Hola
Familia,
This week was a pretty rewarding week in the mission field!
On Tuesday night, we held a Family Home Evening with Pedro and his
family. This was actually the first time I've been to their house because they
live a bit outside of Villa Mercedes and it’s a little too far for our tired
legs. Of course, we watched a little bit of soccer because they are fanatics! I
consider my family to be sports and Utah football junkies but they put “junkie”
to a whole new level! They have trophies and sports pictures everywhere in the
house. It is truly a sight to see. We ended up teaching them the Plan of Salvation
and then playing a little game with the lesson. To be honest, it was one of the
coolest lessons I have taught in my short time as a missionary. We had the whole
family involved and Pedro was helping his family. We spent the night laughing
and having a good time. In addition, it
was probably one of the most spiritual lessons I have had and the presence of
the Spirit was definitely there with us.
On Sunday, they were able to attend General Conference and it was
a cool site see them all together!
Another good part of the week occurred when we arrived at our
lesson with Jorge and he asked me for a favor. As missionaries, we always ask
people if we can do some service for them or basically anything else they need.
So, when I asked him what I could do for him he told me that he wanted me to
cut his hair. Jorge is a barber so I was feeling the pressure a little bit. I
grabbed his clippers and scissors and cut him up real good! So, if medical
school doesn't work out, Jorge promised I could find a job as a barber. LOL!
Obviously, the highlight of the week was General Conference.
General Conference is basically a holiday for the missionaries because we can
just relax in the chapel, watch our beloved leaders of the Church give us some
awesome talks and then of course feast on all of the member’s food. During the
first session on Saturday I decided to test out my Spanish skills and watch the
session in Spanish. It was actually a really cool experience and I understood
the majority of what the speakers were saying. The only problem was, I kept
trying to read the lips of the speaker instead of listening to the Spanish
translator and it screwed me up. I don't think I got as much as I could've from
the talks, but it was still a great experience. 
Between the afternoon session and the Priesthood session we
baptized Victor (Nano) and it was an incredible experience. Especially during
the last two weeks he has made a ton of progress with his knowledge of and commitment
to the Church. We have also watched the ward family welcome him with open arms
and this is so great because now he has more friends at church, not just his
girlfriend.
I was able to perform the ordinance again and like at Pedro's
baptism, the feeling I had in the font was incredible. The smile on Victor’s
face when he left the water was a sight I will never forget. We shared a big hug
in the font and it truly was a special moment. Before the ordinance, I
suggested to him that when he was baptized, the big tattoo on his neck might
wash away with the rest of his sins, but it didn't. LOL! I'm really excited to
see how Victor can progress in the Church, especially with his personal
testimony. The support of all the ward members will certainly help.
This week was full of rewards, great feelings and spiritual
moments. Victor's baptism and General Conference were especially rewarding. I
loved General Conference and at times I felt like the speaker was talking
directly to me. I especially thought the
talks by Uchtdorf and Eyring were something special. We had a couple of investigators
in attendance at Conference and I don't think there's a better way to help
their progress than to hear from a couple of apostles. I know every week won't
be filled with baptisms and awesome Conference talks but it made the week very
enjoyable!
The fall weather is finally here and it is such a refreshing
feeling after living through almost a full year of summer and spring!
Elder Roderick
No comments:
Post a Comment