On Monday and Tuesday we had a pretty rough start to the week, with just 5 lessons, adn no news or anything else. Then on Wednesday, we had our zone Conference. We had to wake up a little early to go to Cuidad del Este to go to the conference. It turned out to be a really good conference. I learned a lot about teaching with the spirit, and about the different things that we can do a little bit better in our area. I had to give a little 5 minute talk to start out the conference, it was about goals and plans, and why it is central to our purpose as misionaries. President talked a lot about various teaching principals that we need to do better as missionaries. Our mission is super young right now, so I think it was really good for some of the younger missionaries to learn how to teach better. I recieved a lot of revelation as well during the conference, about simple little things that I can do to improve my teaching techniques. We also had a special number with about 8 missionaries, and we sang Joseph Smith's first prayer. We did really well for the fact that we only had about 20 minutes to practice it, and it turned out really well. The conference ended and we went back to our area. We only ended up getting another 2 lessons during the day, not starting off the week so well.
Then on Thursday we had an even harder day, only getting lessons with less-actives. After 4 days in the week, we had like 14 lessons, 7 of which were with less-actives. It was looking like it was going to be a pretty bad week.
On Friday, we had a hard day as well, but we pulled out of our rut a little bit, finding some new investigators, and getting more lessons. Then on Saturday, we had a complete change of the way things were going. In hte morning, we taught a guy named Arnaldo, we had taught him a couple weeks ago, but we couldn't find him again, until Saturday. we asked him about his compromise, of reading and praying. He said that he had done it, and told us that he felt something in his chest. He said it was something he couldn't explain, and that it made him feel good. We read part of 3 Nephi 11 with him, and explained that was the same thing the Nephites felt when they heard the voice. We ended up setting a baptismal date with him, and he told us he couldn't go to church, because he had work on Sunday. Later we went to another guy we had been teaching, named Abel. it turned out that now his daughter-in-law is living with them, and she is a member of the church, so that will be a big blessing and help to be able to get him to church. Unfortunately he also told us he couldn't go on Sunday, becuase he had to go work the next day. Later in the day, we went to a member's house, and they had us sit down, and teach a friend of theirs that was over. His name is Juan Ramon. He sat down, and we started teaching him the restoration. It was a super powerful and spiritual lesson, and we felt like he was really sincere, and really attentive to what we were teaching. We invited him to be baptized at the end, and he accepted. He gave an amazing prayer at the end, asking help to be able to wash himself of his sins, and be baptized in the true church of Christ. He also told us that he wasn't going to be able to go to church Sunday, due to a compromise he had. Later in the day we taught another family that we had been teaching for a couple times. We talked about the BOM with them, and they expressed that they felt it was true, adn that they want to be baptized. We put a date with them, but they also had something they had to do on Sunday. All of the investigators committed to go to church next week, but this week none of them could go. We have a lot of potential to start having a lot of baptisms now, we just have to keep working hard. I really feel like I felt the true joy of missionary work with my companion on Saturday, seeing the power of God, and of our message in the lives of these people.
We have changes coming up again this week, on Wednesday. I am hoping I don't get a change, because Elder Richards and I get along really well, and we are working really well together. We are having really spiritual and powerful lessons with almost every lesson we are teaching. It is awesome to feel the spirit so strong in all of our lessons, because now I really feel like I am doing everything in my power to help the people make the correct decision. We are really starting to see the power of God working through us in our area and in our investigators.
The next mission president for our mission has already been called. He is going to be Presidente Pedro Agazzani from Cordoba, Argentina. He'll be coming on July 1, 2012.... right after I leave. President Callan and his wife leave just after we do, so we are their last full group.
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