June 8, 2015

Rain Rain Go Away!‏


Hey Everyone!

Well once again the week has flown by and I can't believe I'm here again on monday morning.  It's been a weird week down here in Valdivia, it literally has hardly stopped raining and hailing all week, I'm finally starting to realize why they call this place "Valdlluvia" (lluvia means rain in spanish).  We've been soaked all week haha.

This week has been full of ups and downs down here, some of the highest points of my mission along with some of the lowest ones. Probably best to start with the low one.  So Elder Nielsen who is from Clinton Utah has been sick this week so saturday we did divisions with him and his companion, Elder Kvarfordt, in order to let them work in their sector a little bit.  So Elder Kvarfordt and I head to a part member family that they are teaching, they had an investigator with baptismal date there but she was busy so we just talked with her in laws and tried to get them to invite her to church the next day for us. The father in law just got really angry with us that we were doing this and I still don't understand why, in the end he literally kicked us out of the house.  I had never had something like this happen to me in my mission.  High point, last week I mentioned how one of our members introduced us to a friend. We got to teach her this week and I really have not taught someone so prepared for the gospel in my mission. We had left her a pamphlet that explains the restoration and when we met she had underlined and highlighted the pamphlet. I'm really excited about continuing to teach her his week.

I've been studying and pondering a lot this week about the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  I think above any other thing, I have learned about this topic on my mission.  I have come to realize my absolute, complete dependence upon the atonement.  We learn in the scriptures that, in reality, no matter what we do, we will always be in debt to Him. Well, as a missionary, I have to admit I am quite imperfect.  I am constantly making mistakes and dropping the ball on things that I have to do.  But, because of the atonement of Christ, that's not the end of things.  I am able to keep trying and I am still loved and valued by God.  And along the way, I can overcome these weaknesses, with His help.  I have a strong testimony of this, I am sure that Christ really did suffer and die for us and that makes a huge difference in my life and the lives of everyone else. How fortunate we are to be members of this church and to have this knowledge and hope in our lives.

Well that's it for now, have a great week and choose to be happy everyone!

Love, Elder Dower