Well, What Do I Even Talk About???

September 29,2014

Well what do I even talk about??? I just don't really have much to say because... you know I will be home in about 2 weeks. Crazy. It still hasn't hit me. The time is still flying by. I still don't even think I am going home. It always has to be other people that remind me. Everytime we arrive to an appointment or go visit a member they are just bugging me "ooooohhh how much time do you have left?" Sometimes they don't help...but the truth is we are doing pretty good. 

This week was a bit sad for us and for a lot of the members here. This week one of the long time San Juan members, the one that was sick that payed her tithing to us, passed away on Wednesday. It was a really humbling experience as I gave her the last blessing she received in this world. We then had to help with everything for her funeral because the elders here in San Juan basically do everything for the lack of members and support. Including this week, we had to both talk in sacrament meeting and count tithing. Well we are really trying to come up with a plan for San Juan so we can have real growth and not just baptisms. This week it really came out into the light that nobody, even the leaders here, know the doctrine of the church. so we talked about maybe putting a branch of institute here in San Juan so that the people would really open up the scriptures. Evidence of the lack of reading and doctrinal knowledge is the baptism when the member of 30 years who goes to the temple many times a week, didn't know how to baptize, didn't even know that we had to start with a prayer or when a sister of 25 years asked the sisters why do they always give their baptisms to the elders. Why don't the sisters baptize them??? are you kidding me??? Well I really do love San Juan and that's why I care. The people here are so humble and have a ton of faith they just can't leave what the world offers. It's sad. 

This week we found a really cool investigator named A--.  He just got back from the United States after being there 16 years. We found him at the funeral of sister Soledad. It was so weird because he has seen movies about the church that normally only members have seen, like Charly, Gods Army and a bunch of others. He said that he has lots of friends that are members and wants to get to know the church with his whole family. He is a really genuine guy.He is cool. The Lord always has prepared people for the missionaries. Sometimes it's the missionaries or the members that aren't prepared to do the work of salvation. Well my 2 years are coming to an end but I am so thankful for the opportunity that my family and the Lord gave to me to serve my Guatemalan brothers. Talk to you next week.

Elder Reinhold