How to be happy serving the Lord

Haha its funny how the mission is. This last week me and Elder A went crazy, we walked miles and miles and miles contacting every person we could find, asked for references from everyone, prayed and fasted and taught to the best of our ability, and because of it we got ten new progressing investigators and 4 with a baptismal date. We have two families that are really interested in hearing our message and the parents make sure that all the kids sit down and listen as we teach. We did so much good this week, Santiago started opening up, it was awesome!...and so naturally I got transferred....

hahahahhahahhahaha. So yeah I'm now in Durango and my new companions name is Elder A, from Nicaragua.

I learned so much in Santiago though. I learned really how to work to get what you need in the mission. In Gomez, the people were pretty open to listening about Christ and taking steps of faith, in Santiago it was either put everything on the table or you weren't gonna get a single lesson. In Gomez it was all about what lesson were we supposed to teach next to get these people baptized, in Santiago we had to really put in an effort for each investigator personally and think about what these people needed to get them even a little interested. I learned so much about people and that for the most part people really are just doing the best they can. We had one investigator named O who has had a lot of problems with the word of wisdom in his life and has been reading from the Bible a lot to try to figure out what God wants from him. We taught him about the gospel and he couldn't get enough, he had so many good questions and is reading the Book of Mormon and all I could think about after we taught him was Doctrine and Covenants 123:12. The minute this guy found the truth he started taking it in like crazy. Another really good lesson was with Hmo A and his family. They all have baptismal dates and he has started the process to quit smoking. They all showed up to church this Sunday and are reading the Book of Mormon together as a family. The chapel was full of investigators and less actives that haven't been to church in a long time. The Lord decided to reward our hard work for my last Sunday in Santiago.  

Another cool story this week was we were heading to Durango in a bus today and I was seated next to an old Mexican gentleman. He asked if I was a preacher, I explained I was a missionary, and we ended up talking for an hour and a half about our lives and religion. I chitchatted for an hour and a  half in Spanish. I was blown away. I ended up sharing L1 (The Restoration) with him and gave him a pamphlet. As I walked off the bus I realized how much the Lord has given me to be able to fulfill my purpose, and I'm so grateful for that. 

The biggest lesson I learned in this past transfer though was how to love my mission. After lessons with people that "are only kept from the truth because they know not where to find it" - you love your mission. When you see people opening up, and deciding to finally make steps towards God - you love your mission. When you find people that are just doing the best they can with what they have been given and you can help them along - you love your mission. When you speak in Spanish for an hour and a half like its no big deal - you love your mission. When you learn how to really teach the gospel in a way that is personal and is the only way to bring them to Christ - you love your mission. When you put everything, EVERYTHING you can the Lord makes up the rest - and you love your mission.

I'm so glad I had the past transfer in an area that was, for the most part, closed off to the restored gospel. It helped me to dig in and find out how to be a better instrument every day in my Savior's hands.