Let me start from the beginning of the week, so I can keep my thoughts in order.
Monday--Went to eat Mexican food, did shopping, met our ward's 1st counselor in the bishopric (after a week in the area not knowing him), no lessons.
Tuesday--Called at 6 in the morning to remind me to be at the mission office at 7 to renew my residential visa (in other words, I was not advised; I was asked by the elder who was supposed to do an exchange to go with me, who was waiting for me further down the route). Got an agenda (got organized again), had ward council (SUPER people-focused; it was awesome), no lessons.
Wednesday--Paid $$ to get out to La Ureña--nobody was home. Had correlation mtg (not effective at all--just us and the 2nd counselor in the bishopric), then found the ward mission leader's house and visited him. He is a programmer, and leaves home at 5 every morning only to come home at 8 pm, and is thus not able to fulfill his role as ward mission leader; no lessons.
Thursday--Stumbled though weekly planning, but made plans to contact some investigators the missionaries were already visiting. Ate Venezuelan arepas with a Venezuelan lady in our ward. Lost 2 hours there because other elders got too comfy; no lessons.
Friday--Morning spent walking in the sun in the semi-american neighborhood to no avail. Met R**** (recent convert) in the afternoon, and out of nowhere she referred her best friend to us. Super shy, but super receptive (also friends of other religions are bugging her to join ANY religion, and were pumped when they walked by and saw us sharing). Also met with recent-convert-less-actives R*** and W***, who are struggling with the simple doubts (well, he is--if it were for her, she would go every Sunday. but she can't with her small children unless her husband takes her there on his motorcycle); lessons.
Saturday--International Day of Service (at least, in the Caribbean Area). Cleaned some streets and a mini rec center. In the afternoon frantically helped a sister in the ward move (no priesthood could be there except the guy with a pickup) before rain and Sunday ended all prospects of continuing. There went the whole day. No lessons.
Sunday--R**** didn't bring her friend (didn't even come), and R*** and W*** didn't show (again). Went to La Ureña, set up lots of appointments, met a guy who talked to us for an hour and a half as we tried in vain to direct his ramblings, and met a lady who is 100% ready for baptism who has already had a baptismal date with whom we are going to set a date for this weekend if we can.
Today--usual P-day stuff; Went to Megacentro (I ate a very large [XXL, to be precise] burrito from Taco Bell and ate 200 pesos of raspberry-kiwi frozen yogurt), bought more cologne [they have lacoste white here :)] at a place that mixes the fragrance with other stuff so it lasts longer and sells it cheap (I got 50 ml for 580 pesos, and that with an "8-hour guarantee" [if the fragrance doesn't last 8 hours on you, bring it back for a refund or exchange]).
Jessica--(She asked how keeping the Sabbath day holy has helped him on his mission.) Keeping the Sabbath day holy is something I thought would be impossible to not do as a missionary, but the point of the Sabbath day is to not do stuff we'd do other days. Even if it means just ironing and shining shoes the day before, it makes a HUGE difference in how you feel during the day. Also, having a focus and repenting BEFORE you get to sacrament meeting makes it SUPER spiritual and special.
Mom--(I sent quotes from Pres Benson's talk on pride given in April of 1989 by Pres Hinckley.) Thanks for the notes on pride. I feel like it really is true that many of us sin in ignorance. It is one of the hardest sins to avoid and repent of. Could you send the entire talk in an attachment next week? (already done :) ) I want to print that out and study it in full.
Love you guys! More spiritual stuff next week--this week I feel kind of de-focused because of the lack of teaching and all the stuff that happened.
Élder Rowe
D****'s baptism from his last area
A nasty infected mosquito bite. He says it is healed now.
The U**** family from his last area
His new Companion Elder C**** and the mission President and his wife
Missionaries love to eat :)
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