Answers.
Yeah we got the Apartment all set up for the new missionaries, Elder Cruz from `The Savior` (El Salvador) and Elder Guillen from the Ecuator (Ecuador) haha lame joke. They are very good eldres, and I think elder cruz is going to finish his mission in the same group as me.
Also, my companion.
Elder Olivares is the best. He is 21 years old from santiago chile, and he is a nut. He was reactivated into the church only a couple years ago by the missionaries (with help from god obviously). He speaks very well. clearly, and the other missionaries respect him for that. also, he puts up with my constant and nagging self criticism and stress that comes from not baptizing 46 people per month that I think we should be able to do, and the super end of the world sad Elder Hartvigsen when we don't. But Yeah he is awesome and we goof around a ton. Laughing and making jokes as we walk the streets of Mariscal Caceres.
This week was a toughy. I had a really hard time because our success has literally stopped. We still work very hard all the time, and still find a bunch of people, but no one is willing to sacrifice and make changes in their life. it is extremely frustrating and deflating. I had a very spiritual experience yesterday, when not a single investigador came to church (not good) and I sat there absolutely devastated and beyond frustrated. with my other companion it was incredibly easy to find baptisms, we baptized eleven people in three months, a very good number. But this time around, with me in charge, it aint workin. You can imagine my distress.
But.
There is a super awesome dude named Elder Fernandez, my district leader (has also been the zone leader here). He has 22 months in the mission, and speaks awesome english, and is a great friend of mine, so I always go to him for advice. And he helped me last night read in preach my gospel page 10 that un misionero exitoso (a successful missionary) does not always, or even frequently have a ton of people flocking to his ward font. The spirit works through him and he, along with his companion, are able to teach with authority and power and have powerful experience with the people they love. That, I am, and therefore I was wrong in thinking that we were failing so bad. This week I have resolved to do better.
Also, in Sacrament meeting, we sang I'll go where you want me to go dear lord, I'll be what you want me to be. regardless if I feel worthy or capable of the calling, I WILL accept it, and fulfill it--to the best of my ability and more, to the ability of him who fills the gaps. Yesterday was very hard and very dark. But today, I awoke with Joy in the morning, (thanks dad) and today shall be grand.
Funny things.
We walked up to this house the other day with a little four year old kid exclaiming very funny things.
Wao! Mira mira viene un grino! Wao grandaso es, mira su cara! Rojaso es su cara! He-llo!
here is my best translation.
Wow look look here comes a gringo! Holy cow its huge! look at its face! its face is So red! wow! Hello (the last word he called to me in english, like they all do)
haha that actually made me laugh so hard.
Also... I translated my own song May into spanish for a ward member (part of an awesome family who we always visit and whose daughter and son want to serve missions later) who had it on her cell phone. Super bizzare experience for which i felt slightly guilty listening to my own music haha but i think it wasnt a sin to the level of unpardonable so... were good.
Yeah mom it is blazingly hott. and its a hott that ive never experienced.. because when youre in the shade the weather is quite admirable, but in the sun, instantly your skins begins to burn and you start sweating. But im not complaing because its worse in lima, where ill be going in possibly one month. so yeah.
Also right now, carnaval is happening. Which means that all the teenagers and kids in the city through water balloons at the opposite sex as they walk down the streets haha. luckily we have not yet fallen victim, but the time will come i can feel it in the air.
One other interesting thing.
Ayacucho has a ton of churches. and everyone is already a member of some church. And the jehovas wittnesses do damage in the streets, which we have to clean up ugh. All the time we talk to people who ask us stuff like, so do we pray to jesus, or to his father jehovah? (oh no) or `so in the mormon, are you guys saved, because the jehovahs wittnesses say that if you are a member of their church, youre saved and if not, youre damned. (honestly?) or even one girl said that she had heard that when christ left, he left the world in apostacy and we are here alone until satan is destroyed and in that time will god return to help us. (whaaat?????)
well. another week ha pasado (passed) and i am ready for another.
Love to all.
Elder Hartvigsen
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