This week we are working on a guy named Vincent. He is about fifty or so and is quite an interesting story. He grew up in a little pueblo and worked and worked and worked. Finally he got into Merida and started working in the police. I guess he saw some pretty rough stuff back in the day. Part of everything that went on he kind of started out with anger problems. It grew and grew and grew. He got into drugs drinking and women. He ended up in the psychiatric ward and was there on drugs for a while. Finally he got out (I don’t now what got him but he got out) and he says that he wants to change. A couple missionaries found him awhile ago and it was interesting to read the comments that they had on him. They dropped him; later other elders picked him back up and then dropped him. A member was driving us around one day and he said that he went to an interview with the elders here once. We got in and started talking. He’s a lot more into it now. He still has angry problems and such but he wants to get better. The best part is that he likes our church because he felt a “peace” when he went to church. He’s quite a chatter box and is interesting to listen to. He has a baptismal date for the twenty fifth, but it’s more of just trying to tame him down. All the other elders already taught him everything; we are just more following through.
This week on Thursday we had a lesson with a new kid. He is eighteen. We were going to do some other stuff then it started raining (didn’t have my gortex). We went to his house and tried to see if he was there. Nobody answered the door. Then the rain REALLY started. He came out to go some where and took pity on us and let us wait on his porch while he left. We had a good talk on the restoration. He was super interested in it especially the Book of Mormon but is super busy. He works on concerts during the week and the week ends he does them. It’s a frustrating deal but he is a super good kid.
On Saturday we had a battle. We were knocking doors and we were in a richer neighborhood. We were going to contact a guy who was sitting on his porch and he said the equivalent of, “Just keep walking.” It was hard not to turn around and throw some scriptures in his face, but we just kept on walking. We knocked on a few more doors then this one door; a guy just let us into his door without even asking who we were or what we did. I gave my companion funny look and we both knew something was different. We went there and he is a guy who has traveled the world. He has studied a lot of religions and wanted to know what we believed. We talked about the Restoration and the 13 articles of faith. After the fight began. He talked about how it was “our truth” but that it wasn’t “his truth”. We talked about personal revelation and this and that but he just kept fighting. He said that we were a lot like the Muslims but I failed to see the comparisons. It was pretty rough. We came out two hours later. He was still the same but our testimonies of personal revelation were strengthened.
As far as ward news goes on we had a sweet change as far as missionary work. Our missionary leader that we have now has a super rough work schedule of twenty-four hours of work and then twenty four hours of rest. He doesn’t seem to be super excited about much else (and even less missionary work). The bishop said he is going to change him for a guy that we did lessons with. The guy is from Argentina (yes Allen he has the funny accent). He is super stoked about missionary work. We’re just waiting for the announcement. Then yesterday we ate with a family of a kid who is thinking about going on a mission but isn’t sure yet if he wants to go. It was a really peaceful house with just him and his mom. I realized how much the mission has changed me and I thought about the ¨pre-missionary me¨.
Later that day it rained and I mean rained. It flooded the street in about an hour. It came in super hard then backed off, but didn’t go away for a few more hours into the night. The gortex shoes work good. I felt like a kid walking through puddles again. It was pretty sweet too see the water just go off without any problems. Jacket still works to. Although I think its anti weather powers only work in the states, because it doesn’t have any affect here (if you don’t get that one you’ll have to ask my mom). It was fun though. Some of the streets were super flooded as in up to my ankle and overflowing onto the sidewalks.
The spiritual thought for this week is on personal revelation. One of the reasons why faithful member are so faithful is because they KNOW its true. Many people have said that there is no way to know if something is true. That person hasn’t ever heard of revelation. Revelation comes from the true source of knowledge and in its pure form isn’t misunderstood. Therefore, if a person feels the spirit while something is going on or while the pray or are asking for guidance, they can KNOW what to do. Not just believe. When a person says that they know that the Book of Mormon is true it is because they have received an answer from the heavens and this answer cannot be confused. This is the only way to know spiritual things. Joseph Smith said that a person cannot enter into the kingdom of God without revelation. Its true, and revelation isn’t just visions and dreams. It’s the little moments reading the Book of Mormon and realizing that three hours have gone. It’s the little things of coming out of the temple seeing a great view and taking a deep breath. It’s the discussions around the dinner table. It’s the little things that grow the big testimonies. I know these things are true, and I know them to my core.
Hasta la próxima.
Elder Mackay
Pictures!
ok well only one this week there is no time.
this is my companion.
ok maybe two this is the crazy rain. gotta run!
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