Ups and Downs

February 23, 2015

 

 

My week has been good!!! Full of ups and downs. L’s baptism for Saturday was cancelled!! My companion and I were super disappointed and to be honest, somewhat upset. We got a call at 7:00 pm on Friday from the grandparents saying that something happened and L couldn’t get baptized. His mom recently passed away and his father left them, so now he lives with his grandparents. Well, his grandparents are inactive and it’s a miracle that they have allowed us in their home and are supportive of L hearing the lessons. Apparently, Friday evening, L said something to his grandmother, which upset her, and as a punishment, she “grounded” him from being baptized this week. We went over and chatted with the family. We talked a lot about the savior and his mercy towards us and invited the grandma to be like the Savior and extend her mercy towards her grandson and allow him to be baptized. But she said no. It was a pretty sad moment because when I looked into her eyes I did not see much of anything, except a sad and bitter soul. We are praying that he can be baptized this coming Saturday, and are hopeful that the grandma meant to postpone and not cancel his baptism.

 

The branch was pretty excited to welcome him in. We had made personal invitations for members to come out and support him and we spent a long time on the phone letting everyone know that the baptism was not happening.  The president is coming up tonight to interview our other investigators, so we are hopeful they will be baptized this coming Saturday as well.

 

On Wednesday we had a mission conference with an area70! We got up early in the morning because we had to take a bus to Rosario but when we walked out of our pension,  we found out that the taxis here were going on strike and they had parked their cars all over the city in the middle of the roads to not let traffic by. They were burning tires and everything! It was crazy!! Just our luck that it would happen the same day that the area 70 was coming!!! Ha-ha - but we walked a ways and found  another bus that would take us up there!! That was good!!

 

The conference was sweet! I learned a ton!!! I remember sitting there and thinking, “man, this is crazy!! This person is speaking in a different language and I can understand everything that he is saying!! So, it was pretty cool because I can understand most of what people say now!! And I am glad because he said so many things I needed to hear!! Our zone all went out for a massive buffet after the conference. And man, I ate and ate, and ate, and ate!!!! It was super yummy!! I could barely walk out, I had eaten so much!!

 

We had 71 at the church this week and were missing a couple big families so we are growing!! It is so nice to see some success!! I am learning the challenges of basing success on someone else’s actions. We hope to have 4 baptisms this weekend!! I am pumped!! I am going to confirm L and Elder Johnson will baptize him!!

 

Life here in san Lorenzo is good right now! Things are going great and we are doing well!! Hopefully the success stays a float!!!

 

I love you guys!!

 

Elder Carter