So just to fill you in real quick on the investigators. Angela is still progressing. She shifting her schedule at work, so tomorrow she is coming to church, which is very good. She hasn´t been in a couple weeks, due to work, so we need her to be more faithful about coming on Sundays. Jean Carlo is still in the military school, and while he is a very good kid, and emails us and says he is still reading the BOM, we think he will need more time, considering we´ve only been able to teach him once. But he does want to be baptized, and we are exited to watch him make an impact on the ward when he arrives. He has a lot of potential.
Also, there is a couple we are helping. Jennifer and Paulo. Jennifer is a member of the church already, and her father and family, but she had her kids super early with this guy Paulo who was raised as a 7th day adventist. But the thing is, he is leaning toward the LDS Church! We taught them last night, and their case is super hard. They have these two little boys, 3 and almost 1 years old. And they are horribly wild and rowdy and it is near impossible to get the spirit to be there with us for even 5 minutes. It´s kinda one of those odd situations, where I believe God wants us to be creative to figure out the solution. We´re working on it.
So honestly, we have had a hard time ever getting to any real teaching, or real doctrine, or helping answer their questions, because we can only stay a very short time before their kids go crazy. They are a young couple. She is only 19, and he´s like 26 I think. But they´re good people! And we really love them. They want us to keep coming. They are always calling and i really see the need in their eyes, and they´ll say after a week and a half without seeing them "Where have you been all week? We were sure you´d forgotten about us."
It´s really sad, because they need help, and they want to do the right thing, but in all honestly.... they do not fulfill any commitment. Dad, you´ll remember people like this. Here we call them investigadores eternos (eternal investitadors). They always want you there, but they simply don´t do anything to show they really want to change their lives. They have all these problems and need help, but we can not do anything until Paulo stands up to his boss and says, "give me Sunday off. I need to go to church." In many cases, the bosses are a lot more merciful than the people think, they just have to act! So please pray for them. Not for any miracle to happen, because I don't think it will. God is very patient, and very reluctant to bless us when we sit in our chair asking and asking and asking. But when we stand up and start doing the work ourselves, simply HOPING that he will step in and help us out, he does. It´s that simple. So we are trying to get Paulo to at least read the chapter in the Book of Mormon that we leave for him to read, or at least show up to church one Sunday. Hopefully Jennifer can find a little bit of free time to help him do so.
Thanksgiving was great. We ate with the Douglas Family. So I actually had a very american thanksgiving dinner. Yams. Stuffing. Turkey. Rolls. Jello (with raspberry!) Potatoes. The whole shebang! I have been feeling very thankful lately for the investigators that the Lord has blessed us with. Never forget how blessed you are!
Elder Hartvigsen
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