Catching Up‏

This week, I have some catching up to do. The office is really just a crazy adventure. An office Elder who is diligent, who strives to be an example to the other missionaries, spends most of his time fighting being the exception to all of the rules, because the work of the office at some time or another will cause you to be an exception to many rules in many instances. For example, I've done three airport runs, that is, taking missionaries who're ending their missions to the airport, which is a small trip, but takes time because you have to wait for them to say goodbye to President and get through customs, and two of them meant that I had to wake up at 3:00 or 2:00 a.m. So, there's a fight about whether you get home at 5:30 and get back up at 6:30 again to follow the schedule or get up at 7:30 to get a little more sleep, and the answer for me was, yes the first time, but when the second time was only like four or five days later............ Difficult. BUT! You fight. It's about the effort and intent in reality. And if you strive, you can achieve a lot.

But, those last two weren't fun, because it's seeing people go home early, and that just doesn't leave you with a good feeling, but you make it fun trying to do a contact when it's four in the morning and a sleepy person of a possibly foreign nation is approached by an overly cheery young man with a black name badge and weird hair to be spoken to about Jesus Christ and what He has to offer them in their lives. In reality, I've found people extremely open in airports. They seem to have seen so many movies where airport encounters change their lives, and they go in search of something to happen. So, we happen. :)

Also, I'm price negotiating like crazy. All of these landlords have this crazy tradition that when we want to renew a contract, they try to raise the rent, and we just don't abide by that tradition. And, we've had a few emergency houses to obtain, and that all just falls on my shoulders. Nevertheless, today, two Elders are moving from a hovel that was obtained last minute because there was nowhere else into a second story beauty for a manageable price. Epic house deal #1 checked off of the list!

The work is pretty crazy. The Ward seems to have gotten a similar syndrome to the missionaries that are here for a long time. Because the missionaries are in the office for so long, and aren't normal, they can't work so much and they start to feel a little bit useless, and that kind of spreads over to the Ward. They feel like there's a lot of disappointment and they don't have a real vision of what they can achieve. That was something I loved about Capiatá. They said "We can do great things." And it's not that the people here think that they can't, it's just that they don't consider it. So, my goal is to come and give hope to missionaries, members, and those whom the Lord has prepared. We have some prospective investigators here. One man had never felt anything about God. He believes, because that's just the only way to be here (they really haven't considered atheism as an extant thing), but he told us he never really felt God or felt anything religious. So, we shared with him, and he felt so strongly the Spirit. I am so grateful that I was able to strengthen and bless someone to give them their very first interaction with our Father in Heaven. The man's name is Vidal Garcete, and we have another lesson with him tomorrow (and the second counselor of the Bishopric said he'd be there!!!!! Yes!!!)

So, that's my life. Enjoy epic pictures of the chair museum. :)