pass by their house the one Sunday when the members forgot to. Because of that they still got to partake of the sacrament! It's the shall miracles like that that help me know the spirit really is with us.
This week I had so many experiences (not all of them mentioned above) where my natural instinct is to solve the problems of others and find solutions to their struggles immediately. I think it's a natural human instinct to do that. But because it happened so often this week I've really been thinking about my roll in all of this. I'm not a counselor or a doctor. But that's not my purpose. Mosiah 18:9 says that we must mourn with those who morning and comfort those who stand in need of comfort, not immediately solve the problems of everyone else who have problems. Hank Smith said that we shouldn't get too caught up with helping people overcome their trial that we forgot to mourn with them. Which of those things to we covenant to do when we are baptized? To solve or to mourn? My job is to mourn, to comfort, to listen, to be present, and to show love. God's purpose isn't even to solve the problems or the sicknesses that people face, because what he can do is even greater. He can heal. But he can only do that with my help. I am the Lord's hands, his work can't be done without me. But still, He hasn't asked me to heal them. He's asked me to comfort them. Once I've done that, the healing process that comes through Christ and His atonement can happen, and like the scriptures say, both will be edified thereby. Which makes YOU feel better? Attempting to solve the problems of others or being there for them? Only one will help you have genuine charity. Let Christ do His part and everyone, the person, and even you, will benefit, learn, and feel Christ's love through the entire healing process.
That's all for me! Have a great week!
Elder Jensen
(Sorry for the lack of photos, I'll do better next week)
1. "Revelación personal"
2. Exchanges in Ascope
3. The color green! How weird
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