Week 3 and the time is starting to click by
faster!! It is starting to get into the middle of summer here and I am
wasting away. I have lost about 15 LBS since I got here so I am
literally wasting away!! We had a lot happen this week. Elder
Worthington was called on for an emergency transfer so it is just Elder
Merrill and I now! We have found a lot of success in our area this
week, but a lot of trials have come to. We had one of our
investigators, Bonifacio, who we thought was just golden and so ready to
be baptized!! We went to pick him up for church and he told us that he
wasn't going today. When we asked him why he told us that he had
decided to be baptized into a different church. The other church
baptized him last night. He didn't want to wait 2 more weeks. All is
well though, his wife is still investigating the church as well as his
grandson! We also have been praying to find a family that has been
prepared. Last night we think we found them :):) Cristian and Ayelen
read through the entire Restoration pamphlet as well as The Family:
Proclamation to the World. We taught them the Restoration and answered
their questions. It was awesome! They really seem to just get it!
After we finished we asked if they had anymore questions for us and
Ayelen asked us what the Premortal life was? We gave here the Plan of
Salvation pamphlet and are teaching them the 2nd lesson later this
week!! Keep them in your prayers please!! I am so glad that I am
hearing from more of you!! Another thing is Christmas just isn't the
same here. Its 98 degrees outside with 100% humidity, nobody has lights
or music and honestly I miss a lot about home. However, whenever I am
feeling "Trunky" (missionary lingo for homesick) Elder Merrill is quick
to put us to work!! It is awesome to see the work move forward! We got 2
inactive members to church yesterday and it was awesome!! A lot of
people here think that the only thing they have to do to be "saved" is
be baptized. Therefore we have a lot of inactivity. We are focusing
this week on visiting a lot of inactive members! I will let you all
know how that goes!! Also last week as we finished teaching Jorge, we
were all walking, laughing and talking (in English). Elder Worthington
and I didn't realize this but speaking in English makes you a target
here. We got to the end of the road and there was a boy, about 17 years
old, standing there and when he saw us he quickly turned around and put
something in his pants. As we got closer Elder Merrill whispered "Shut
up! Shut up! to us. We didn't know why, then we walked past the boy
and all of a sudden he whistled and Elder Merrill quickened the pace. I
glanced over my shoulder and 4 more men came out of the bushes. They
were headed towards us. We hurried inside of Bonifacios house and taught
him a lesson. I said a prayer asking Heavenly Father for safety. I
was pretty sketched out!! I thought of everything I had that they would
take and there was one thing that I never go anywhere without. My
sister Rylee before I left, gave me a leather bracelet that says
Proverbs 3: 5-6. It is always in my shirt pocket right behind my name
tag!! I didn't care what these men took from me as long as they didn't
take the bracelet. I quickly took out the bracelet and put it in my
shoe. They could do whatever they wanted to my stuff, but if they took
my bracelet we were going to have a problem!! Elder Merrill asked
Bonifacio if he would walk with us to the top of the hill (because
Bonifacio is HUGE) . He agreed and we got home safely. While I was
sitting in Bonifacio´s house, I was thinking about all that Joseph
Smith went through for his testimony. I knew that these men wouldn't do
anything as bad as what had happened to the Prophet, but it made me
think, what would I go through for the good of this Gospel. My heart
was calmed and I knew no matter what happened I would be okay. The
Lords hand is in all of our lives and I hope we can be more grateful for
everything we have especially during this time of year!! You are all in
my thoughts and prayers daily!!
LOVE ALWAYS
Elder Ollerton
LOVE ALWAYS
Elder Ollerton
P.S. Don't worry Mom. We are fine!
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