July 20 2013

I know I keep starting with this, but, my goodness, the week has gone by so rapidly! How does this keep happening? At the same time, the things from last week seem SO far away!

We had a great week! We're preparing three people for their baptism this coming Sunday. Two are about 9 years old and the other is...20 or 21. They're all so great! Teaching kids has been an interesting new learning experience for me. Trying to explain things on a much simpler level for the children to understand is difficult in a language I don't know perfectly. But, it's been fun! We use a memory card game to help teach the children about things of the gospel and they just LOVE it! I'm surprised sometimes that they're willing to sit down for that long, because sometimes I start to get antsy for something else before they do.

One of our children investigators, Gustavo, is quite the character. He always tends to attract a crowd of other young children in his lessons, so we've been teaching them as well. The other day, we had the chance to teach at least 7 other kids about the law of chastity. This is basically not to have sexual relations outside of marriage and to be faithful to your spouse after marriage. Or, as we explain it to the children- No making babies (or touching the bodies of others) before marriage. There are other aspects to chastity, so we also taught these young boys to not hit their future wives or other women and to avoid foul language and movies. Whether or not these other children ever get baptized is not really of importance right now, but if they can remember what we taught them...I think it can make all the difference in the world. :) Also, Gustavo sits in on the lessons for Elias, our older invvestigator with a baptismal date. He clearly admires Elias and wants to do everything he does. At any rate, Gustavo was sitting in on a lesson we were having with Elias. We were discussing a chapter in the Book of Mormon where a young man is instructed by God to build a boat to cross the ocean! But he has no idea how to build a boat. We asked Gustavo how he would feel if God asked him to build a boat. Did he know how to build a boat? He was very confident that he knew how. We were all surprised. Then he very matter ofr factly began to tell us how to make a paper boat. Oh my gosh, we were dying! I was laughing so hard it took me a little bit to compose myself. That is not a boat I want to cross the ocean in.

One more thing I've really come to realize and learn with these kids and with interactions with the less active members of the church here is how important it is for these kids to have a support system in the church and to keep learning. They accept the gospel because their hearts and minds are open, but that's not enough. If they do not continue to learn about the gospel, they won't be able to have a sure support to help their testimonies grow. There are so many less active members here who were baptized as children and then fell away because they never developed their own testimonies of these things. It is so important that they continue to learn. I'm a little sad I can't be with them as they grow up to help instruct them. We can only try to build a foundation of support and learning for them.

One of the best things this week was getting to go to the temple! My companera had two families from her first area that were going to be married and sealed in the temple as a family for time and all eternity! They were people I didn't know, but I was so incredibly happy for them. First off, I love the temple and the feeling of peace and comfort and support you can feel within your heart when you're inside. Second, the promises that are made in the temple are so incredibly powerful. Every person in there could sense what a wonderful blessing it was for these families! I was a little sad to think that it was not a family I had helped prepare for this step, but that was only a fleeting thought. I truly was SO happy for them! I love these families a lot and I barely know them. I hope I will get to serve in their area some day and be able to know them more. Their lives have been changed forever and they are so incredibly grateful for it! One thought while in the temple was how much I wanted to help others reach this point and be able to enjoy the same magnified Spirit that I felt in the temple and with the promises there. It gave me new energy for my missionary work. This is such a grand opportunity to help bless the lives of others! I must focus on that. :)

Well, I am out of time! I love you all!

 

One of our investigators has 20 new ducklings. This is just one. Cute...but quite smelly!

 

We have a card game we play with the kids to help them learn things about the gospel. They love it!

 

Though I look photo shopped into this picture, it really is a picture of me looking over Cuilapa on the way down the mountain.

 

 

Companera and I outside the temple.

 

Us and the 13 year old daughter of one of the families sealed in the temple.

 

Death by studying. This is what I have to look forward to in another year or so.