The Lord is Preparing People

04/21/2014

Well, I think after I read everyone’s emails, and after my interview with president, I have decided I’m a complete nutcase. I like to expect myself to be perfect when it’s impossible and that’s why I’m never happy.  And let me just tell you, my mission president is THE BEST MISSION PRESIDENT EVER. There is no argument!

  

So this week was pretty good, besides the fact that we basically had no work.  Easter here is a whole week celebration. It’s a tradition to go to the beach and bathe apparently.  So almost all week people were gone on vacation. Friday when we got up to go do some service in the church, there was no one. And it’s really odd because there’s always rapiditos flying down the streets but nothing was there.  My comp said it looked like the zombies had come.  We had a good laugh.  We also had divisions this week and I got to go to another area and work a little bit with a missionary named Elder Hernandez.  It was pretty fun!  For some reason this week, I got a craving for Christmas music, so I was listening to Chrismas music.  Odd yes, but that’s me.  

A friendly little garden spider in Honduras!

So anyway, when we went to give service in the church, we found that the land they wanted terraced to plant stuff was super hard to turn.  First of all, it’s really steep, second of all it’s full of rocks and garbage and tarantulas, and third it was unbelievably hot.  But we managed to get some work done and we are going to come back and finish another day.  The four missionaries of the ward made up half the work force unfortunately.  My hands are covered in blisters.  But it was good fun!  

As for the important part of the week, we have a new investigator who is super pilas! First she was a reference from a member.  I might have mentioned that last week, but she came to church last week for the first time.  She had been attending in another ward, but came here.  So we went and visited her this week and the first lesson was awesome.  We explained the restoration of the church and she understood everything. Oh yeah, and the first five minutes of the lesson we asked what she wanted from our lessons, and she said that her daughter was a member and she wanted to be with her. She went to church this week so we put a baptismal date with her the first lesson! My comp went and taught the plan of salvation while I was on divisions, and she knew all of it.  So she’s on track to be baptized for the third of May! Super awesome!  Just another one of those little blessings from the Lord.  It really made me think how this is the Lord’s work.  Our recent convert Carlos, was the same.  He just came out of nowhere and was prepared.  So did this new investigator.  The Lord is preparing people and I’m just here to be His instrument.

So this week, I’m going to try to be just that.  To follow the spirit when it comes and be an effective instrument in the hands of the Lord.  I know this is His work, and I know that thanks to the atonement, I can be forgiven of every single thing I will do. That is the only way we can return with God.  I really am learning more and more about the atonement and my faith is growing in it here in the mission.  We also had another good lesson with a family.  The dad is inactive and the mom isn’t a member.  We taught the plan of salvation because it pretty much talks about everything they wanted for their family, and the wife said after that it answered some things that she didn’t know or hadn’t heard before.  She’s a little evangelical, but I have hope she will be baptized too.  We also were able to have our first mission coordination meeting and it was awesome!  We have a new ward mission leader and he’s super sick [as in the good kind of sick J].  He just got back like a month ago.  He’s helping us a ton.  We are going to get new ward missionaries too!  So things are looking up.

I know this church is true and this is the work of our Heavenly Father.  He is in charge and is watching over us.  I know He loves us, as He provided so many things to help us in our lives to return to Him.  I know He loves me and each and every one of you.  He gives us challenges to learn, and I need to remember that more often. We aren’t perfect and never will be in this life, and He really just expects us to learn and grow.  That is why we are here.  I know that if we are progressing and growing our testimony, we are doing okay. I love this gospel and I love the chance I have to share it.  I have seen people change because of this gospel and I know it is true.  I know Heavenly Father loves us and so does our brother Jesus Christ.  I’m so very thankful for the plan our Father in Heaven has for us, and for the chance we have to return to Him through Jesus Christ.  I know that I’m not perfect, and I know I can repent of the things I do wrong. That is how we grow.  I know this church is true and I know that Thomas S Monson is a prophet of God.  I know that this church is the kingdom of God here on the earth. It is the church Christ organized during His life.  It is the church of Jesus Christ.  I know that the Book of Mormon is truly the word of God and another testament of Christ.  I know Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. I know that if we live the things in the scriptures, and we do the small and simple things, like reading the scriptures, pray[ing], and go[ing] to church, we can progress and that is what we should do.  I love you all and hope you have success in your lives.

Elder Ollis