Another week down! Ha. I really can't believe how fast time flies!
This week has been really good! We've been working hard, and having fun!
The first part of the week was fairly normal. We had a District meeting, and we taught some people the Gospel. ;)
Then on Thursday we went up to Café and had an awesome lesson with Oliva. Ha. She is SO great! We talked about the law of Chastity, and she had some really good questions. One of which was "Do Mormons really put Chastity belts on their kids? Cuz that's what my friend told me.." hahaha! We told her that it's not true, but some people joke about it cuz the youth in our church wear a "chastity belt" in the sense that they choose to abstain from sexual relations before marriage. Then we discussed how much pain and sorrow can be avoided if we live the law of chastity.
Afterwards, she told us she wishes that she had found the church earlier in her life cuz of all the things that could've been avoided if she had been keeping Gods commandments, and that even though it took a long time for the Good Word to get to her, it's better now then NEVER! ha.
How great is our responsibility? There are millions of Olivas out there, that are going through life lacking what we have to share! The Gospel truly can, and will change people's lives for the better. We just have to share it with them!
On Friday we got up, had our normal study sesh, and then took a public car over to the La Paz Elder's house. Then my companion and our District Leader Elder Ramos went back to work in our area for the day, and left me there with Elder Rodriguez. Ha. We had a pretty good day, and taught some first lessons, and then in the evening we went to one of their progressing investigators houses and had a good lesson with her. As we were finishing up the lesson with her, her older brother walked in the house and sat down with us. Ha. Then he started asking questions... lol. The man was BRILLIANT. He knew all kinds of crazy doctrine about the Bible, and had tons of theories that he had studied. The cool part was that he explained how the Bible was translated, and how many translations it went through before it reached it's current state in Spanish... It was kinda hard to follow. ha. But it made me think of the 8th Article of Faith (at least I think it's the 8th... ha. Primary was a long time ago..) that says that we believe in the Bible "as far as it is translated correctly..." How awesome is it that God knew that his word (the Bible) would be twisted, and changed in translation, and because of that He had a prophet bury an inspired collection of gold plates in a hill, which would later be found, translated with the CORRECT AUTHORITY, and brought forth to dispel the extreme confusion that the Bible had caused. I think it's incredible. And after talking with that crazy smart guy, all about the SUPER CONFUSING theories that theologists have about the Bible, I'm just really grateful for the Book of Mormon, and for the living prophets we have today that hold the Authority to correctly interpret the Word of God.
I know the Book of Mormon is true. There is literally no way it couldn't be.
Yesterday we had Stake Conference, which was awesome. Our Mission President gave a great talk about missionary work, and encouraged all the members to introduce their friends to the Full Time Missionaries. So hopefully they'll take that to heart, and bring us some references!
The last speaker was Elder Anderson, our Area Seventy here in the Caribbean. He shared an awesome story about a woman that was saving money so that her and her family could make it to the Temple. She had a little café, and she would make a batch of food in the morning with the ingredients she could afford from what she made the day before, and then serve it til it was gone. She had been doing this for years, and providing for her family. Then she had an interview with Elder Anderson (stake president at that time) and told him about her dilemma; that she had been saving for months to get her family to the temple, but with the day to day expenses of running the café and feeding her family, AND paying her tithing, it was relatively impossible to save anything. They said a prayer together, and decided that she needed to take the little savings that she had, and buy ingredients to make 3 times the usual amount of food for the following day. She thought it was crazy, but with the same faith she'd exercised in paying a full tithe, did it anyway. Ha. At about 1 o'clock the next day, 3 BUSES FULL OF PEOPLE (tourists) pulled up on the side of the dirt road in her little town, and unloaded into her little café. She fed all of them, and even had to send someone to get more food to provide for them all. Ha. She made enough money in that one day to pay for her the trip to the temple to get her family sealed! So cool! The Lord is good!
Then last night, we had another Family Home Evening with the members in Café. We talked about Gratitude, and it got me thinking. Ha. Really, I don't thank my Father in Heaven nearly as much as I should. Nor do I have an "attitude of gratitude" like I should. I say my prayers, and I thank Heavenly Father for "everything I have," but sometimes it's just routine... I'm not actually feeling grateful for ALL that I have. Ha.
Just the other morning I was complaining about the 3 cockroaches I had to chase out of my bed during the night... When really, my thoughts should've been more like "I'm so grateful for the bed, and the clean sheets that I have for those cockroaches to infest." haha. Ok, maybe that example is a little extreme. But you know what I mean.
I had a fellow missionary challenge me to keep a Gratitude Journal, and write down five things I'm grateful for every single day. And I'm gonna do it. And I'd extend the invitation to any and everyone that would care to join me. Gratitude is the best way there is to keep our thoughts positive, and live happier in general. Be Grateful!! :)
Then today rolled around. Yet another P-Day. Ha. All the older Elders have told me time and time again that P-Day is just kinda normal.. But I just couldn't imagine how they could be so un-excited for P-Day. Ha. But today P-Day was "just kinda normal." ha. Maybe that means that I'm actually a missionary now? Or maybe I'm not a greeny anymore? lol. I dunno.
It was a good day though. We went shopping, and while we were in the meat section, my comp found Molleja de Pollo, which he was SUPER excited about. ha. So we bought it, and took it home. While he cooked it, I went and found my Spanish to English dictionary... Turns out, Molleja means Gizzard. hahaha!!! I definitely ate Chicken Gizzard for lunch today. It was really tough, and chewy, but other than that it was alright! I cant say I loved it, but it wasn't inedible! :)
Anyway. I am out of time yet again.
I hope this last week has been fantastic for all of you, and I hope the same for the week to come.
I love you all! Keep the Faith! and BE GRATEFUL!
Love,
Elder Cade Mooney
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