Date
June 16, 2015
Area
Resistencia
Companion
Jacob Whiting
Don't Forget Me Reconquista
Hola Mamá!
It’s been such a crazy week. My head is still spinning a little, haha. Once again it has been a roller coaster - some lows and highs - but it’s all been good.
On Monday we went on over to teach Liliana and Andres again. They weren’t able to make it to church on Sunday, but we were still excited to go over and teach them a lesson we planned on the Plan of Salvation. Well, we get to the house and Liliana comes out with her Book of Mormon and all her pamphlets. She told us that she didn’t want to continue. She said that she didn’t feel comfortable and that she just didn’t believe it was true. Of course we were shocked. Well, it turns out that even after we warned her about looking up stuff in uncertain sources, she continued looking up and reading anti-Mormon material online. We spent some time talking out there on the sidewalk, being very persistent, but it was clear that she had already made a firm decision. She said, "Who knows. Maybe I am wrong, but if that’s the case, I will just have to deal with God someday". She wouldn’t even let us leave the Book of Mormon with her. As we left, we just walked in silence. We walked back to the main part of our area in the cold dark night, and I just had millions of thoughts going through my head. "I thought we explained everything well", "what did we do wrong?", "what more could we have done?", "what’s wrong with our area?", "why aren’t we seeing more progress?", "why does this always seem to happen?".....etc..... Later, as we got to the apartment I felt so much peace. Honestly, I was all worked up about it all evening, but as we prayed and planned our next day I felt so good. I realized that we did our part. I also remembered something that I really learned at the beginning of my mission that maybe I have put much thought into lately - people have their agency, it is a gift of God, and we can’t take that away.
Well, I got transferred! Saturday, Pres. Franco actually told me AND Elder Soto that were leaving! So we had to get everything ready to leave our area and then had to go teach a few more people and also invite everyone to church and say our good-byes! Sunday was crazy! WE went to church (I conducted sacrament meeting for the last time), then we went and had our last lunch with the Familia Borda! So good! We then took a bunch of pics and then we went back to the apartment and started packing. Later we had missionary correlation and then we had to book it out to Barrio Nuevo where the Familia Godoy lives. They invited us to a last dinner. I was so glad to be able to go. Then we ran back to the Familia Borda one last time. Hermana gave me and my comp Mary Kay cologne! It was sooo sweet! It is expensive, but they were so excited to give them to us! We said our goodbyes after and took some pics! Then we had to run back to the pensh and pack like all night! We left yesterday at like 8 a.m. and a BUNCH of people come to see us off. It was sad to say good-bye. The Borda kids were there and they gifted me a scarf. Natalia and Carmen and Juan Godoy were there and they gave me some treats, and others wrote me some notes! I really love those people! I gotta come back there some day!
So now I am in Resistencia and I have no idea what I am doing yet. Our area is called Puerto Vilelas. My companion is Elder Whiting from Arizona. We are white washing our area right now. We are kinda lost, but we are excited. We are in a ward now! I have never been in a ward in my whole mission. That will be neat. Also there are a lot of members, so we will be able to get a lot of almuerzos!
I am excited! The church is true. The Book of Mormon is the word of God! I know that my heavenly father wants me here for a reason! I love you so much! Have a great week!
Elder Gabriel Christiansen
Misión Argentina Resistencia