Bolivia, Cobija—Week 4

Dearest Family and Friends,

This week was full of learning and teaching. I don’t have a lot of time, so here is a quick rundown of how we spent our time:

Journal Pages

Strengthening Testimonies

We talked to the Familia “E” today about marriage. A lot of the people here believe that marriage will just lead to divorce, so they end up living together for many years instead. They weren’t very excited about the idea of marriage, but we’ll see what happens.

We had FHE with the Familia “L” tonight. It was good and “P” joined us this time! We talked about Family History and Temple work. They are doing better. We have another FHE planned with them next week.

Our new convert is doing great! She still hasn’t found the courage to tell her mom that she has been baptized, but her brother is helping her a lot.

Rain

It rained for hours, so I dedicated my time tonight to write goodbye notes to everyone in all of my areas so I won’t be stressed when it’s time to leave.

Unity

We planned a “unity” activity tonight and it was super. We played the game where everyone grabs the hands of someone and then everyone tries to untangle themselves and make a circle. We related it to the Conference talk by Elder Wong. Everyone loved it.

Time is Short

In our District Meeting today, Elder Spitale and the other zone leaders talked about diligence. We discussed how the mission is short and that life is also short. We need to make the most of it before it ends. We need to be diligent every second. We read the April 2014 Conference talk entitled, “Your Four Minutes.” It talks about how life is like 4 minutes and we need to do all we can to make the most of it. I know that if I can diligently work during these next few weeks, I will feel more accomplished when I go home and I’ll be able to say that I did all I could to heed the Savior’s call to work in his vineyard with all of my heart, might, mind, and strength. I am happy to be here at this time. I know I still have a lot to learn, so I need to take advantage of the time I’ve been given and make a real difference in the lives of the people here.

Changed Perspective

My companion was sick today, so we had to stay in. I was able to read about the Sacred Grove in the December Liahona. How I want to go there and feel the Spirit that is there! Elder Jensen talked about the ecosystem and how we can relate it to life.

1.  Trees always grow toward the light. “Light is essential to our spiritual growth and realization of our full potential as God’s sons and daughters.”

2.  Trees require opposition to fulfill the measure of their creation. “Opposition must exist for spiritual growth to occur. Understanding and embracing this principle is a key to accepting and being generally happy with life.”

3.  Trees grow best in forests, not in isolation. “We are to work out our salvation together, not in isolation.”

4.  Trees draw strength from the nutrients created by previous generations of trees. “It is impossible to live fully in the present without the foundation of the past.”

Read this talk when you have a few minutes. It changed my perspective.

Church

“L” came to Church! All of the members were super surprised because she hasn’t come to Church in years. We were so happy for her. My companion and I gave talks about retention and activation. I was nervous. I don’t know why because I usually don’t get nervous about talks now. I think it turned out well. I related the recent converts and less actives to the talk (see above) about the Sacred Grove. I loved this talk. It was beautiful.

Please pray for Rose. She is scheduled to be baptized on Saturday and needs some extra blessings this week.

I love you all!

XOXO Hermana Nelson

Pizza, anyone?