Monday, March 21, 2011

Our Tribulations Are Like Rocks-We Either Stumble and Fall or Use Them as Stepping Stones to Progress.

Well, it didn't get better.
I tried.
I ended up calling the President last week because my companion just didn't want to be obedient.
President Spannaus talked to Elder Olvera and then talked to me again. President told me Elder Olvera wants to be better and does not want me to leave. So he asked me to try one more time and of course I said yes.
The next day President asked us to have a Companionship Inventory. So we did....I asked him what he thought about doing what the President said and changing and doing better as a companionship. Elder Olvera said that he really didn't want to change but would try to do better. He also told me the reason he was always walked twenty yards in front of me or not helping me with my Spanish the last two weeks was to annoy me. The result...we have no new investigators this week, the baptism did not work out and other things. We tried hard to find investigators but it just did not work. I tried my hardest, that I can say.
It was kind of embarrassing because on Thursday night my companion told me half way through planning that we were going on Exchanges the next day. I looked down at our schedule. We had nothing but one appointment. I was not prepared to knock on doors all day with a more experienced Elder. Knocking on doors is not the best way to have success...But I said I would do it any way. I will write about that day later in the email.
On Sunday night we plan for the week. I don't really know what to do to find new people as a new missionary and my companion didn't have a clue either. After throwing ideas back and forth we didn't really get anywhere. "ok, lets plan tomorrow" I said.
The plan was to go paint balling with the bishop and young men. I had a bad idea about this. On P days we are suppose to follow our regular schedule. I tried to explain this to my companion that if we followed what the Lord wanted us to do the day would go smoother. I told him about my feeling that we should not go paint balling. His response was he wanted to go paint balling and that was what he was going to do. He told me that I have time to study the other six days of the week and this is just one day out of the week and that I could go without. (And then the words of my mother came through my head "It is just a little bit a dog poop" See Editor's Note below for the explanation of this quote) I didn't want the dog poop. So I suggested again if we could just follow the Lords schedule and do what I wanted to do for once. He said no. We ended our planning kind of mad at each other. He said he wanted to go on the roof to be alone. I asked him to stay here because I had to be in sight and sound of my companion. He gave me that look. The you are stupid look, and walked off. He then came back and said "I think you need a new companion." The President had said that if it didn't work out to call him and he would make the switch. So I made the call. The President said he was surprised and I told him some of what happened. He talked to Elder Olvera and then to me again. He said he had a new companion for me but I would have to wait a week. I said that would be fine and that I would work my hardest the next week.
Monday came and we had a half hearted companionship study. We ended up waiting a extra hour to go down town to play paintball. My companion left me and hopped in a car with a member friend. We had just read the missionary handbook about staying with my companion at all times that morning and if he left I was suppose to call the mission president. The zone leaders where right there so I told them and they called and got after him. I rode in the back of the bishops truck and met my companion at the paint ball place and then it did not work out because the bishop did not make reservations. The good part was I taught my companion how to bowl and we played pool. We were rushed buying food and now I don't have much time to write. I had to beg my companion to get food before this because I was hungry. So yeah now I am here. I kind of have a headache.
It is true, not all missionaries act like this. On Friday Elder Mckay came to my area and he was my companion for twenty four hours. It was so much fun. We stopped by Olfelias house and we ended up giving her a blessing because she was sick. It was one of the most spiritual experiences I have had. I could tell that she was starting to feel better five minutes after. I know it was the power of God acting through us. Elder Mckay helped me with new ideas to find investigators and we talked about ways to handle situations and about everything the gospel has to offer us and the people we teach. It was one of the best days of my mission so far.
I know I am not alone. I know that I have alot of people out there and up there and around here. I have a testimony that there are angels helping me because I can feel them picking me up. I know I am doing the right thing. I am trying my hardest to be like Jesus and do what he would do. I am so happy to be on a mission and learn alot more about life and what is really out here. Thanks for all the support. I am learning alot and receiving alot of revelation through reading your letters and reading the Book of Mormon, praying and doing what I am suppose to do. I know if I do what is right I will be fine and the Lord will provide.

Elder Chadwick

P.S. I have not received the packages yet.

(Editor's Note: We had a story in FHE years ago that went something like this. Please remember that the graphic content of this story is because boys were involved. Apparently it worked as he still hasn't forgotten the lesson.
A father's children wanted to go to an R rated movie. He said no. They said, "there is only a little swearing and a little nudity. It's so little it won't hurt us." Well, the next day the father made some brownies for his children. They were so excited to eat the brownies. He did tell them that he put just a little dog poop in them but it would be okay it wouldn't hurt them. Well, they were disgusted and wouldn't touch them. The father then told them that this is like the R rated movie or the bad book or the pornography that they might view (or the little disobedience as above). There may be a little bad in them but that is the way Satan works. A little dog poop at a time and then you are used to it.)

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