November 25, 2013

All,

The Lord is in fact hastening the work in his time, as the time of harvest draws to a close. The fact that I know this is the fact that we picked up 7 new investigators this week, although they are only in 4 households, but I'll take it. It is a start to reaching the magic number of being busy all the time, (the number is 11), We just need to keep looking and funding as the people are there.

 

I ask that everyone who reads this pray that Sister V--- comes to understand the Atonement and applies it to overcome the effects of the past, as she's not had a great one. That understanding will prepare her to be baptized.

 

I never realized just how good of a life I had until I got out here. The world is a cruel place, but there are good people, we just need to find them.

 

This last Saturday was Zone Conference, and in it I learned a chain, all dashes are 2 sided arrows:

 

Obedience (Sacrifice)- Deeper Faith- Deeper Prayers- Deeper Faith- More FTB- More Baptisms- More Work-More Temple Work- More Temples- Happiness- More Work- Progress- Christ's Second Coming.

 

FTB is Finding Teaching and Baptizing, the magic goal we're supposed to do. Everything we do is supposed to be doing one of these things.

 

However, at times it don't work as well as we should like, but that's the price we pay in life. Why do we fall? So we can learn to pick ourselves back up.

I also learned some stats about the effectiveness of various finding method used by missionaries.These are how many investigators got baptized out of a 100 investigators found in each category:
 

3 - Tracting/ Street contacting

8 - Member Referrals

16 - LA English Church Tours

22 - Media Referrals

52 - Part Member Families

90+ - Self Referral (walking up to a missionary and saying "baptize me")

So, find those who want to be baptized.

The Zone Conference Agenda was set by Elder Ballard, as he said that we need to learn how to have deeper faith that will lead to better goal setting leading to more baptisms as what we ask God for in faith that is righteous will be granted to us. That is a promise.

We are teaching the English class and success varies. The problem is that the classes aren't the same size. one class we have 6 the next 2, and there's a radical difference betwixt teaching 2 and 6. Plus people come in late so the ones that come in on time review. But, I can speak pure english to them, so I'll take it.

Last tuesday we reviewed accents with them and it was fun, as I used a thick thick thick Texas Draaaawwwll for 15 min. They didn't really get how I was constantly  "fixin to do _____________. Elder Trammel  was being a brit, and an aussie for a while. Compared to that, a southern drawl is easy(ish).

 

I practice Spanish 5 days a week. The other 2 are p-day and Sunday. As I don't have time to practice on Sunday and p-day is a day we don't study language in the CLAM.

 

Elder Trammel is from South Jordan Utah. He came here from Compton and Watts, generally regarded as the most dangerous part of the misison as he had several projects in his old area, and 3/4 of it was a "red zone" meaning get out after 5:00pm. He's a worker. He also decided that La Jungla needs to change, so thanks to his leadership, we're trying to make it the next Huntington Park, an area that we call "the promised land" If you work at it, you'll baptize weekly there. The potential is there, we jus tneed to execute, and we're willing to do so.  

 

You asked what we are doing for Thanksgiving. The Spanish people do participate in Thanksgiving or dia de gracias

 

However, the ward is doing an activity the night before, a ward dinner and a missionary activity, where we will present the videos on hastening the work. We are trying to involve the members more, as the work of salvation belongs to everyone.

 

Sadly there won't be a turkey bowl though, as Presdient Wiedman said no, as it doesn't fit our purpose. We'll see what happens though. I can almost guarentee that one will happen somewhere.

 

Also, we have 2 dinners on thursday, I'm happy about it. I like food. I also learned how to make tortillas, sort of. at least the theory. I just need more practice. Now I just need to learn how to make pupusas, tamales and Chiles Reyeños. That is the goal. Then I can cook the typical hispanic food.

Also, Brett, Don't worry, you'll keep watching the district until you leave your mission and it never gets more entertaining. Just be happy that the second one is much better than the first, all the first one is is a compilation of PMG quotes.

That's the Week.

 

C

Elder Wilson

And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.