Hi mom -
I got transferred. I´m now in Acapulco - I haven´t had a sweat-free moment since I got here at 2:00, except when there´s a fan on me (it´s about 3:10 right now). I´ll survive. My new companion´s name is Elder Vazquez - I´m his second companion, and he´s my third. He´s from the same generation as my last companion (the one I trained).
I didn´t die on the bus ride, thankfully. I didn´t even have to throw up. A miracle. A 3-hour bus ride without too much car sickness. And that was 3 hours of being alone - the missionaries from Iguala dropped me off, and the missionaries in Acapulco picked me up. That was wierd. I have a reference for the missionaries in Iguala, though.
On Saturday night, at about 10:15, Elder McKee (district leader in Iguala) called to tell us about the changes. I stayed up until 12:15 packing, so that on Sunday, I could go and say bye to some families. We also spoke in church. We didn´t speak because we were going - we had actually asked the Bishop a few weeks ago if we could speak. We get sick of all of the contention between the members, so we wanted to talk in church.
I talked about the importance of the church. Basically, I said that the church doesn´t need them. All of them can go inactive, and the Church of Jesus Christ will continue on. But they need the church. And all of the inactive members need the church. And just going to church isn´t enough, you actually have to be an active part of the work if you expect to return to live with God. And finally, I asked them if they still have a testimony burning in their hearts. And if not, they need to repent, study, fast, pray, and get that testimony again. I also told them that I´m leaving, and I want to see that the ward is strong again in a short time (the ward was about to divide, but then something happened and now only half of the chapel is filled every Sunday).
My companion gave some ideas in his talk about how to help with the work - how to invite and help non-members, as well as less- active members (we didn´t plan the talks together, but they worked out really well).
After the meeting, various members came up to me and promised that they would work harder to help out the ward. I hope so.
This is going to be wierd - getting to know my second area. Iguala is the only place in Mexico that I know (I was there 6 months) -There I learned Spanish, there I learned to love the Mexican people and culture - you know what I mean, you´ve served a mission.
Now we live in an apartment on the second floor of a member´s house. They have a washing machine, that´s nice. Our clothes are washing right now.
I´m excited to get to know this area. Elder Vazquez says that the area is huge, and I believe it. Acapulco is HUMONGOUS! I would even argue that it´s bigger than Las Vegas (I don´t know, I don´t know either one of them very well). It´s on the mountains, too, so it´s hard to tell.
And of course, they transfer you right when you´re going well. We had just started to have some more success than normal this past week in Iguala. O well. That´s the work of the Lord - He knows what He´s doing.
Glad to hear that things are going well over there. Yay, I´m an uncle! I know I was an uncle before, but, again! Congratulations, Bonnie, that the baby was born. Congratulations also that the easy part is over.
I´m also glad to hear that you´re feeling better. Good luck at work on Tuesday, I´m starting work in a new area that same day.
Thanks for the pictures, I´ll send some to you next week, of parts of the area, of my new companion - OH - my trainer, Elder Nelson, is my district leader here in Acapulco.
I can´t think of anything else to say - except two things.
The church is true! Keep pressing forward in the work of the Lord.
and...
I love you!
Elder Bartlome
No comments:
Post a Comment