So cambios came and went. I'm staying in Arica with my trainer, Elder Lopez, except he's not training me anymore...so weird! Our area is still slow. It's hard sometimes to work so hard during the days and weeks and months, and people still don't want to change. I know that numbers don't define the missionary, but my responsibility as a missionary is to bring people to Christ through covenants, like baptism. So it was pretty hard that we didn't baptize this past cambio. But I guess it just pushes us harder to continue to find and teach people.
This week I studied a lot about Alma the Younger and the sons of Mosiah. They are literally some of the greatest examples of missionaries!! They had so much success through miracles and trusting in the Lord. One of my favorite stories in the Book of Mormon is when Alma gets kicked out of the city of Ammonihah. I love they was way he reacts. As he left the city, I wonder how he felt. He was rejected, yelled at, and mocked. Then he is commanded to return to this terrible city. He could've complained and disobeyed this command to return, but he didn't. Instead, Alma lifted up his head and traveled back to Ammonihah. And because he listened, he found Amulek, and those two became awesome, successful missionaries.
We all have trials and we all suffer. This past cambio was hard. It wasn't as successful as I wanted. It's hard when you work so hard and people still don't change. But this isn't my work, it's God´s. And I want to put more trust in Him. I know that it will never be easy, but everything is possible with Him.
We have a investigator named Loreto. She is super awesome. She has the desire to be baptized. The only problem is that she lives with her pareja (partner). Its pretty normal down here for this to happen. People don't get married, they just live together and have kids. Trouble is, Loreto doesn't want to get married to her boyfriend and this is stopping her from progressing. It's hard when their are blessings and happiness for people, but they don't want to change to receive them.
So Christmas just got big here-- all at once. This one house in my area went ALL OUT. Like people flock every night to look at their lights and decorations. That's pretty much the only normal Christmas thing here, the lights. The other big things are BBQS (asadas) and pan de pascua (or fruit bread). And people drive around at night with decorations and music on their cars, honking and yelling about Navidad. So Christmas here is a lot louder, not really peaceful.
I have really come to love the Book of Mormon more and more. It is my spiritual food. I can kinda understand the Book of Mormon in Spanish. I can read verses and understand most of the things that are said. So cool.
One important thing I have learned on my mission is to be myself. People won't change if I only see them as someone to be baptized. I need to see them as children of God. In Alma 5 it says that our Shepard calls us by name. He knows each and every one of us. The same applies to me. I need to know each of my investigators specifically, and let them feel the love I have for them. They need to feel like I'm sharing my message because I want them to be happy and care for their salvation.
This gospel is true. I am so happy because of it. Its the greatest message anyone could share.
Love, Elder Jones
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