¿Qué tal? - November 12th

Hola familia,

Well, this past week went pretty well. Honestly we have lost a lot of investigators and it is discouraging having to look for more people to teach in all the heat. The heat makes it a lot harder for me to want to work, but I am trying to hang in there and we managed to find 17 new investigators last week (the weekly mission goal is 9). So we felt good about that. Also, we had a zone conference with Elder Bowen this last week from the quorum of the seventy. The conference was amazing and he unfolded our understanding on a couple of doctrines concerning our responsibility in the priesthood and also about the Book of Mormon. I have been trying to utilize the Book of Mormon better ever since in our lessons and have noticed a huge difference. Anyways, it was an amazing conference and helped me a lot.

Some of our families are really going downhill it seems. I have almost given up on the Custodio family. There just haven’t been any changes and if anything they seem to be falling backwards. Silvio and Roxana came to church again for the first time in a month and Seferino continues to drink. Ugh! There is no such thing as a perfect golden family it seems.

The family Florentín is great, but we talked with them the other day and the dad said he never wanted to get married again, that he had already done that before and divorced and his last wife has died now. We talked about it for quite awhile, but he is firm in his decision not to get married again, he didn’t seem to understand the importance of the one true church and is content being catholic. I am so sick of people not understanding something that to me seems so plain and simple. I felt bad leaving that lesson a bit, maybe in part because I felt I was too hard on them about the marriage thing. It was true what I told them, but maybe it was a bit much at the time seeing as how we have only had a couple of lessons with them. They know the church really well though and have talked with missionaries varias times for many many years. Anyways…maybe all will turn out for the good.

Juan Carlos Farías is doing good still. He drinks and smokes a little, but I can’t imagine much at all because he is always working. We need to get a member to his house or something. His wife is about to have her baby any old day now, so that could complicate things for a bit, but then again maybe we can talk with her more now too. We’ll see.

We also found Miguel Marcial this last week. He and his family are evangelicals but he had a genuine interest in the church and asked about he organization and everything. He seems way awesome. They are really actively involved with their church which could be a challenge, but also good if they gain a testimony of the church and the restoration.

We went by several houses on Sunday morning and had many excuses and of the about 15 people that promised to come two came (silvio and Roxana). I was so used to it that it hardly phased me, but it is frustrating still. The mission is really concentrating on doubling baptisms and presidente del Castillo is making a lot of changes in the mission so that we can do it. Elder Bowen said that he felt that there were thousands in our areas that were ready to be baptized. I am sure that is true, but it is tough to find them. Sometimes I feel so saddened that I have had so few baptisms in my mission. They are always telling us that we should baptize a family every two transfers (that would be like 27 people during my entire mission). I have not even come close, but I don’t know what I am doing wrong. I am happy for the people that I have seen get baptized and for the change it has wrought in their lives, and I think the Lord is happy with the effort I have given during my mission. I know I have changed a lot and am a better man for it. That is for sure. I just hope and pray for the strength I need to finish my mission strong, sometimes it is hard and I just want to be done, but then I know that I just need to focus on the things I am doing now and worry about after when it comes. So pray for me to have the attitude and strength I need to finish till the end. Sometimes I just feel bitter about all the rejection I think, like my efforts would be better served at home even. But I must be content that these are my days and this is where the Lord has need of me.

I will make mention that we did get ice cream a couple of times of late. We shared a half kilo the two of us yesterday of strawberry, banana split and vanilla. Mmmmm…

Today we went to San Ignacio and the ruins again (third time). It was fun to hang out with the zone, but the ruins were same old same old. I am tired now, and we need to get ready to go out to work. Maybe we will have twenty minutes or so to rest up.

Hope all is well at home and that you all continue to enjoy your week.

Love you all,

Elder Aaron McDonald