With Authority and Power! (pewpew!)

A very enlightening week!

So this week, because of a lack of people showing up to church and not progressing, my companion and I decided that we were going to stop trying to be the "Nice Missionaries" and get some stuff done. No asking nicely, no tolerance for noncompliance to promises made, no indirect questions, no fear! We went direct, and cut right into the heart of matters with some of our investigators. Here's 3 reasons why:

1) Separate the Wheat from the Tares.
2) Speaking openly and directly is what Jesus and the Prophets did.
3) When in the MTC, Richard G. Hinkley gave a fireside, and did a little Q and A session. One of the questions was, "How I can I be an effective missionary?" to which he replied, "Be Bold!"

Well, it worked! We spent some time on our companionship study identifying some of the needs of the investigators, and challenges that they're going through in their lives. We then made a course of attack! Results were:

1) People came to church
2) Commitments and promises were kept (by those who are really interested).
3) Found out who isn't really interested.
4) Found out who needs extra help and attention.

Granted not everybody did everything they promised. Such is to be expected through the course of human life where random problems arise and unexpected situations manifest. But generally speaking, we had our desired goal accomplished of having investigators progress. As for the people who still aren't sure if they're 100% committed, we're going to work with them to help them meet their specific weakness, but we're also not going to spend as much time with them, for we're here to reap the harvest and plant seeds. People need to cultivate their own soil, though (see the parable of the sower). Let's see, it's like we plant seeds of faith, and if the soil is good, after 3 weeks we reap some grain. If the soil is not good, hard, rocky, or smothered in weeds, well, that all depends on the individual, and not our work. As President Wilhelm (the mission president) once said, "We're here to find people who are ready, not to waste our time with people who aren't." Well, that should just about do it. Ya'll be sure to be good, be nice, and be bold!

e'horspool

So these pics were taken by my comp! yay! We went to the dock for P-day and checked out all the awesomeness it had to offer. Mmm..... Shrimp and Cheese empanadas. There was also a bunch of pelicans everywhere, and a sweet flea market, or Feria.

Uhm...Duh

Looking out to sea

Goin' to the dock