Saturday, April 19, 2014

Thoughts on Christ

¡Muy Buenos Dìas!

So we`re basically finding everyone now that`s ready to be baptized and it`s been really nice because we`re FINALLY leaving the offices earlier everyday and yes, it`s just been really good.
 
So about 2 months ago now, we got a reference from some missionaries nearby and said that the guy was really good and was going to wait for us to pass by his house to teach him about the church. So we went to where the direction was, and, like most of the first ring of the city (downtown I guess you could call it) is pure commercial stuff and stores and stuff like that. So it`s impossible to find new people in the majority of our area unless we have references to help us find the friends of the members and stuff. So we were really excited, and when we got there, found out that he lives in an apartment like lots of people in the first ring. So we stopped by his apartment lots of times, and called him a ton, but his phone doesn`t work well at all and in the end, when we finally got a hold of him, he was in Cochabamba. Then he was in Cochabamba again. Then he told us to stop by on Friday. Then he was in Cochabamba again. Ya. Awesome. End of the story. We never found him.
 
Haha chiste [joke]. Ya so then a month after that, he just came to church by himself! And so then we sent an appointment. Then he ended up going to Cochabamba again, and ya, didn`t have much hope for him.
 
BUT. Then after 2 weeks, he came to church again. Directly after arriving home from Cochabamba! And he had such good questions in the classes and ya, he told us to stop by on Wednesday. But then as we were leaving, he ran up to us and said that he had to change the appointment because he remembered that he had to go to Cochabamba again on Wednesday. So then he wanted us to stop by that same day. So we did. And not gonna lie, it looked like he was going to bum out again, but he showed up. And wow. Just wow. So his first question, before the prayer: So, how can I (I don`t know how to say this exactly) ingress(?) (or join?) myself in the church?. Ya, that was surprising. So we`re like, ok, hermano, we`ll explain a bit but how about we start off with a prayer. We say a prayer. Immediately after the prayer: Do you have a baptism or something like that? Can I get baptized?. Haha, yup. So sometimes that happens and stuff but then they don`t do anything, but ya, he`s different and he explained his story to us and it`s just awesome and he wants to get baptized BEFORE May, but we told him it`ll probably be in May because he`s always in Cochabamba for work during the second half of the week, and ya. I can`t really explain it all, but just know that people are prepared and some of them know it too.
 
We had a lot of other really cool experiences this week too, and it`s just finally working out with everything! Really glad I`ll be here for another transfer.
 
This week is transfers, it`ll be crazy again because nothing is official yet, which means long days Tuesday and Wednesday. BUT, we have lessons planned, which means we will be leaving to teach them, so that`ll be good.
 
And ya, I was wondering yesterday when K**`s farewell was gonna be because it was in April. But ya, mando mis saludos [I send you my greetings]. She`ll be an awesome missionary. Just tell her that she needs to not worry about Spanish that much, but more about doing everything she can to just soak everything spiritual in in the MTC. When we do our part without worrying or doubting, everything works out in the end, and it`s usually better than we planned or thought it out to be.
 
So for Parker. Yes. The socks are worth it. I don`t know if it rains a lot in Viña del Mar, pero igual, just buy them because they`re awesome. And yes, buy good ties because it`s basically the only good thing you got goin sometimes haha. Yes, my ties are awesome. It makes it very hard to trade them haha. In fact, Elder T**, who was my companion a year ago now (wow) bought a tie the other day then brought it to the offices just to have a tie good enough to trade me with. Haha. Wow, I`m really writing about ties......... missionary life....... this is just sad haha.
 
Yes, the flooding is in Santa Cruz. We`re in the Pdte`s car going to the offices from the 7th ring. I think we were in between the 4th and 5th ring up north or something like that. But ya, that was just after it had rained for like half an hour/45 minutes or something like that.
 
I was reading about Christ again this morning from the stuff you sent me in the package (yes, I got it, and I actually got it like a month ago!). It`s really interesting if you start thinking not only about what you learn from Christ and all that He did for us, but the other people too that were involved with everything. How many people just denied that He was the Christ and such and then how did they feel afterwards? Maybe we aren`t going to straight up deny that He lives, but maybe we`re not going to stand up for what we believe, or stay silent when we know we should say something, or do something else to ignore what He`s taught us, etc. How are we going to feel one day knowing that He knows that we know better than that? How many of us would have let Him suffer without doing or saying anything? So what can we do now to show our gratitude? What can we do now for Him? What would He want us to do? .......just some stuff to think about.....
 
CUMPLEAÑOS FELIZ! TE DESEAMOS A TI! CUMPLEAÑOS FELICES! TE DESEAMOS A TI! [HAPPY BIRTHDAY! WE WISH TO YOU! HAPPY BIRTHDAY! WE WISH TO YOU!] HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Jeff and Sophie! Hope you had/will have an awesome day!
 
Well that`s basically all I`ve got for the week. Nothing too special, just in the offices, teaching more than before, several people that want to get baptized now in May, and awesome companions.

Mucho amor,

Elder Groneman
 








 

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