Well, Here I am
It feels weirder writing home every week. I’ve given up on trying not to admit that I'm trunky. We’re still working very hard, but it doesn’t bother me to talk about my plans for after the mission anymore.
Last week was really interesting. We’re working really hard to find new investigators, putting in practice a new assignment to have the members write down all of their friends and then pray to know who to send us to. With the increase in the size of the area, there are a lot of families to visit. A woman who is confined to a wheel chair gave us a dozen references. It was intense.
Eulogia couldn’t get baptized on the day that we’d planned. It turns out she’s not technically married to her husband. That was actually a huge oversight on our part, seeing as such couples are so common here in Argentina. She’s still working towards baptism. This week we’re all going to fast together to see if we can get her boyfriend to marry her. If you could put her name on the roll in the temple, that’d be great.
Other than that there isn’t a whole lot of news to share.
This week, we have to go to Posadas for zone conference. I’m not super excited, seeing as the missionaries in their last transfer have to pass in front to bear their testimonies. I’m not shy about my testimony, but I hate the spotlight that says “Hey look, he’s about to go home.”
At least I still have a month’s worth of miracles left to see.
Oh, and this morning the office asked for your phone number. This makes me think that you should get something about my flight plans this week.
Love,
Elder Rasband
2.23.2011
2.16.2011
This was the week of transfers. I stayed in the same area, but with a little surprise. Formerly, we shared the branch here with Elder Francis and his companion, but when we looked at the chart, we saw that his companionship had changed to the other branch in the city. Translation: a lot more walking on our part, and an extremely hectic first week trying to get to know the investigators that they were leaving behind.
Also, Leo decided that he didn’t want to get baptized. It seems like he’s having some pretty big problems between him and his family. I don’t know why he won’t just pray and really try to know that what we taught him is true. It would really fix everything that that family is going through. It’s always sad when things like this happen, but with Leo we really helped him in everything that he let us. I feel like we fulfilled our purpose as missionaries.
This week we do have a baptism though. Eulogia, an older lady that we found three weeks ago is really excited for her baptism. She is also going through some family problems. The branch president said that her husband is notoriously violent in the neighborhood where they live. He doesn’t hit her, but she says that she just can’t take any more. She had decided to move to Paraguay last week, but then decided against it so that she could be baptized. She’s going to wait until after the baptism to decide what she’s going to do. I have so much respect for her and the decision that she made.
Other than that, we have several investigators that would be progressing if they would only go to church. I don’t know what to do with them. It’s kind of frustrating when you try so hard to help people when they don’t see the importance of helping themselves.
Elder Francis had a really sweet tie that I’d been coveting for a long time. I kind of make a game out of trading for the best ties. Anyway, when he first got to Eldorado, I asked him where he’d gotten the tie, to sort of size up what I’d have to give him in return and he said "My girlfriend sent it to me for Christmas." What a downer. I knew that there was no way he was going to trade that tie. Then, three weeks ago he gets the "Dear John." I waited a couple of hours, to my credit, before I asked "So...that tie?" He just handed it to me. The funniest part is this: for several weeks, I didn’t dare wear the tie, because Melissa is still waiting for me and I started to look at it as kind of a bad omen. I mean, it still has “I love Elder Francis” written in sharpie on the back. Today, I finally got the courage to put it on, so thanks Melissa for not sending me a Dear John.
Love,
Elder Rasband
Also, Leo decided that he didn’t want to get baptized. It seems like he’s having some pretty big problems between him and his family. I don’t know why he won’t just pray and really try to know that what we taught him is true. It would really fix everything that that family is going through. It’s always sad when things like this happen, but with Leo we really helped him in everything that he let us. I feel like we fulfilled our purpose as missionaries.
This week we do have a baptism though. Eulogia, an older lady that we found three weeks ago is really excited for her baptism. She is also going through some family problems. The branch president said that her husband is notoriously violent in the neighborhood where they live. He doesn’t hit her, but she says that she just can’t take any more. She had decided to move to Paraguay last week, but then decided against it so that she could be baptized. She’s going to wait until after the baptism to decide what she’s going to do. I have so much respect for her and the decision that she made.
Other than that, we have several investigators that would be progressing if they would only go to church. I don’t know what to do with them. It’s kind of frustrating when you try so hard to help people when they don’t see the importance of helping themselves.
Elder Francis had a really sweet tie that I’d been coveting for a long time. I kind of make a game out of trading for the best ties. Anyway, when he first got to Eldorado, I asked him where he’d gotten the tie, to sort of size up what I’d have to give him in return and he said "My girlfriend sent it to me for Christmas." What a downer. I knew that there was no way he was going to trade that tie. Then, three weeks ago he gets the "Dear John." I waited a couple of hours, to my credit, before I asked "So...that tie?" He just handed it to me. The funniest part is this: for several weeks, I didn’t dare wear the tie, because Melissa is still waiting for me and I started to look at it as kind of a bad omen. I mean, it still has “I love Elder Francis” written in sharpie on the back. Today, I finally got the courage to put it on, so thanks Melissa for not sending me a Dear John.
Love,
Elder Rasband
This was the week of transfers. I stayed in the same area, but with a little surprise. Formerly, we shared the branch here with Elder Francis and his companion, but when we looked at the chart, we saw that his companionship had changed to the other branch in the city. Translation: a lot more walking on our part, and an extremely hectic first week trying to get to know the investigators that they were leaving behind.
Also, Leo decided that he didn’t want to get baptized. It seems like he’s having some pretty big problems between him and his family. I don’t know why he won’t just pray and really try to know that what we taught him is true. It would really fix everything that that family is going through. It’s always sad when things like this happen, but with Leo we really helped him in everything that he let us. I feel like we fulfilled our purpose as missionaries.
This week we do have a baptism though. Eulogia, an older lady that we found three weeks ago is really excited for her baptism. She is also going through some family problems. The branch president said that her husband is notoriously violent in the neighborhood where they live. He doesn’t hit her, but she says that she just can’t take any more. She had decided to move to Paraguay last week, but then decided against it so that she could be baptized. She’s going to wait until after the baptism to decide what she’s going to do. I have so much respect for her and the decision that she made.
Other than that, we have several investigators that would be progressing if they would only go to church. I don’t know what to do with them. It’s kind of frustrating when you try so hard to help people when they don’t see the importance of helping themselves.
Elder Francis had a really sweet tie that I’d been coveting for a long time. I kind of make a game out of trading for the best ties. Anyway, when he first got to Eldorado, I asked him where he’d gotten the tie, to sort of size up what I’d have to give him in return and he said "My girlfriend sent it to me for Christmas." What a downer. I knew that there was no way he was going to trade that tie. Then, three weeks ago he gets the "Dear John." I waited a couple of hours, to my credit, before I asked "So...that tie?" He just handed it to me. The funniest part is this: for several weeks, I didn’t dare wear the tie, because Melissa is still waiting for me and I started to look at it as kind of a bad omen. I mean, it still has “I love Elder Francis” written in sharpie on the back. Today, I finally got the courage to put it on, so thanks Melissa for not sending me a Dear John.
Love,
Elder Rasband
Also, Leo decided that he didn’t want to get baptized. It seems like he’s having some pretty big problems between him and his family. I don’t know why he won’t just pray and really try to know that what we taught him is true. It would really fix everything that that family is going through. It’s always sad when things like this happen, but with Leo we really helped him in everything that he let us. I feel like we fulfilled our purpose as missionaries.
This week we do have a baptism though. Eulogia, an older lady that we found three weeks ago is really excited for her baptism. She is also going through some family problems. The branch president said that her husband is notoriously violent in the neighborhood where they live. He doesn’t hit her, but she says that she just can’t take any more. She had decided to move to Paraguay last week, but then decided against it so that she could be baptized. She’s going to wait until after the baptism to decide what she’s going to do. I have so much respect for her and the decision that she made.
Other than that, we have several investigators that would be progressing if they would only go to church. I don’t know what to do with them. It’s kind of frustrating when you try so hard to help people when they don’t see the importance of helping themselves.
Elder Francis had a really sweet tie that I’d been coveting for a long time. I kind of make a game out of trading for the best ties. Anyway, when he first got to Eldorado, I asked him where he’d gotten the tie, to sort of size up what I’d have to give him in return and he said "My girlfriend sent it to me for Christmas." What a downer. I knew that there was no way he was going to trade that tie. Then, three weeks ago he gets the "Dear John." I waited a couple of hours, to my credit, before I asked "So...that tie?" He just handed it to me. The funniest part is this: for several weeks, I didn’t dare wear the tie, because Melissa is still waiting for me and I started to look at it as kind of a bad omen. I mean, it still has “I love Elder Francis” written in sharpie on the back. Today, I finally got the courage to put it on, so thanks Melissa for not sending me a Dear John.
Love,
Elder Rasband
2.07.2011
Okay, I have to admit first off that I feel really weird because I just started my last transfer. On Wednesday I’ll know if I’m going to spend it here or if I go to another area, but I find it unlikely that I’d get moved. I’m now oficially one of the oldest missionaries in the mission.
Today we’re going to have a lot of fun. We’re going to play soccer as a zone and then throw knives at the Teddy Bear that Elder Francis’ girlfriend sent him a while ago. It should be great. And you thought that missionaries lost our violent male tendancies.
This week was really rewarding. The fast with the Morel family was incredibly successful. After a couple hours Brother Morel got a phone call saying that his son was in jail in a nearby town. I think that it really opened his eyes about the power of the gospel. He’s set for the baptism on Saturday. Please keep praying for us.
Elogia is also progressing really fast. She started inviting all of her friends and family to church. She wants to start showing church movies in her house to try and attract people to come with her on Sundays. She’s a really funny old lady, but it’s amazing how fast she’s changing. On sunday in Relief society she asked about how we pay tithing. That’s so strange, but it shows that she wants to start living everything.
Church went really well on Sunday. We had a record attendance of almost 80 people in sacrament meeting. 5 of them were investigators. It was especially rewarding because a family that we were about to have to drop came for the first time in a month, and I think that that’s a really good sign for them.
The other great thing was that Paolo, our 21-year-old convert, blessed the sacrament. It was a huge step for him because he’s really shy. We’ve started talking to him about the possibility of serving a mission. It’d be so good for him.
Plus, Claudia, another convert, came home from vacations and showed us that she’d visited the LDS churches in the cities she was visiting. She’s changed a lot too since her baptism in December. I’m incredibly proud of her.
I’m doing really good, even though it hurts to say “next month” when the people ask me when I finish my mission. I’m thinking that if I get sent to a new area I’m going to lie to my companion just so that he doesn’t bug me and tell him that I have 2 transfers left.
I’m getting sadder and sadder about leaving the mission, but I’m also getting happier and happier about seeing you guys.
Love you all,
Elder Rasband
Today we’re going to have a lot of fun. We’re going to play soccer as a zone and then throw knives at the Teddy Bear that Elder Francis’ girlfriend sent him a while ago. It should be great. And you thought that missionaries lost our violent male tendancies.
This week was really rewarding. The fast with the Morel family was incredibly successful. After a couple hours Brother Morel got a phone call saying that his son was in jail in a nearby town. I think that it really opened his eyes about the power of the gospel. He’s set for the baptism on Saturday. Please keep praying for us.
Elogia is also progressing really fast. She started inviting all of her friends and family to church. She wants to start showing church movies in her house to try and attract people to come with her on Sundays. She’s a really funny old lady, but it’s amazing how fast she’s changing. On sunday in Relief society she asked about how we pay tithing. That’s so strange, but it shows that she wants to start living everything.
Church went really well on Sunday. We had a record attendance of almost 80 people in sacrament meeting. 5 of them were investigators. It was especially rewarding because a family that we were about to have to drop came for the first time in a month, and I think that that’s a really good sign for them.
The other great thing was that Paolo, our 21-year-old convert, blessed the sacrament. It was a huge step for him because he’s really shy. We’ve started talking to him about the possibility of serving a mission. It’d be so good for him.
Plus, Claudia, another convert, came home from vacations and showed us that she’d visited the LDS churches in the cities she was visiting. She’s changed a lot too since her baptism in December. I’m incredibly proud of her.
I’m doing really good, even though it hurts to say “next month” when the people ask me when I finish my mission. I’m thinking that if I get sent to a new area I’m going to lie to my companion just so that he doesn’t bug me and tell him that I have 2 transfers left.
I’m getting sadder and sadder about leaving the mission, but I’m also getting happier and happier about seeing you guys.
Love you all,
Elder Rasband
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