The First Change

email dated January 14, 2008
The first change comes to an end this week and I lose my good trainer. I am really sad about that. More than anything I am nervous for a new companion and to find out if I am staying here in Artigas or not. I pray with all my heart that I do stay. I love the people here, we are seeing success and changed hearts in the ward. The ward and the Bishop are SOOO frustrating at times, but we are seeing success and also the first baptisms this area has had in a while. The very first baptisms that aren't kid baptisms in 6 months, I think. I always tell the members when they complain that the Bishop sucks and they want him to be released or they won't come back, "Just have faith, with time, we will see growth here. We need patience. We have prayed countless hours to know what to do here. We just need to stay patient and have faith." It would be hypocritical if I wasn't an example of this. Although, after a week like this it is super hard.

Our chapel hadn't been cleaned in over a month, and was starting look pretty gross. We found out the Janitors are on a 2 month vacation. No biggy, we decided we wanted to clean the chapel. We asked the Bishop if we could borrow the key to the cleaning closet to clean the chapel. he got all defensive and yelled at us: "Look! I am the Bishop. It is my church!! I am in charge of it being cleaned. It has been cleaned 3 times this week. I am the bishop! It is my church!" He straight up lies quite a bit. We said, "were just trying to do service. We have to do 4 hours of service a week. It would help us out and the chapel will be nice and clean for Sunday." Either way, the Bishop was way offended that we were walking on his turf and so he hasn't talked to us in 2 days. Church yesterday was AWFUL!!! The members one by one started leaving during sacrament meeting to fight in the hallways. The stake high councilor just kept giving his talk, but all you could hear was the fighting in the halls because the microphone isn't working. Our golden investigators were crying during the closing hymn because the words were all about unity and being together. Luckily, they still believe the church is true. The Bishop didn't even notice the talk or the fighting because he was looking through his notebook the whole meeting. All I could think was how happy I was that the other investigators we invited to church didn't come. I don't even want them to come to church!!! I feel guilty about that, but I don't want to invite them to church. I am not going to invite them to church unless the ward is going to be ready for it. The church isn't ready to receive anyone! If the spirit isn't there, I just don't know what we will accomplish by bringing them to church. Anyway, I am frustrated ahora. But it is going to be okay. I have seen change, and they all have the desire to have a good ward. They just need us to work with them. It will get better. I prayed, again crying my eyes out, what to do. My answer was very clear that I would see miracles if I have faith first. So I am going to not lose heart. That very day after this prayer one of our menos activos who had actually said "What nonsense!!!" When we talked about the temple and how she could be sealed to her family and dead husband. Anyway, she told me with tear filled eyes that she wants to go to the Temple and quit smoking, and do everything it takes to get there. She started reading the Book of Mormon finally and is hauling through it. This mission thing is an emotional roller coaster. It is definitely the hardest thing I have ever done. I hope with all my heart I stay here in Artigas. I know the people and the area. I want to stay here and keep working with them. I just think it would be better than some new missionaries coming in.

I am doing alright. Really, I am just a little worried about the new companion. I really hope he isn't lazy, that he is obedient and that we will work well together. There is way too much lack of unity in the ward, if we the missionaries aren't in unity this area will fall apart. Elder Dennis says this is the hardest area he has had in his whole mission in a number of ways. So I feel grateful to be starting here to start preparing me for whatever else Uruguay has to offer me. I love this country. I am having fun down here too. It is fun being on a mission. It is just hard too. It is a common misconception that you will be able to sleep like a log every night because of how exhausted you are. I have never been more tired, and I have never had a harder time sleeping at nights. My mind is racing through the faces of investigators, members, and SPANISH! I had a night where I dreamt, more like had nightmares, the whole night in Spanish. I woke up feeling like I hadn't even slept a minute. But my Spanish was better that day from a good 8 hours of practice that I don't usually get. I am speaking alright. This week I just barely started realizing that I understand them when they are talking now. Not everything, but way more than half of the time now. And I can speak back much better than I could when I got here. I am not stressed about the language. It is coming. The Portuguese is annoying, but oh well.

So anyway, that is the gist of my area right now. I have pretty much shared everything that occupies my mind throughout the week. I feel like I am running out of things to say, unless I feel like giving you more details about the conversations I have had with the Bishop and the members and some interesting contacts and investigators. The work is progressing. We aren't the best ward in the world, but we are progressing. That is all the Lord asks.

I know that the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is a fact. It is a reality. The prophet Joseph Smith really did speak with God the Father and the Son. I teach this every day and whether or not they believe it, my faith in it is always strengthened when I feel the spirit testify to me that what I am teaching is true.

love you all!! It is your turn to write me!
Andy