Another great week in the GKLM!
Last Monday we were disappointed to have our lesson cancelled with our most promising investigator family, so we ended up driving around and checking out some hispanic-heavy apartment complexes. We ended the night with some rocking chinese food and I learned that if you go in to get food right before they close, they give you the rest of everything, sweet, right?!
Tuesday we went and worked on our English class and our fliers that we are putting out for it. We will be starting a new beginner class soon so we want to be ready for that. I love teaching them English and I should probably stop soon or else I might want to do it for a career. Not that it would be totally bad, no offense to anyone on that. We had a really sweet spiritual thought on Tuesday after class about prayer and how it draws us closer to God and I could definitely see peoples' minds working. Loved it!
Wednesday we had Zone Conference, so the day was a bit shot. It was a great conference with awesome talks and meetings by President and Sister Woodbury and our Zone Leaders. After that we went out to Charlestown to teach our English class there and we were immensely blessed with some awesome tacos. An awesome investigator from there owns the only Taco Truck in the area so she always hooks us up. Class was great and she brought a friend and we ended up teaching her about the Book of Mormon and she said she would read it.
Thursday we had a great day of service at the Baptist Food Kitchen making Chicken, Ham & beans, and garlic bread. I am starting to remember lots of the regulars and the awesome ladies who work there always provide some good entertainment. After that we went to the Tornado Relief Seventh Day Adventist Warehouse. It was pretty darn slow so we left pretty soon after that and then went tracting for the rest of the night. We didn't really pick up any investigators but got some referrals for the English Elders. That is how things go here, we end up finding more English people who are interested when we go tracting and not many hispanics, and the English Elders never find anyone tracting, crazy.
Friday we had a good day full of Weekly Planning and Ward Coordination. Friday night was awesome. We found out at the last minute about a baptism going on in another ward so when we went over to an appointment we had set, that was our goal, to bring them to the baptism. This investigator is someone who doesn't have much support from their family with their progression, which is normal, and their baptism date keeps changing, so we were stoked when we got him to the baptism! It was such a sweet experience. The Spirit was so strong and when we talked to him after he said, "if it feels like that all the time, sign me up!". We are assured that he will remember that experience and peace for a while to come.
Saturday wasn't super eventful. We ran around trying to meet with people and no one was home or had time. And then we went contacting some former investigators who look like they will stay "former" and then went out to Charlestown to invite some people from our English class to the charla foganera (fireside) that was being held at the mission home on Sunday night. We went by the awesome family with the taco truck and we couldn't get out before she fed us, not really complaining. She is slowly becoming my second mother (don't worry mom, you have a clear 1st), but just because she loves to feed us whenever she sees us.
The charla is held every 3rd sunday of every month and it is a Spanish fireside. We can only go if we have an investigator there, and a rock solid member or recent convert always speaks and then it is a testimony meeting. It is an awesome activity so we spent a lot of Saturday trying to get people there.
Sunday came, investigators didn't show up for church, which was disappointing. But, we made an awesome find. We miss a lot of stuff since we drive everywhere, so when the English bike elders called us saying they just have their only Spanish pass along card to a hispanic family at a park,we jetted over. This park is amazing. HUGE! Seriously, there were hundreds of people there. And a good number of hispanics. And, apparently they hold soccer games there and street soccer matches at the tennis courts on weekends, so it was an amazing AMAZING find.
Our mission now has a standard of talking to 10 people a day, not including lessons, tracting, or normal finding activities. This standard is accompanied by a promise that Elder Ballard gave that if we did this, our convert baptisms would double. Already there have been awesome stories around the mission of golden investigators and instant baptisms being set up by making sure they hit the 10 people mark. So, I feel so much more confident in achieving that goal now. The fact of the matter is, there aren't tons of hispanics just walking around, so that park helps.
Anyway, we followed up on some invitations to the charla, and it seemed as if we were going to get jipped on that. But, we called our sweet second mother with the taco truck and she said they were coming. But they would be late because they were celebrating their daughter's birthday. But that she was bringing everyone to the charla from the birthday party. Wait, did you read that right? Everyone!
So, we went over to an amazing Spanish family's house from our ward, got a ride, and made our way to Louisville for the charla.
We arrived a little late, quickly took our seats in the back of the living room (about 50 people were there, so its pretty crammed and missionaries either sit in the back or stand in the kitchen).
After about ten minutes, our investigators came. With about ten friends and all their children. Multiple families, people! In the mission home, with 50 spanish investigators and members and almost every spanish missionary from the mission. It was amazing. As they walked up I felt so amazingly happy. Not just because this was a huge step for those we already knew, but an awesome introduction to the Church for the ones we hadn't met. But, the Spirit was very strong, and other than one old man from Cuba who had to be told to sit down because he started rambling off about assassination attempts in jails in Cuba, the testimonies were great!
Not all of those people who came loved it. Their kids were very rowdy. But all of them but one usually attends our English class, so we are in an awesome position. And, our superstar Spanish family knew one of the families that came. It was great.
I am so excited for this week and every one after it. I have officially been on my mission for three months. Time flies! There is always something more to do, so it is impossible to feel inadequate. But I know that this is our Father's business. I have only begun to scratch the surface on the insanely huge bank of tender mercies and blessings that is missionary work. One of my teachers, Hermano Pacheco, wrote me a letter before I left the MTC. He helped me out a ton in the MTC and I know that the Lord blessed me with those teachers. He told me that I would be a successful missionary. Success does not always mean baptisms, he said. Success is building friendships that last throughout the eternities.
We have had no baptisms. Not one investigator has come to church since I have been here. My Spanish falters and my teaching is far from perfect. But the Lord builds up His missionaries. Sunday night as all those people filed in, my heart was full. I kinda think that is how it will feel in the eternities, as we see those we have loved and shared the gospel file in amongst the ranks of faithful saints. It is possible that none of them will be baptized. But, for that instant, I knew what success was.
Family and friends. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the vehicle that will help you peel back all these false perceptions of reality that we have today and help you see that the Gospel is the truth. And Christ is the truth, the way, and the light. The Church is as true as the Gospel. And Christ sits at the head. Anything you do to progress His work is a deed well done. Let your light so shine and open your mouths! There are 14 million of us on this Earth that know the truth and the way, many less than that are active on their beliefs, don't hold back. Member missionary work is missionary work. Home teaching and Visiting Teaching is just missionary work to those who are already baptized. The simple joys that come from this work are out there for you to enjoy. Pray for a missionary experience and you will get one!
Is it any wonder that missionaries say and write stuff like that? We are on the front lines. We know how many blessings there are to be had in missionary efforts, and the blessing that you could be to someone else's life. Be that blessing.
I love you all. I don't know who all prays for me or what you say, but thank you and keep it up, it is more than myself out here.
Thank you for everything.
Elder St. Martin
Last Monday we were disappointed to have our lesson cancelled with our most promising investigator family, so we ended up driving around and checking out some hispanic-heavy apartment complexes. We ended the night with some rocking chinese food and I learned that if you go in to get food right before they close, they give you the rest of everything, sweet, right?!
Tuesday we went and worked on our English class and our fliers that we are putting out for it. We will be starting a new beginner class soon so we want to be ready for that. I love teaching them English and I should probably stop soon or else I might want to do it for a career. Not that it would be totally bad, no offense to anyone on that. We had a really sweet spiritual thought on Tuesday after class about prayer and how it draws us closer to God and I could definitely see peoples' minds working. Loved it!
Wednesday we had Zone Conference, so the day was a bit shot. It was a great conference with awesome talks and meetings by President and Sister Woodbury and our Zone Leaders. After that we went out to Charlestown to teach our English class there and we were immensely blessed with some awesome tacos. An awesome investigator from there owns the only Taco Truck in the area so she always hooks us up. Class was great and she brought a friend and we ended up teaching her about the Book of Mormon and she said she would read it.
Thursday we had a great day of service at the Baptist Food Kitchen making Chicken, Ham & beans, and garlic bread. I am starting to remember lots of the regulars and the awesome ladies who work there always provide some good entertainment. After that we went to the Tornado Relief Seventh Day Adventist Warehouse. It was pretty darn slow so we left pretty soon after that and then went tracting for the rest of the night. We didn't really pick up any investigators but got some referrals for the English Elders. That is how things go here, we end up finding more English people who are interested when we go tracting and not many hispanics, and the English Elders never find anyone tracting, crazy.
Friday we had a good day full of Weekly Planning and Ward Coordination. Friday night was awesome. We found out at the last minute about a baptism going on in another ward so when we went over to an appointment we had set, that was our goal, to bring them to the baptism. This investigator is someone who doesn't have much support from their family with their progression, which is normal, and their baptism date keeps changing, so we were stoked when we got him to the baptism! It was such a sweet experience. The Spirit was so strong and when we talked to him after he said, "if it feels like that all the time, sign me up!". We are assured that he will remember that experience and peace for a while to come.
Saturday wasn't super eventful. We ran around trying to meet with people and no one was home or had time. And then we went contacting some former investigators who look like they will stay "former" and then went out to Charlestown to invite some people from our English class to the charla foganera (fireside) that was being held at the mission home on Sunday night. We went by the awesome family with the taco truck and we couldn't get out before she fed us, not really complaining. She is slowly becoming my second mother (don't worry mom, you have a clear 1st), but just because she loves to feed us whenever she sees us.
The charla is held every 3rd sunday of every month and it is a Spanish fireside. We can only go if we have an investigator there, and a rock solid member or recent convert always speaks and then it is a testimony meeting. It is an awesome activity so we spent a lot of Saturday trying to get people there.
Sunday came, investigators didn't show up for church, which was disappointing. But, we made an awesome find. We miss a lot of stuff since we drive everywhere, so when the English bike elders called us saying they just have their only Spanish pass along card to a hispanic family at a park,we jetted over. This park is amazing. HUGE! Seriously, there were hundreds of people there. And a good number of hispanics. And, apparently they hold soccer games there and street soccer matches at the tennis courts on weekends, so it was an amazing AMAZING find.
Our mission now has a standard of talking to 10 people a day, not including lessons, tracting, or normal finding activities. This standard is accompanied by a promise that Elder Ballard gave that if we did this, our convert baptisms would double. Already there have been awesome stories around the mission of golden investigators and instant baptisms being set up by making sure they hit the 10 people mark. So, I feel so much more confident in achieving that goal now. The fact of the matter is, there aren't tons of hispanics just walking around, so that park helps.
Anyway, we followed up on some invitations to the charla, and it seemed as if we were going to get jipped on that. But, we called our sweet second mother with the taco truck and she said they were coming. But they would be late because they were celebrating their daughter's birthday. But that she was bringing everyone to the charla from the birthday party. Wait, did you read that right? Everyone!
So, we went over to an amazing Spanish family's house from our ward, got a ride, and made our way to Louisville for the charla.
We arrived a little late, quickly took our seats in the back of the living room (about 50 people were there, so its pretty crammed and missionaries either sit in the back or stand in the kitchen).
After about ten minutes, our investigators came. With about ten friends and all their children. Multiple families, people! In the mission home, with 50 spanish investigators and members and almost every spanish missionary from the mission. It was amazing. As they walked up I felt so amazingly happy. Not just because this was a huge step for those we already knew, but an awesome introduction to the Church for the ones we hadn't met. But, the Spirit was very strong, and other than one old man from Cuba who had to be told to sit down because he started rambling off about assassination attempts in jails in Cuba, the testimonies were great!
Not all of those people who came loved it. Their kids were very rowdy. But all of them but one usually attends our English class, so we are in an awesome position. And, our superstar Spanish family knew one of the families that came. It was great.
I am so excited for this week and every one after it. I have officially been on my mission for three months. Time flies! There is always something more to do, so it is impossible to feel inadequate. But I know that this is our Father's business. I have only begun to scratch the surface on the insanely huge bank of tender mercies and blessings that is missionary work. One of my teachers, Hermano Pacheco, wrote me a letter before I left the MTC. He helped me out a ton in the MTC and I know that the Lord blessed me with those teachers. He told me that I would be a successful missionary. Success does not always mean baptisms, he said. Success is building friendships that last throughout the eternities.
We have had no baptisms. Not one investigator has come to church since I have been here. My Spanish falters and my teaching is far from perfect. But the Lord builds up His missionaries. Sunday night as all those people filed in, my heart was full. I kinda think that is how it will feel in the eternities, as we see those we have loved and shared the gospel file in amongst the ranks of faithful saints. It is possible that none of them will be baptized. But, for that instant, I knew what success was.
Family and friends. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the vehicle that will help you peel back all these false perceptions of reality that we have today and help you see that the Gospel is the truth. And Christ is the truth, the way, and the light. The Church is as true as the Gospel. And Christ sits at the head. Anything you do to progress His work is a deed well done. Let your light so shine and open your mouths! There are 14 million of us on this Earth that know the truth and the way, many less than that are active on their beliefs, don't hold back. Member missionary work is missionary work. Home teaching and Visiting Teaching is just missionary work to those who are already baptized. The simple joys that come from this work are out there for you to enjoy. Pray for a missionary experience and you will get one!
Is it any wonder that missionaries say and write stuff like that? We are on the front lines. We know how many blessings there are to be had in missionary efforts, and the blessing that you could be to someone else's life. Be that blessing.
I love you all. I don't know who all prays for me or what you say, but thank you and keep it up, it is more than myself out here.
Thank you for everything.
Elder St. Martin
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