Down to the Wire
As I have been thinking alot about home these last few weeks (given that I only have 3 weeks left now), I have came to the point that I am starting to feel a little nervous. Let me tell you that every missionary dreams about when it’s time to come home. It starts at the very beginning in the MTC and slowly builds up. Now, the trick to the matter is actually putting those thoughts in the back of your mind and going to work. I feel for the majority of my mission, I have been able to do that and even in the last few weeks, although it has been harder, I have still been able to push onward. This last week, we had some good experiences. We had 3 dinners in a row and got to know some really cool members. We got some details on some people who are currently not active in church and we are trying our best to visit them. We have a couple good investigators that we have found: Mario Alberto, who we had contacted a few weeks ago. We had a great lesson with him, he read a pamphlet that we had left behind for his friend, so we gave him a Book of Mormon. We had a great controversy, and before he left, he told us that he really liked being with us. That sure feels good after most people avoid us like the plague. We are also teaching a lady from El Salvador, Nohemy. She has already read up to Chapter 10 of 1st nephi and actually went to church twice when she lived in El Salvador. So, all of our work seems to be paying off and I am sure when i leave, there will be a lot to do for the new missionary.
The only bummer this week was the fact that we weren’t able to go to the Spanish Conference in Apex. Basically all of the hispanic members in the mission went (including some of my baptisms and some members I knew very closely). The rule was set forth that we were not able to go without bringing an investigator. They also had told us that we were going to help but this last Tuesday, told us they didn’t need us and that in order to go, we would also have to bring an investigator. Well, just being here 2 weeks, the task was inmensly difficult and we also had one, Mario Alberto, who was to go. But we came up short, I even called Elder Yenchik the night before to see if we could still go and he said no. So, we didn’t go and later found out that we were the only spanish companionship not to be there. And there were quite a few who didn’t have investigators (thus, not paying attention to the rule). This happened to upset Elder Holmes and I, as we had been obedient and in a sense, been punished to miss out on such a great and sweet experience. Nothing was done to those that went without investigators, so a rule was set without any consequances enforced. We are not looking for a punishment or anything but I feel I missed out on the chance to say good bye to everyone. It was a bummer, but I do seriously thing that the blessings will come to us for being obedient. I feel we did the right thing.
Well, thanks everyone!
Elder Hardy