Missions Are The Best Thing Ever! Do You Know How Much I Have Learned?

Well, well, well, I guess this was a crazy week. We had so much: conferences, lessons, service, exchanges, transfer calls.

Well, I am going to start with a funny story. So we had a crazy service project this week, as in really funny. The work wasn't crazy. To start, they gave me and Elder Teuscher machetes, which is not a good idea anyways. We were like, "Hey, what do you want us to start chopping down?" The lady from service said, "Cut them" (proceeds to point at the sister missionaries at the service with us). Okay, uh, that's weird. Anyways, we started cutting down trees, and she's like, "Look, there are ants on you" (to Elder Teuscher). She said, "Take off your shirt and do it." Okay, that's a little suspicious. And then, at the end, we were like, "Hey, we should take a picture of the service," and she proceeds to say, "Yes, let's take a picture without them (ellas, which is the feminine form in Spanish, meaning only the sister missionaries) because they're ugly." So this lady told us to chop up the hermanas, told Elder Teuscher to strip, and told us the hermanas were ugly. It was strange.

But it was fun when Elder Teuscher and I went wandering off down a trail to the lake. She told us there were caimans down there (which is an alligator, basically), and we were like, "Let's go bop them with a machete" (looking back on it, not a good idea to leave me and Elder Teuscher together alone...I don't know how we survived 6 weeks as comps). Anyways, we were walking down, and I'm like, "Look!" as I cut the jungle and all the leaves. He's like, "You can't leave evidence," and we proceed to cut down a banana tree (pretty sure it wasn't her property, but still not necessary to just cut a banana tree down) and we threw it down the river. Wow, I love Elder Teuscher. I miss that man.

Speaking of Elder Teuscher, we had an exchange this week...don't worry, we got things done and did not mess around. We can be responsible too! We taught a super good lesson to a family with children, and we went to Angel Santanas (the less active that hasn't been to church in like 20 years that we randomly found walking).

So this is the story of Angel and his family because, well...I need to share it before I leave Aibonito. I'm getting transferred to TOA BAJA, social media Elder here I come, gonna be in the office, let's freaking go! Anyways, back to Angel. With Angel, it's been an awesome ride to see his progression and the progression of his family!

We were walking one day down the street, and we see this guy playing with fire in the jungle. So we ask him where he learned to make fire, and he told us the Mormons. Then proceeded to say, "Soy Elder" (meaning he's an Elder in the priesthood), and we were like, "Huh? Yes, we are the Mormons, well, no but yes, and yes, we are the elders" (we thought he was talking about us, not him). And we end up finding out he's a less active. We had this strong feeling to get his number, and he told us where he worked, so we went the next day and we bought hot dogs with easy cheese from him. They weren't that good, ngl.

We ended up going on a wild goose chase to find him and his family's house, and it was super good to find them all. It was wild. Anyways, we found his house, and we started teaching him the last 3 weeks, and it's been so cool to see how much good the Lord does through us and the scriptures.

When we got there, he wouldn't pray. All he did was work and play video games. It seemed like he had no purpose. He was just lazy and had no reason to do anything. We came, and he hasn't said anything, but I have seen the change in their family and the unity of it and how he seems to have more drive. Instead of playing games when we showed up yesterday, he was cooking and cleaning the kitchen for his wife. He said the closing prayer without hesitation when we've been trying to get him to do it for 2 weeks and he hasn't. He testified that the Book of Mormon was true to his family. He remembered his testimony. His family watched the conference. We helped his 20-year-old son understand God. He said his first prayer in 20 years, and all because the Lord let us share his gospel, then used his spirit.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is such a blessing in our lives. I just saw this family completely change. His wife and son watched the conference, and all because the Lord let us cross his path. It wasn't anything I did. It wasn't anything my comp did. It was all the Lord because it was his time. God loves his children. He wants us to talk to him. He wants us to do our own job, and he will make us his instruments.

This always happens, and it's okay. I am really happy. I am getting transferred when they are so close to baptism. This family and the re-activation of Angel. Also, Giselle and Odalis, and I realized that is just simply okay! I did my job. I was used in the way the Lord needed me, and now I need to go and bless other lives.

Sometimes I get really frustrated about "planting seeds and not harvesting," and I realized none of these converts are any of ours. Baptisms are important, but it doesn't matter who performed the ordinance.

I am really grateful for these 4 months here in Aibonito. I have come and grown a lot. It's crazy to look back on all those afflictions and hard times that I had and just laugh and think, "Thou knowest the greatness of God, and he shall consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain."

The Lord really does have a perfect plan for each and every one of us. Individually.

As I am standing up about to leave Angel's last night, his wife goes, "WAIT, THE PRAYER," and points at her husband and says, "You say it!" And he just starts to say it. I was really struck with the goodness of God at the fact that I was able to be here to witness such a change in a family. And that's why I am here. I don't care if they ever get baptized. That family is feeling the love of God in their house. They know He loves them, and I am very grateful to be a missionary in this time.

As I look back on all the work I did here and all the experiences I made, I just love my mission. It was so sucky that first 6 weeks. But then I saw the most miracles I've ever seen. I've learned that in life, to be living life, you'll never have it figured out. "Oh, after the mission, I will go home, and I will know who I am, what I'll do, who I'll be, and where I'll go." It's not like that.

One life truth I've realized is to live, to truly live, you can't have anything figured out. You go with faith, and it all works out! AND IT'S NEVER THE WAY YOU WANT IT, but it's always way better than you imagined.

I've really reflected on agency while I've been here also. It's so amazing that God gave us the ability to choose. The fact that we've been given this gift because He loves us and wants us to be happy. Selflessness is the key. Selflessness is such an underrated word. God loved us so much He wanted us to be able to have all happiness like Him, so He let us have agency. That's selflessness. Think about it. He loves us so much He doesn't want to lose a single one of us, but He knew we would never be happy if we never had opposition. If we never had the ability to learn, if you keep a baby in a room until they are twenty and never let it leave and learn with friends or anything, never learn the bad or the good, just grow in a state of innocence its whole life, it will learn nothing. It will be mind-numb without happiness. Agency is essential. To everything. And so is opposition. We must appreciate when we have agency.

There have been times in my life when I've said, "Why did this person do that? Why did they want that?" but especially on my mission, "Why won't they just accept Him, and why won't God just help us?" The problem is God is helping us, and they just choose not to. I've realized that I need to stop complaining because this is what we wanted in the life before this, and God's plan is perfect.

I am so excited to go to Toa Baja! Social media Elder, LET'S GOOO!

The Lord knows you and loves you. I can't stress it enough. Go pray. Pray, pray, pray.

Some say that heaven is far away,

But I feel it close around me as I pray.

Heavenly Father, I remember now

Something that Jesus told disciples long ago:

“Suffer the children to come to me.”

Father, in prayer, I’m coming now to thee.

Pray, He is there;

Speak, He is listening.

You are His child;

His love now surrounds you.

He hears your prayer;

He loves the children.

Of such is the kingdom, the kingdom of heaven.

Dorado, here I come!

Go on a mission if you haven't. Don't even think twice.