11 March 2013 - An interesting Week‏

 Well Hello Everybody!

This Week started off really moderately low, then rose to an almost amazing week then plummeted down to a rather difficult week. Like 40% to a 90% then down to a 20%. 

We started off the week rather slow, I and my companion were having difficulties between us, and he was having difficulties with the two other Elders that we live with, something was missing, I personally think it was lack of communication. After spending a good chunk of time talking and discussing what was going on between us, apologize were made. Then our week soured, we were able to find a bunch of people, we used the area book and found a number of people who were ready to hear the gospel and wanted to go to church, that wanted to be baptized. We were able to work together in a way that we´d never worked before these past 8 weeks. It seemed as though people were coming to us to be taught the Gospel! One man showed up at the church during mutual and said that he wanted to learn more about our church, and that he felt good in the church, that he could feel that spirit that was present there. It was so cool! Then Sunday arrived.... Ugh by 8:00 everyone that said they wanted and were able to go to church canceled, all the promises all the appointments fell through. And two cherries to top it off! A member told us that her neighbor complained to her that we knocked on her door. The member was mad that we didn't ask her to talk to her neighbor to ask if we could visit her... Yeah it was weird and kinda ridiculous. And the second cherry was when one of the members told us that her mom didn't like my companion and asked that we don't pass by to teach her anymore. BAM! Yeah that totally destroyed my companion... There were a couple other things that happened between him and a few of the members. I personally think that some of the members are losing patience with him. I don't know he kinda has a manner that's annoying to some people... One thing I've learned this past week is that missionaries have to have higher standards than the members, like sometimes we have to take the blow even when the members act wrong, it's something that is hard for some missionaries...

So were trying to get back on our feel and keep the wheels rolling. Its funny, every time so far in the mission when I've started to struggle during the mission it was always right before I had an interview with the president. And tomorrow I'm scheduled for another interview! WoWho! I'm super excited, honestly I wish I could bring in with me a tape recorder to remember everything that Presidente Gonzaga has said to me during my interviews. I'm super pumped :)

The language is coming along great, I've been reading the Liahona or monthly church magazine out loud to myself or to my companion and its really been helping a lot. Everyday I try to study some form of grammar and then apply it during the day. I LOVE teaching people, it's so interesting following the spirit, like every time, I'll teach in a different way, every time, another idea or way to explain something will come to mind. It's So cool! It's such a cool feeling to be able to promise something to someone in the name of Christ, using the teaching in the scriptures and applying it to people that i meet during the day. I really enjoy giving messages during lunch at a members house, studying a topic or a story and then teaching it to a member or a investigator.

I'm so happy to be here on my mission, learning studying and growing. I'm so thank to our heavenly father for his trust in allowing me to represent his son and spreading the gospel.

LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH
ELDER RALPH