Lot to write about and not much time. It´s been a pretty crazy week. Yeah, I didn´t have time to write yesterday, I´ll explain why.
Tuesday morning we had our district meeting in Guacimo. Let me explain quickly the mindset of my district leader, Elder Manning: "baptizebaptizebaptize". He was just hitting us with baptize as many people as possible and worry about their understanding later. He sees our purpose as just baptizing, and that keeping converts active is the members problem and not our job. I kindly disagree on all fronts. Elder Evans, my first zone leader, said it best:
Study to Teach.
Teach to Baptize.
Baptize to RETAIN.
Retention is Progression.
Progression is ETERNAL.
Anyways, Elder Logan and I just smiled and nodded our heads during district meeting. That night we put a baptismal date with the a kid named Orlando. His dad, menos activo member, asked us to teach and baptize his son, so we started that. We put the fecha for Jan. 23rd.
Wednesday Elder Manning called and asked if we could do divisions Thrusday, because he wanted to talk to Ulises and Iraydelis. Elder Logan and I, fearing Elder Manning would kill the good things we have going with them, took the chance to prepare them for Elder Manning´s visit and talking more about marriage. We spent that night talking with them on the phone a little more and getting them to think about it more seriously.
Thursday came and we had the weirdest divisons I´ve ever had in the mission. Elder Manning and his companion Elder Foutz showed up at 3 p.m. to start divisions, with only 6 work hours left. Elder Foutz and I took the 4 p.m. bus back to Guacimo, and got there at 5 p.m. I helped Elder Foutz sun some errands. He doesn´t speak a lick of spanish, so I was working translation duty. Elder Manning and Elder Logan showed up in Guacimo later that night. Turns out Elder Manning had a district leader meeting Friday morning, so the four of us were spending the night in Guacimo.
Anyways, Elder Logan comes into the house and tells me the good news: Ulises and Iraydelis put a wedding date.
Then he hit me with the stress factor: They want to get married 4 days from then. January 11th, which was yesterday.
Elder Logan and I spend a good part of the night calling the lawyer, making a list of all the paperwork needed (cedulas and passport copies, family info, etc). We had to call Elder O´Dell, who was with me in the MTC, to tell him he was going to be a witness in the wedding along with Elder Logan (they were the two who found the family to begin with). We called the assistants to make sure we could have the wedding in the mission office in San José (Elder O´Dell is in San José right now, so we had to do it there for him to be present). In other words, it was completely crazy.
Friday we finished and emailed all the paperwork we could, minus the passport copies, and started to look for wedding rings. Iraydelis called us that night saying the a LOT of people were telling them not to get married, even though they´ve lived together for 10 years, but she didn´t care what other people said. Apparently she kept seeing signs that it needed to happen.
Saturday Elder Logan and I got hit with a virus that had us bed-ridden for the whole day. Apparently we had a bug that makes you SUPER dehydrated, to the point we felt so weak walking made us nauseated. We continued to do what we could to organize the wedding. Sunday night the rains started pounding down on us.
After some super stressful days and planning, Monday came. With heavy rains still coming down, we took a mini bus to San José. In route we hit a mudslide in the middle of the highway. I said a quick prayer that we would make it to San José on time to make it happen, and my prayers were heard. We even made it to San José a half hour early. =P
The lawyer was late, and we ended up playing a waiting game for him to show. Elder Logan and I were really worried he wasn´t going to come and we had done all of this in vain. The lawyer came, and I got to be part of my first wedding in Costa Rica. Afterwards Pres. Gálvez arrived and visited with Ulises and Iraydelis, which I was really happy about. We got home last night with no time to write home, only time to go right out and work. Luckily we didn´t have district meeting today, so we took the chance to write. =)
So that´s that. Wedding yesterday, and to make it all sweeter Ulises, Iraydelis, and their daughter Carolinne are all getting baptized THIS SATURDAY.
It´s literally been a crazy couple of days, but it all ends well for the change. Elder Logan should be getting changed out next Monday, but we won´t know anything for sure on that until Saturday night.
That´s awesome that Chris Lee was called to the bishopric in Clarkston 2nd! Tell me congrats for me. Keep me updated on dad. I really hope he won´t need surgery again, but we´ll see what happens.
Alright I need to jet, but I love you all and I hope everything´s going well. Things still feel a bit crazy right now, I don´t think I´ll be able to relax until after the baptisms Saturday. =P
Wish me luck!
Tu Hijo,
Elder Nunie
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Elder Hales said: "When we understand our baptismal covenant and the gift of the Holy Ghost, it will change our lives and will establish our total allegiance to the kingdom of God. When temptations come our way, if we will listen, the Holy Ghost will remind us that we have promised to remember our Savior and obey the commandments of God...Many members of the Church do not fully understand what happened when they went into the waters of baptism. It is very important for us to understand the marvelous gift of the remission of sins, but there is much more. Do you understand and do your children understand that when they are baptized they are changed forever? Adult converts to the Church often have a better understanding of this transformation because they feel the contrast as they come out of the world into the kingdom of God.
ReplyDeleteWhen we are baptized, we take upon ourselves the sacred name of Jesus Christ. Taking upon us His name is one of the most significant experiences we have in life. Yet sometimes we pass through that experience without having a full understanding...I urge all parents to prepare your children, and missionaries to prepare your converts, for the sacred baptismal ordinance. Teach of its significance so that their baptism will be impressed upon their spiritual memory for the rest of their lives.
I pray that each of us as members of His kingdom will understand that our baptism and confirmation is the gateway into His kingdom. When we enter, we covenant to be of His kingdom--forever! In the name of Jesus Christ, amen." (October 2000)
Elder Nuñez, keep up the good work...and keep following the whispers of the spirit! You are a good missionary of Jesus Christ.