The Church is Perfect, The People Are Not

I think this is one of my favorite themes I have learned on the mission. This Sunday we had a small miracle happen, when some girl we had contacted, came to church. She showed up right on time and was waiting outside. Unfortunately, nobody had the key to the front gate of the church. We were trying to pick the lock in the mean time, but didn't have any luck. After 15 minutes, someone finally got the key. Maybe it wasn't the greatest first impression. 

Then we had our sacrament meeting. I don't know what was going on, but the person directing the meeting forgot everything but his own name. Between the long uncomfortable pauses and the unknown hymns we put a smile on so the investigator wouldn't think anything was wrong. 

Things didn't get any better in Gospel Principles class when a crazy less active lady came in a took control of the whole class, ranting about her smoking addition and how she came to know that the church was true. We were quite embarrassed after all that had happened, and told Carla, the investigator, that was everything for today. We left her with an invitation to the next ward activity, and showed her the exit to the church. 

In the last class we talked about home teaching and church cleaning. Good thing Carla had left. To our surprise, when we looked back, we saw her sitting between the sister missionaries. The sister missionaries had "saved" her from leaving and brought her back to the meeting to sit through yet another hour of church videos. 

I'm actually really happy she was able to come. Sometimes you just want everything to go perfectly and it doesn't. She really liked the church, even though it didn't exactly go according to plan. As members we are far from perfect, especially me, but we know that the doctrines, principles, values, and teachings are true. We just laughed and had a good time, we made the best out of the experience! If you can't change it, just love it!

Photos from the week: 

Parque Urbano "El Bosque" and exchanges in Corral with Elder Aguilar. 

A Rainy Day Story

I wanted to share a small experience that happened this week. Tuesday was a rough day, we did a lot of walking. Remember that really cool idea about teaching English in the community center, great idea...but there was a soccer game with Chile and Peru so nobody came. Insult to injury. 

So we are walking back to our house in the rain, its like 9:30. We see this guy sitting in the middle of the sidewalk. Our first impression was that he was either drunk or on drugs, so we decided it would be a better idea not to talk to him. A few steps after passing him, we looked at each other and I asked Elder Jackman if we should go back. He said he was feeling the same way. So we went back. I was prepared to either help this drunk guy waddle home or call a taxi. However, as we approached this man, he got up, and we realized he wasn't drunk nor drugged out. He was just sitting there crying. We asked what had happened, he said he just felt that he should sit down and watch the rain. Now I don't know if this man was contemplating suicide, but he definitely wasn't in a healthy mental state. We testified to him that God never leaves us alone, we told him that it wasn't a coincidence that we were talking to him at that very moment. 

I had planned to share a scripture with some members for lunch, but our lunch plans were changed. I also don't think that was a coincidence. So I shared this scripture with Juan, it comes from Alma 58: 10-11. In the scripture it talks about the lord not taking away our burden, but giving us the faith and hope to overcome them. We testified that the Lord loves us and that he had sent us to talk to him. 

If there is one thing is learned it is to follow the impressions you get. They may be subtle, but it is the way the Lord communicates to us. 

Have a great week everybody! 

---

Elder Haddad

Arboretum

Updates for this week: 

Tuesday: There was a house that burned down right across the street from us. We saw the fire start and the clouds quickly rise up in the air. Thankfully the fire didn't spread to any nearby houses and we went by quickly after they had put the fire out and everyone was okay. 

Wednesday: Today was transfers, Elder Ballard went to Osorno and Elder Jackman is now my companion. Elder Jackman and I were kind of companions before in Ovejeria, we both were stuck without companions after the transfer because of some delays in the flights. Elder Jackman is from Orem, Utah and we both studied at BYU together. 

Thursday: Today we got approved to teach English classes in the commuity center.  We will offer the classes for free and then offer a small spiritual thought at the end. What we are excited about is that the community center is going to invite all of the people, we don't have to do anything! 

Friday: We went on exchanges with the stake presidency to do invitations. We visited so many families

Saturday/Sunday: Stake Conference. We heard some great talks, the mission president spoke, so did some ex-missionaries, and a member from the 70. 

Monday: We explored a reserve that the university protects, its called the Fundo Teja Norte. Also known as the arboretum. Photos attached. 

The timing of the Lord

Experience of the week:

This week we saw little miracles every day. One of those was Wednesday, we had a teaching appointment with an investigator that we are teaching English to. We always share a small message after teaching. She is 24, married, and has a 2 year old daughter. She is the daughter of a recent convert that just got sealed in the temple a month ago. Her name is Victoria. We were teaching her about the gospel of Jesus Christ: faith, repentance, baptism, ect. When we got to baptism, we shared this verse with her (3 Nephi 27: 19-20):

"19 And no unclean thing can enter into his kingdom; therefore nothing entereth into his rest save it be those who have washed their garments in my blood, because of their faith, and the repentance of all their sins, and their faithfulness unto the end."

We then explained to her that the things that make us unclean are not keeping the commandments of God. We asked her what she needed to do to be able to put her life in order with the commandments of God. She said, I need to get baptized. More than ever she understood the need, the invitation, and the purpose. She told us that the missionaries had invited her before, but she had never felt such a strong need like she did now. We then read the next verse: 

"20 Now this is the commandment: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day."

We invited her to a specific baptism date, but she seemed so worried. She said she would be out of the country. We told her that we had prayed to know what date we should invite her to and that God makes things possible in His timing. She told us that there was a small, very small, possibility she would be staying here in Chile. I have no doubt that God completes his promises and makes everything possible in his timing. 

-- 

Elder Haddad