Cambios [Transfers]

Well, after 18 weeks, I´ll have a new comp. I guess the zone leaders think it´s funny to tell us the bare minimum about the cambios because we don´t know where he´s going, who´s coming, we only know that Pezo has to pack his bags.

So, I don´t know if I´ve mentioned the name of Diogenes before, but we´ve been working with him for a while. Like 6 weeks I think. It´s been really rough trying to get him to Church, and he commits every week and assures us over and over that he´ll be there, and time and time again he doesn´t go. Well, I got sick of it and took a member of the bishopric and talked straight with him and told him we were disappointed that he isn´t fulfilling commitments and played with his self esteem, basically helped him realize that he isn´t and doesn´t want to be someone who doesn´t keep their commitments. Well, he came to church finally and he liked it. We´re planning on going with the Elders Quorum President this week and hope that he´ll start a trend of keeping commitments.

Last week, while working in a pueblito [little village] 10km outside of Cereté called El Carrillo, we contacted a family, the family Durango Galban and they are super cool. They just live super far and have 4 kids and so pasaje [price to travel] isn´t very cheap, but they are super receptive to the message of eternal families. It was actually a family I contacted with Elder Eno a couple of weeks before, and returned with Elder Pezo. Basically, they said that first day they were completely weirded out at these two gringos showing up in shirt and tie looking for a specific familiy in this small town. They said the other gringo really weirded them out. It was funny, and we joke about it when we visit. 

Elder Muñoz, one of the other elders in Cereté has been really rough for a long time. Just flojo and ocioso [lax and lazy]. But, he´s made massive progress in the last two weeks, starting to become a power in the district, and I´ve learned a ot from that experience.

I´ve been getting on people´s case for losing focus. What do we actually want? We know how to get there, but are you working towards something else? I know plenty of people who just don´t understand the Gospel, because they don´t do anything. They don´t understand the massive part that action plays. God didn´t create us to be acted upon, but to be our own agents, free from other acting forces, that we can make our own decisions. He gave us all the steps to happiness, had them written down, hasdthem announced time and time again, and then we do the repetitive and senseless question of what should I do to be happier? How about forget about being well-liked and turn to being trustworthy, respected, and worthy? God has it worked out, just that we´re often complete idiots and try to get man´s approval without realizing that man doesn´t actually know much, they just know what their five senses tell them, and make their own story. If your wishes go farther than a couple years down the road, perhaps into eternity, you´ll realize what you want has nothing to do with being popular or well-liked. That lack of faith causes problems in families, in missions, in careers, in studies, and in personal lives. 

2 Nephi 8:12 "Behold, who art thou, that thou shouldst be afraid of man, who shall die, and of the son of man, who shall be made like unto grass?" 

Enos 1:23 "And there was nothing save it was exceeding harshness, preaching and prophesying of wars, and contentions, and destructions, and continually reminding them of death, and the duration of eternity, and the judgments and the power of God, and all these things—stirring them up continually to keep them in the fear of the Lord. I say there was nothing short of these things, and exceedingly great plainness of speech, would keep them from going down speedily to destruction. And after this manner do I write concerning them." 

I know that if we do what He wants, He´ll bless us, and that faith has nothing to do with seeing the consequences before doing something. 

Ether 12:6 "And now, I, Moroni, would speak somewhat concerning these things; I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith."

It´s always a step into the dark, it´s an act of trust. The pansies are the ones that can´t do it. 

Just something I´ve been raving about for the past couple months, I hope y´all understand it and put it in practice, it´ll make a difference. Don´t do dumb things. 

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad, and sorry for not writing last week, there was confusion but the zone activity was fun, we went to a finca [farm] in Monteria and it was super super hot, we almost actually died playing capture the flag in a field with a bunch of cows and they didn´t bring enough water.

Always Great,

Élder Hicken