Week 087 - The Winds Came In And The Flood Came Down And Everyone Here Lives On The Sand

I’m glad all is well and getting better, because starting school again is the best thing ever ... right? 

So far I’m loving my new area. it’s definitely different than my other areas. It’s a lot more active and energetic here because it’s the city and all. And the ward is really great too. Probably the most well organized ward I’ve seen around here. And apparently that’s pretty new because the Belgrano ward is apparently known for being pretty disorded and crazy. So it’s great that it’s changed. I get free lunches every day with the members, there’s actually and lunch calendar that’s put up and people want to sign and put their name on to feed the missionaries. Well that’s sweet, I don’t have to eat with the same people every week. and everyone is totally down to help the missionaries with the work of salvation, it’s incredible how many people come up to us asking how they can help, and there’s lots of opportunity for sharing the gospel with friends because there are activities in the chapel all the time.

This place is filled with people who want to investigate the church, like really good investigators. I’ve never had so many great lessons in one week. But they’re not just great lessons because the missionaries just so happened to find a bunch a great investigators. No. it’s because everyone that’s investigating are friends or family of active members. The members invite the missionaries to meet their friends, they invite their friends to activities, etc. and then the missionaries come to teach their friends and family. on Thursday, there was an Elders quorum activity playing soccer, eating some nice guiso, charlando a ful; and I get to know a guy there, and I ask him where’s he from, what’s up? He tells me, no he is not member, but he would like to start being one. And so we got his address, and we are going to pass by his house with the friend that invited him to the activity. On Saturday we went to the church for a baptismal interview, and while there, a young women activity was going on. And so while waiting around, one of the moms of the ward comes over and says, "Hey, there’s a young girl here that wants to be baptized; she already got permission from her mom, so you guys can start teaching her." Well I told her that it will be hard to fit into my schedule.. but I can work it out.  So we go her address and put a date to pass by her house with her friend to start preparing her for baptism. Everyone else we are teaching are the children of newly reactivated parents who never baptized their children. But not being reactivated because the missionaries came over to their house, because the missionaries have been doing that for years. But they were reactivated because the ward made plans on rescuing these inactive members in ward council, thus allowing the opportunity for the missionaries to teach their children. You see the pattern, of how the work of salvation really work. Missionaries going out the streets to look for investigators is the slowest and most inefficient way to bring others unto Christ. Members who bring their friends and family, especially the youth who do this, help bring more unto Christ and create stronger and more converted members of the church. It’s a cooperative work where the members find investigators and the missionaries teach repentance and baptism.

So I mentioned a baptismal interview; the past week we were preparing a 9 year old boy named Axel for his baptismal interview. He's a super smart and sweet kid whose mom was reactivated into the church as of a month ago. Funny stuff, I’m actually really tight with her ex-husband, Martin Chavez from Recreo. And there are some bad vibes between these two and Martin Chavez already living with another girlfriend and her family. And so now I’m tight with the ex-wife of Martin Chavez, and they are both nuts. I live like only 15 minutes away from Recreo, so I might make my way over there and eat some steak with Martin.

So check it, it’s great and all that everyone and their dog wants to get baptized here, but if they don’t come to church, there’s no point. And it just so happened that on Sunday morning the winds came in and the floods came down, and everyone here lives on the sand, so no one has the energy to walk through the muddy streets to church. So like no one went to church including half the members. Even me; I didn’t even go to church my first week here. that’s only because there’s another companionship that works in the other ward in the same church building and one of the missionaries got sick and they needed someone at the church to meet their investigators, and we offered to walk with some of our investigators to church and I don’t know the area, so I stayed around with the sick kid.

I'll let you know how my birthday goes, a bunch of members already offered to make me lunch and dinner so it should go swell.

I love you all.

Elder Greene

p.s. I’m all good on money, I did find out that my card expired but it’s alright, I have what I need for food and transport, and living

Thanks for the birthday videos, it’s really awesome what you guys are doing out there. Service is great.