The Work is Moving Forward

Hello family! Here we are, once again, me telling you about life in Pancà and all that! I wonder what you guys have as a mental picture of where I am right now... I can`t wait for the time that I can actually describe you this place, and have you guys know what it is really like liviing here! It is still really weird to think that for about 4 1/2 months, I`ve lived in a place with little to no civilization, and I haven`t minded it at all! Guess that goes to show how much the mission can help a person grow, right? I just can`t wait until I will grow to be the man that I want to be!

So basically, things have been rough recently. It feels like I have plateaued. (Is that a word?) I was doing so good in the beginning, but now it feels like I`ve hit a wall, and I need to get running again. But with all the help and support from you guys, my leaders here, and the other missionaries, I have received a lot of good advice, and I am ready to put it into practice. I am looking at this not as a bad thing that is going on, but an opportunity given to me to help me grow not only as a missionary, but as a man also. So I am really thankful for this going on right now.

So to describe what is kind of going on, in Pancà, we have about 10-15 investigators, but not one is progressing. It really is nice to have so many people that aren`t members that we can go visit regularly, but they aren`t doing their part. Especially with coming to chruch. It really is hard, because on Sunday`s, it is market day here in Momos, so most people go to Momos Sunday mornings to buy stuff, and come back in the afternoon. That causes a problem for us, because our meetings are in the mornings. And it is really hard for us to tell people not to go and buy stuff for the week. So we have been trying to tell them that maybe they can go on Wednesday, where there is a smaller market day, so they can have time on Sunday. But they are so used to going on Sunday, that it is really hard for them to change. This really is a big thing for us, because if we can just get some people to come to church with us, they will be progressing, and we can move forward with them. There is only so much that we can do without them coming to church, so we are going to work really hard on that this week!

This week was our first week as a split Zone, because changes were this Tuesday. I haven`t really felt a difference, because I have been in Pancà all week, but we definitely have a lot less Elders here during the week, such as today. I really feel bad for the other Elders that went to San Bartolo, because that really isn`t a big city, and there isn`t much to do there! But we can see it all as the bigger picture, because if a Zone split, that means that there are more missionaries in the mission! So all in all, it really is a good thing!

Also, there are so many people that have received their calls recently! For instance, Mom, you sent me 37 names of people that I know personally.. That is incredible! Not to mention that I have received news on others from other people! The work of the Lord really is moving forward, and it feels like there is nothing that can stop it! I love hearing about all of it, and it makes me so happy to know that there are so many that are willing to share the gospel!

Hopefully there will be more for you guys next week, I really am praying and working hard to make things happen. So hopefully! Thank you all for helping me out, and I love each and every one of you! Until Next Time!

- Elder Stuart

P.S. The scripture is 1 Nephi 1:20. Tender mercies really are something else.

P.P.S. Sorry, no pictures this week, mainly because there aren`t any exciting pictures that I took this week. So next week look for them!

Here We Are Again!

     Hello Family!  Here we are again, just the same as usual!  This week, not much happened, it was just a lot of missionary work, although we did walk a ton this week!  But unfortunatley, things have been slowing down here, but I want them to speed back up!  Although it has been fairly easy this week, that´s not what I want!  I want to bust my butt and do all that I can to help the people here!  I just hope that my excitement can turn in to actions by the people we are teaching.  

     The reason that things seem to have slowed down here, is because everyone seems to be at a standstill.  We have about 10 investigators that we are teaching on a regular basis, but only one is progressing.  (Which means the others aren´t keeping their commitments and coming to chruch and all that.)  The biggest thing for them to do is to come to chruch with us, but out of our 10 investigators that we have regularly, a big fat 0 came to church this week.  We haven´t had time to visit them to figure out what happened, but I have a feeling that it is just taking that first step to walk to the chapel.  I know that it is a bit far for some families, but isn´t that what sacrifice is about?  I just wish that they could realize how blessed they could be, if only they could keep their commitments!  I just want to do all I can for them, but if they don´t pull their part, nothing is going to happen.  I am only here to give them the opportunity to hear about the gospel, it is up to them to decide for themselves if they want to accept it.  It is so hard for me, because i just want to enter their mind and say, "Wake up!  The Key to Eternal Happiness is right in front of you!"  But of course I can´t do that.  I guess that is why I feel like I am not doing all I can, because I can´t see the results of my work.  But if I just keep focusing on the right things to do, and let them do their part, everything will be fine.  I think I just kind of gave myself counsel while writing this...  So yeah, those are my thoughts this week!

     Some news about our Zone.  So Momos is one of the biggest Zones in the mission, and because of that, we are going to split into 2 Zones!  I´m still going to be in Momos, but a lot of the other Elders are headed to a new Zone called San Bartolo.  Plus, Elder Kinghorn, who is the AP right now, is going to come here and be a Zone Leader!  So we shall see how that goes!  But I have a really good feeling about our new Zone, so hopefully everything turns out!  

     I don´t know, I guess I am just a little frustruated that nothing is really going according to plan, but I guess this is just me learning to have patience and to let the Lord do what he has planned in his own time.  It really has been a reflective week, and I really feel like I have grown a lot.  So even though we didn´t make progress with investigators this week, I made progress with myself, which is important too, right?  So I guess this week wasn´t all for not!

     Even though things aren´t going as I want them, it hasn´t hurt my testimony in the slightest!  I still know that this chruch is true with every part of my being and every part of my heart.  I am so grateful to have this Gospel in my life, and I can´t even begin to imagine where I would be without it.  I have such a strong love for my brother Jesus Christ, but I know that his love for me is far above what I have for me.  I just hope that one day I will be able to show how much I really do appreciate all he has done for me.  I guess I am started now, by being a missionary, but I still have a life ahead of me, and I hope I cn do everything I can to live up to it!  I want to live my life so that when I finally get to see my Savior and my Heavenly Father again, I can say proudly, "I have done all I can, and I have no regrets."  I hope that we can all strive to be better people in our lives. 

     Thank you always for your support!  I love each and every one of you!  Until Next Time!

     - Elder Stuart

     P.S. Scripture is not really a scripture.  It´s a talk.  If you can, look up Jeffrey R. Holland´s talk "Saftey for the Soul" from October 2009.  Sends chills down my spine every time!