It sounds like the Richins Retreat was an incredible success! I can't believe how many boys are in our family now with all the great-grandchildren. I don't know if I could have handled it.
I got a little home-sick looking at Markie's graduation pictures. I wish I could be there. Markie is going to have a blast a BYU. Oh, the joy of pre-mi dating. There is nothing like it. So much fun.
This week we explored a little more of our enormous area. We set up an appointment with some members in our ward to visit their house and get to know them. When we asked for directions, they laughed and told us to meet them at Walgreens and we could follow them. Boy, was that a good idea. We followed them for 40 minutes on the tiniest, windiest roads through and over and around the mountains.
When we finally reached their house all the way on top of the mountain, they told us that we had just reached the beginning of the sector Quebrada Arenas and that our area extends past that point for another good hour. Oh my heavens! I hope we never have to travel all the way out there. It was such a blessing though to meet with them. It was such a blessing to reach there house though. They are a great family, that very easily could have gone unnoticed. Since then we have been in close contact and they have helped us so much. They really want to help us the missionaries and share with their friends.
What we have been doing this past week is meeting with all the members and less actives that we can to teach them the Plan of Salvation with a visual aid. We them give them their own visual aid and challenge them to teach the plan to us the next week and then to a friend or family member who they think might be interested.
It has been great so far. I am surprised how enthusiastic the members are. Many of them have expressed that they want to share but don't know how. When we ask the members who they plan to share with, most already have a name in mind. I hope that this plan works to get members more involved and to help us find new investigators. I have been working harder than I ever have before on my mission to find people to teach, but frankly we have had no success. I have scoured the area book, contacted with more zeal than ever but I am sad to report that we currently have no investigators.
I hope and pray that this works, or at least gives us a little more direction as a companionship.
 |
| Hermana Castillo taught me how to do my hair in dubi's before I go to bed |
Yesterday, Hermana Castillo and I lent service to an inactive member. She, Samaris, runs a flea market out of her garage and all the proceeds go to needy persons in the area. She started the flea market to help pay the medical bills for her daughter who had serious mental and physical handicaps. Her daughter passed away several years ago, but since then the flea market has grown and continues to contribute to needy persons.
I thoroughly enjoyed that kind of service. We had to clear everything out of the garage in order to accommodate some new clothing racks Samaris had just purchased. It was an enormous, but enjoyable task. It reminded me of Granny and Aunt Annie. They totally would have enjoyed browsing the goods. I loved examining all the odd knick-knacks on the top layer of stuff. But as we dug deeper the stuff became more and more random, pointless, and gross. I think a large portion of the contents could be thrown away. But who knows? I would never be able to run a flea market.
I have also started today the very needed and intense deep clean of the apartment. Pretty much everytime I move into a new apartment I have to do a deep clean or else I go crazy. Generations of missionaries have gone weeks, months, years? without cleaning the fridge, the oven, the porch, mysterious piles of rags, and who know what else. I prefer not to dwell on the possibilities.
Things with my companion are slowly improving. My endurance for Spanish is certainly increasing and I am trying to talk more. It is easy to fall into the rut of thinking that most things are not worth the effort of saying. All those comments and chit-chat we mindlessly rattle off in English don't seem worth the effort in Spanish. The unfortunate consequence is that I have no desire to speak. I could go hours and hours without speaking to my companion if I wanted to, but obviously that is not good for companion unity. I am trying to talk more.
Honestly, this week has been hard, but the tiniest ray of sunshine is beginning to shine out. I constantly think of the image of a rock rolling down the side of the mountain. I have got a huge chink that the Lord is trying to cut out. I am haphazardly and wildly tumbling down the mountain. But I know that I am exactly where I am supposed to be and with exactly who I am supposed to be. Things will all work out in time.
