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| Jesus Garcia - Merida Mexico Temple |
So every Tuesday we have a meeting with our zone! We have two district leaders in our zone so we start together and then they give meetings to their district and we are there to help them out a little bit, then we have about an hour and a half of practices which is basically where we do mock lessons to get better! My point is, that every Tuesday we get together as a zone to learn from each other and talk about our weaknesses and our high points! Leaving that meeting every Tuesday we have the goal to go apply everything we learned right away and get to work! This week we did just that :) Remember how we had a new investigator in the church last week named Pablo? Well, when we were walking back to the house from the church on Tuesday after the meeting, we felt like we needed to go straight to teach Pablo first instead of going to the house to drop some things off. We taught Pablo The Restoration and he understood it SO WELL and accepted a baptismal date for November 19th! That is exactly how we should always start out every week! It was super awesome to start the week so well!
Okay well remember how I said Jesus Garcia was maybe gonna get baptized this past week? Wow what a week it was. We were praying and fasting so much for him and saw so many miracles. One day, we went to his house and he wasn't there, and then like 20 mins later we felt like we needed to go back. We went and it was literally right in the moment that he wanted to drink coffee haha he said it was a sign! So so many miracles happened this week where he decided he was ready for baptism. He needed an interview with the mission president so on Thursday we went with him to downtown Merida and he had his interview with President Ruíz. It was so tough when afterwards Jesus told us he isn't ready for the baptism yet. Technically our mission president said if he wanted to get baptized he could, but simply said in his interview he realized he isn't quite ready to keep all the commandments yet. My heart broke so bad. I have been teaching and loving and giving it my all to Jesus Garcia for like 2 months and then BOOM when the person doesn't want to follow at the last second it is literally one of the saddest moments i have had in the mission if i am being honest. It is really hard as a missionary, because sometimes I think I have all the faith in the world. But something I have learned is that the only thing that faith cant change is the free agency of a person. I had to pray a lot and ask for a ton of peace in my heart from to realize that I did my work and whether he gets baptized or not, I have been an instrument in Gods hands :) I have also realized that even though it hurts so bad, it is better to not baptize him if he isn't willing to keep Gods commandments. The pics below are of us at the temple.
He says he will be baptized he just isn't ready yet. He told us that no matter what happens, we have taught him everything he needs to know and even if we leave he already knows what he needs to do. That is exactly what a missionary wants to hear!
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| Jesus Garcia |
So this past weekend the hour changed here to one hour behind. It was funny because to anyone that we invited to church that said no using the excuse that they don't have time we said, God is literally giving you an hour more tomorrow to be able to go to church, what else can you ask for!?!? Haha, but it was super nice to sleep in an hour more on Sunday :)
Sunday was a day full of MORE miracles!! 7 investigators at church!!! While walking to church on Sunday we felt like we needed to stop by Pablo's house to remind him and thank goodness we did because when we got there he said he wasn't going to go because he had homework but we convinced him to go and he went with his mom and his little sister! Pablo is super excited and already has friends in the young men program and he is going to go camping with them in 2 weeks and will totally be ready to be baptized this month :) Also remember the atheist family I told you about last month?? Well they finally went to church!! Even if she never decides to believe, I can at least know that I am doing all I can so that she can at least have the chance to believe.. if she doesn't want to well that is her choice! Also Isis went, the friend that still doesn't want to feel pressured by the missionaries! And Wilberth went too! Such a great turnout! It is the best feeling when that happens.
So a funny story. On Sunday after church, I had a feeling I needed to switch watches. Usually I have a watch I use in the week and on Sunday's a nicer watch... okay but the point is that I felt like I needed to change watches but I didn't do it. You know what happened later in the afternoon? My watch band broke and fell off of my wrist!! The thing I learned about this is that The Spirit literally will testify to us of all things, it doesn't matter if it is big or small! I know it is a silly example but it just hit me how I totally didn't follow the small thought when I should have!
Last night we went to visit Wilberth. He has still been struggling to stop drinking alcohol but he told me something that was really nice. I don't say this to brag or something but he goes... Elder Plowman you are the right person for this missionary preaching the word of God thing. You are different from the rest of the missionaries I have met. I have been talking to missionaries for 3 years and you are the best one of them all. I don't know what it is about you, but you really are different... So I don't share that story to brag or say that I am a better missionary than the rest, I just share it because it touched my heart. As a missionary the best feeling ever is when someone realizes how much I love the Lord and my savior. I know that God loves every single one of you and your radiance can be bright when you center your life in Jesus Christ. He is always there for you, but are you there for Him?
Also happy Halloween! Or how it is said here... Feliz día de los Muertos!!
I read this week in a talk by Elder Holland that said:
"Remember above all, that this is a spiritual work. It’s the most important
thing you can remember all your life. You cannot have a mission and you
will not succeed on this mission and you won’t be happy and you won’t
lose your homesickness and you won’t get the language and you won’t be
acclimatized to the culture until you give your life over to God and say,
“This is Thy work and I’m only the instrument. I’m on the pencil, but
you’ve got to do the writing.” That is the most important thing for a
missionary to learn ever."
I love you all!
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