September 7, 2011

Not too much has changed. We are finding more people to teach and looking for ways to help the hispanic community that are in this area. Apparently our work is paying off because I have been told that we have more investigators than there has been in quite some time. I am just doing what I have always done. The problem we face is getting investigators to come to church. Many of the hispanic investigators work on Sunday because they get paid more to work on Sunday. It is interesting that the Hispanics say that life in the US is just working all the time because everything is expensive. I don't think that most of them realized that life in the US is hard, just in a different way. There are many, many who have found great lives in the US, which is great. We know lots that are members of the church.

I am still working to be nicer to the the elders around me. I am trying to be the "good older missionary" instead of the "bully older missionary." I am trying to not get impatient and to correct with love. I am helping my companion with his spanish skills. I think it takes a lifetime to perfect those skills, but it is interesting that my brain seems to think more in Spanish than in English now. Maybe by the time I get home, I will forget how to speak in English!

We listened to a man that was recently baptized. He was a self referral from Salt Lake City. He went to Temple Square and just could not get enough of learning about the church. It was wonderful. He has already been to the temple and wants to keep progressing in the gospel. He is a motivational speaker so his job is to get people excited about starting a small business. He has awesome public speaking skills and spiritually this man is amazing! He definitely motivated us to follow the teachings of Christ.

We also had an experience with a man that we met that we were trying to get to know and teach. I decided to make some phone calls to set up some appointments. When I called this man, he told us that he was having heart problems and had surgery. He told us that none of his friends had come to visit him but his new friends, the missionaries went to visit. He accepted a blessing and is reading the Book of Mormon. It was awesome. I love being a tool that the Lord uses. It means to me that the Lord knows I am trying and doing my best...so great!