We´ve been really busy this last week. Monday night Eduardo and Jeannette were married, and it was incredible to see them together taking this step. Monday was a long day, what with all the preparation and what not, but it was well worth it to see their little family unified like that.
Late Monday night we received a call from the Hermana Soto, wife to the first counselor of the mission. The daughter of one of our members had been beaten (we later found out she had been beaten by the younger sister) and that she was in dire need of a priesthood blessing. Tuesday morning we left, finding the poor girl in horrible condition. Her nose had been broken, she had a high fever and she was having problems breathing. My heart was wrenched seeing her like that. Elder Hoyt performed the anointing and I sealed it with a blessing. We then had to leave pretty quick for Naranjo because we were already late for interviews with President Gálvez. I couldn´t get that girl out of my head for the rest of the day, and I found myself praying for her nonstop.
Interviews were great, I had a good talk with President Gálvez. He explained to me his wishes for my mission´s end, of which I totally agreed with. Working hard, giving everything I have, until that last day comes and I get on that plane absolutely exhausted, but unbelievably happy at the same time. I asked him how I should work with the hermanas in my district, since I´ve never been in a district with hermanas EVER, and he explained to me that little bit and then went on further in saying that we want me to end the mission flying, but it would be even more incredible if the district has a whole took off flying as well. Three of us are possibly going home this change: myself, Elder Nelson of course, and then possibly the Hermana Ho from Guatemala. President wants all three of us to have the most amazing month ever, and I´m totally on board with it.
The Hermana Gálvez also gave me an added responsibility: I am now the english tutor for the hermanas. It´s been fun so far practicing my teaching skills. I´m having fun with it.
Wednesday morning we left early to see how Victoria, the girl we had given a blessing to the day before, was holding up. Words cannot explain how I felt as I saw the same girl, who a day before was painfully trying to breathe from a beaten body, now eating for the first time in days with a smile on here face and breathing fine. In one day she had pulled a complete 180 from where she had been. I had never before borne witness of such a miracle, and the impact of it rested with me for the rest of the day. The power of the priesthood, the power of faith, it was just too much for me. I´m still in awe of it. Elder Hoyt started to sing softly has we left their humble home: "How Great Thou Art".
That same day as we were sitting in a visit with one of our investigators, Marta, the zone leaders and the APs showed up. We had been trying to put a baptismal date with Marta for quite some time, but the last time they had tried back in July the cold water had made her sick and flat out couldn´t do it. The cold water made her severly ill. Marta very sincerely told us she wanted to be baptized, but she couldn´t get into cold water again. I put Elder Hoyt with Elder Trost to set in stone a baptismal date for the coming Saturday, as the other AP Elder Christensen and myself started making calls looking for a place with warm water to perform the baptism. Our plan didn´t pull through, so Elder Hoyt and I started to brainstorm on how we could heat water and throw it into the baptismal fount. After hearing that Eduardo and Jeannette were to be baptized Friday night, Marta asked if she could be baptized with them, of which we were completely up for.
Thursday we spent in the chapel/house installing shower duchas in two of the three bathrooms in order to heat water. Thursday night the zone leaders showed up to perform a wedding and a baptism in our church since the baptismal fount in theirs was out of comission. The zone leaders spent the night with us and Friday morning, at 9:30 A.M. we began the long process of filling our baptismal fount with 4 cubic meters of water by hand. We had the two shower duchas running nonstop, filling tall garbage cans, while we had two HUGE pots of water boiling over portable stoves. Nine and a half hours later, the fount was full and the water was nice warm temperature. The four of us were dead tired, but when we began the baptismal service, I felt incredible content with what we had accomplished. I had the privileged of baptizing Eduardo, and Elder Hoyt baptized Jeannette and Marta. The first words Eduardo spoke as he came out of the water filled my soul with a joy I cannot explain: "Maravilloso".
This weekend we have yet ANOTHER wedding to prepare for, along with our plans for the month. In July there were 8 baptisms in the area. We finished out August with 9. There have been 36 baptisms in San Ramon since January, and Elder Hoyt and I want to hit 45 before I leave. But 45 means 9 baptisms, and seeing how these last 2 months were 8 and then 9, we´re aiming for the stars a going for 10. Ten sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father brought into the fold of the Good Shepard. I believe that would definatly be ending the mission "flying" as President Gálvez put it.
I love you all. Come Friday, I´ll be 22 years old. These last 23 months have been filled with experiences of every kind, and in this, my last month as an ordained messenger of the Lord Jesus Christ, I can only pray to bare witness of His healing touch in not only my life, but in the lives of all those who are willing to listen to His words and feel His love. To accept His loving call to us all:
"...will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you?" (3 Nephi 9:13, italics added)
Tu Hijo,
Elder Nunie
Monday, August 30, 2010
Monday, August 23, 2010
The Reasons Why
I won´t lie...that foto of Tylan walking into the airport was too much for me. I can´t believe he´s home!!!!
Oh yes, I know the return mission in Pocatello. Elder Mitton, he ended the mission as my AP. He´s a super cool guy, I actually plan on hanging out with him when we go down to Pocatello. And I love Elder Holland´s talk from last conference! I downloaded that the Monday after general conference just cause I could get enough of it. Elder Holland has such a commanding voice when he speaks, I love it!
My sudden change of area was a surprise, but the night of changes and all of last week made me realize instantly the reasons why. Hopefully I don´t leave anything out.
Monday night we visited a recent convert that my MTC companion Elder Trost had baptized, the Hermana Mildred and her family. I love that family! I´ll explain more on that later. Tuesday we visited another recent convert family who had been jehovah witnesses, and just to hear the mother´s testimony and how she had been sharing the gospel with literally ALL of her neighbors, I was just in awe. That night we visited a couple that we have on board for marriage and baptism, Eduardo and Jeanette. Another amazing family.
Let me start with some background on the area. For the past year San Ramon had been in a drought concerning missionary work. Not a single baptism for over a year. Then they sent Elder Trost here. He turned the area around, giving truth to my MTC teacher´s (Hermano Crane) words "Attitude makes the missionary." Elder Trost had the right attitude, and over the last 8 months there have been 33 baptisms in the area. Elder Trost baptized the Hermana Mildred and her family, she shared with me her conversion story and I have to give kudoos to Elder Trost, because he really was the only missionary who could have baptized that woman.
We spent the week finding new people and putting baptism dates left and right (we have 4 baptisms planned for September right now and we´re working for more). Our couple, Eduardo and Jeanette, were to be married Saturday (Aug 21), but Satan played his cards in trying to ruin it. First we had a back run in with mold that had infested all of our baptism clothes on Thursday. The Hermana Mildred called us at that moment of freaking out, telling us she had felt we needed help and if there was anything she could do for us. I count my lucky stars and thank the Lord for giving her that prompting of the Spirit, because otherwise we would´ve been left with NO baptism clothes for Saturday. About an hour before the wedding Saturday the lawyer called us, and gave us the unfortunate news that he absolutely couldn´t do the wedding that day. Eduardo and Jeanette had been counting down the days to their wedding, and there was no way I was going to wait until NEXT weekend for the big day. We´ve sacrificed our P-Day to get them married tonight, finalizing everything beforehand. Last night we passed by to check on the them, and luckily we did, because Lucifer had found his way back and had started to plant the seeds of doubt. I´ve said it before, I´ll say it again: I don´t know how many more times I can pour my heart and soul out in testimony. We spent a good two hours building up faith and testimony again until all was well and the wedding was back on a firm foundation. Elder Hoyt hugged me after we had left their house for joy. I guess he loved the way I bore my testimony to them. =P
Eduardo and Jeanette are getting married tonight at 7 p.m., and baptized Friday at the same hour. I ask for your prayers that they can stay firm in the faith until both these events pass.
There are so many people here I know I needed to meet before going home. So many tesitmonies I needed to hear, stories I needed to be told, and from day one in the area hasta la fecha, I´m still singing it.
I LOVE SAN RAMON!
Tu Hijo,
Elder Nunie
Oh yes, I know the return mission in Pocatello. Elder Mitton, he ended the mission as my AP. He´s a super cool guy, I actually plan on hanging out with him when we go down to Pocatello. And I love Elder Holland´s talk from last conference! I downloaded that the Monday after general conference just cause I could get enough of it. Elder Holland has such a commanding voice when he speaks, I love it!
My sudden change of area was a surprise, but the night of changes and all of last week made me realize instantly the reasons why. Hopefully I don´t leave anything out.
Monday night we visited a recent convert that my MTC companion Elder Trost had baptized, the Hermana Mildred and her family. I love that family! I´ll explain more on that later. Tuesday we visited another recent convert family who had been jehovah witnesses, and just to hear the mother´s testimony and how she had been sharing the gospel with literally ALL of her neighbors, I was just in awe. That night we visited a couple that we have on board for marriage and baptism, Eduardo and Jeanette. Another amazing family.
Let me start with some background on the area. For the past year San Ramon had been in a drought concerning missionary work. Not a single baptism for over a year. Then they sent Elder Trost here. He turned the area around, giving truth to my MTC teacher´s (Hermano Crane) words "Attitude makes the missionary." Elder Trost had the right attitude, and over the last 8 months there have been 33 baptisms in the area. Elder Trost baptized the Hermana Mildred and her family, she shared with me her conversion story and I have to give kudoos to Elder Trost, because he really was the only missionary who could have baptized that woman.
We spent the week finding new people and putting baptism dates left and right (we have 4 baptisms planned for September right now and we´re working for more). Our couple, Eduardo and Jeanette, were to be married Saturday (Aug 21), but Satan played his cards in trying to ruin it. First we had a back run in with mold that had infested all of our baptism clothes on Thursday. The Hermana Mildred called us at that moment of freaking out, telling us she had felt we needed help and if there was anything she could do for us. I count my lucky stars and thank the Lord for giving her that prompting of the Spirit, because otherwise we would´ve been left with NO baptism clothes for Saturday. About an hour before the wedding Saturday the lawyer called us, and gave us the unfortunate news that he absolutely couldn´t do the wedding that day. Eduardo and Jeanette had been counting down the days to their wedding, and there was no way I was going to wait until NEXT weekend for the big day. We´ve sacrificed our P-Day to get them married tonight, finalizing everything beforehand. Last night we passed by to check on the them, and luckily we did, because Lucifer had found his way back and had started to plant the seeds of doubt. I´ve said it before, I´ll say it again: I don´t know how many more times I can pour my heart and soul out in testimony. We spent a good two hours building up faith and testimony again until all was well and the wedding was back on a firm foundation. Elder Hoyt hugged me after we had left their house for joy. I guess he loved the way I bore my testimony to them. =P
Eduardo and Jeanette are getting married tonight at 7 p.m., and baptized Friday at the same hour. I ask for your prayers that they can stay firm in the faith until both these events pass.
There are so many people here I know I needed to meet before going home. So many tesitmonies I needed to hear, stories I needed to be told, and from day one in the area hasta la fecha, I´m still singing it.
I LOVE SAN RAMON!
Tu Hijo,
Elder Nunie
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
One Last Run
Above Photo is of the bautism of Franklin
This last week ended with a lot of success, which is what I like to see. Tuesday morning we had a combined district meeting to discuss a few of the new points of focus we have as missionaries. Everything is still based out of Preach My Gospel, however they are 8 new focuses that haven´t had the attention they have well needed. And I personally bore witness of that Wednesday.
Wednesday we had received a referece from our cook, and since we happened to be working in that part of San Vito we took advantage of contacting the family the same day. Right from the get-go we began to apply a few of the new teaching methods we had discussed the day before, and we shared possibly the best lesson of my mission up to this point. The family we found is golden, and I would´ve loved to have baptized them for my birthday. Sadly that won´t be possible now.
Thursday we put a fecha with a joven we´ve been visiting, Miguel Ángel. We started planning his baptism for the 28th, which he accepted. Thursday night the missionaries from Ciudad Neilly came to do a blitz in San Vito. I finished Thursday night working with my district leader, Elder Perez from Honduras. Friday I continued working with Elder Perez while Elder Centeno worked with another salvadureño, Elder Garcia, in another part of San Vito. Elder Perez and I sealed in stone a baptismal fecha with Alondra once more, also for the 28th. The Spirit was there and she accepted the fecha readily without hesitation like past attempts. We also began teaching Miguel Ángel´s dad, who although very opinionated, was great to talk with and answer his questions.
Saturday we had the branch mother´s day activity (Sunday was Mother´s Day here in Costa Rica, HAPPY SECOND MOTHER´S DAY MOM!), which turned out really well. The new family we had found came and participated, making friends with the members and enjoying all the silly games we had planned. Hermano Chinchilla made "rice and bean" (gallo pinto cooked in coco milk and with chile panameño) which was incredible. All in all it was a great activity.
Sunday we had a great turn out, which I was deeply appreciated to see. We had 33 in church, with 3 investigators present.
Now for the surprising turn of events. Friday morning around 8 a.m. I received a phone call from the assistants. I was pumped when they told me I was the first in the mission to know about changes. I was sorely disappointed when they told me I HAD CHNAGES.
Sadly it was so. Once again, just as in Escazú, I was being taken from my area with only 3 short months, and being sent to who knows where. Elder Centeno is still in San Vito, he´ll have 7 and a half months before he leaves his first area now.
We got to San José Sunday night after a 6 hour bus ride from the zona sur. I spend a good part of the night talking with two of my good friends who I knew in the MTC, Elder Mitton and Elder Winward, who both go home tomorrow. It´s so weird to see this group going home right now, because they were with my group in the MTC for 3 weeks. This morning in changes meeting I meet up with my whole MTC district. Elder Litchfield and I started to make plans for BYU-Idaho and the whole nine yards. I said goodbye to my friends who are going home tomorrow: old ZLs, old DLs, an ex-secretary, and an ex-AP.
Then changes happened.
However disappointed I might have been about having to leave San Vito so soon was replaced by a sense of purpose as I was on the bus headed to my new area. I am now in San Ramon of Alajuela. San Ramon was part of my zone when I was in Cañas a year ago, but now it is part of Zona Central. Elder Nelson, who was with me in the MTC, and my old companion Elder Logan are my zone leaders. My new companion is Elder Hoyt from Houston, Texas. I´m the district leader over the zone leaders in Naranjo and the hermanas in Grecia. Once I saw I was district leader my only thought was "Oh snap, I need to teach district meetings now." =P The only thing that changes now is I can perform baptism interviews, which will be quite the experience.
Elder Litchfield had changes as well, he´s still in San José. My MTC companion, Elder Trost, is the new AP. We all saw it coming, and although he himself said he was nervous, I know he´s the man for the job.
Being in a new area for my last 6 weeks of the mission has given me a new jump of ánimo. San Ramon has been progressing ever since Elder Trost turned the place around, and I wll throw everything I have on the table, going "balls to the wall" as Elder Litchfield would put it, to keep it going and finish hard and strong. Elder Hoyt is a pretty cool guy. He only has 2 months in the mission, but he learned spanish before so language isn´t much of a barrier for him. He´s a percussionist like myself, he leaning more towards marimba, but we´re going to have a lot of fun.
I´m ready to go until I just can´t give anymore. To get it all I got and have no regrets.
It´s the Final Countdown. And I´m not going down without a FIGHT.
Tu Hijo,
Elder Nunie
It's been rough, but we're alive
This is going to be a little quick, I don´t have a lot of time because I still need to make the tithing deposit in the bank before it closes. Oh the stress of being in charge.
I love how our family always has strange animals who make their home in ours. I hope you named that racoon like we did "Dinner" back at Grandma and Grandpa´s place. =P
Sounds like you guys are getting everything ready for the new school year. I won´t lie, it sounds crazy that school is about to start again. When I got to San Vito you guys were just getting out of school. No time has passed at all and you´re all getting ready to go back. What´s up with that???
This last week was tough, but we pulled through. This is the last week of the change, so Elder Centeno and I sat down last night after a really rough day and began to plan out every individual lesson with members we have scheduled for the week. My thinking is based off what the APs touched on in zone conference. 20 to 30% of those that members find get baptized, while only 1 to 2% of who we find enter the waters of baptism. If that´s the case, we need to be working through the members more than anything. But to do that we need to be visiting them and sharing lessons directed to strengthing their testimonies and understanding of the gospel. We´ve already started along that way, but we´ve kicked it up a notch due to our poorly depressing let-downs we had to experience over the week.
This upcoming Sunday, August 15th, is Mother´s Day here in Costa Rica. We´re planning a small dinner and activity for the mothers of branch, it should be pretty fun. I´m learning more about how to manage the funds of the branch, although I never imagined I´d be doing this kind of stuff.
I´ve been suffering from odd illnesses throughout these last few weeks, but I´m afraid it could all be from the same cause. Last Sunday I almost fainted while teaching Priesthood. I started seing stars, my hearing became an echo, I lost feeling in my limbs, the whole 9 yards. I felt better about an hour later, after having ended church a half hour early, but throughout the rest of the week I´ve just felt really weak at weird times. Every afternoon my head has just been killing me (like it is now). I´ve been taking some cold meds, hoping they´ll do the job, but so far nothing´s kicked this bug from my system. I hoping it´s nothing, but if I continue this way or somehow get worse, I´ll need to call the Hermana Gálvez.
I´m fine with visiting Derek, Ashley, Grandma and Grandpa October 8th. I´m itching for a nice road tirp, and to be the one driving (from Boise to Pocatello, verdad, no me gusta a manejar por las montañas mucho). It´s so weird to be making plans like these. This morning on the bus to Ciudad Neilly (I´m in Neilly right now), I realized I don´t even feel like I´m not in my native country. Everything´s so normal to me here, I don´t know how it´s gonna be when I get home. Mom, Dad, just so you two know, I might only be speaking to you in spanish for a while on my return. I don´t like speaking in english for too long, I prefer speaking in spanish. It´s just easier for me, I have to think to much to use english.
Alright, I gotta get going. I love you all and I hope you have a great week. Take care, have fun, enjoy these last couple of days together before Ashley takes off for BSU, and be safe on the trip down. I can´t wait to hear from you all next week. Ciao!
Tu Hijo,
Elder Nunie
P.S.- Hey Ash, take care and be safe in Boise. I´ll be seeing you ASAP when I get home. And just so you don´t forget, buy plenty of shampoo before your birthday. Egg can be messy. =D Love ya Sis!
P.P.S.- Tell the Carton´s I miss them and give Tylan and big hug for me. =P I can´t believe he´s coming home. That´s just too much to take.
I love how our family always has strange animals who make their home in ours. I hope you named that racoon like we did "Dinner" back at Grandma and Grandpa´s place. =P
Sounds like you guys are getting everything ready for the new school year. I won´t lie, it sounds crazy that school is about to start again. When I got to San Vito you guys were just getting out of school. No time has passed at all and you´re all getting ready to go back. What´s up with that???
This last week was tough, but we pulled through. This is the last week of the change, so Elder Centeno and I sat down last night after a really rough day and began to plan out every individual lesson with members we have scheduled for the week. My thinking is based off what the APs touched on in zone conference. 20 to 30% of those that members find get baptized, while only 1 to 2% of who we find enter the waters of baptism. If that´s the case, we need to be working through the members more than anything. But to do that we need to be visiting them and sharing lessons directed to strengthing their testimonies and understanding of the gospel. We´ve already started along that way, but we´ve kicked it up a notch due to our poorly depressing let-downs we had to experience over the week.
This upcoming Sunday, August 15th, is Mother´s Day here in Costa Rica. We´re planning a small dinner and activity for the mothers of branch, it should be pretty fun. I´m learning more about how to manage the funds of the branch, although I never imagined I´d be doing this kind of stuff.
I´ve been suffering from odd illnesses throughout these last few weeks, but I´m afraid it could all be from the same cause. Last Sunday I almost fainted while teaching Priesthood. I started seing stars, my hearing became an echo, I lost feeling in my limbs, the whole 9 yards. I felt better about an hour later, after having ended church a half hour early, but throughout the rest of the week I´ve just felt really weak at weird times. Every afternoon my head has just been killing me (like it is now). I´ve been taking some cold meds, hoping they´ll do the job, but so far nothing´s kicked this bug from my system. I hoping it´s nothing, but if I continue this way or somehow get worse, I´ll need to call the Hermana Gálvez.
I´m fine with visiting Derek, Ashley, Grandma and Grandpa October 8th. I´m itching for a nice road tirp, and to be the one driving (from Boise to Pocatello, verdad, no me gusta a manejar por las montañas mucho). It´s so weird to be making plans like these. This morning on the bus to Ciudad Neilly (I´m in Neilly right now), I realized I don´t even feel like I´m not in my native country. Everything´s so normal to me here, I don´t know how it´s gonna be when I get home. Mom, Dad, just so you two know, I might only be speaking to you in spanish for a while on my return. I don´t like speaking in english for too long, I prefer speaking in spanish. It´s just easier for me, I have to think to much to use english.
Alright, I gotta get going. I love you all and I hope you have a great week. Take care, have fun, enjoy these last couple of days together before Ashley takes off for BSU, and be safe on the trip down. I can´t wait to hear from you all next week. Ciao!
Tu Hijo,
Elder Nunie
P.S.- Hey Ash, take care and be safe in Boise. I´ll be seeing you ASAP when I get home. And just so you don´t forget, buy plenty of shampoo before your birthday. Egg can be messy. =D Love ya Sis!
P.P.S.- Tell the Carton´s I miss them and give Tylan and big hug for me. =P I can´t believe he´s coming home. That´s just too much to take.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Conversion
I really don´t have the words to describe this week. It´s probably better if I just give you the whole story.
Tuesday we had zone conference. We´ve now hit a new point of Preach My Gospel. Starting in May of next year, the curriculum at the MTC will be altered. Preach My Gospel will still be the basis, but the focus will be more leaned to better ourselves as teachers. However, from this point on, all our capacitations will be based on this principle of being better gospel teachers. We saw a lot of that in President Gálvez´s capacitation Tuesday. A few other things have changed as well. We will now only be having zone conference every 3 months, and interviews with President will be the month following zone conference. In other words, Tuesday was my final zone conference in the mission. Interviews aren´t until August 31st. Two of my good mission buddies, Elder Mitton from Pocatello and Elder Winward from Salt Lake, gave their final testimonies in the conference. I´ve known them both since the MTC, and it´s was kind of unreal to see them giving their final testimonies knowing I´m next.
On that note, there´s been one major change. This group that leaves in a few weeks will be the last group to go home on a Tuesday. We´re the only mission in central america who holds their changes meetings on Mondays, and the Area Seventies said to change it. So starting with my group, changes meetings will be Wednesday, and because President Gálvez wants those leaving to be present in changes meeting, those going home won´t leave until Thursday. So you´re going to need to add two days onto the countdown, because I won´t be getting home until September 30th.
Now that´s just the news part of my letter. Now for the miracle part of it.
About a month and a half ago, a man named Franklin Mendoza found our branch secretary and asked if he could send us (the missionaries) to visit him. To give you some background on this man, he use to be an evangelical pastor. But to many of those in San Vito, he was more than just a pastor, a lot of people saw him as a prophet. About a year ago he was diagnosed with stomach cancer, on which they operated but he was still declared terminal. His health as decreased ever since, preventing him from continuing his practice as a pastor. With that, he was somewhat exiled from the church he once presided over, and realizing something was wrong, he began to look for something to fill the void he felt within him. Due to his health, his wife ended up leaving him, and he was left to fend for himself and his 3 sons. After talking with a member of the church on a bus, he was told to speak with our secretary, Hermano Chinchilla. The first time we met with him, he told us he was going to San José within a few days, and that the doctors were going ot amputate his leg due to an infection that had occured due to the cancer. We didn´t teach any straight lesson, we simply answered his questions the best we could, after the which he asked us if we could give him a blessing. After the blessing, I gave him a Book of Mormon with a chapter marked that he could read, and a number he could call to contact us. I also gave him the number to the missionaries in the area he would be staying in San José.
A few weeks later, I felt the impression we needed to visit him again. We weren´t even sure if he had returned from San José, but we called the Hermano Chinchilla and went. Franklin was there, and he hadn´t received surgery yet due to some complications in his divorce that wouldn´t permit him to leave town quite yet. He told us he had been reading in the Book of Mormon, and that he didn´t understand why people were so against it since everything he had read so far was exactly what he had been searching for since his illness began. Once again, he told us that he would hopefully be leaving for San José in a few days but that he would meet with the missionaries as soon as he left the hospital. That was on July 7th.
Friday morning I was seated out on the porch studying, when Elder Centeno came out with the phone. He told me that Franklin had called, that he was close by and that he wanted to speak with us. We met with Franklin outside the apartment, and he told us that once again his divorce had delayed his surgery, but that Sunday morning he would be leaving. Without any further hesitation, he asked us what he had to do be baptized before he left. All he needed was the desire and the faith, of which I could tell he had both. Prior to speaking with us, he had separated himself from the woman he had been living with knowing it was necessary to "be right with God" as he put it. He said he had no doubt in his mind that this was what he needed to do.
Not an hour later we were on a bus for Ciudad Neilly. We brought one of the district leaders in the zone to San Vito, and we had Franklin´s baptismal interview Friday night. He made the statement that he might not know a whole lot about the church as a whole, but he had gained a testimony of the Book of Mormon, and he knew it was true.
Sunday morning, August 1, 2010 at 7:30 in the morning, I had to previleged to baptize Franklin Mendoza. He was later confirmed and able to partake of the sacrament before leaving for San José and the surgery that awaited him. But before he left, he said he felt at peace.
There are times in the mission where you question if you´re doing all you can, and if you feel you are, then why aren´t the good things coming? Then an experience like this comes along, and you have to humble yourself for having forgotten to have patience, and feeling blessed to have had part in such a conversion of faith.
Franklin entered the hospital in San José this morning. If you could keep him in your prayers, I would be deeply grateful.
I hope you´re all doing alright and enjoying the few weeks of summer vacation that are left. I love you all.
Tu Hijo,
Elder Nunie
Tuesday we had zone conference. We´ve now hit a new point of Preach My Gospel. Starting in May of next year, the curriculum at the MTC will be altered. Preach My Gospel will still be the basis, but the focus will be more leaned to better ourselves as teachers. However, from this point on, all our capacitations will be based on this principle of being better gospel teachers. We saw a lot of that in President Gálvez´s capacitation Tuesday. A few other things have changed as well. We will now only be having zone conference every 3 months, and interviews with President will be the month following zone conference. In other words, Tuesday was my final zone conference in the mission. Interviews aren´t until August 31st. Two of my good mission buddies, Elder Mitton from Pocatello and Elder Winward from Salt Lake, gave their final testimonies in the conference. I´ve known them both since the MTC, and it´s was kind of unreal to see them giving their final testimonies knowing I´m next.
On that note, there´s been one major change. This group that leaves in a few weeks will be the last group to go home on a Tuesday. We´re the only mission in central america who holds their changes meetings on Mondays, and the Area Seventies said to change it. So starting with my group, changes meetings will be Wednesday, and because President Gálvez wants those leaving to be present in changes meeting, those going home won´t leave until Thursday. So you´re going to need to add two days onto the countdown, because I won´t be getting home until September 30th.
Now that´s just the news part of my letter. Now for the miracle part of it.
About a month and a half ago, a man named Franklin Mendoza found our branch secretary and asked if he could send us (the missionaries) to visit him. To give you some background on this man, he use to be an evangelical pastor. But to many of those in San Vito, he was more than just a pastor, a lot of people saw him as a prophet. About a year ago he was diagnosed with stomach cancer, on which they operated but he was still declared terminal. His health as decreased ever since, preventing him from continuing his practice as a pastor. With that, he was somewhat exiled from the church he once presided over, and realizing something was wrong, he began to look for something to fill the void he felt within him. Due to his health, his wife ended up leaving him, and he was left to fend for himself and his 3 sons. After talking with a member of the church on a bus, he was told to speak with our secretary, Hermano Chinchilla. The first time we met with him, he told us he was going to San José within a few days, and that the doctors were going ot amputate his leg due to an infection that had occured due to the cancer. We didn´t teach any straight lesson, we simply answered his questions the best we could, after the which he asked us if we could give him a blessing. After the blessing, I gave him a Book of Mormon with a chapter marked that he could read, and a number he could call to contact us. I also gave him the number to the missionaries in the area he would be staying in San José.
A few weeks later, I felt the impression we needed to visit him again. We weren´t even sure if he had returned from San José, but we called the Hermano Chinchilla and went. Franklin was there, and he hadn´t received surgery yet due to some complications in his divorce that wouldn´t permit him to leave town quite yet. He told us he had been reading in the Book of Mormon, and that he didn´t understand why people were so against it since everything he had read so far was exactly what he had been searching for since his illness began. Once again, he told us that he would hopefully be leaving for San José in a few days but that he would meet with the missionaries as soon as he left the hospital. That was on July 7th.
Friday morning I was seated out on the porch studying, when Elder Centeno came out with the phone. He told me that Franklin had called, that he was close by and that he wanted to speak with us. We met with Franklin outside the apartment, and he told us that once again his divorce had delayed his surgery, but that Sunday morning he would be leaving. Without any further hesitation, he asked us what he had to do be baptized before he left. All he needed was the desire and the faith, of which I could tell he had both. Prior to speaking with us, he had separated himself from the woman he had been living with knowing it was necessary to "be right with God" as he put it. He said he had no doubt in his mind that this was what he needed to do.
Not an hour later we were on a bus for Ciudad Neilly. We brought one of the district leaders in the zone to San Vito, and we had Franklin´s baptismal interview Friday night. He made the statement that he might not know a whole lot about the church as a whole, but he had gained a testimony of the Book of Mormon, and he knew it was true.
Sunday morning, August 1, 2010 at 7:30 in the morning, I had to previleged to baptize Franklin Mendoza. He was later confirmed and able to partake of the sacrament before leaving for San José and the surgery that awaited him. But before he left, he said he felt at peace.
There are times in the mission where you question if you´re doing all you can, and if you feel you are, then why aren´t the good things coming? Then an experience like this comes along, and you have to humble yourself for having forgotten to have patience, and feeling blessed to have had part in such a conversion of faith.
Franklin entered the hospital in San José this morning. If you could keep him in your prayers, I would be deeply grateful.
I hope you´re all doing alright and enjoying the few weeks of summer vacation that are left. I love you all.
Tu Hijo,
Elder Nunie
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Soaked to the Bone
This week went alright, apart from the insane thunder storms that have been soaking us from head to toe. I haven´t come home dry in a while. =P
We managed to finally find some new families to teach, and the search continues this week as always. Yesterday we had 3 investigators in church, although we had to pull some strings so that members would pass by for them in the morning. We did finally have a Sunday with a "decent" church attendance. Friday my companion and I sat down and planned out everything for August. We´re going to be pushing ourselves a bit, but if we don´t no one else will.
Last night as I sat in bed thinking about what all needs to be down for the area, it suddenly hit me that I only have two months left. It just hit me like a brick wall. There´s so much to do here and so little time. If we just follow our plans, little by little I hope to see progress. As the saying goes "No one ever plans to fail; they just fail to plan."
Not a whole lot going on around here right now. Tomorrow (Tuesday) we have zone conference in Rio Claro. I´m looking forward to it, especially for President Galvez´s capacitation. Always a good chance to put into play new ideas we haven´t thought of yet.
Have I mentioned how weird it is to do the finances after church Sundays??? It´s one of the weirdest moments of the week, putting together all the financial reports to send to the central offices in San José. Just weird to be the one doing that stuff.
I´m glad to hear you guys have had a fun week. I hope Dad enjoyed his birthday. =D So Ashley is leaving for BSU on the 14th? She´ll be home for Tylan´s homecoming then. He gets home on the 11th (at least that´s what he last told me. I haven´t heard from him since they changed all our email accounts back in March). Just to be saying that sounds weird. Has time really passed like this?
Alright I don´t have much else to tell you guys about this week. Take care, be safe, and enjoy the time you all have together before Ashley leaves for college. I love you all.
Tu Hijo,
Elder Nunie
We managed to finally find some new families to teach, and the search continues this week as always. Yesterday we had 3 investigators in church, although we had to pull some strings so that members would pass by for them in the morning. We did finally have a Sunday with a "decent" church attendance. Friday my companion and I sat down and planned out everything for August. We´re going to be pushing ourselves a bit, but if we don´t no one else will.
Last night as I sat in bed thinking about what all needs to be down for the area, it suddenly hit me that I only have two months left. It just hit me like a brick wall. There´s so much to do here and so little time. If we just follow our plans, little by little I hope to see progress. As the saying goes "No one ever plans to fail; they just fail to plan."
Not a whole lot going on around here right now. Tomorrow (Tuesday) we have zone conference in Rio Claro. I´m looking forward to it, especially for President Galvez´s capacitation. Always a good chance to put into play new ideas we haven´t thought of yet.
Have I mentioned how weird it is to do the finances after church Sundays??? It´s one of the weirdest moments of the week, putting together all the financial reports to send to the central offices in San José. Just weird to be the one doing that stuff.
I´m glad to hear you guys have had a fun week. I hope Dad enjoyed his birthday. =D So Ashley is leaving for BSU on the 14th? She´ll be home for Tylan´s homecoming then. He gets home on the 11th (at least that´s what he last told me. I haven´t heard from him since they changed all our email accounts back in March). Just to be saying that sounds weird. Has time really passed like this?
Alright I don´t have much else to tell you guys about this week. Take care, be safe, and enjoy the time you all have together before Ashley leaves for college. I love you all.
Tu Hijo,
Elder Nunie
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