October 12, 2015

Here is my refuerzo, elder campopiano. No, he does not play piano sadly, but he is cool. It is totally a different experience  training : Hard, yet fun.  This week has been pretty hard, to tell you the truth because we came in from a whitewash, which is hard because we do not know the area or anything about anything, not even the members. It has been fun learning the area and meeting members. The week began on Monday, speaking with all the missionaries who were finishing and talked  with a lot of them. Then had to bid farewell to Elder Garcia and how I miss him so much! He really helped me a lot, but I have to learn to move on, so that is what I am trying to do, but it is not easy, starting fresh not knowing anything. We have gotten lost so many times we are starting to have an idea where we are. Tuesday was just about saying goodbye and then packing suitcases. I had no room  to put everything in. Somehow it worked out, but one thing I wish you taught me better was to easily get rid of things without thinking twice because I have carried a lot of stuff. Well, I hope I can learn... Anyway, Wednesday was about picking up my new comp, and then when we get there my comp wants to clean the pension, so I supported him. Soon there was a cloud of dust in the air so we opened the window and tried to ventilate the room, which my comp tried to do by lowering the temperature of the heater. Instead, he turned off the gas, which means it will be cold for the next night. Whatever things to humble yourself, I guess, so we continued on not even knowing where to buy food and things like that. On Thursday, we stared to work still not knowing anything. We went to contact up a hill. We contacted a family which happens to be the investigators of the missionaries, then going down the hill someone shouts out, "Elders!" It is a member and then we went through the areabook with my comp and decided to visit a few people. It turns out to be other investigators of the  missionaries which recently were there. Also a recent convert, as well as finding a bunch of less actives. We finished the week with 10 lessons and 61 contacts which may not be a lot but it is a lot for 4 days in a whitewash. So far my comp is cool. We have not had a major disagreement, which I hope we do not. This ward is cool. The bishop is young. He got back from his mission and 8 years later is a bishop.  Also met his wife in the mission he happened to be her zone leader, which is cool. With a couple getting married in the ward and leaving just makes me look at the time that has passed (almost 15 months)  so quickly! The missionaries before left us names of people to visit with no addresses, so count on the Lord and thank him instead. If  you're saying, "My poor son,' I promise you that your son is okay. He has been trusted by the lord to teach another missionary the ways and the life of the mission as well as what it takes and obedience required to be a missionary. Yesterday we had divisions and visited various less actives and that was at night and now I feel more confident in front of people. Also we were asked by the primary to tell them that we are the missionaries and what brought us to the mission, or in other words why we are here in the mission. It was such a great experience also I bore my testimony, first one after the person leading the meeting then my comp followed. It is incredible how much you can teach with your example, especially as a trainer. What a privilege and honor to be trusted by the Lord at  this point in my mission. Anyway, we were told by many it would be hard in our area because of the ward mission leader, but yes it has been hard in a way being new to the area but the ward mission leader Hno. Nuñez is great. He is now thanking us for the work we have done not saying anything rude to us, I guess it is because we are doing our job, but I do not know. I know it is hard after a whitewash, but when you work your best the Lord helps the with the rest I know that as a fact. Training... So far  no investigators yet, but we have received  referrals which can become potential investigators which we will contact today.  The gospel is true, no doubt i love it. love you all  
Elder Whitworth