Pray for me

"And it came to pass that it was for the space of many hours before Moses did again receive his natural strength like unto man; and he said unto himself: Now, for this cause I know that man is nothing, which thing I never had supposed." -Moses 1:10

This scripture best describes how I feel right now. You´ll understand why as you read on.

This last week was busy and hectic. Tuesday we helped a family tear down a fence, and Friday we repaired yet one more rocking rock. I didn´t feel any earthquake on Thursday, possibly because we were on a bus, but a lot of people were talking about it. As far as I know there wasn´t any major damage.

Friday night our ward mission leader, Hno. Lopez, went out with us to visit a family we´d been teaching. They started out right from the get-go with one doubt after another about little insignificant things, and Elder Rodriguez began to respond with coments that would have for sure insulted the family- that is of course until I cut him off. I poured my heart out to those people using the clearest and yet sincerest language I could summon. As we left I was grateful to see in their eyes that the Spirit had touched them. Walking home, I had the strongest impression that I had borne my last testimony in the area.

I was right.

Saturday I began to say my goodbyes. I taught my last english class, commiting my students to come to church on Sunday. Saturday night we had a humble farewell dinner with the Familia Lopez (who Elder Logan and I married and baptized). That was very easily the hardest goodbye of my mission. After everything I had been through with this family, goodbye didn´t come easy.
Sunday we brought one of our families to church and as usual I played the part of usher as I counted up attendance. As the sacrament meeting started, I looked over the congregation, trying to see if I had really made a difference in the area. Three families we had reactivated were present, along with the two familes who were recently sealed in the temple. Another man who, but a few short months before I came to Siquirres, had once worked as a pimp in the red light district was also counted among those present, now the Elders Quorum President and having recently received his endowment in the temple. Two of my english students were present, and I felt a strong feeling of peace settle in as I watch a man, who was once excomunicated from the church, now seated with his family and partaking of the santa cena after ten years of waiting. In total, we had eighty-five people in church along with 10 Melquisedec Priesthood holders. When I arrived in Siquirres last December we had 50 in church and only 4 priesthood holders. But even after all of that, the greatest pain one can feel entered my soul as I took into account that those five, of which I had baptized over these last six months, were not present. Yurico had left for another town shortly after her baptsm. Orlando just didn´t come. And the Familia Lopez was out of town visiting family. A simple phrase from the book The Outsiders came to mind:


"Nothing gold can last."


I finished packing Sunday night, having spent the day saying goodbye and thanking all the leaders for their help and support. Yesterday, Monday, was Changes. Elder Rodriguez is now senior companion, and his new companion is Elder Brazington from Spokane. I pray they´ll take care of the area and help it continue to progress. After a seven hour bus ride from San José I finally arrived to my new area of San Vito in the Zona Sur with my new companion Elder Centeno from El Salvador. I have taken the place of my old companion Elder Tagliaferri, as Branch President of San Vito.

Now you´ll understand why I started with that verse from Moses.

If you remember my reaction when I won 1st runner-up in Mr. LHS my senior year, then you have a good idea how I reacted when President Gálvez announced me as Branch President. I complete shock. I have never felt so overwelmed in my life as I did in that moment. I have always said that trainers, zone leaders, and branch presidents are callings that President Gálvez saves for his best missionaries. And I in no waay consider myself among those elite. Nevertheless, I know better than to question President Gálvez. If he felt I could take on the challenge, then I can. There´s no question to it. I just can´t do it alone.
Elder Tagliaferri left me the branch president´s manual, of which will become like scripture to me over the coming weeks and months. But more so than that I will need the guidance of the Spirit with me, now more than ever.

I humbly ask that you all keep me in your prayers. I´m going to need each and every one of them.

Tu Hijo,
Elder Nunie