46: Independencia 13

Hello Family!

Well, this week has been busy.

It started with Friday. After writing you all, I got to go to the temple with my zone. As it just so happened, my ward mission leader, Ivan Retana, was going to the same session to take out his endowment. It was a pretty neat experience. First of all, it was cool because everything was in Spanish and I understood it. But seriously, the temple is just awesome. If you ever need to get answers for your life, the temple is the best place to do it. If you ever need to feel the spirit of the Lord, the temple is the best place to do it. It's just the best place in the world. After having a long break of not going to the temple (about 8 months), I really was able to learn a lot.

I'm not gonna lie, Saturday and Sunday were very hard days. We didn't get anyone in sacrament meeting, a lot of our appointments fell, and we dropped a ton of investigators who really weren't progressing. Then changes week began. Wow. Let's just say that this was the busiest week I have had in the office since I got here.

But really, I was busy. The president gave me a ton of assignments because we had changes, then the following day we had the Thanksgiving multizones. So honestly and truthfully, I have not had much time to do actual missionary work. Except Monday, which was awesome.

Monday is when the news [new elders] come, but because we had already prepared everything for that day, I was able to slip out with a member in the afternoon while Elder Christner stayed and took care of los nuevos. I went with a member named Juan Blanco (or John White in English). He is the president of Sunday School for the stake, and is probably one of the most amazing teachers I have ever met. He lives in Palmar, but went with me this time because we needed a member. We went and taught the grandparents of a member, Daniel. It was a very cool lesson. The wife, Adilia, is totally on board. The husband, Avilio, is a doubter. But man, the way Juan taught, there wasn't really any room left to doubt.

After that, we went to visit Hermana Berta. She's a very, very intelligent woman, maybe a little eccentric (I think she really likes conspiracy theories), but way funny. She is very smart. We talked to her cousin, Mario that day too (he lives in the same house as her). Well, he's just a little crazy. He likes Mormonism, but doesn't believe in sin or that any church is true. But he likes Mormonism. I'm just really not sure how he managed to get baptized. But, whatever, he's started coming to church again, so maybe he'll figure it out. I just thought the lesson was pretty funny because Juan Blanco likes to have control of the lessons (that's what makes him so good), but that's impossible with these two. They both love to talk. Usually, when I go with Elder Christner, we say about 5 sentences, and the rest of the time sit back, listen, and enjoy. It's all good though. Hermana Berta usually comes to the same conclusions that we want to teach her without us saying anything. Anyways, Juan Blanco got a little frustrated because he couldn't say anything. But hey, it's the mission.

After that lesson, I went back to Juan's house where he taught me for an hour. Man, I think he's taught me more about missionary work than anyone else. I've been trying to put his teaching ideas into practice, and my teaching has improved a ton. That guy's gold. Pure hour of inspiration.

The next day was Tuesday. I left the office at about 6:30 because the president was having his interviews with the missionaries going home and I had to be there. I was able to finish the mission newsletter (El Estandarte). Yeah, it's new. I can send a copy of it next week. It was the first newsletter we've had with this President. Then I went on interchanges with Elder Sutton. He was there because he was going to Belize the next morning.

So he went out with me and we contacted houses. Pretty cold. Then we went and taught the familia Viana. The mom of one of the kids, who is a member, started asking us about eternal marriage. She has a boyfriend and wants to understand that. I tried putting in the tactics Juan taught me, and it was a pretty sweet lesson. Then after they gave us food. Good old beans, eggs, and cream. It was delicious and simple, as always.

Wednesday, more interviews, another hectic day in the office. I finished this pamphlet on the BOM that the President wanted. I did it all. I was pretty proud of my accomplishment. I ended up going out with my companion finally, but we were pretty fried. We taught this 8-year-old daughter of a member who wants to get baptized (so she won't count as a convert). The bishop asked us to teach her, so we are. At least it'll reactivate her mom.

Thursday was pure hectic. I started working at 6:30 basically. As soon as I woke up I had to start calling zones for information. Then we got to the office at 7:30 and had to set everything up for the Thanksgiving multizone. The assistants weren't there because they had to drive a wounded missionary to the San Salvador Hospital the night before, and then the car broke down, so they weren't able to come back on time, so I had to sit in the meeting and do all the things the assistants normally do (except for teach), without knowing exactly how the president wanted it (microphones, powerpoint, running around, etc). Well, it all went well as it turns out. Then the next meeting (which was actually my meeting), the assistants showed up, but the president still had me do everything because I already knew how he wanted everything done. Dang it. I didn't get to take notes. Oh well. It was a good experience. Well, then I still had a whole bunch of work to do and Elder Christner had to scan and email all those Thanksgiving notes you guys got, so we were in the office until about 8:30. Got back fried and hammered, but with a full stomach. So it was all good.
Well, now it's Friday again. Wow that week went by fast. It feels like I haven't been in the temple for ages again. Well, I'll wait it out six more months until the next time. Until then, I still have a whole bunch of projects, and Christmas coming up. I've decided I'd be pretty good in the business world. Elder Christner tells me it is a lot like what we're doing now. I like it. It actually is kind of fun. I just wish I was able to work more in the area still, but this upcoming week will be much better. Well, keep up doing whatever good things you're doing, don't forget who you are, and get ready for Christmas.

Love you all,

Elder Bailey

45: Independencia 12

Good news. Today I'm going to the temple! Woot! We've waited forever for this, and now we're going to be able to go after I finish writing.

This has been a hard week. I'm not gonna lie. Saturday afternoon we encountered a man named Mauricio. He's an alcoholic and has a lot of problems. He encountered us on the street and told us that he'd been looking for us because he really wanted to change his life. I'm just going to tell you right now—this is not a happy story, and it doesn't end well. So we went with him. He spoke perfect English because he lived in the states most of his life and preferred speaking in English. He took us to his house, and it was there we began to talk. He started talking about all his problems. It was sad because he wanted to change, but he was a total slave to his addictions.

That was the hardest lesson I've ever taught. It really put Christ and His Atonement to practice. As we explained to him how he could change, you could really see how the atonement really does apply to each one of us, personally. But man, it was a hard lesson. He really wanted to stop drinking. The lesson lasted 4 hours. When we left, we were completely exhausted, totally—physically, mentally, and spiritually.

Mauricio went to bed determined not to drink. He told us he would start shaking, but that he'd do it. Sunday morning we took him to church. He was sober, but shaking the whole time. He lasted through sacrament meeting, but then went home after. Well, he didn't make it. We went back after church, and he had left his house. It was hard. We had done all we could to help him, but he honestly didn't have enough faith and determination to do it. He didn't make it, and after all that we just had to leave him, but I learned an important lesson. Maybe more than one.

First of all, I never really understood how much of a protection the commandments are for us. Our president explained it to us in this way. For some people, the commandments are a fence, something that keeps us from doing what we want. But this is wrong. In reality, commandments are guardrails. Like the guardrails on a speedway, they keep us from rolling off the road, from losing our lives, our families, and everything we love. They keep us happy and in control. The people who want to play around with this and see if they kind drive with one wheel off the freeway can easily get pulled off. It's not worth it. It's really not worth it to see how far to the edge you can go.

So it was a hard weekend. It felt like forever. When Monday finally came around, it felt like a lifetime since I had last been there.

The office was busy this week. I had a ton to do. It was good stuff. We've been finding some new investigators who seem positive. We don't have a date for November, but we have a sweet family set for the first week of December, and a couple of other investigators who we're going to try to set dates with this week.

Well, I've got to take off to the temple now.

44: Independencia 11

Hello family!
         
So it’s been a good week.

Saturday we did a way sweet activity, me and Elder Christner.  It was called "Men with Brooms."  Basically, we went contacting with brooms, and tried to see how many houses we could sweep that day.  I’m not gonna lie, it is so much fun doing service.

Sunday was great.  We got five investigators to sacrament meeting.  One of our members, Hubo (probably the coolest guy in the world), brought two old grandpas to church.  He says he wants to get them baptized and through the temple before they die.  It’s awesome.  I love that guy.  The two viejitos are way sweet too.  Fidel (the grandpa) always introduces himself as “Fidel, but not Castro.”  He’s so funny.  So we’re going to try to put a baptism date on this Sunday.

Also, William can’t get permission.  He was our red head investigator.  He’s way cool, a good boy, he knows the Church is true and wants to get baptized, but his parents won’t let him.  They’re hard core Catholics.  It’s pretty rough, and since school just finished for him he’s going to go to the states in two weeks, so we’ll never be able to baptize him.  Kind of rough.

Then we have Mauricio.  He’s an investigator we’ve been teaching for a couple months.  He’s wanted to get baptized for a long time now, but his wife keeps putting off the marriage date (his wife’s a member, and they’re not married).  We have it set for the first week of December.  Then we have the family Batres.  It’s this sweet family we’ve found.  We’ve taught them the first lesson, and the Book of Mormon, and they’re progressing pretty well.  They are a way sweet family, we just need to get them to church.

Then we have the family Quintanilla.  This is a way sweet couple.  They’re an older couple, and would be the perfect grandparents for anyone.  They’re always way happy when we get there, the husband is so funny.  The wife always makes us arroz con leche, or something like that when we come.  They’re awesome.  They also had a son who did a student exchange program in Texas, so he speaks perfect English.  Last Saturday we were teaching them, and the son entered in.  We watched two movies about the apostasy, that was way cool.  After, as we were explaining the authority, he began to tell us how he came to the conclusion that no church was right because each one was founded by man.  We explained to him that ours wasn’t, and he was just completely closed off, and kept talking.  He was very well learned with the Bible, and had had a lot of good questions.  The problem was that he came to the wrong conclusions, and is now shut off to the truth.  Man, it was frustrating teaching him.  It made me realize how true the Church really is.  It was a 2 hour lesson.  I really hope God can open his heart, because he is just an awesome person, and I know the gospel would make his life so much better.  By the end of the lesson, his own mom started to side with us and explain that really, we made sense.  But, oh well.  Another missionary experience.

So we put up a tree in the office.  Merry Christmas!

Also, Elder Hosman left this week.  His parents came down to El Salvador to meet his converts for a week (remember, he was the assistant for about 9 months).  He was an awesome missionary, and definitely a big influence and example for me.  I’ve learned tons from him, more than probably any other missionary.  His parents were sweet.  I realized how bad I was at English too.  It was way hard to talk to them in just English.  Usually when I speak English, I still need to use a lot of words in Spanish because I don’t remember the English equivalent.  But with them, I couldn’t.  Man, it was weird.  I have a fear of going home.  I have to change a lot more lives before I go home.  It really made me want to work harder.  So I want to baptize 3 families before the end of the year.  I already have 2 lined up, and need one more.  I’m going to need a lot of faith, so let’s pray for another family!  Yeah!

Well, it’s all good here in El Salvador.  I hope everyone’s good back home.  I’m going to keep looking for that one more family.  I’m already way excited for Christmas, but also kind of scared.  I’ll probably get a little baggy.  Oh well.  Just keep working.

Love ya’ll,

Elder Bailey

43: Independencia 10

Well, it’s been another week.

Last weekend we had stake conference.  We were able to bring an investigator, Roberto, to the priesthood session.  It was very good, but a little embarrassing for me.  The last speaker called me up and asked if I could give the missionary purpose.  I did, and I was very proud of myself for doing it, but as it turns out, I forgot the atonement, and President Cordon corrected me.  Well, I pulled it off to be funny.

Stake conference was way good.  We are finding a lot of new investigators, and some of them are progressing.  We just need to get them to church!  We have one investigator, William, the 17-year-old boy, who knows the Church is true, but his parents are Catholic, so he’s really trying to push to get permission to get baptized.  Yeah, he’s awesome.

We’re looking for families now.  The president has put a huge emphasis on families, so that is my goal.  I especially want to find a family before December, because it means I’ll be able to take them to the temple in a year, and that would be so awesome!

This week has been a good week.  I’ve worked a lot in the office.  The end of the month is when I have to have all the registros submitted, and a gizzilion of other stuff.  So it’s been busy.  Really nice, I enjoyed the pressure.

Hope everything is going well back home, and that everyone is getting ready for CHRISTMAS!

Take care,

Elder Bailey

42: Independencia 9

Hey!


Well, first off, I'm on youtube!  Ivan Retana (el Líder misional) put up a video of our service project on youtube.  It's called "acto de servicio barrio independencia estaca modelo el salvador".  I'm in it, working hard as always.


Okay.  So it's been good.  This has really been a good week.  We'll start with Friday night.


Friday night we were running around from house to house teaching.  We have these 2 investigators (they're this older couple of about 55 years) who...are so nice.  We're going to see if they're really going to progress this weekend, but they are sweet.  And not sweet as in cool, but sweet as in…sweet.  They are so nice.  Probably some of the most fun people I've met in this country.  After, we went and had dinner with some members and shared a message.  They were all crying.  Man, I wish I could do THAT with every investigator. 


After that, the bishop called me because it was 8:05 and we had an appointment with him at 8.  He's very punctual, probably the only person in this country like that.  But it's good.  So we literally took off booking it through the city to get to his house.  Elder Christner kept losing his shoe.  Well, I got there, and there were all my favorite members there.  And a cake!  It was my first surprise birthday party!  Good times.  They sang to me and all.  Then, as tradition goes, I had to take a bite of the cake, and my companion pushed my face into the cake.  Got frosting all over.  At least the bishop didn't do it, because he would have thrown my whole head into it.  I realized that that's why they didn't use candles after.  If there had been candles, they probably would have scarred my face.


Saturday we woke up and had a good companion study, talking about service, then, as it turns out, the assistants were getting ready to do a service project up in San Jorge, so we went with them.  Wow, how weird was it to return to San Jorge, but at least a bunch of my converts are still active.  It was cool.  We fixed the roof of the house of Jeronimo, my last convert in San Jorge.  One of my converts told me I was getting fat.  Dang it.  During this time, I was coming down from the ladder to move it over, and ran right up into a barbed wire fence.  Yep, punctured right through my pants and...yeah.  It hurt.  Then in the night it kind of looked infected so I had to call the nurse.  Well, Elder Beaton, the assistant, thought it was so funny that he called her.  It was a pretty funny conversation that night.  Then, of course, the next Monday when she came in again was just as funny.  But hey, it's the mish.


So I couldn't really sit down Sunday.  We had the Primary program that day.  Wow, was it hard to sit down.  It was a good day, we got a lot accomplished. 


Monday we went and talked to William, a teenager of 17 years.  Wow, he is so positive.  We've been reading the Book of Mormon with him, and he has been very open.  It's kind of interesting because I was getting a little frustrated that week from not teaching well.  Then I went on interchanges with Elder Maradiaga (secretario de migracion, es de Honduras) yesterday, and we taught some amazing lessons.  He's awesome, Elder Maradiaga, probably one of the most fun people I've known here.  Wow.  I'm really talking in extremes today.


So we had a lesson with William and taught him the gospel of Christ, then when it came to baptism, I just asked the perfect questions.  It was awesome. We put a date with him for the 18th of November.  I am so excited, this guy's awesome.  He absolutely wants to be baptized and knows the Church is true.  His only doubt is that him mom is very active in another church, and he's a little timid about talking to her.  But then we even got him to ask for help with that specifically in his prayer.  He is so sweet.  I'm way excited, praying for him every night.


Also, we basically reactivated a less active family that day too.  We were out with Ivan Retana looking up references, and there was one where the directions were messed up.  We were looking for house #25, but it wasn't on the right street.  So we decided to just go down the street until we got to house #25.  Well, when we finally found it, it wasn't the person we were looking for, but instead an inactive abuelita and her son lived there.  Well, we got talking, and she told us that she wanted to come back to church and stop smoking.  It was so cool.


So really, yesterday was just an awesome day.  Elder Maradiaga is way sweet, I'd have so much fun with him as my companion.  We also taught one of the funniest lessons ever.  It was to this other grandma who was a little crazy, and we were all laughing the whole time...but that's what she needed.  She enjoyed it a lot, and now wants the missionaries to come see her again.  Also, a couple days before that I taught some other good lessons with Elder Christner and Ivan el Gordo.  He's this other member who's way powerful.  We taught a sweet lesson about the Plan of Salvation, then tied it into the Book of Mormon, and prophets, and Joseph Smith.  Way powerful.  After that, we reactivated another family, family Blanco.


Well, so I've just been playing more ping pong this morning.  We've been doing a lot of that.  Thanks for all the support back home, and thanks for the birthday cards.  This has really been a sweet birthday for me.  I absolutely loved it!  Today is Elder Molina's birthday, so we'll probably go do some sweet stuff today as well.  Well, thanks for everything! 


Ttyl!


Elder Bailey

41: Independencia 8

Wow. It has been raining so much here. Seriously. They say this is one of the hardest and longest times it has rained here for a long time. I didn't see the sun for so long. In fact, Sunday we just had sacrament meeting, then they cancelled the other meetings to go gather stuff for the people in need whose houses were flooded.

Yesterday was my birthday (for those of you who don't know). I'm not gonna lie, it was really good. First, we had a multizone conference with the president about the effects of what happened. It was a very, very good conference, the best I have had in the mission. He talked about rules, why they are important, and things like that. It was excellent. The president is so awesome.

Then the Hma. Cordòn's family made me brownies and gave me a huge bag of candy. It was pretty awesome. I ended up working in the office very late (Elder Christner had a lot to do), then we left, taught a little, then went out to eat pupusas and celebrate with some members. It was so much fun.

Pupusas are a big thing here. It doesn't matter what they're celebrating, if the El Salvadoranos have to celebrate something, they go eat pupusas. Well, we went to this restaurant that was supposed to be very good (way expensive...50 or 60 cents per pupusa!). Then they also brought some candles, and we ended up putting them in the pupusas because we didn't have a cake, and really it was just fun. They also had some pretty strange pupusas there: pepperoni, chicken, jalapeño. A little different, but way good. I was with my companion, Ivan Retana (the leader misional, one of the coolest people I've ever met), Ivan el Gordo (he is really fat, but a way cool person), and Kevin Salazar (another member in my ward who's going to start his mission in December). We had a good time.

Then Ivan Retana gave me a sweet mug for my birthday. I can't explain it, I'll just have to show you a picture. I really want to send pictures, but can't because I don't have my camera. I left it in my backpack, and my backpack is in the car, and the car is not here because the assistants ran off with it. Oh, by the way, I just took out my license today. Yeah!

So yeah. But to be honest, we didn't get to work too much this week. Next week we're going to be able to get back in the work, which is nice. To be honest, the office has its perks, but man, last week was just not a good time to be in the office. It was a rough week, and I definitely learned a lot. The work goes forward. Nothing's going to stop that stone cut out from the mountain. It just keeps rolling.

Thanks for all you guys do and your support. I appreciate it.

Elder Bailey

40: Independencia 7

Hello!
Wow. This week has been changes week, so it's been hectic. It's been really long, but let's start with Saturday.
Saturday we had a ward service project. We went and cleaned up the street in front of the bishop's. We went and weeded it, dug a trench for the water, and things like that. It was a lot of fun. I really enjoyed just going out and getting my hands dirty, getting some blisters, etc. It was a good service project. I wanted to take pictures, but let's just say I don't trust leaving my camera around on that street. It's kind of iffy. But it looked really good after.
In the afternoon we had a ward missionary activity. We all went to a house and played games, had a spiritual thought, etc. Not many people came, and no one brought investigators but us, but it was really good for our investigators. We brought Julio, who came and did his fire show. It was sweet. He lit some chains on fire...and it was pure awesome. I'd show you some pictures, but I don't have my camera with me right now. Just know it was sweet. Julio is awesome. He really can do just about anything. He paints, hackeysacks, programs computers, plays guitar, tricks with fire, everything. Really, he reminds me of my brother.
Then after that, we went and contacted this girl named Diana and taught her and her mom. They are way positive, especially her. She works with a member, and has now been to some FHEs with that family. We taught her Wednesday too. Way positive. I think we can put a date with her soon. So it was a very good day. It feels like forever ago, but from what I remember, it was awesome.
Sunday was awesome. To be honest, I don't remember what happened.
Then we had changes. So I've been running around doing a lot all week. It's kind of interesting, because Monday we get the news [new elders]. Sweet, innocent, can't speak Spanish, high hopes. Then the next day those who go to Belize. Excited. After them, those who are leaving. They are always the most interesting group. They don't know what to do. They just kind of act like they're losing their identities. Some of them continue being missionaries like nothing is going to happen. Some of them realize they're going home the next day, and don't know what to do. They want to stay in the mission, but at the same time want to go home. It's very interesting. I don't like it. Make's me baggy.
Tuesday we had dinner with the president's family as his "thanks" to the office. It was excellent. We had pastel tres leche for dessert. That is probably one of the best desserts ever. Mom. You have to learn how to make it. It is so good. The president's family is awesome. At first, I was kind of afraid to talk to them and joke around... because they're the president's family. But they are actually really cool. Very chill.
Well, it's been busy. The office is rough. Keep busy. Not too much time in the field. It's kind of frustrating to not be able to help people. That's what I want. I have learned a ton from the president, and I've learned a lot about myself and having this responsibility. Being responsible, working with the president, living with 5 other crazy guys, ping pong on Pdays. It's good. I see it has something that was necessary for me. There were certain things I needed to learn there, and still need to learn. But that still doesn't change the fact that I can't work in the field as much. I just need to work more efficiently. Well, I'll learn.
My new zone is awesome. I have Elder Arbon as my zone leader again (he was my zone leader in Chalchuapa. And I have a lot of friends that I've made in other zones.
Well, go skiing. I saw there was snow. ¡Estoy celoso! [I'm jealous.] AYYYY.
Adiòs,
Elder Bailey