Bueno, pues vamos a empezar...
A'ight, this week is
super interesting and I have no idea where to start, so I'll start with
the beginning, confuse myself, get off-track, get back on-track, and end
up with a general email ''scrambled egg'' style. You know, the usual.
=P
So anyway, starting with last monday, I think it was
after I emailed that the district and I went and tried Sacawuitl, or...
Maybe I mentioned that. Dunno, but it was good. It's like a mound of
corn dough with oats and meat or something like that but it's good!
Then, what more... We had our last district class of
the transfer and I talked about how we need to really integrate
ourselves in our wards and branches with the Bishopric, Priesthood and
Relief Society leaders, and a focus on the ward Mission Leader. It's a
suuuuper important calling that I honestly didn't think about much until
this area, where we basically don't have one. =P Here, we technically
have one but he's been gone working in a different state since March,
and won't be back supposedly until the end of the year, and this happens
actually quite often, by the way. So yeah, I talked of the importance
of the ward Mission Leader because, if it is said that the missionaries
in the ward is like the blood in the body, then who directs the blood?
Who's the heart? I realized that it isn't the bishop, his counselors, or
anyone else but the ward Mission Leader, it was one of those smack in
the face revelations because I've never really taken advantage of having
one and now I don't have one. Heh.
Anyway though, after that it was a normal week of
working hard. A little interesting because Elder Realivazquez went home
to Oaxaca for knee surgery, and that was sad, but we hope he'll keep
being a missionary in whatever way he can. It isn't likely that he'll
return, being the second time he's been sent home for that problem.
Then, we got to the end of the week and, it was all
looking good for the baptism of this couple I think I mentioned last
week named Meli and Fernando aaaand... It fell through.
But here comes the cool experience...
On Saturday, after knowing that Meli and Fernando,
already having passed their baptismal interviews, wanted to wait more
time and wouldn't accept any date whatsoever for baptism, I just decided
to have faith that they'd be baptized on Sunday. So, as I was heading
out of the house, we were almost to the sidewalk when the thought came
to mind, ''and if you baptize tomorrow, are you prepared to do so?'' and
so I told my companion that we had to go back to the house to check our
white clothes. We checked them and gave them a quick and needed wash,
hung them up to dry, and went to work.
Well, what was my surprise when on Sunday, we walked
into the sacrament room aaaand Meli and Fernando were NOT there. And
then they never showed up. Well, we got up to give our talks, my
companion and I, in which we talked about change and mission work and
converting ourselves, etc. (we also mentioned the transfer changes which
I'll let you know in a bit) and still they didn't show up.
So yeah, after church we went to eat and there in
the food appointment I got a call from a number I didn't recognize. I
answered, and the person on the other end said, ''Elder DeFreese, I have
a baptism for you today (but in spanish =P).''
My reply (together with a similitude of my face) : O.O <''Seriously?''
Well,
they told me it was serious, and long story short, it has to do with an
18 year old young man named Asbel Octavio (we call him Tavo) that we
were teaching about a month ago who'd gone to church a few times, then
kind of went cold with the church, went on a 2 week vacation to who
knows where and we didn't know anything about what'd happened. Well, he
had gone to church in a friend's ward that day and then and there he
felt that he wanted to be baptized. So, in the ward he was at, luckily
for us there was another District Leader who got authorized to do the
interview then and there, filled out the form, invited Tavo's mom (she
goes to the Pentecost church) and called us to just ask for the hour. We
were shocked but we ran to the church, got everything ready, and
baptized at 8.
It was a pretty impressive experience of faith and
action that get results! We were shocked though, and I'm absolutely sure
that 100% was God's mercy for Tavo and for us being able to be there
and do it, and had very very little to do with our own work or skills.
That's how things are here. =D
Now the news of the transfer changes. Well... My
companion is leaving! He's going to Tuxpan (about an hour north of here)
to be co-senior companion with one of the missionaries of his
generation! But, there's more news... I'm being changed too! I'm being
changed to San Juan. Guess where that is? About 20 minutes from my last
area in Teziutlán, and my last area is in my district! So, when I do
splits, I'll be in my last area. Weird! And also, the two missionaries
that are going to be in my last area are going in ''white wash'', in
other words, they're both getting there at the same time without knowing
anything about the area. So, I'll be giving them a tour and introducing
them to the bishop and all that. Super weird, but I'm so excited, and
it looks like I'll need my sweater and raincoat again. =D MORE NEWS...
They won't be sending missionaries here to take our place because our
mission is really low on missionaries and our ward is a little weak
right now with the bishopric that works in and out of town, lack of
leaders, etc., so they won't be sending missionaries here for a little
while. We're a little nervous, but we know that God will take care of
our converts, and that the ward is pretty shocked but ready to start
working harder as well without missionaries.
As a last crazy story of another miracle that
happened just minutes ago, we were returning from downtown Poza Rica in a
taxi and we got out on the corner of this internet place by our house,
and I felt in my pocket and my wallet was gone! I'd just taken out money
for the transfers, because I'll be traveling far, and I had my personal
card, my id, my temple recommend, etc. in that wallet! I was super
nervous, saw where the taxi went but it was almost out of sight. I said a
little prayer and just then passed another empty taxi, I called him to
the curb, got in, and told him to go in the direction I'd seen the other
taxi take. I said another prayer, and we were off racing! We got up a
big hill, turned the corner, and there I saw coming in the opposite
direction again another taxi. I didn't think it'd be him, but I saw that
he had a beard (the only description I could remember of the taxi that
had taken us here from downtown, so we stopped him and I ran to the
other taxi and checked behind where I was sitting and there, under the
seat, was my wallet!
WOAH! Faith bomb. Haha I thought it was lost for sure, because it
looked like that taxi was going a long way off, and he went fast, AND in
Poza Rica, there are thousands of taxis that pass every 10 or 20
seconds (without exaggeration). But yeah, this week has been a pretty
big testimony builder for sure.
And yeah! I think that's all for now! We're super
excited for our new assignments and we're ready to go! (not physically,
because we have a LOT of packing and cleaning to do...)
Well anyway, on that note, I love you all and I'll send another email from Teziutlán next week! Wooh!
Elder DeFreese
1. Last district class with the district.
2. Activity we helped plan for the ward. Lots of investigators and inactive members. Wooh!
3. Baptism of Tavo!
4. Saying goodbye to the first counselor and his family, they're awesome!
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