This past week has been pretty tough. I'm starting to feel the heat more and more as the months go by and it's not even summer yet. The worst was Friday and literally nobody was opening up to us. I think this past week was just a preview for June and July. If you read Jonah 4:8 you'll understand. But hey, life goes on.
As a missionary I feel like when you search your day for the blessings you've received, Heavenly Father is really looking out for you. As well as the heat this past week it seemed like everyone in the ward got together, found out when it would be inconvenient to feed the missionaries and then planned our meals exactly when our appointments were, because that's exactly what happened. We had finished our second meal with a member and we needed to be on the other side of our area and we had 5 minutes. So we started to run and then we started to walk really fast because running hurt so bad. Next thing we know we hear a honking behind us and this blacked out Cadillac rolls up and my first thought was ''Ok, every man for himself'' because I'd heard stories and as cool as it is to be a movie star, I'm not trying to be starred in the ''Saratov Approach 2''. But we wait to see who it is. The window rolls down and it's an old man and he asks if we need a ride. We don't know him but we hop in because he seemed friendly. His name is Jonathan and turns out he's Roman Catholic and he's super interested in what we have to say. So on the way to our appointment we talk to him and he asks if we could come by his house and teach his whole family!!! How perfect is that?! In one of the general conference talks I heard in the MTC it said that God calls imperfect people to complete a perfect work. And it goes on to say how people are prepared and being prepared everyday to hear this message, it's up to us missionaries to go out and find the ones that are ready to take that step of faith.
On another note, as a zone we make goals for our weekly and daily progress. One of the goals, that has now been adopted by the entire mission, is that as individual companionship's we need to have at the least 10 contacts in the calle before we return home for the night and with this heat it's been a little tricky. But lucky for us, we live in a neighborhood that has a soccer field and soccer games almost every night. With all the people who watch the games its easy to find people to talk to and Elder Garcia played a ton of soccer so he knows the Spanish soccer lingo which initiates the conversation and then we end up giving them a pass a long card and sharing with them a bit about the Restoration. I honestly feel like when anyone talks about the Restoration of this church to someone whose never heard it, it really sparks an interest and leaves them curious to know more. Whether its the Holy Ghost promoting them to want to know more or its just their own wonderings, it's very powerful to share this message because we're the only church on the earth that has it.
Lastly, this is the final week before cambios on Sunday, moment of truth. Me and Elder Garcia in our letters to the President have asked that we could be comps one more time just so we could finish out my training as him as my trainer but he's been here for 6 months already so I guess we'll just have to wait and see. Fingers crossed!
Love you guys,
Elder Padilla
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| ''And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives!'' (Doctrine and Covenants 76:22) |
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| ''But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.'' (1 Timothy 5:8) |
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| ''And behold, this will I give unto you for a sign at the time of his coming; for behold, there shall be great lights in heaven, insomuch that in the night before he cometh there shall be no darkness, insomuch that it shall appear unto man as if it was day.'' (Helaman 14:3) |
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