Hello one and all!
As usual I will start with a comment on the weather here in SoCal. For the first time in a very long time it isn't sunny (and I don't know if the clouds will burn off by around 12 like they usually do...) But none the less I wish everyone a happy (late) Labor Day!
-My semi laborious feelings/thoughts as of late....
Well.... my greenie fire as officially worn off and now I am in the endure to the end phase (I loved the camel and the letter mom wrote, where did she get the idea? It was kind of bad timing but I found a beanie baby camel with endure to the end written on it in our apartment like two days before I got the package... but I didn't really understand the meaning besides that I was over the hump... It was a great letter! I learned a lot, tell mom...)
This past transfer I really learned to have charity and really teach people not lessons. Now I am going to keep focusing on that but also amp up my diligence/efforts that seem to have suffered a little at my cause of getting to know my investigators etc. I need to apply the ideology that the greatest thing I can share with someone to show them my love is the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Atonement. We both feel like we need to teach "the lessons" to PEOPLE more but keeping in mind the trainings we just received. As Elder Franson is the District Leader he is in charge of helping the American Sign Lang (ASL) Elders to overcome their huge struggles to apply the training to a VERY different audience.
Elder Franson and I get along really well. Besides one silly argument that we had one p day about BYU (he is from Provo and as a result has some pretty strong feeling against it) we work amazing together. He is very patient with me and others and he is very worry free/"chill" as the teenagers these days would say (coming from a wise old 20 yr old like me, so far removed from this rising generation by a full 3 weeks of experience and maturity)
So, he is helping me to not worry as much as I do, not care so much about what people think of me, overcome my VERY secular education/years of resistance to Gospel learning combo that I was doing in high school (aka he is helping me "lean not unto thine own understanding etc- Proverbs 3:5-6 and trust God) It has been really good for my testimony and to really put my doubtful thoughts/fears behind me. I am also trying to really lean, rely upon and recognize the promptings of the Spirit.Additionally, I am really trying to be "chill" and work hard at the same time. I am also really learning humility and the power of prayer...
Also I am trying really hard not to be a "story seeker" looking for crazy things from spiritual miracles to ghetto stories of drive bys etc...
-A little about the great labor of the Lord....
The first week of this new transfer we spent mainly visiting some potential baptismal dates/formers and tracting a lot around them, a lot of recent converts, our baptismal date Alex Ortiz and contacting some referrals we got. As always we balanced keeping current people going with finding new people.Alex Ortiz has his baptismal interview today at 7. It was amazing because last night, when we were going over the baptismal questions (for the third time since we have been teaching him and his probably 20 billionth time with missionaries in general) he admitted that he does finally believe that the church of Jesus Christ was restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith and that President Monson is a Prophet of God today. I feel badly because I wasn't as patient with him as I should have been in the beginning but since we have been praying for charity and patience it has been going much better. I know that part of the things that I am supposed to learn in this area is just that. Elder Franson is very patient.
We are also working to support and make our recent converts more self sufficient/rely on God more. (aka not babysitting them as much) We were very happy when Sergio is extremely shy with grown ups got his own ride home from church without us even telling him he had to find his own ride... We are making daily contact and committing them to read the Book of Mormon daily. I am learning a lot, especially since Elder Packer talked about it, of how important following up is.
We plan to go to the Visitors Center with Sergio, his neighbors the Archundias kids and the active member family that gives them rides. I know that the trip will really help them to become more self sufficient in the church.
We are also still trying to prioritize the amount of contact the Less Actives families that the past missionaries were working with need on a weekly basis...
My studies are going well, this week I will be making the transition to having almost 100% of my studies be in Spanish- starting with reading the Doctrine and Covenants in Spanish and then finishing the Old Testament in Spanish after, to complete my reading of the Standard Works and the Missionary Library...
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Love!
Elder Myers
