Week 71: Lost and Found‏

It was, yet another week that left me floored...just, completely wiped out, wasted on my bed and asleep in less-than a minute. It all started off as we got lost as a district in the forest...searching for a waterfall that our Zone Leader had found once. In two words, our P-Day was unsuccessful but a blast. We went out into the woods and followed a trail right next to the river, and up, up and up we went...until Elder Kunde announced that we had gotten lost.

And lost we were.

We found a different path and followed it until we found a deep, tropical ravine.

So, we had to go back to where we came from, and walk...downward until we found ourselves in a cornfield, where we took some pictures with the gang and played a little football.

It made me think: how many times do we have all the confidence in the world, do we truly think that we know where we're going....and we end up at the edge of a ravine with nowhere else to go but back. That is the reason for the Atonement of Jesus Christ, so that we, the lost sheep can find our way back to the fold of God.

"Now, if for any reason you individually or as a family have lost your way, then you need only apply the Savior’s teachings from Luke, chapter 15, to correct your course. Here the Savior tells of the effort of a shepherd searching for his lost sheep, of a woman searching for a lost coin, and of the welcome received by the prodigal son returning home. Why did Jesus teach these parables? He wanted us to know that none of us will ever be so lost that we cannot find our way again through His Atonement and His teachings." (M. Russell Ballard, April 2012)

The week continued, and sadly enough, all of my investigators had seemed to have lost their way during the past week. Little by little, the adversary whittled away at our investigators until we were left with three different people.

1--Julio: A Shoe-Maker with a smoking problem, he has a sincere desire to find the truth. He was a catholic before but now he seems very interested in our religion and the Prophet Joseph Smith. he really wants to know more and accepted the invitation to be baptized.

2--Gabby: An ex-atheist, Gabby studies Law in the university. She listened to the missionaries before but until now she hadn't shown a true interest to listen too intently. She expresses the sincere desire to be baptized and find the answers to her questions.

3--Joaquin: He's been an investigator for a while now. He's got a lot of questions (a lot of which come from shady internet articles). We're going to see what happens with him this coming week....

It's been a crazy week.

We lost 10 investigators...so now it's time to go back to the drawing board, and go out and look for the Lord's chosen. We're going to be working a lot more with the members. Our biggest plug right now is that we can share the gospel as a part of our everyday lives. Not the idea that we will just live well and that people will magically just join the church from our efforts. We have to SHARE the gospel with all the world, like it says in the Sermon on the Mount:

"Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

I like that thought a lot!

Have a great week!

 

P.S. My favorite quote from the week: "Look at Steve Jobs, he partied all the way through college and now he's....dead.....but he's a rich dead man!" Elder Linford, (on after the mission plans.)