la semana MÁS BRUTAL DE TODA LA VIDA

I wasn't supposed to share this, but her face is priceless.
She doesn't like the looks of the "pregnant oranges." haha

[the most BRUTAL WEEK OF ALL LIFE]

well, this week was better than last week

and also worse

hahahaha, WOW THE MISSION IS AN AMAZINGLY BEAUTIFUL AND COMPLICATED THING

so let's talk

this week I was a lot better mind-wise; not thinking too much or anything and working real hard (except for that i'm so stressed out that my eye has literally been twitching almost constantly dont worry i'm fine everything is under control) but we were confronted by another challenge this week

called

'everybody and their cousins are moving away'

literally i dont know what is going on because at the beginning of the week we had like 20 good investigators that we've been working with constantly and now

well,

we now have 5. 

We had a bunch of appointments this week and we would show up at an apartment and they would say, 'Oh, (person's name)? They moved out like 3 days ago' 

and then they dont answer their phone or their number has changed

i dunno man it's been brutal this week

we also have had to drop a few people that we realized really weren't progressing and were listening us for curiosity no más. WHERE'S THE REAL INTENT??? 

and other people dropped us, calling us to say 'sorry, we dont think we're going to continue listening because it's just too hard to take that time out of the day' 

one of our struggles here is that everybody works

EVERYBODY works and they work so so SOSOSO much because a lot of them are foreigners that come here to Santiago to work and regularly send money to their families in their respective countries. For that same reason, a lot of people move around a lot to find the lowest price to rent or when they find a job that pays more; this city is very much alive and the people move around A LOT. 

So, the answer to my madre's question if we have new investigators... 

yes we have one! 

we may have lost 15, but we found one this week! and he is really really a great find because he wants to change his life.

a lot of people when the missionaries say that they want people to teach or want references and stuff like that, try to think of people that already fit the standards of member of the church, but that's not necessarily what we want! the only thing that somebody needs to be able to change is the desire to change and the guidance of the Savior. our new investigator probably isnt what most people would call a great find, but he told us that he wants to change and he started immediately to act on what we told him would help him. He is an alcoholic, and he smokes, and he was doing the two when we found him (by 'accident' when looking for some old investigators) but he saw us and stopped us and shook our hands and said that he needed our help

so we started to teach him; he doesnt actually even believe in Jesus Christ, only in God, but he said that he is willing to believe if it changes his life. 

we gave him a pamphlet and told him to put down the cigarette and drink some water (he told us he hadnt drunk water in 10 years) and the next time he wanted to pick up the bottle or the cigarette, to pick up the pamphlet or offer a prayer.

and he started right them.

We as missionaries and as members of the church CANNOT judge whether or not a person is ready. We cannot judge ANYBODY; that's God's job and He doesn't need any help. We know that our message is true; we know that Jesus Christ lives; it is our job to spread that knowledge so that other people can also have it and change their lives; we dont decide who gets to have the gospel and who no, the gospel is for everybody! 

It's possible that our new investigator never gets baptized; that he doesnt get farther than that pamphlet, or that he goes back to his ways, but our job is to invite. Jesus doesn't force his way into our lives, he knocks and we must answer the door. We are hoping and praying that our new investigator opens the door and can change his life; the only way we can change our lives, whether the changes are big or small, is through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I know that he lives and I know that the power of his Atonement is real and it is within reach for all of us that believe in Him. I love the Lord and I love the gospel; it really does change lives and this I share in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. 

I DONT HAVE MORE TIME BUT I LOVE YOU ALL AND WE'LL TALK NEXT WEEK 

CCCCCCCCCCCCHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Cooking...

Tasting...

Enjoying arroz con leche
(rice pudding)